On An Overgrown Path: 'Black conductor appointed at leading orchestra'

Wayne Marshall Symphonie

Wayne Marshall Conducting

Wayne Marshall was brought to our attention in 2009 by our friend Michael S. Wright in the U.K.  In February 2010, the GRAMMY-Award winning conductor John McLaughlin Williams joined Wayne at the Cayman Arts Festival in a rare two-piano (8 hands) recital by four pianists.  We arranged an interview with Wayne Marshall, resulting in a post on March 31, 2010:  Wayne Marshall, Black British Organist, Has 21 CDs & Is Conductor of Verdi Orchestra in Milan.

Today Bob Shingleton sent us a post on Wayne Marshall:

On An Overgrown Path

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Wayne Marshall - seen above - has been appointed chief conductor of the WDR Radio Orchestra Cologne for an initial two year period. Organist as well as conductor, Wayne Marshall's impressive CV includes Gershwin's Porgy and Bess at the 1998 BBC Proms. He is one of just two black conductors to have appeared in 119 years at the Proms, the other is Bobby McFerrin who conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in 2003. The BBC spin machine generated a lot of coverage out of Marin Alsop breaking the gender barrier at the Last Night of the Proms, but the racial barrier still has to be broken. Wayne Marshall's appointment in Cologne is a very welcome step in the right direction.

Comment by email:

WOW! This is FANTASTIC news! I've been sending around the link to everyone.

Sergio [Sergio A. Mims]