Comment On Harlem Symphony Orchestra: “I have long wished for something like that”

[Amadi Hummings conducts the Harlem Symphony Orchestra]

Recent posts on AfriClassical have profiled the Harlem Symphony Orchestra, led by Amadi Hummings. Its website is HarlemSymphony.org The Orchestra will perform its Second Annual Concert at the Apollo Theater on Sunday, March 30, 2008 at 4:00 pm. Melanie Nicholls-King will be Concert Host . Troy Stuart, the orchestra’s principal cellist, will give a solo performance on his instrument. Music on the program includes works of two composers of African descent, Scott Joplin and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, both of whom are profiled at AfriClassical.com

We have received an E-mail from a reader who comments, in part: “I also just learned from your website that there is a Harlem Symphony Orchestra. I have long wished for something like that, I am really thrilled. I will go search for them on the Internet and make contact.” We hope many more people will discover this talented ensemble, which performs traditional works along with those of African and African American composers.

Harlem Symphony
Classical Music
Black Performers
African-American Conductor
Apollo Theater
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Allégresse Trio Plays Music of William Grant Still, African American Composer

[William Grant Still (Photo is the sole property of William Grant Still Music, and is used with permission.)]

Allégresse Trio is comprised of Ellen Bottorff, piano; Annie Gnojek, flute; and Margaret Marco, oboe. On March 18, 2008 Chamber Music Today posted Allégresse: Situated Talk and the Piano-Flute-Oboe Trio Repertoire:

“Piano-flute-oboe (PFO) trios are a distinctive orchestration for chamber music. The texture is relatively thin, which lends extra transparency and vulnerability to the sonic palette.”

“Allégresse Trio performs much of the PFO repertoire, including Quantz, Telemann, transcriptions of W.F. Bach and Rossini, plus trios by Madeleine Dring, Thea Musgrave, Jean-Michel Damase, Frank Martin, and William Grant Still.” Full Post

William Still
Chamber Music
Classical Music
African-American Composer
PFO Repertoire
Allégresse Trio

Comment on Symphonies Concertantes CDs of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Jean-Claude HALLEY, President of the Friends of Saint-Georges, based in Guadeloupe, has made a comment on the AfriClassical post about the new 2-CD set of symphonies concertantes of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799) on the Avenira label, distributed in the U.S. by Qualiton Imports Ltd., Qualiton.com Here is an English translation of the comment:

Bravo for the AVENIRA Foundation. We are certain of the success of these two CDs because these symphonies concertantes seem so beautiful to us. Let us give a little thought to the late lamented Emil SMIDAK, who did so much for Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

Jean-Claude HALLEY
Les Amis de Saint-Georges

Saint-Georges Recordings
Classical Music
Avenira Label
Jean-Claude HALLEY
Symphonies Concertantes
Afro-French Composer

Paul Konye, Nigerian Conductor & Violinist, in Spring 2008 Concert at Sienna College

The Spring 2008 Concert at Sienna College in New York will feature Dr. Paul Konye, Assistant Professor, as conductor of the Sienna Chamber Orchestra and violinist in the Sienna Community String Quartet, along with Ed Rucinsky, violin; Cathryn Magielski, viola; and Chame Blackburn, cello. The concert will take place on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 7:00 pm in Beaudoin (Foy) Theatre. The program will consist of Franz Schubert: Rosamunde Overture and Andrew Lloyd Weber: A Concert Celebration.

Biographical Sketch
Paul Konye was born in Lagos Nigeria, he is a musicologist, conductor, composer, and violinist. His musical education spans three continents; Africa, Europe, and North America. In Nigeria, he collaborated, studied both formally and privately with many of Nigeria’s foremost icons and composers of African art music such as, Kayode Oni, Samuel Akpabot, Akin Euba, Adam Fiberesima, and Lazarus Ekwueme.

