Podcasts about bridgetower

Bridgetower wird als Wunderkind und "Schwarzer Geiger" berühmt. Am 19.02.1790 wird er entdeckt - und begeistert Beethoven später so, dass der ihm ein Meisterwerk widmet. Von Holger Noltze.

Former U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove discusses her upcoming performance of “The Bridgetower,” her poem to be recited in concert with the Emory Chamber Music Society on January 17 at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Plus, we hear about Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” on “Kosmo’s Vinyl of the Week,” and we’ll learn how “The Frisky Whisker” in Underground pairs a listening room and art gallery with a couple dozen really cool cats.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sphinx Virtuosi – Songs for Our Times (Deutsche Grammophon) New Classical Tracks - Andre Dowell, Sphinx Virtuosi by “My role with the organization as the chief of artist engagement is to really understand the talent that is out there and to be able to recruit the musicians who perform with the Sphinx Virtuosi,” Andre Dowell says. “Community engagement, in terms of how they are engaging their community, not just the youth, but also their audiences and educating them about our mission, which is transforming life through the power of diversity in the arts.”For the past 15 years, Dowell has watched the Sphinx Organization evolve as it strives for and achieves that mission. One way in which it's doing that is with a professional, self-conducted touring ensemble of 18 members made up of freelance musicians and professors at universities. That ensemble is Sphinx Virtuosi, which has just released its debut recording, Songs for Our Times.“Over the past couple of years, we've had the great opportunity to have our programs be comprised solely of musicians who are Black or Latino. Because of that, we really wanted to have an album out that represented not only the Sphinx Organization, but the Sphinx Virtuosi. One thing that you'll find with our debut album is that every composer is a composer of color.”Why is this title, Songs for Our Times, so significant?“Songs for Our Times really digs into composers that we've worked with in the past, celebrating artists and composers who have paved the way. We talk about Florence Price, for example. We talk about Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman, Carlos Simon, and we have a great arrangement of Beethoven's Bridgetower by Rubén Rengel. Songs for Our Times goes into the past, the rich history of the Sphinx organization, and explores how that intertwines with the composers of today.The album opens with Global Warming, by Michael Abels, who won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Can you talk about the history of this piece and why it fits in so well with this debut recording?“This piece really inspired us to feature Michael Abels as a composer. This piece just captures so perfectly what it means to be in this world today and going through COVID-19 and the pandemic. And what you'll find on the CD is George Floyd in the aftermath of that, in terms of what it means to reflect in this world today.” Watch on YouTubeThere's an unusual time signature in the piece by Ricardo Hertz. It's called Sisyphus in the Big City. Why do we have this 25/16 time signature?“It is great. And if you listen to the music enough, you'll be able to understand and feel the rhythmic structure of it. We have the great opportunity to play this piece in Brazil with Ricardo himself. It's something that requires a lot of communication in terms of being able to play that type of time signatures while also keeping the groove.”Valerie Coleman's two-movement piece, Tracing Visions, is on this recording, and each of the movements is so powerful. Would you share the story behind them?“The first movement we talk about Emmett Till and other victims of domestic violence or terrorism, if you will. It's a remembrance of those times. And it ends with the second movement, which means power and is a celebration of where we have come in our society. And she takes this motif and really expands it to uplift the work that has been done, and that we continue to do, and the fight that we continue to have in our society.” Listen on YouTubeTo hear the rest of my conversation, click on the extended interview above, or download the extended podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.ResourcesSphinx Virtuosi – Songs for Our Times (Amazon)Sphinx Virtuosi – Songs for Our Times (Deutsche Grammophon)Sphinx Virtuosi (official site)

