Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Colour of Music Festival | Black Classical Musicians Returns to Charleston February 2-5, 2022


 Black Professional Classical Musicians Festival Presents a Stellar Slate of Chamber Setting Gems

January 17, 2022 Charleston SC —Fresh off of sold-out performances in Sacramenta CA this past fall, the Colour of Music Festival (COMF) announces the ninth annual Colour of Music Festival February 2-5, 2022 at historic Charleston locations showcasing leading black classical artists from the U.S., France, and Colombia, South America.

The 2022 series builds on the expansion of the Festival’s chamber music and brings back its original ‘Virtuosi’ co-ed moniker begun in 2014. The slate of stellar artists will perform compositions ranging from baroque to modern, including works by several noted Black female composers―Florence B. Price, Margaret Bonds, Valerie Coleman, and Jessie Montgomery.

Since 2013 the Colour of Music Festival has brought international, national, and regional classically trained black musicians of African descent to share their musical talents, knowledge, and inspiration to Charleston. Since 2016 the Festival has also traveled to leading collegiate venues and performance halls in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Richmond, and Sacramento.

PLEASE NOTE COVID-19 PATRON ADVISORY: Patrons must present a fully vaccinated and boosted vaccination card for entry and issued KN95 mask provided by COMF must be worn throughout the performance if the patron does not have one. Performance ticket holders who do not comply with these policies will not be admitted.

 


Winter 2022 Colour of Music Festival Highlights

Four days of performances will take place in intimate settings featuring African instruments from the marimba (a.k.a. xylophone) to the harpsicord, in up close salon settings that revive the magical feel of classical music’s origins. 

What’s become a tradition, the Festival opens with a matinée vocal recital featuring Manna K. Jones, soprano, joined by pianist, Elizabeth G. Hill. The opening day concludes with a name synonymous with Charleston and the arts, Gian Carlo Menotti, and his Trio for Clarinet, Piano and Violin. Additional featured highlights include Toshiro Mayuzumi’s Concerto for Xylophone & Piano, Jesse Montgomery’s Strum, and Florence B. Price’s Quintet in A Minor for Piano and Strings.                            

The Festival will welcome weekend patrons to two virtuosi chamber orchestra presentations featuring Afro-Cuban composer Jose White Lafitte’s La Bella Cubana, Vivaldi’s Concerto for 2 Trumpets, Arensky’s Variation on a Theme by
Tchaikovsky, Chevalier de Saint Georges’ Violin Concerto in A Major, Robert Aldridge’s Tango for Gabriela, Piazzolla’s Primavera Porteño, with a finale performance of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s String Quartet No. 1, Calvary, mvmt III. Rondo: Allegro Vivace, a composition based on the African-American spiritual Calvary.

“Regaining artistic traction this past fall within an environment safe for our musicians and patrons I am excited we are once again pursuing live musical expression during Black History Month. There is something for everyone to enjoy all four days during this year’s chamber series,” said Lee Pringle Founder and Artistic Director, Colour of Music Festival.

Murray Center | Edmondston Alston House | Festival Hall • Charleston

Wednesday, February 2  | Murray Center Salon – 14 George Street, Charleston 

Piano and Voice Recital • 2 p.m.

Elizabeth G. Hill, piano and Manna K. Jones, soprano

Works by Frédéric Chopin, Samuel-Coleridge Taylor, and Undine Smith-Moore

Wednesday, February 2 | Murray Center Salon – 14 George Street, Charleston 

Chamber Music I • 7:30 p.m.

Michael Jorgensen and Romuald Grimbert-Barré, violin

Basil Vendryes, viola, Kenneth Law, cello, Mark Allen, Jr., clarinet, Elizabeth Hill and Lawrence Quinnett, piano, Shanelle Woods, mezzo soprano

Works by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Johannes Brahms, Gian Carlo Menotti, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Thursday, February 3 | Murray Center Salon – 14 George Street, Charleston 

Chamber Music II • 2 p.m.

Sean Daniels percussion and marimba, Courtney Jones and Herb Smith, trumpet, Lawrence Quinnett, piano

Works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Toshiro Mayuzumi, and Sean Daniels

Thursday, February 3 | Edmondston Alston House – 21 Easy Bay Street, Charleston

Chamber Music III • 7:30 p.m.

Michael Jorgensen and James Keene, violin, Keith Lawrence, viola, Ismael Guerrero, cello, Mark Allen, Jr., clarinet, Lawrence Quinnett, piano

Works by Jessie Montgomery, Florence Price, and Alexander Arutiunian

Friday, February 4 | Festival Hall – 56 Beaufain Street, Charleston

Colour of Music Festival Virtuosi • 7:30 p.m.

Romuald Grimbert-Barré, violin, Keith Lawrence, viola, Courtney Jones and Herb Smith, trumpet

Works by Max Bruch, Antonio Vivaldi, Anton Arensky, Chevalier de Saint Georges, and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson

Saturday, February 5 | Festival Hall – 56 Beaufain Street, Charleston

Colour of Music Festival Virtuosi • 7:30 p.m.

Colour of Music Virtuosi featuring Anyango Yarbo-Davenport, violinist and conductor

Works by Valerie Coleman, Robert Aldridge, Astor Piazzolla, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Colour of Music Festival Tickets and Information: $15-$40

By phone: (888) 512-9835

Online: www.colourofmusic.org

At door: (credit card, cash, or check) before each performance

The Colour of Music Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of the National Endowment for the Arts

About the Colour of Music Festival

Based in Charleston, South Carolina and organized in 2013, the Colour of Music Festival, Inc. presents a diverse classical repertoire of baroque, classical and 20th century music at the highest of musical standards to diverse audiences throughout the Lowcountry, regionally, and nationally. The Festival has also presented performances in Washington, DC, Atlanta, GA, Houston, TX, Nashville, TN, Richmond, VA, Pittsburgh, PA, Columbia, SC, and Sacramento CA

 

www.colourofmusic.org promotional images available upon request


No comments: