Cracking Classical Music’s Cultural Code with Nkeiru Okoye
In this episode, Angela and Joshua introduce our listening audience to 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, composer, and lyricist, Nkeiru Okoye. As one of the most sought after composers and creative minds of the 21st century, Okoye provides an exuberant account into her musical influences, training, and invaluable approach to scoring Black history as a way to engage, educate, and entertain audiences of the future.
Featured Music:
- “Nothing but the Grave,” Harriet Tubman – Nkeiru Okoye, composer – Janinah Burnett, vocalist – Briana Hunter, vocalist – Harlem Chamber Players, string quintet
- “Tribute 1: Shout,” Black Bottom Symphony – Nkeiru Okoye, composer – Sumayya Ali, soprano – Charlotte Small-Chestnut, mezzo-soprano – Vincent Davis, tenor – Markel Reed, baritone – Detroit Symphony Orchestra – Thomas Wilkins, conductor
- “A Kiss on the Forehead,” Home of My Ancestors – Nkeiru Okoye, composer – Issachah Savage, tenor – Howard Watkins, pianist – Tulsa Opera
LOCAL CLASSICAL – MELANATED MOMENTS SEASON SIX
As we continue celebrating Black Music Month, this week’s playlist will feature music and artists discussed during the latest season of Melanated Moments in Classical Music. All of season six was recently released and featured vibrant discussions about artists such as Scott Joplin, Hazel Scott, Joseph Bologne, and Kenneth Overton, among others.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – REQUIEM FOR THE ADRIFT AND SHATTERED
In this week’s playlist, we highlight the upcoming event, Requiem for the Adrift and Shattered! Indianapolis pianist Clare Longendyke brings healing through art in new multimedia work. The performance features four new works for solo piano by composers Emily Koh, Rex Isenberg, Nkeiru Okoye, and Reinaldo Moya along with a new film created by Indianapolis filmmaker Deonna Weatherly and Weatherhouse Company. The premiere of Requiem for the Adrift and Shattered will take place on Sunday, January 29 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. A reprise performance is scheduled for Sunday, February 5 at 4:00 p.m. at the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – BLACK MUSIC MONTH
In this week’s playlist, we celebrate Black Music Month which takes place in June. It was created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 to honor and celebrate Black artists’ contributions to music. We’ll be honoring the late Herman Whitfield III, an Indianapolis native who was a gifted pianist and composer. We’ll also hear performances of artists who have been featured in season four of Classical Music Indy’s podcast, Melanated Moments in Classical Music.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – MELANATED MOMENTS
In this week’s Black History Month playlist, we bring you recordings by composers, performers, and artists who have been highlighted in our podcast, Melanated Moments in Classical Music. Melanated Moments is the ward-winning podcast from Classical Music Indy that shines a spotlight on musical works composed by, for, and about Black people.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – HOST OKARA IMANI
Hey, Starshine! This is Okara Imani, Media Production Fellow for Classical Music Indy, and your guide to The “I” in Classical Music. I’m here to highlight the cultural and social intersections of the classical art form, beyond the Classical Period and beyond the constructs of Euro-centric high society origins.
Ric’key Pageot: Inspiring a Moment to Learn, Acknowledge, and Respect
Ric’key Pageot: Inspiring a Mo …
Ignatius Sancho: Composing the Hypocrisy of Colonialism & Convention
Ignatius Sancho: Composing the …
NEW CLASSICAL – DR. BILL BANFIELD
This week we bring you the music of Dr. Bill Banfield. Dr. Banfield is an award-winning composer whose symphonies, operas, chamber works have been performed and recorded by major symphonies across the country. Few have a wider, performed professional composing output, that has had public concert performances, reviews, radio, recordings of some 12 symphonies, 7 opera, 9 concerti, chamber, jazz, and popular forms. This alone making Dr. Banfield one of the most performed, recorded composers of his generation. In 2010 and 2016, Dr. Banfield served as a Pulitzer Prize judge in American music.
Angela Brown Brings her Unbridled Zeal to a New Podcast.
Angela Brown brings her unbrid …
Local Classical – Angela Brown
We continue our Black History Month programming this week with our featured artist, soprano Angela Brown. Born in Indianapolis, Brown has led a world-renowned career as a vocal soloist. Her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Aida captured instant attention from international print and broadcast media and catapulted Angela onto the world’s prestigious opera and symphonic stages.
Highlighting our Female Performers
Classical Music Indy employs a diverse range of musicians for our events around Indianapolis. In 2016 we hired 95 musicians. Classical Music Indy has dedicated our blog articles to outstanding women musicians this month. We’ve shared about great women music educators in America and about under-recognized women musicians throughout history. This week, we take a look at a few of Classical Music Indy’s top performers – women who are doing great work here and now in the city of Indianapolis. Read below about these incredibly talented musicians, and hopefully you’ll hear them at one of our events in the near future!
