Phoenix Park-Kim, Pianist on 'Deep River: Music for Violin and Piano by Composers of African Descent,' to perform at 50th Anniversary Concert Aug. 18, 2013

[Deep River: Music for Violin and Piano by Composers of African Descent; Merwin Siu, violin; Phoenix Park-Kim, piano; MSR Classics MS 1372 (2011)]

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

Pianist Phoenix Park-Kim accepted an invitation to perform during 50^th Anniversary MARCH on Washington/Dr. MLK’s I HAVE A DREAM speech Sunday, August 18, 2013, AT&T Center Theater/Auditorium (downtown Los Angeles). KUSC Classical Radio 91.5 FM, www.KUSC.org is media sponsor. Dr. Park-Kim dedicated more than five years researching the music for her CD ‘DEEP RIVER Music for Piano and Violin by Composers of African Descent’. She emailed me:

Dr. Phoenix Park-Kim: “I have always been interested in discovering classical music by African American composers since grad school and wanted to let the world know it is not just jazz, blues, and pop music that they excel in.  I have presented a lecture recital on this very topic at a few different conferences.  We have not given enough attention to the classical music that embodies the unique African American ethnic musical heritage in the classical musical idiom.  I think when these rhythmic, harmonic elements are incorporated in classical works as an art form, they display a confidence and expertise with European traditional classical forms and techniques as well as unique Jazz, Blues, Spiritual idioms, which let these works transcend both the European and African American origins. The landscape of American music would not be complete without giving credit to their contributions.”  See http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/phoenixparkkim