Rhapsody in Black

From the first performance of ‘Porgy and Bess,' George Gershwin stipulated the opera had to feature an all-Black cast, not white performers in blackface. This benefitted Black opera singers, but their fear was being typecast. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

When William Dawson was 12 years old, he ran away from home to study music at the Tuskeegee Institute. In 1930, he returned to his roots as Director of the Tuskeegee School of Music, a post he held for 25 years. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Jazz singer Billie Holiday discovered “Strange Fruit,” Abel Meropol's protest song against lynching In 1939. It became her closing number at all of her performances at Café Society and the best selling record of her career. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Paul Robeson was a star of stage and screen, but his passion was sharing spirituals. His goal was to elevate them to the same level as other musical forms. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Gil Scott-Heron was a self-described “bluesologist,” and a bold voice of social activism in music in the 1970s and 80s. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Carlos Simon is a Grammy-nominated composer and an activist for Black and brown representation in classical music. His latest work, ‘Good News Mass,' is unlike anything he's done before. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known in the hip hop world as RZA, is a founding member of the hip hop collective Wu Tang Clan. Now, he's taking things a step further by writing a ballet. Find out more on the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Whitney Houston's musical legacy was recently celebrated in a concert tribute at the Kennedy Center. Her powerful voice soared through heart-rending pop ballads, and she could hold her own in an operatic aria, too. Find out more on the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Seth Parker Woods is a cellist who wholeheartedly embraces new compositions, artistic innovation and pushes the boundaries of classical music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Seth Parker Woods is a cellist who wholeheartedly embraces new compositions, artistic innovation and pushes the boundaries of classical music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Jimi Hendrix, who set London's club scene ablaze and literally set his guitar ablaze while performing at Woodstock, also had a burning desire to study classical music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Awadagin Pratt is a professor of piano at the University of Cincinnati and the recipient of multiple awards. He's never shied away from talking about his experiences as a Black man in classical music, and he's working to make it a more welcoming space. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Awadagin Pratt is a professor of piano at the University of Cincinnati and the recipient of multiple awards. He's never shied away from talking about his experiences as a Black man in classical music, and he's working to make it a more welcoming space. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Conductor Anthony Parnther knows how uncomfortable it can be to walk into a room and not see anybody who looks like you. That's why his career has focused on advocating for Black composers and changing the perception of what classical music should be. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Composer Colridge-Taylor Perkinson combined classical, jazz and popular music to build a varied career that advocated for the Black community, especially its performing artists. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Named one of the most influential Black people in the United Kingdom, composer Shirley Thompson writes music that inspires and fights against Eurocentrism in classical music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Composer, performer and arranger Cassie Kinoshi has taken on the role of musical mad scientist by mixing together Black American jazz, West African and Caribbean rhythms, and Western classical music in a process of compositional nuclear fusion. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Tenor Henry Thacker Burleigh was a gifted tenor who dedicated himself to the Black spiritual tradition. He worked closely with composer Antonín Dvořák, and their friendship helped Dvořák unearth the heart and soul of American music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.Sly5thAve is a multifaceted musician from the greater Austin area. His arrangements fuse his education in jazz saxophone, his classical arranging skills, his Nigerian roots and more to create a whole new musical experience. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Tenor Henry Thacker Burleigh was a gifted tenor who dedicated himself to the Black spiritual tradition. He worked closely with composer Antonín Dvořák, and their friendship helped Dvořák unearth the heart and soul of American music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Tenor Henry Thacker Burleigh was a gifted tenor who dedicated himself to the Black spiritual tradition. He worked closely with composer Antonín Dvořák, and their friendship helped Dvořák unearth the heart and soul of American music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Scott Joplin, considered the ‘King of Ragtime Writers,' opened the door for many other Black musicians and artists making their way in a racially segregated nation at the turn of the century. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Community leader and musician Melanie DeMore uses the power of her voice to bring people together and create meaningful connections in her community and beyond. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson was a skilled pianist and conductor who composed and performed in the classical, television, theater, jazz and film industries, while also advocating for the Black community in the performing arts. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Organist Alcee Chriss III breaks down barriers and attracts new audiences to organ music through his incorporation of jazz and gospel. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Seth Parker Woods is a cellist who wholeheartedly embraces new compositions, artistic innovation and pushes the boundaries of classical music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

The award-winning strings duo Black Violin has been mixing classical and hip hop for over twenty years. The group's goal is to make the violin and viola sound naturally and unabashedly Black. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

The String Queens are a woman-powered string trio based out of Washington D.C. who have made a difference in their community and in the classical music arena through their non-traditional programming and performances. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

On the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast, we learn about Jessie Montgomery, a composer, violinist and educator whose music helps her connect with the world. Listen now.

On the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast, we learn about Omar Thomas, a composer whose music is rooted in topics such as Black liberation and affirmation, including those who are also members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Listen now.

Find out how Kellen Gray curates and conducts programs that deal with African-diasporic composers, their place in music history and their relation to the classical canon on the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast. Listen now.

Find out how a chance meeting with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped give composer and conductor Paul Freeman the resolve to make classical music more inclusive and diverse on the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast. Listen now.

Hip-hop artist and composer André 3000 released his latest album, ‘New Blue Sun,' in 2023. The album centers around compositions with wind instruments and is result of his need to explore and the many influences around him, both jazz and classical. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Composer Damien Geter began his musical path as an educator before becoming an acclaimed vocalist. But now, his path as a composer is ‘breaking down the barriers of what classical music should be.' Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Duke Ellington once said, “All arrangements of historic American Negro music have been made by conservatory-trained musicians who inevitably handle it with a European technique. It's time a big piece of music was written from the inside.” That piece of music premiered in 1943 in Carnegie Hall, and it was titled ‘Black, Brown, and Beige.' Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Pianist Hazel Scott was billed as “The Darling of Café Society” due to the her ability to sell out shows with her masterful improvisations. But her music was heavily intertwined with politics as she spoke up time and time again against segregation. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Right after Jon Batiste won the Grammy for album of the year in 2022, he spent three weeks sleeping in a hospital couch as his wife, Suleika Jaouad, received a bone marrow transplant for Lukemia. Now, the couple recounts the ups and down of their recent years through the Netflix documentary, ‘American Symphony.' Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Bass player Joseph Conyers made history in 2023 when he became principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is also the founder of ‘Project 440,' an initiative that helps young people ignite change in their communities through music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Composer and pianist Julius Eastman's personal philosophy was, “To be what I am to the fullest.” A graduate of the Curtis Institute, his music was highly acclaimed and challenged racist and homophobic stereotypes. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Pianist, composer and innovator Duke Ellington is famous today for his jazz and swing music. However, he had a few other visions kicking around in his tool box, including some memorable suites such as ‘The Queen's Suite.' Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Composer and educator Jonathan Bailey Holland's mission is to reshape the way music history is taught and understood, and to help every student feel like they're part of the conversation. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

At 19, Sheku Kanneh-Mason became the first Black musician to win BBC Young Musician of the Year. A genuine classical music superstar who grabbed the spotlight early, he continues to focus on what is most important to him: the music, the cello and music education. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Rachel Barton Pine blurs the boundaries of what you might think a classical musician is and does. Not only has she created a pathway for metal fans to explore classical music, she's a genuine ally for Black artists and the music they create. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Columbia University graduate and polyglot Paul Robeson was a bass-baritone who advocated for the performance of African American spirituals in classical spaces. Considered a ‘darling of the entertainment industry,' he was almost erased from history for his outspoken activism. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Clarinetist Anthony McGill is the principal clarinetist with the New York Philharmonic, the first Black musician to hold a principal chair in the orchestra's 178 year history. During his time there, he has wowed audiences and impressed critics with his technique and silky tone, but he has also used the platform to promote social justice issues, specifically racial equity in classical music. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Randall Goosby has been playing violin since he was 7, including studying with legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman, and the trajectory of his career shows no signs of slowing down. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Raised in a family surrounded by music, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason has worked hard to become a successful concert and recording artist. She had help along the way, primarily from her parents, who made sacrifices to ensure that she and her six younger siblings have all had wonderful music educations. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Afro-Brazilian guitarist Plínio Fernandes' style is a unique alchemy of the Brazilian folk and popular songs he grew up with, Latin classical traditions, and the Western canon. Now located in London, Fernandes' recently released his debut album, ‘Saudade,' and is working to teach and inspire new generations of musicians. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Flautist, composer and producer Allison Loggins-Hull is often described as someone whose work “defies classification.” Co-founder of the boundary-breaking flute duo Flutronix and current Cleveland Orchestra's Daniel R. Lewis Composer Fellow, her music and performances reflect current events, responding to humanitarian, political and social justice themes. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Flautist, composer and producer Allison Loggins-Hull is often described as someone whose work “defies classification.” Co-founder of the boundary-breaking flute duo Flutronix and current Cleveland Orchestra's Daniel R. Lewis Composer Fellow, her music and performances reflect current events, responding to humanitarian, political and social justice themes. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Known for singing roles in operas that demand his particular Bel Canto voice and leading projects that uplift music by African American composers, tenor Lawrence Brownlee is conscious of how the work of Black singers in the past have helped him succeed in his career, and he intends to do the same for upcoming young singers. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Pianist Awadagin Pratt is a world-class pianist who has earned awards, international competitions and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. He has never shied away from talking about his experiences as a Black man in the predominantly white world of classical music and has worked hard to help others following the same path. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.