Studio of New York City Housing Authority: 'The NYCHA Symphony Orchestra'

[New York City Housing Authority Symphony and its Founder, Janet Wolfe in 2011]

On March 30, 2011 AfriClassical posted “New York City Housing Symphony Celebrates 40th Anniversary, Part 1.” On April 4, 2011, Part 2 appeared. Kay George Roberts, the long-time Conductor of the Symphony, had brought the 40-year Anniversary to our attention. Diane Chehab, a staff member of the New York City Housing Authority, has written an article, with contributions from Yvonne Armstrong and Lloyd Carter, which is currently posted at the website of StudioNYCHA, http://studionycha.org/symphony/:

The NYCHA Symphony Orchestra

In February 2011, when the NYCHA Symphony performed at Carnegie Hall, that was the first time many even realized that the New York City Housing Authority had a symphony orchestra. But the NYCHA Symphony actually has quite a rich history that began back in 1971 with Janet Wolfe, a single mother of two daughters, who founded the classical orchestra for NYCHA residents. Simeon Golar, the NYCHA Chairman at the time, is said to have asked Ms. Wolfe to create the orchestra as a way to expose NYCHA residents to classical music - a genre of music that he wished he had been exposed to as a child.

When Ms. Wolfe began the NYCHA Symphony Orchestra, the musicians were exclusively NYCHA residents. Later on, it became home to non-resident minority musicians, who often found it difficult to obtain work playing classical music in other orchestras. As quoted in the February 2011 program, 'the late composer-percussionist, Max Roach, who graciously performed with the Orchestra, said of Janet: "She has provided more work for Black, Hispanic and Asian players than anyone in New York. It's probably the only orchestra in the country that gives minority musicians, including Black composers and conductors, an opportunity to perform classical music with a symphony orchestra."'

Over time the orchestra grew and flourished, and eventually became known as just "the NYCHA Symphony," rather than "the NYCHA Symphony Orchestra." Small and large groups played in various NYCHA developments for the pleasure of the residents, as well as at NYCHA employee functions and at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.

Lloyd Carter, a NYCHA Community Coordinator, also played at the Carnegie Hall event; he joined the orchestra as a teenage violinist shortly after it was founded. He became a NYCHA employee in 1999, and was instrumental at computerizing the once paper-based administration system of the Symphony, preserving decades of rich history

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Ms. Wolfe worked diligently to maintain what she started, by developing a reputation for her tireless fundraising efforts. "Janet was instrumental in keeping the orchestra going, and especially in obtaining funding," recalls Yvonne Armstrong, Executive Assistant at NYCHA and formerly a classically trained professional singer. Ms. Armstrong also noted Ms. Wolfe's ability to attract some famous musicians to play with and for the orchestra, including Awadagin Pratt (pianist) in 1996, as a conductor, Victor Borge (pianist/humorist), and others.

Ms. Wolfe has since retired from her role with the NYCHA Symphony, but she returned last February for the February Carnegie Hall show.

New York City Housing Symphony Celebrates 40th Anniversary, Part 1

[Kay George Roberts, Janet Wolfe & Jerome Ashby (1956-2007)]

On Feb. 26, 2011 AfriClassical posted: “New York City Housing Symphony Orchestra in 'Black History Month Concert' at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Mon., Feb. 21.” We noted that Kay George Roberts is on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Lowell and was featured in 2010 in a series based on a cover article, For Kay Roberts, Strings Are the Thing; UMass Lowell Magazine, Spring 2009. We wrote that Professor Roberts told us about the Black History Month concert of The New York City Housing Symphony, which she had conducted on Monday, February 21, 2011:

“The New York City Housing Symphony Orchestra, now in its 40th Anniversary Season, celebrated Black History Month at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall at 8:00 PM, Monday, February 21, 2011. This Gala Benefit concert featured classical and jazz music by composers of African heritage — Duke Ellington, William Grant Still, Tunde Jegede (British), Adolphus Hailstork, William Foster McDaniel and Jack Jeffers. Eugene Moye, principal cellist of American Symphony Orchestra, was the featured soloist in Jegede’s Lamentation for cello and orchestra, a New York premiere, Kay George Roberts conducted.

“Long before the Sphinx Organization started to build diversity in classical music, there was Janet Wolfe. The 96-year old Wolfe, a long-time patron of minority musicians in New York City, founded New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Symphony Orchestra in 1971.”

Prof. Roberts subsequently suggested that AfriClassical post a story on the 40th anniversary of the NYCHA Symphony Orchestra. She has written this account of her involvement with the orchestra:

Kay George Roberts

“In July 1987, I made my NYC debut conducting the New York City Housing Orchestra for a concert in Damrosch Park with soloist Jerome Ashby, associate principal french horn of the New York Philharmonic. A professional symphony founded in 1971, the sixty-member orchestra consisted of diverse minorities and played for those living in the City's housing projects at free summer concerts, both in the projects and at city parks.

Throughout the summer months, wonderful music could be heard in numerous developments, at City Hall Plaza and in Central Park. Janet Wolfe was the person who made all this possible through her indefatigable leadership as Administrative Director of the Orchestra. I conducted the orchestra on subsequent occasions, including several performances at Alice Tully Hall, where I worked with such exceptional musicians as drummer Max Roach and photographer/composer Gordon Parks. They were both very good friends of Janet and deeply admired her for what she did for African American musicians in New York." [Duke Ellington, Adolphus C. Hailstork and William Grant Still are profiled at AfriClassical.com]

New York City Housing Symphony Orchestra in 'Black History Month Concert' at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Mon., Feb. 21

[Maestro Kay George Roberts]

Kay George Roberts of the University of Massachusetts Lowell was featured by AfriClassical last year in a fascinating series based on a cover article, For Kay Roberts, Strings Are the Thing; UMass Lowell Magazine, Spring 2009. Professor Roberts informs us that she conducted the Black History Month concert of The New York City Housing Symphony Orchestra on Monday, February 21, 2011:

“The New York City Housing Symphony Orchestra, now in its 40th Anniversary Season, celebrated Black History Month at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall at 8:00 PM, Monday, February 21, 2011. This Gala Benefit concert featured classical and jazz music by composers of African heritage— Duke Ellington, William Grant Still, Tunde Jegede (British), Adolphus Hailstork, William Foster McDaniel and Jack Jeffers. Eugene Moye, principal cellist of American Symphony Orchestra, was the featured soloist in Jegede’s Lamentation for cello and orchestra, a New York premiere, Kay George Roberts conducted.

“Long before the Sphinx Organization started to build diversity in classical music, there was Janet Wolfe. The 96-year old Wolfe, a long-time patron of minority musicians in New York City, founded New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Symphony Orchestra in 1971.” [Duke Ellington (1899-1974), Adolphus C. Hailstork (b. 1941) and William Grant Still (1895-1978) are profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a comprehensive Works List for William Grant Still by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma]