'the audience became spellbound with Mr. Ayers' exceptionally warm, lyrical and incredibly passionate cello playing.'

[Cello Soloist Nathaniel Ayers performs with Afro-American Chamber Music Society Orchestra under direction of Janise White, Conductor]

On June 17 AfriClassical posted a concert announcement at the request of Prof. Janise White of West Los Angeles College: “Afro-American Chamber Music Society: 'An Evening With Nathaniel Ayers' 4pm June 25, Smyrna SDA Church, L.A.”

AfriClassical has received this review of the performance from Prof. White:

“Mr. Nathaniel Ayers was the featured soloist with the Afro-American Chamber Music Society Orchestra conducted by Professor Janise White on a program of Black Symphonists on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 4:00 pm at the Smyrna Seventh-day Adventist Church located at 4394 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra played music chronicling the development of the Black symphonists from the 1500's to the present. During Mr. Ayers' performance, of The Swan by Camille Saint-Saens and Summerland (Three Visions) by William Grant Still, the audience became spellbound with Mr. Ayers' exceptionally warm, lyrical and incredible passionate cello playing. There was such complete silence during this performance that someone had to shout bravo to break the spell!

“The Concert opened with two riveting masterpieces, 'Danse Negre' by the British Symphonist, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor followed by 'Sinfonia in D' by French Symphonist, Le Chevalier de Saint- Georges which the orchestra played brilliantly! Other works on the program, 'The Hippocratic Oath' composed by Stephen James Taylor received a spectacular performance by three outstanding Sopranos, Dr. Eleanor Ferguson Marshalleck, Carol Wooten and Gertrude Bradley who performed with poignant integrity. This work was originally composed for his sister, Dr. Caroly Taylor-Olson and two other medical school graduates' voice recital. Stephen James Taylor says 'My style is 21st century eclectic, drawing from the classical free atonality of the 20th century as well as other broad ranging traditions.'

“Janise White premiered, a symphonic poem on 'Swing Low' for orchestra which brought the audience to their feet. The Bass from the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers, Ralph Pettiford nobly sang 'I Could Do Anything' from the musical 'Transfigured Blues' by composer/conductor Milton Williams with immense power and emotional depth. The concert was supported in part by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. If you missed the performance, go to the links of the Afro-American Chamber Music Society for future events:

last.fm/music/Afro-American+Chamber+Society and experiencela.com. [Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) and William Grant Still (1895-1978) are profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Prof. Janise White: 'You have created an international network for artistes. Great job!'

[Janise White]

On June 17 AfriClassical posted a concert announcement at the request of Prof. Janise White of West Los Angeles College: “Afro-American Chamber Music Society: 'An Evening With Nathaniel Ayers' 4pm June 25, Smyrna SDA Church, L.A.”

AfriClassical is pleased to receive this compliment from Prof. Janise White:

Thanks for maintaining this essential website. You have created an international network for artistes. Great job!

Prof. Janise White

Los Angeles Times: 'Nathaniel Ayers plays the Foshay Learning Center'

[Nathaniel Ayers]

On May 27, 2009 AfriClassical posted: “Afro-American Chamber Orchestra & Janise White Present 'Black Symphonists Concert.” Steve Lopez of The Los Angeles Times writes of a school concert at which Janise White invited Nathaniel Ayers to join in performing works of Composers of African Descent:

Los Angeles Times

A love of music brings Nathaniel Ayers out to the Foshay Learning Center to perform with kindred spirits.

By Steve Lopez

June 15, 2011

“I picked him up at 10:30 Monday morning. He was waiting on the sidewalk outside his apartment with a cello, a violin, a guitar, a trumpet, a walking stick and a backpack full of music.

'Good morning, Mr. Ayers.'

'Good morning, Mr. Lopez.'

When Nathaniel Ayers and I go places together, I'm the driver. But he's the talent, as they say, so in a sense, I'm just along for the ride. Such was the case as we headed off to the Foshay Learning Center, a K-12 school near Western Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, where Mr. Ayers was slated to perform.

“A woman named Janise White, whom I'd never met, directs the Afro-American Chamber Music Society Orchestra. She had heard about Mr. Ayers through some colleagues and called me to say she thought it might be nice to play with him at the school concert. I'm like a stage parent in situations like this, thrilled at the opportunity for Mr. Ayers but worried that he'll feel too much pressure, or not find the setting or the vibe to his liking.

“I explained to White that Mr. Ayers is immensely talented but somewhat mercurial, as he has been since leaving the Juilliard School 40 years ago after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Then there's the fact that he insists on playing instruments other than the one on which he was trained: the upright bass. His musical adventures are often uncharted, I warned. Just bring him along, White said calmly, and they'd work it out.

“The dilapidated Foshay auditorium was shut down for remodeling, so we were led to the music room for a rehearsal. White had not brought her entire orchestra along. Just violinists Phil Johnson and Shigeru Logan and cellist Kevan Torfeh. It occurred to me, as a trained professional observer, that Johnson and Torfeh did not appear to be black, so I wondered how they had landed in the Afro-American Chamber Music Society Orchestra. White isn't particular about the musicians, they said. Her mission, as a music teacher and historian, is to present and preserve compositions by black artists for a broad audience.

“The rehearsal went smashingly well. Mr. Ayers, primarily self-taught on cello, was able to keep up nicely by sight-reading pieces he wasn't familiar with: Sinfonia No. 2 by Chevalier de St. Georges and 'Danse Negre' by Samuel Coleridge Taylor. I had recommended to White that they try 'The Swan' by Camille Saint-Saens, a piece very familiar to Mr. Ayers, and the quintet nailed it. White was smiling and I was breathing easier, slipping into reverie on yet another musical journey with Mr. Ayers.” [Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) and Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799) are profiled at AfriClassical.com]