Deutsche Grammophon introduces the Sphinx Virtuosi to a global stage via the release of its debut album, Songs for Our Times. Hailed as “topnotch” by The New York Times, this groundbreaking self-conducted American string ensemble comprises 18 exceptional Black and Latinx artists and has curated an album featuring works by outstanding composers and artistic visionaries of color. Its strikingly diverse tracks include the world premiere recordings of Valerie Coleman's Tracing Visions and Jessie Montgomery's Divided, both written expressly for Sphinx Virtuosi, which commissions new music annually, in line with its desire to expand its repertoire and connect with new audiences. Songs for Our Times Track List1. Michael Abels – Global Warming [8:34]2. Aldemaro Romero – Fuga con Pajarillo [8:04]Valerie Coleman – Tracing Visions for String Orchestra     3. ii. Till [5:52]     4. iii. Amandla! [5:15]5. Carlos Simon – Between Worlds [4:32]6. Florence Price – String Quartet No. 2, Andante Cantabile [7:06]7. Jessie Montgomery – Divided [10:01]8. Ricardo Herz – Sísifo na Cidade Grande [6:44]9. Ludwig van Beethoven (arr. Rengel) – Violin Sonata No. 9, Op. 47, "Bridgetower", Presto [6:42]Total Time: 62:50Help support our show by purchasing this album  at:Downloads (classicalmusicdiscoveries.store) Classical Music Discoveries is sponsored by Uber and Apple Classical. @CMDHedgecock#ClassicalMusicDiscoveries #KeepClassicalMusicAlive#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofVenice #CMDParisPhilharmonicinOrléans#CMDGermanOperaCompanyofBerlin#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofBarcelonaSpain#ClassicalMusicLivesOn#Uber#AppleClassical Please consider supporting our show, thank you!Donate (classicalmusicdiscoveries.store) staff@classicalmusicdiscoveries.comThis album is broadcasted with the permission of Katy Salomon representing Primo Artists.

Synopsis On today's date in 1803, violinist George Polgreen Bridgetower, age 33, and pianist and composer Ludwig van Beethoven, age 32, gave the first performance in Vienna of a new Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano, a chamber work now regarded as one of Beethoven's greatest. At the first rehearsal, Bridgetower had to read from Beethoven's manuscript score – no easy task considering Beethoven's poor penmanship – and at one point felt compelled to improvise a passage, which so enchanted Beethoven that he added Bridgetower's improvisation to his score. In fact, the two young men became fast friends, and were inseparable for a time. Bridgetower was an English violin virtuoso born in Poland of a European mother and an African father. His Viennese friendship with Beethoven came to a sudden end, Bridgetower later claimed, when the two men became interested in the same young lady. And so, even though it should be known as the Bridgetower Sonata, when this music was published as Beethoven's Op. 47, Beethoven dedicated the music to another contemporary virtuoso, a French violinist named Kreutzer, who apparently never performed it. Despite that fact, to this day, the work is known as Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata. Music Played in Today's Program Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) Violin Sonata No. 9, Op. 47 (Kreutzer) Pamela Frank, violin; Claude Frank, piano MusicMasters 67087

On this podcast, we learn about many composers whose names are familiar to you because they are composers who are widely recognized and performed. But there are many great composers whose names are not familiar to us, whose works have been largely lost over time. Today we are going to learn about one such composer. A biracial violin prodigy who inspired one of Beethoven's most famous and passionate pieces, George Bridgetower is mostly known for his famous public rift with the volatile composer. We'll learn more about the legendary concert where two brilliant performers dazzled a crowd with their incredible skills, though only one performer would go onto become a household name.   Music Heard in this Episode: George Bridgetower - Henry: a Ballad - arr. String Quartet George Bridgetower: Henry, A Ballad (c. 1812) Beethoven.Violin.Sonata.No.9.Op.47.kreutzer. [Anne-Sophie Mutter.-.Lambert.Orkis]   Music Listening Schedule for Episode 91 As I note in the podcast, the majority of Bridgetower's works are, sadly, lost to us. The playlist I've put together includes two recordings of the one piece we do have available to us, a performance of the "Bridgetower" Sonata, and and an excerpt of an opera about Bridgetower that was mentioned in the podcast. You can view the playlist here. Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you're not, head on over to do that today so you don't miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts! If you're feeling extra magnanimous, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other families find my podcast learn more about music. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love about Busy Kids Love Music. Thanks!    

