Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Dr. Henry Panion, III: Dreams of Hope to Broadcast on PBS Stations Across America in February 2020
Dr. Henry Panion, III writes:
DREAMS OF HOPE CONCERT DOCUMENTARY
CELEBRATES THE UNIFYING
POWER OF MUSIC AND SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE
Inspiring
program releases on public television in February 2020
(Boston, MA – December 31, 2019) The concert documentary Dreams
of Hope tells the story of a historic performance at the 16th Street
Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, more than 50 years after a hate crime
there killed four African American girls. An initiative called Violins of Hope
contributed painstakingly restored musical instruments to the event, including
violins recovered from Holocaust concentration camps, which serve as symbols of
resilience in the face of hate, discrimination and racism.
Directed by David Macon and Dr. Henry
Panion, III, and presented and distributed by American Public Television, Dreams
of Hope will air on public
television stations nationwide in February 2020 for Black History Month (check
local listings for airdates).
With a captivating
storyline written by filmmaker David L. Macon, Dreams of Hope blends concert performance footage
with behind-the-scenes interviews chronicling the event's preparation and
reflecting on its significance. The program includes reflections by Richard Arrington, Jr., the
first African-American Mayor of Birmingham; Jeffrey and Gail Bayer, co-chairs
of Violins of Hope Birmingham; Chris Hamlin, former Pastor of 16th Street
Baptist; Amnon and Assi Weinstein, founders of Violins of Hope; Dr. Henry
Panion, III; violinist Caitlin Edwards; and Sallie Downs, who spearheaded the
initiative to bring Violins of Hope to Birmingham.
Concert footage features the premiere
of "Dreams of Hope for Solo Violin & Orchestra" by acclaimed
composer and conductor Henry Panion, III, commissioned especially for this
concert. Alongside the Dreams of Hope Orchestra, the concert features vocalists
Valerie Smith and Lenora Goodman-Panion, dancer Kelsey Ebersold, and the Miles
College Choir. Violinist Caitlin Edwards returns to her hometown of Birmingham
to play the Auschwitz Violin, originally built around 1850.
Dreams of Hope is a demonstration of what can happen when
people of different backgrounds and cultures come together on common ground and
communicate with a common voice, recognizing yet celebrating their differences.
"First
there was John Williams’ Schindler's List and now
there's Henry Panion's Dreams of Hope. It's a masterpiece that should be heard at
Carnegie Hall and all over the world. There are just no words for the brilliant
gifts of music which we received that evening."
—Amnon
Weinstein
“The
story of these violins and the Jewish people is of survival, hope, and triumph,
one that so parallels the story of the 16th Street Baptist Church and its
people. Having suffered the worst fate imaginable, the church and these violins
have been beautifully restored and are now magnificent relics for all to
behold. As a people of the human race, we continue to strive and hope for a
better world through our struggles, our trials, our tribulations… and our
triumphs.”
—Dr. Henry
Panion, III
About American Public Television
American
Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated
programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT
distributes 250 new program titles per year and more than one-third of the top
100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog
includes prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs
programs, dramas, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies. America’s
Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, AfroPoP,
Rick Steves’ Europe, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television,
Front and Center, Doc Martin, Midsomer Murders, Lidia’s
Kitchen, Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Kitchen, Simply Ming, The
Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, and P. Allen Smith’s Garden
Home are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most
popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally
through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV —
featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming — and WORLD™,
public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out
more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.
John Malveaux: Prosperous & Healthy New Year from John Malveaux & MusicUNTOLD
Johana and Roy Harris
Judith Anne Still and William Grant Still
www.MusicUNTOLD.com
writes:
Prosperous
& Healthy New Year from John Malveaux & MusicUNTOLD. Look for
July 2020 historic concert featuring music by composers Roy Harris and
William Grant Still (125th anniversary). See pic 1 Johana (wife) &
Roy Harris; pic 2 Judith (daughter) & William Grant Still.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Chicago's Congo Square Theatre Company Announces 20th Anniversary Presentation
Congo Square Theatre Company
commemorates 20th Anniversary season with rare
production of satiric classic DAY OF ABSENCE by
Douglas Turner Ward
in the Richard Christiansen Theatre at
Victory Gardens
February 27-March 22, 2020;
Official Opening March 2, 2020
Upcoming season led by interim Executive
Director Luther Goins and new Board Chair
Christopher Audrain
CHICAGO – Congo Square Theatre Company, well known for its powerful portrayal of African American classics and gripping new works, commemorates its 20th Anniversary season with a rare production of
the 1965 satirical fantasy, Day of Absence, at the Richard Christiansen Theatre (housed inside Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave.),
February 27-March 22, 2020. Its official opening night is Monday, March 2, 2020, at 7:30pm.
