Tuesday, July 7, 2009

NANM Holds Pre-Conference Benefit Concert in Chicago on Saturday, July 25 at 7:00PM


NANM (The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc.) celebrates its 90th Anniversary in Chicago, the city of its founding, from July 25-30, 2009. The annual meeting will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile, 300 East Ohio Street. President David E. Morrow has announced this year’s theme: “Tipping our hats to the past, rolling up our sleeves for the future.”

Festivities will begin with a pre-conference benefit concert for NANM on Saturday evening, July 25, at 7:00 p.m., featuring Donnie Ray Albert, baritone, and Marquita Lister, soprano, in “A Grand Night for Singing” with friends: Evan Bowers, tenor; Angela M. Brown, soprano; Alfreda Burke, soprano; Rodrick Dixon, tenor; Joseph Joubert, piano; Mark Rucker, baritone; Sadie Rucker, piano; and Louise Toppin, soprano. This evening of operatic arias, duets, musical theater excerpts, and spirituals will take place at Greater Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, 5301 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago. Tickets to this event may be purchased at http://www.nanm.org/ or at the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute, 5500 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, on Mondays through Thursdays from 2:00 until 7:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Please call 773-643-1388 to confirm availability.

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National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. Celebrates 90th Anniversary in Chicago July 25-30


[David Morrow, D.M.A., Associate Professor of Music at Morehouse College, is President of The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc.]

NANM (The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc.) celebrates its 90th Anniversary in Chicago, the city of its founding, from July 25-30, 2009. The annual meeting will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile, 300 East Ohio Street. President David E. Morrow has announced this year’s theme: “Tipping our hats to the past, rolling up our sleeves for the future.”

Festivities will begin with a pre-conference benefit concert for NANM on Saturday evening, July 25, at 7:00 p.m., featuring Donnie Ray Albert, baritone, and Marquita Lister, soprano, in “A Grand Night for Singing” with friends: Evan Bowers, tenor; Angela M. Brown, soprano; Alfreda Burke, soprano; Rodrick Dixon, tenor; Joseph Joubert, piano; Mark Rucker, baritone; Sadie Rucker, piano; and Louise Toppin, soprano.

This evening of operatic arias, duets, musical theater excerpts, and spirituals will take place at Greater Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, 5301 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago. General Admission is $35/$25 seniors and students. Tickets to this event may be purchased at http://www.nanm.org or at the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute, 5500 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, on Mondays through Thursdays from 2:00 until 7:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Please call 773-643-1388 to confirm availability.

The conference officially opens on Sunday, July 26, with a Mass Meeting at 3:00 p.m. at First Baptist Congregational Church, 1613 West Washington Boulevard, Chicago. Admission is FREE and the public is invited to attend. In the evening, the annual national scholarship competition will take place at the DoubleTree Hotel at 7:30 p.m. This year’s instruments are winds and mallet percussion.
Musically yours,
Barbara Wright-Pryor
President
Chicago Music Association,
Branch No. 1, NANM Inc. (since 1919)
(A 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization)

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Southwest Chamber Music Festival: William Grant Still’s 'Four Indigenous Portraits' Aug. 8 & 9


[Africa: Piano Music of William Grant Still; Denver Oldham, piano; Koch 3 7084 2H1 (1991)]

CultureSpotLA.com
“Chamber Music With Art in the Gardens July 6, 2009 By Julie Riggott Category: Classical Music and Opera
Gorgeous music? Check. Award-winning musicians? Check. Incredible garden setting? Check. Seats close enough to hear every note? Check. Southwest Chamber Music's Summer Festival at the Huntington has it all. The Grammy-winning ensemble plays classic and contemporary chamber music with precision and heart in the intimate Huntington Art Gallery loggia. Both players and audience are surrounded by sculpture and a lush green landscape. Lawn tickets are available for those who prefer to spread out a blanket and watch the stars twinkle in the gradually darkening evening sky. During intermission, patrons are invited to explore the adjacent Beaux-Arts mansion and its impressive European art collection, which includes the famous Thomas Gainsborough’s “Blue Boy” and Thomas Lawrence’s “Pinkie” paintings. Those looking for a complete sensory experience can dine at the Tea Room before the concerts. The four-concert festival runs July 11 through Aug. 23. Too bad summer isn’t a couple months longer.”