Joshua and Angela discuss the life and times of Europe's most renowned virtuoso violinist of the 18th and 19th centuries, George Bridgetower. In the age of the global slave trade, competing empires, and revolution, Bridgetower exemplified the refinement, sophistication, and mastery of the classical era while rubbing elbows with the European elite. Featured Music:"Henry, A Ballade," by George Bridgetower, feat. soprano Benita Borbonus"Violin Sonata No. 9, Mvt. 3: Finale," by Ludwig Van Beethoven, feat. violinist Itzhak Perlman and pianist Vladimir AshkenazySupport the show

Jaime Zepeda is the as Executive Vice President of Best Companies Group (BCG) and Color Magazine, both parts of BridgeTower Media. Jaime has more than a decade of experience in human resources and technology, and supports the ongoing growth and expansion of BCG and Color Magazine. Prior to BridgeTower, he served as Senior Vice President of Customer & People Success at HIVE Diversity, a virtual recruiting platform that connects companies with employees of diverse backgrounds and experiences. Before that, he was part of LinkedIn's customer success team, helping to manage the company's relationships with large global enterprises. He began his career in HR Tech at Great Place to Work, where he served in several leadership roles, including Vice President of Partnership Programs. Jaime earned his Bachelor's of Arts degree from St. Mary's College of California, and his MBA from The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. He is based in the Bay Area and is active with several local organizations, including serving on the Board of Envisioneers, and as a mentor and advisor to Students Rising Above, Latinas in Tech, Bay Area Community Services, and BizWorld.org

Violinist and composer George Bridgetower was good friends with Ludwig Van Beethoven. So much so that Beethoven wrote a violin sonata just for him. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

In this talk, recorded in March of 2010, former U. S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove shared poems from her then-new book, Sonata Mulattica. This collection tells the story of George Augustus Polgreen Bridgetower. Previously just a footnote in Beethoven's biography, Bridgetower—who was a Black violinist—had a sonata dedicated to him, and then, after a falling out over a girl, found that same sonata renamed. In this groundbreaking book, Dove tells Bridgetower's story and restores one piece of lost history of African Americans in classical music. Without Dove to revive his story, Bridgetower may have been lost to time. Dove once noted, “There's always been a special place in my work for people who drop out of history.” In this reading, which feels like an intimate fireside chat, she brings George Polgreen Bridgetower to life for an audience in whose minds he lives still. Let's rekindle his spirit once again, and hear what Dove's writings—and Bridgetower's life and music—continue to tell us today.

Actor Giles Terera tells us about his new book Hamilton and Me: an Actor's Journal, his inside account of preparing for, rehearsing and performing in the West End production of the smash hit musical, Hamilton, in which Terera played Hamilton's rival and, ultimately, killer Aaron Burr. George Bridgetower was a mixed-race violin virtuoso, patronised by royalty, a pupil of Haydn and friend of Beethoven - who was so inspired by Bridgetower that he wrote one of his greatest pieces for him - the Sonata Op.47, which is now known as the Kreutzer Sonata. In a new documentary, Chi-chi Nwanoku, finds out more about Bridgetower's life, and campaigns to rename Beethoven's work to the Bridgetower Sonata. In June Shona McCarthy, the Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, spoke to Kirsty Lang on Front Row about the prospects for the Fringe in this pandemic year. Tickets went on sale yesterday and Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman newspaper's theatre critic and political columnist, is Kirsty's guest to explain what is on offer, what help the Fringe has had from the Scottish Government and the adjustments it has made so it remains a vital cultural celebration in these difficult times. Film critics Tim Robey and Amon Warmann join us to review the Danish film Another Round, the winner of this year's Best Foreign Language Oscar. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg and starring Mads Mikkelsen it's about four teachers who decide to test a theory that maintaining a constant blood alcohol level will improve their lives. In the beginning it makes them more gregarious and seems to enhance their personal and professional lives but their subsequent decision to go beyond moderate inebriation makes everything far more complicated.

Der Jazz ist schwarz, die Klassik weiß, der afroamerikanische Drummer hat den Swing im Blut, während der europäische Violin-Virtuose akademisch gebildet ist. ie unsinnig solch Schubladendenken ist, zeigt ein Blick zurück in die Musikgeschichte. Denn bereits vor über 200 Jahren gab es eine außergewöhnliche Freundschaft, die ethnische Barrieren überwand und der wir ein Meisterwerk verdanken. Hören Sie ein ZOOM von Markus Vanhoefer.