Day of Absence
was written and directed by Douglas
Turner Ward in 1965 and helped launch the New York-based Negro Ensemble
Company, whose overall mission is to present live theatre performances
by and about black people to a culturally diverse audience that is often
under served by the theatrical community.
Day of Absence recounts the uproarious emergencies that occur
when a Southern town is faced with the sudden and inexplicable
disappearance of all its black citizens; it is traditionally performed
as a ‘reverse minstrel show,’ with black actors in whiteface.
A past winner of coveted Vernon Rice and Obie Awards, this reimagined
production is directed by Congo Square ensemble member
Anthony Irons and produced by the company’s Founding Artistic Director and Associate Professor of Theatre at UIC,
Derrick Sanders. The cast will be announced shortly.
“It’s a pleasure for me to return as a producer to kick off Congo Square’s 20th
year celebration. Congo Square has been inspired by many ensemble
theater companies; none more significant than the historic Negro
Ensemble Company.
Our desire to produce Day of Absence comes from both the need to
honor its legacy and impact on our theatre company, and also to examine
the contemporary evolution this biting satire has had on America
present-day culture. I am equally thrilled to bring
more ensemble members back to our stage than we have had in years,”
said Sanders.
Day of Absence performance schedule and tickets
From February 27-March 22, 2020, Day of Absence
will be performed Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3 and 8pm, and Sunday
afternoon at 3pm. All tickets are priced at $35 ($25 for seniors and
students). Discounts are available for groups
of 10 or more. To purchase tickets, and for more information, please call 773-296-1108 or visit the website at
www.congosquaretheatre.org.
20th Anniversary restructuring
The choice to produce Day of Absence speaks
to the legacy of African American theatre companies and comes at a time
when Congo Square is celebrating 20 years of producing theatre in
Chicago.
The 20-year milestone comes at a time when the
organization is restructuring, so that it can continue to be the
creative home of black artists at all stages of their career, while
continuing to produce powerful theatre that portrays the
African American experience. The restructure includes Luther Goins
joining as Interim Executive Director. Goins is a producer, director,
playwright and theatre consultant whose past experience includes serving
as the Managing Director at Chicago Theatre
Company; more recently he served as Business Representative with the
Chicago office of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union for Actors and
Stage Managers in the United States.
In addition, Congo Square expands with the addition of
Kelvin Roston, Jr., the first new member to formally join the ensemble in several years. Roston wrote and starred in the one-man musical,
Twisted Melodies, which portrays the life and death of R&B artist Donny Hathaway. Originally produced by Congo Square here in 2015, a
Twisted Melodies remount directed by Derrick Sanders recently
toured with stops in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and in New York at the
famed Apollo Theater. He can be seen starring in the title role of
Oedipus Rex in Court Theatre’s critically acclaimed production which opened November 7.
The Board of Directors has also grown under the leadership of
Christopher Audain, who joined the board in 2015 and was elected
Board Chair in January 2019. Further, in October 2019, Chicago native
and stage & screen actor
Harry Lennix was approved by unanimous vote to serve on the Board of Directors. Lennix, known for his roles in
The Five Heartbeats, Get on the Bus, Ray, and The Blacklist, brings business acumen, industry expertise, and a broad network to the board.
Additional board members added in 2019 are Sandra
Hoyt, Dawn Frances Reese, Gertrude Wooten, and Alvin Goldfarb. Chanel
Coney rejoined a board which also includes Constance Jones, Mike Pitts,
and Hugh Williams, all bringing experience in
fundraising and nonprofit management to the organization.
About Congo Square Theatre Company
Congo Square Theatre Company (Congo Square) is an
ensemble dedicated to artistic excellence. By producing definitive and
transformative theatre spawned from the African Diaspora, as well as
other world cultures, Congo Square seeks to establish
itself as an institution of multicultural theatre. Congo Square is one
of only two African American Actors’ Equity theatre companies in
Chicago. Founded in 1999, Congo Square aimed to provide a platform for
black artists to perform and present classic and
new work that exemplified the majesty, diversity and intersectionality
of stories from the African Diaspora.
Congo Square has risen to become one of the most
well-respected African American theatres in the nation. Previously
mentored by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson,
Congo Square would go on to cultivate talents such
as playwright Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), who penned the 2006 Jeff nominated play
Deep Azure, and playwright Lydia Diamond, who penned the massively successful
Stick Fly, a critically acclaimed play that explores race, class, and familial friction.
Stick Fly ultimately ran on Broadway and is currently being
developed into a full-length series for HBO with Alicia Keys serving as a
producer. Congo Square also produced the widely praised
Seven Guitars, which would eventually go on to win top honors for
best ensemble, best direction, and best production at the 2005 Joseph
Jefferson Awards. This would earn the theatre company the distinction of
being the first African American theatre
company to receive such an honor.