SWMusic.org
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8 and 9
William Grant Still’s “Four Indigenous Portraits for Flute and String Quartet”
Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Jet Whistle for Flute and Cello”
Alberto Ginastera’s “Impresiones de la Puna for Flute and String Quartet”
Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet

[William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, where a complete Works List by Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma is also found. The entry on Four Indigenous Portraits for flute & string quartet indicates the duration is 10:00, and lists the movements: 1. North American Negro; 2. South American Negro; 3. South American Indian; 4. North American Indian.]





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Monday, July 6, 2009

African American Harpist Brandee Younger at New York City's Nabi Art Gallery 8:00 PM July 16


[Brandee Younger; Photo Credit: BrandeeYounger.com]

Rashida Black, Executive Director of The Myrtle Hart Society, writes in the July issue of its eNewsletter that African American harpist Brandee Younger will perform at the second concert of The Encore Music Forum, “Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 8:00 PM at the Nabi Art Gallery located at 137 W 25th St, New York NY, 10001.” The following are excerpts from the harpist's website:

BrandeeYounger.com
“A versatile musician who has been proven to defy genres and labels, this young harpist has created a unique niche in both traditional and non-traditional harp arenas. Performing mainly on a concert grand classical harp, Ms. Younger is often heard performing jazz, classical and hip-hop in a seemingly effortless manner.” “As a classical harpist, she has performed with an array of orchestras including the Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Soulful Symphony, Ensemble Du Monde, Camerata New York and the Red Bull Artsehcro, a 'non-conformist' orchestra.”

“A native of Long Island, Ms. Younger grew up in Hempstead and Uniondale, where she began her harp studies as a teen. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance and Music Business at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford, and her Master of Arts in Harp Performance from New York University. Her formal instructors on the University level include harpists Rebecca Flannery, Susan Jolles, Emily Mitchell, and bassist, Nat Reeves. Currently, she resides in Manhattan where she freelances as a soloist, and performs as part of The Workman String Summit, led by bassist, Reggie Workman, and the Laura Kahle Quintet, led by composer and trumpeter, Laura Kahle. Ms. Younger teaches privately in New York and is on the harp faculty of the Hartt School Community Division, at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.”

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Saturday, July 4, 2009

'Missed Opportunities' Is Work In Progress of Kenyan Composer Timothy K. Njoora

[Prof. Timothy K. Njoora, DMA]

On Nov. 22, 2007, AfriClassical posted “Dr. Timothy K. Njoora, Composer, 'claiming Kenya's place in the world of concert music'”. Dr. Caleb Okumu Chrispo of the Department of Creative and Performing Arts at Kenya's Maseno University had informed us: “The most active Kenyan Composer at the moment is Dr. Timothy Njoora.” Dr. Njoora, a Senior Lecturer, told us: “I am currently working at Kenyatta University in the Department of Music and Dance. I studied Music, Composition and Music Education at Barrington College, Rhode Island, BA (1980) in Music and in Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi for my M. Mus, 1983 (Music Education).” “In the year 2000, I graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts (Music Education and Composition) degree from University of Oregon.” We listed three of his songs; “Re-Union, For Solo Violin & Piano Accompaniment”; and "Mt. Kenya Passage" For Brass Quintet.

Dr. Timothy K. Njoora is now Chairman of the Department of Music and Dance at Kenyatta University. On July 1, 2009 he replied to an inquiry about his recent activities, other Kenyan composers, and performances in Kenya of music of composers of African descent: “It is indeed nice to hear from you and to also know you are actively engaged in 'Blog' reports on African Art music. All the best to you in this very noble venture. Since we communicated last time I have (or continue to work) on several pieces. For example currently I am working on a voice/Oboe/Bass Guitar/Piano piece entitled 'Missed Opportunities' which essentially laments the constant loss of many career and job opportunities among young people. I am also working on a lullaby from South Africa where I have visited a couple of times and earlier on I was working on a piece 'He That Believes in Me.' As you can imagine I work all the time and I seem to always have 'works in progress.' My other mission is to find ways to make what I have composed and is performed accessible to audiences, at least here in Kenya.