Paul Konye was also musically associated with many musical organizations and institutions such as The International School Ibadan, The Polytechnic Ibadan, The University of Ibadan, The University of Ife, The University of Nigeria, and The University of Lagos. Of the many musical organizations that Dr. Konye was musically associated with before leaving Nigeria were, the then Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, and the Musical Society of Nigeria. His association with these composers, institutions, and organizations granted him a first-hand insight and interest in modern African art music. Full Biographical Sketch

Paul Konye
Nigerian Conductor
Nigerian Violinist
Classical Music
Samuel Akpabot
Akin Euba

Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges: “The Complete Symphonies Concertantes On 2 CDs”

[Le Chevalier de Saint-George: The Complete Symphonies Concertantes On 2 CDs, CD1; Avenira (2008)]


The Avenira label will soon release two CDs, the symphonies concertantes of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799). He is profiled at AfriClassical.com, where 12 audio samples of his music can be heard. The new CDs have been recorded by the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, under conductors Jiří Malát and František Preisler. Violin soloists are Miroslav Vilímec (b. 1958), Jiří Žilák (b. 1948), and Michal Pospíšil (b. 1960). Liner notes are by Michelle Garnier-Panafieu, with English translation by Mary Pardoe. Many Avenira CDs of the works of Saint-Georges are available from classical music stores and websites. The complete collection is available from the U.S. Distributor, Qualiton.com The following is an excerpt from the liner notes:

Since 1979, the Avenira Foundation (Lucerne, Switzerland), which champions humanitarian
causes and is particularly interested in the struggle against slavery of the Black populations, has
undertaken to revive the memory of one of the most interesting musical figures of the eighteenth century...Joseph de Bologne de Saint-George, better known as “Chevalier de Saint-George”. After publishing a biography of this musician in 1996 by the late Emil F. Smidak, Joseph Boulogne called Chevalier de Saint-Georges (also available in French), in 1997 Avenira produced recordings of most of his concertos, symphonies and symphonies concertantes. These were followed in 2005 by recordings of his Six Quartets Opus 14, and in 2006 by the release on five CDs of his complete Violin Concertos (world première), with liner notes including biographical, historical and musicological information. Now, for the delight of music lovers, Avenira presents his complete Symphonies concertantes in the hope that more and more people will thus discover one of the most remarkable composers of the French Enlightenment: Monsieur de Saint-George. While the great names of Viennese Classicism live forever in the annals of fame, few French musicians of the second half of the eighteenth century attained the pinnacle of repute. This naturally leads us to wonder whether, at the time of the famous Encyclopédie, when French culture enjoyed such international renown, composers were not relegated to the fringe of cultured society. But considering the prestige at that time of the concerts given in Paris (then also eminent in the field of music publishing), which attracted virtuoso musicians from all over Europe, that is hardly believable. Appearing there, whether in public concerts (around 1750 the Concert Spirituel opened its doors to Italians, Germans and artists from Central Europe) or private ones (those of La Pouplinière or the Prince de Conti), was for them essential. The arrival of Marie-Antoinette, then of Gluck, strengthened the position of foreign musicians in the French capital. It was in that cosmopolitan social and cultural context that the famous “Chevalier de Saint-George” lived in Paris, succeeded in overcoming the social handicap of his colour, and obtained recognition as one of the greatest musicians of his time.

Saint-Georges CDs
Symphonies Concertantes
Afro-French Composer
Classical Recording
Black Baroque
Classical Music

Festival of African & African American Music in St. Louis Feb. 12-15, 2009

[Fred Onovwerosuoke, Ph.D., Founder/Director, St. Louis African Chorus]

Dr. Fred Onovwerosuoke, Director of the St. Louis African Chorus, announces the "Festival of African & African American Music (FESAAM) 2009: Tribute to Great African Composers":

Dear friends and colleagues,

Please mark your calendar for February 12-15, 2009. Our acclaimed music festival, the Festival of African & African American Music, returns to St. Louis, Missouri. Co-hosted by the St. Louis African Chorus, in partnership with Webster University, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and participating schools from the St. Louis Schools District.

i. February 12, 2009: Paper presentations

ii. February 13, 2009: Lecture-recitals

iii. February 14, 2009: Special Gala by Oxford University Press (Launch of William Chapman Nyaho’s “Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora” and Fred Onovwerosuoke’s “Songs of Africa”

iv. February 14, 2009: Chamber music and orchestra concerts

v. February 15, 2009: Orchestra concert

Special Guests: Pianist Silvia Belfiore (Italy), Oboist Althea Ifeka (UK), Conductor Marlon Daniel (New York), Winneba Youth Choir (Ghana), Boys Choir of Kenya (Kenya), St. Louis Children’s Choirs, McCluer North High School Orchestra, University City High School Choir (St. Louis), Mehlville High School Band, and more!