Congo Square’s Educational Programs bring the
impact of theater to young audiences. Its two outreach programs, CORE
(Curriculum Objectives Residency Enrichment), and CAST (Congo After
School Theatre), present and teach theater arts by providing
classroom and after-school residencies that provide Teaching Artists to
build upon already established Chicago Public Schools literature and
art curriculums. CORE and CAST impact students and schools located in
the Bronzeville, Auburn, Gresham, Douglas, and
Woodlawn neighborhoods.
For more information, please call 773-296-1108 or visit
www.congosquaretheatre.org.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Happy New Year from Harlem Opera Theater!
Dear Friend of Harlem Opera Theater,
Thank you for your continuing support.
Concerts, Recitals, Opera for Beginners - NYC Schools and Afterschool
Centers - Vocal Competitions
Partnerships with Community and Cultural Organizations.
2020 Season to include a Salute to Black History with a "Harlem
Renaissance 100" Tribute to Composers, William Grant Still, Harry
Lawrence Freeman, Duke Ellington and Scott Joplin.
See you at the Opera - Saturday, February 29, 2020 - 5PM
Donations: www.harlemoperatheater.org.
Checks may be sent to:
Gregory Hopkins, Artistic Director
Harlem Opera Theater
425 W. 144th St.
New York, NY 10031
Please respond and share with your list.
Happy New Year!
Board, Advisory Committee and Artists
Harlem Opera Theater
Sergio Mims: ClassicFM.com: Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason awarded MBE in New Year’s Honours
Sheku Kanneh-Mason
(Picture: BBC)
Sergio A. Mims forwards this news:
27 December 2019
By Maddy Shaw Roberts
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, 20-year-old cellist and Decca recording artist, has been made an MBE (Member of the British Empire) for his services to music.
After winning the 2016 BBC Young Musician of the Year, Sheku played to an audience of two billion people at the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and quickly found international fame as a soloist.
He has since been outspoken about music education,
and is a Junior Ambassador of London Music Masters, a music education
charity that supports young musicians in classical music.
“To be awarded the MBE for services to music is amazing,” Sheku tells Classic FM.
“I
was so lucky to have the dedicated support of my parents in giving me
the opportunity to have specialist music lessons from a young child. I
also had incredible support from the state schools I attended in
Nottingham where music was promoted for its value in developing
listening skills, teamwork, self-expression and hard work.
“The love and enjoyment for this great art is something that should be available to everyone, regardless of background.”
Friday, December 27, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Music Institute of Chicago: Marcus Roberts Trio March 14, Tribute to Art Blakey March 28 at Nichols Concert Hall
In two performances honoring jazz legends, the Music Institute of Chicago
presents the Marcus Roberts Trio, saluting “Piano Giants” March 14, and
“100 Years of Art Blakey,” featuring Jazz Messengers alumni, Tammy
McCann and more, March 28. Both performances are at 7:30 p.m. at Nichols
Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston.
On March 14, the Marcus Roberts Trio—Roberts
on piano, Rodney Jordan on bass, and Jason Marsalis on drums—pay
tribute to “Piano Giants” of the 20th century, including Leonard
Bernstein, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, and Duke Ellington. Known
for its virtuosic style and entirely new approach to jazz trio
performance, the Marcus Roberts Trio members share equally in shaping
the direction of the music with lightning reflexes and imagination.
Influenced by the famous piano trio styles of Ahmad Jamal and Oscar
Peterson, the Marcus Roberts Trio builds from that rich foundation to
create an ever-evolving sound all its own that is sure to delight jazz
audiences.
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At Chicago Sinfonietta, you belong.
Chicago Sinfonietta
At Chicago Sinfonietta, we want you to feel at home.
We do this by thoughtfully curating our concert experiences, education
programs, professional development programs, and community outreach
programs so that YOU feel like you are truly a part of a nurturing and
inviting classical music community.
At Chicago Sinfonietta, you belong.
Help make an impact by giving the gift of inclusion with a contribution directly supporting our mission of fostering a diverse and inclusive community in 2020, and for years to come.
Thank you for your friendship.
GIVE THE GIFT OF INCLUSION
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Sphinx is Hiring: Manager of Special Events & Communications
Are you passionate about the future of classical music and its value in our communities?
Are you skilled in communications, event coordination, and donor relations?
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Apply now to join the Sphinx team
as Manager of Special Events
& Communications!
View Application and
Requirements
This
position reports to the Director of
Patron Relations and is directly
responsible for cultivation and
management of small and
midsized donors,
signature donor
events at world-renowned venues,
and external
communications.
Select "Job Listing: Manager of Special
Events and Communications" in left
sidebar.