"With regard to Music by other Kenyan composers, I will make an effort to provide what information I may have on the subject as soon I am able to do so. There are indeed some Kenyan composers who are actively involved in 'Art Music.' And on the question of performances of works by African/Diaspora composers, I have to say in this regard we are fairly uneventful. Part of the reason is that music concerts are privately organized by European visitors and organizers who live in Kenya (temporarily or for longer periods) and there is no not so much effort to reflect on such works. For now stay well and best of luck with your 'blog' activities. Timothy K. Njoora, D.M.A.”

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Julius Williams Conducts 'Trilogy: An Opera Company' in Joplin's 'Treemonisha' in Newark Aug. 1


Sinfonia Trilogy
Julius WILLIAMS Conductor
Chuck PATTERSON Stage Director
Kevin MAYNOR Artistic Director

Starring
Janinah BURNETT
(as Treemonisha)
Robert MACK
Geraldine MCMILLIAN
Kevin MAYNOR
Raemond MARTIN
With
Newark City Ballet
Dance Theatre of Irvington

Trilogy: An Opera Company Focuses on the works of Black Composers as well as works reflective of the Black Experience using artists across the world.......announcing...

Treemonisha by Scott Joplin
Aug. 1, 2009....8PM
246 18th ave Newark, NJ (Central H.S.)
Central Theatre
Special Thanks To Danny Glover!!!

[Julius Penson Williams (b. 1954) is an African American composer, conductor and professor. He is profiled at AfriClassical.com, and his own website is http://www.juliuspwilliams.com]

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Friday, July 3, 2009

Cellist Lenae A. Harris Performs 'Incantations for Laptop and Cello' at Cornelia St. Cafe July 18



[Lenae A. Harris]

Chris Becker sends AfriClassical this press release:
July 18, 2009
6pm
Cornelia St. Cafe
New York City
“Incantations for Laptop and Cello”
Chris Becker, Laptop
Lenae A. Harris, Cello
$10 cover
“A set of composed and improvised incantations for laptop and cello recombining dub, classical, ambient, and hip-hop music into a seductive flow.”
“Composer Chris Becker lives and works in Long Island City, Queens, New York, composing, arranging and recording music for a wide variety of solo and collaborative projects including music for dance, mixed-media installations, and film. Most recently, he composed an original industrial/classical score for choreographer Sasha Soreff’s The Other Shoe which ran four nights at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.”

MySpace.com/cataclysmicsounds
“Cellist, pianist, composer, and producer Lenae A. Harris began her music career at the age of six, studying piano with Ryna Krysiak in her hometown of Chicago. She later, at age eleven, added the cello to her arsenal, studying with Elizabeth Anderson at the Merit School of Music where she had the rare opportunity to perform in a master class with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. As a young protégé, she performed in several orchestras and chamber ensembles, including Chicago Teen Ensemble, Protégé Philharmonic, Classical Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Greenwich Village Orchestra. Along with performing, Lenae had a strong desire to score for film and added it to her studies, earning both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Music Composition. Most recently, she composed for and performed in the upcoming film, Colored Frames, directed by Lerone Wilson (http://www.boondogglefilms.net/coloredframes/), and produced the songs 'Get Live' and 'Anything You Ask For' for hip-hop artist Game on his recent CD release G.A.M.E.”





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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Phoenix Park-Kim & Merwin Siu Play Ellis Marsalis, David Baker & R. N. Dett 'Live From FM 91' July 10




[Top: R. Nathaniel Dett; Center: David N. Baker; Bottom: Ellis Marsalis]

“Live From FM 91” On Toledo Public Radio and Streamed Online 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time
The WGTE Program Guide describes “Live From FM 91”: “Join Classical Music Director, Brad Cresswell, for conversation and live music with some of the area's finest musicians.” The program will be heard Friday, July 10 at 10:00 A.M. Works by three African American Composers will be performed by Merwin Siu, Second Violin with the Toledo Symphony, and Dr. Phoenix Park-Kim, Assistant Professor of Piano, Indiana Wesleyan University. The works, to be released on a CD in the near future, are:

"Ethnic Variations on a Theme of Paganini" by David Baker (b. 1931)
Movement from "Cinnamon Grove" by R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943)
“The Fourth Autumn” by Ellis Marsalis (b. 1934)
[R. Nathaniel Dett is profiled at AfriClassical.com, where Phoenix Park-Kim's world premiere recording of Dett's “Cinnamon Grove” can be sampled.]