For details and updates please visit http://africanchorus.org/ICMAD/FESAAM09.html or call Wendy Hymes (paper presentation and lecture-recitals) or Ablawa Reine (registration and general logistics) at 314-652-6800. Looking forward to the biggest event yet. Please forward to your own email lists.

FredO

Fred Onovwerosuoke
FESAAM 2009
Chapman Nyaho
African Composers
African-American Composers
African Music

Violinist Samuel Thompson Again Performs With Cortlandt Chamber Orchestra

Violinist Samuel Thompson will perform both Mozart’s Concerto in D Major, KV 218 and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso with the Cortlandt Chamber Orchestra on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 7:30pm. This concert takes place at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church, 110 Grand Street, Croton-on-Hudson, New York. The performance, Thompson’s second appearance with the Cortlandt Chamber Orchestra, comes after his highly successful performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto during a 2007 concert to benefit the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra that became the subject of an article in the September 2007 International Musician.

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Samuel first performed as soloist in 1989 with the Carolina Amadeus Players Chamber Orchestra, and made his national debut with the National Repertory Orchestra in 1998. He was a semifinalist in the 2000 New World Symphony Concerto Competition and has been presented in concert with the Marian Anderson String Quartet.

2005 was a year of significance for Samuel, as he became the subject of international media attention during Hurricane Katrina. Maintaining a sense of loyalty to the New Orleans arts community, Samuel was recognized by National Public Radio in 2006 as one of ten artists whose work shows “their spirit, their spunk, and their commitment to Crescent City”. Information is available at CortlandtMusic.org/

Nokuthula Ngwenyama Recital in Albuquerque April 12

Nokuthula Ngwenyama (b. 1976) is an acclaimed American violist and violinist of Zimbabwean-Japanese heritage. She is also a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Notre Dame University. She records on the EDI Records label. Her website is: Ngwenyama.com/new/home.html

Nokuthula is scheduled to appear at 7:30 pm, April 12, 2008 at the Recital Hall of Robertson and Sons, Inc. Violin Shop, 3201 Carlisle Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110.

José Mauricio Nunes Garcia (1767-1830): “Te Deum & Requiem in D Minor” On CD

[Padre José Mauricio Nunes Garcia: Te Deum and Requiem in D Minor, Music of the Court of Dom João VI; UFR Chorus and Symphony Orchestra (2008)]

Recent AfriClassical posts have described Brazil's Bicentennial celebrations of the 1808 arrival of the Portuguese Royal Court in Rio de Janeiro, where it took refuge from military conflict in Europe. The church musicians who accompanied the court tried unsuccessfully to have the Afro-Brazilian Padre José Mauricio Nunes Garcia removed from the position of Chapel Master and Organist of the Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, because of his African heritage. Nunes Garcia retained his office for a time, but the church musicians from Portugal formed a united front to make life difficult for him.

Lucio's Site features a new CD, Padre José Mauricio Nunes Garcia: Te Deum and Requiem in D Minor, Music of the Court of Dom João VI. The site indicates the performances were recorded in December 2007. In addition to the CD cover and a list of its tracks, the site offers audio, but listening requires registration with Multiply.com The Te Deum is from 1809 and the Requiem dates from 1816. The CD features Veruschka Mainhardt, soprano; Carolina Faria, mezzo-soprano; Geilson Santos, tenor; Mauricio Luz, bass; the UFR Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; and Ernani Aguiar, Conductor. Full Post

Nunes Garcia
Afro-Brazilian
Afro-Latino Composer
Classical Music
Afro-Liturgical Music

LP Cover of Duke Ellington's “Nutcracker Suite”

[Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Nutcracker Suite]

AfriClassical recently excerpted a review of a performance of Duke Ellington's “Nutcracker Suite” by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Bill Eddins. We have also quoted enthusiastic praise of the work on the blog “Jazzin' The Classics With Larry Clinton”. The LP cover for the recording of Ellington's “Nutcracker Suite” has now surfaced and is shown above.
Track listings are: Overture, Toot Toot Tootie Toot (Dance of the Reed Pipes); Peanut Brittle Brigade (March); Sugar rum & Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy); Entr' acte, The Volga Vouty (Russian Dance); Chinoiserie (Chinese Dance); Dance of the Floreadores (Waltz of the Flowers); Arabesque Cookie (Arabian Dance). [Duke Ellington is profiled at AfriClassical.com]