Please apply by January 9, 2020
Sphinx Organization
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Dance Center Presents U.S. Debut of Nigerian Dance Artist Qudus Onikeku March 13–14
Nigerian
choreographer/dancer Qudus Onikeku makes his U.S. debut, accompanied by
Uruguayan artist Fernando Velazquez and musicians, with his work Spirit Child March 13 and 14, presented by the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Avenue.
Spirit Child is inspired by the main character in Nigerian author Ben Okri’s Booker Prize-winning novel The Famished Road.
Azaro, the restless spirit child, is caught between life and death,
between Earth-bound reality and an idyllic spirit world. Onikeku, with
Velazquez and the musicians, has created an atmosphere of transition
between the enchanted world of dreams and spirits and the world of the
living. Spirit Child offers a meditative journey into
dreamscapes, creating a poetry that brings a new kind of truth—or an old
truth that no longer captures our attention.
These performances are the debut of Onikeku’s choreography on a major
U.S. stage, though he has performed all over the world. He spent the fall 2018 semester at the Dance Center as practitioner-in-residence, working with students and setting work on those enrolled in the Repertory Performance Workshop.
Residency activities
There will be post-performance conversations with Onikeku after both
performances. Additional residency activities with community partners
and Columbia College Chicago students take place throughout the week
leading up to the performance weekend.
Qudus Onikeku
A love for acrobatics at a young age led Qudus Onikeku
to create a movement identity that fuses dance and acrobatics, while
basing his choreography in Yoruba traditional philosophy combined with
hip hop, capoeira, tai chi, and contemporary dance vocabularies to weave
an understanding of dance, art, politics, and everything in between. In
2014, Onikeku founded the QDance Center,
which blends artistry and community on both the grassroots and global
levels, impacting nearly 50 countries worldwide. Its centerpiece event, danceGathering,
is a two-week, collaborative, “anti-disciplinary” festival that gathers
dancers, writers, musicians, architects, and scholars in Lagos.
Onikeku's artistic journey as a solo artist has intensified his interest
in the aesthetics and artistry of African peoples in general. He
writes, “I am particularly animated by body memory rather than history,
by the will to reach out and touch the audience above the will to
express something of the self, and, in so doing, I’ve constantly
searched for ways to fuse poetic attitudes with African satirical and
fictitious modes of storytelling, as in the griot tradition, combining
social history, collective memory or collective amnesia with personal
autobiography, as a critical launching pad in the process of myth
reading and communal rejuvenation.”
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Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Happy Holidays to you and yours from ASALH
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Happy Holidays from Key to Change!
This
holiday season we are filled with gratitude for the community of
music-lovers and supporters who make Key to Change possible. Thank you for filling this year with new opportunities for our students to grow as musicians and young leaders.
With
your support, we were able to increase the number of students we serve
by 50 percent. We hired an additional music instructor, doubled our
students’ lesson time, and expanded our curriculum to encompass critical
music theory and ear training skills.
This year we also established the new Daniel Ching Scholarship
for students who embody musical excellence, and our students had an
opportunity to work with nearly a dozen guest artists through our master
class series. We also launched our inaugural Solo String Festival,
which brought together over 25 students from across South King County
for an inclusive and empowering string competition, the winners of which
performed live on Classical KING FM 98.1.
Thank you for making all this possible!
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Help Make A Difference; Happy Holidays From Imani Winds
Imani Winds wishes you a healthy and
joyful holiday season.
We want to thank all those that have supported us in the creation of the Imani Winds Foundation, a non-profit,
501(c)(3) organization.
The vision of the Foundation is to steer the
national conversation on instrumental music by commissioning composers
of new music, training and mentoring the next generations of musicians,
and
implementing projects that highlight and
strengthen the rich diversity of chamber music.
SUPPORT THE PROJECTS OF THE
IMANI WINDS FOUNDATION
IMANI WINDS FOUNDATION
Mission:
Imani Winds Foundation exists to create meaningful connections through music.
The Legacy Commissioning Project is now in it's 2nd decade. The latest composer to be commissioned is the incredible Andy Akiho.
The piece is designed to be performed inside immigrant detention
centers. The performance of the new work will be a musical manifestation
of healing and support. Music is a powerful conduit of intent and with
this collaboration the intent is to build a singular shared experience,
involving the performers, audience, indirect participants and witnesses
in a gesture of hope and goodwill that will affect all within the
experiential loop.
Please support this commission and all other endeavors of the Imani Winds Foundation!
Contributions via check should be made payable to
Imani Winds Foundation, INC. and sent to:
Imani Winds Foundation
123 West 128th St., Apt. 1
New York, NY 10027
Imani Winds Foundation, INC. and sent to:
Imani Winds Foundation
123 West 128th St., Apt. 1
New York, NY 10027
Stay tuned for information regarding the
10th Annual
IMANI WINDS CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Summer 2020
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