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Scott Joplin's 'Treemonisha' Performed For 36th Anniversary of Independence of Bahamas


TheNassauGuardian.com
Opera at the Dundas
By THEA RUTHERFORD ~ Guardian National Correspondent:
“'Treemonisha,' an opera written by the African American composer Scott Joplin featuring the sounds of ragtime, comes to life on stage at the Dundas for the nation's 36th birthday. Courtesy of Dr. Cleveland Williams, the operatic singer who recently returned home with a passion to give back to society, Treemonisha will unfold during a four-night run at the Dundas from July 6 - 8 and 11. The opening night's proceeds are in aid of the Sir Victor Sassoon Heart Foundation.

“Written and composed by Joplin in 1910, Treemonisha tells in music and dance the story of a young woman in a village of former slaves who triumphs over ignorance to teach her fellow villagers the importance of education. The opera combines sub-themes of mysticism with its witch doctor characters; love and family relationships with the bond between Treemonisha and her parents Ned and Monisha and even a bit of secrecy in a startling discovery to create a story with as much entertainment as didactic value. Williams, who calls himself the architect of a production he credits his extensive cast for bringing together, says that the opera's themes are universal and, in its focus on education, also tie in with the liberation of Independence.”

“Similarly in the opera, he points out, 'Treemonisha, being the heroine of the opera, leads the state of ex slaves to strive for something bigger and better and to educate themselves.' The opera's all-Bahamian cast is already a leap forward for those involved. The cast includes a host of local actors and singers, including Candice Bostwick and Nikita Wells Thompson, who will both play Treemonisha and Portia Barnett and Lillian Bastian, who play Monisha. The cast further consists of the National Dance Company of The Bahamas, with pieces choreographed by artistic director Robert Bain, and an orchestra that includes members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band.” [Full Post] [Scott Joplin (1868-1917) was a Ragtime and Classical composer and pianist of African descent who is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Harpist Mariea Antoniette In Ravel's 'Bolero' & 'Symphonic Renditions' of Ellington in L.A. July 29


[Sexy Paradise; Mariea Antoniette, harp; Maasai Records (2002)]

Rashida Black is Founder/Executive Director of The Myrtle Hart Society, dedicated to classical musicians of color. Its July 2009 eNewsletter features this article, presented here in part:
“L.A. Hear: Mariea Antoniette
After rehearsing for a concert one afternoon on Long Island, one of the major donors approached me and said, 'I have a question to ask--and I don't mean to offend you in any way, but I have been sponsoring orchestras across the country for more than 30 years now, and I wonder why I don't see many harpists of color. In my 30 years of sponsoring, you have the second one I've seen. Why is that?' This excerpt from an article entitled 'beyond color: encouraging ethnic balance within the harp community' by harpist Brandee Younger appeared in the May/June edition of Harp Column magazine.

“The article goes on to list the variety of styles and genres performed by harpists of color. One such harpist breaking down stereotypes is Mariea Antoniette. Don't let the name fool you. Mariea Antoinette is a new age classical harpist, producer and spoken word artist, who has performed for several of the worlds' top dignitaries and entertainers around the continental united states, such as President Obama, Colin Powell, Ivana Trump and Tavis Smiley. In addition to performing with several of music greats in the Jazz and R&B community, Ne-Yo, Mary J. Blige, Kanye West and Jamie Foxx.

“Her TV performances include the BET Music Awards and, MTV Music Awards. This versatile artist is a teacher, mentor and ongoing student of the art of music and technique.” “She has produced the CDs: Mariea Antoinette Solo Harp, Warrior Princess and Sexy Paradise, which blends smooth jazz and R&B classics. Introduced to the harp at the age of 16, Mariea has studied and been mentored in her classical and contemporary repertoire by some of the best while training Russian Harpist Eleana Masheocova and Dr. Carol Mc Laughlin, Paul Hurst and Carol Robbins.”

“This month, Mariea performs with the Southeast Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Los Angeles for the end of the season concert. Charles Dickerson, music director and Conductor, Performing 'Bolero' by Maurice Ravel and Symphonic Renditions of favorite compositions of Edward Kennedy 'Duke Ellington'. Walt Disney Concert Hall at 3:00pm. Tickets start at 35.-75.00. July 19, 2009.”

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