In 1803 a virtuoso violinist came to visit Vienna and Beethoven wrote a new Sonata to play with him that would change music history; so why doesn’t it have Bridgetower’s name on it? The great musical partnership that wasn’t.  I also speak with Rosemary Thomson about all of the things conductors have to keep in balance, and the importance of having a personal relationship with her audience as music director of the Okanagan Symphony.    NPR Obit of Lou Ottens: https://www.npr.org/2021/03/10/975598869/lou-ottens-inventor-of-the-cassette-tape-has-died   British Library Webpage about the Beethoven/Bridgetower tuning fork: https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/beethovens-tuning-fork   British Library Webpage about George Bridgetower: https://www.bl.uk/people/george-bridgetower   Rosemary Thomson is music director of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra: https://okanagansymphony.com   Rosemary Thomson photo by Glenna Turnbull https://www.glennaturnbull.ca   Bramwell Tovey, former music director, Winnipeg Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Opera: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bramwell_Tovey   Hans Graf, former music director of the Calgary Philharmonic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Graf   Non-Profit Quarterly article about the CPO turnaround: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/phoenix-in-calgary-how-the-calgary-philharmonic-survived-bankruptcy-and-flourished/   Composer Jocelyn Morlock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocelyn_Morlock   Orchestral Album featuring Morlock’s Music Apple:https://music.apple.com/ca/album/jocelyn-morlock-cobalt/830562463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4ct3kGzOF5upOu4dhvu2EQ?si=N9h0vaGrS-6PIE5h84eZeg   Composer R Murray Schafer https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/r-murray-schafer-emc   Composer Emily Doolitte article about Schafer’s “Wolf Project” http://emilydoolittle.com/wolfpaper.pdf   Composer Dinuk Wijeratne Dinuk Wijeratne - Dinuk Wijeratne   Composer Chistos Hatzis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christos_Hatzis Album featuring Hatzis’ music Apple:https://music.apple.com/ca/album/christos-hatzis-lamento-ecstasy/1493802947 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3B1rWPvxCXSaSdfzdLvCXP?si=AMBZD-8HR4uOr17RD5MaEg   Composer Allan Bell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Gordon_Bell   Beethoven music provided by Musopen.com Released March 2021 CultureMonster.ca

Francis Merson is a clinical psychologist, classical music educator, and long time friend of the ACO. In this podcast, released ahead of the second tour of our 2021 Season, 'Beethoven & Bridgetower', Francis is joined by ACO Artistic Director Richard Tognetti and 'Beethoven & Bridgetower' scriptwriter Anna Goldsworthy to explore the fascinating story of George Bridgetower, the original dedicatee of Beethoven's beloved Violin Sonata in A major, Op.47, better known today as the 'Kreutzer' Sonata.

Beethoven was feeling a bit flat in the early 1800s as his hearing started to fade, but the arrival of an exciting young violin player in Vienna cheered him up immensely. George Bridgetower was a virtuoso violin player whose mother was Polish and his father was West Indian. While his father tried to market him as a novelty, he had genuine brilliance as a violin player. Beethoven was going to dedicate a violin sonata to him, so what happened?

Ian Dunt's new book 'How to be a Liberal' traces the political philosophy's development over three and a half centuries. Who was George Bridgetower and why did Beethoven wipe him from the sonata he wrote for him and therefore from history?

On today's date in 1803, violinist George Polgreen Bridgetower, age 33, and pianist and composer Ludwig van Beethoven, age 32, gave the first performance in Vienna of a new Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano, a chamber work now regarded as one of Beethoven's greatest. The performance was to have taken place two days earlier, but Beethoven wasn't finished with the music. At the first rehearsal, Bridgetower had to read from Beethoven's manuscript score—no easy task considering Beethoven's poor penmanship—and at one point felt compelled to improvise a passage, which so enchanted Beethoven that he added Bridgetower's improvisation to his score. In fact, the two young men became fast friends, and were inseparable for a time. Bridgetower was an English violin virtuoso born in Poland of a European mother and an African father. He ended up in England, and joined the famous Salomon orchestra which premiered many of Haydn's "London" Symphonies. They caught the eye and ear of the Prince of Wales, who became his patron and sponsored a European tour which brought him to Vienna. His Viennese friendship with Beethoven came to a sudden end, Bridgetower later claimed, when the two men became interested in the same young lady. And so, even though it should be known as the "Bridgetower Sonata," when this music was published as Beethoven's Op. 47, Beethoven dedicated the music to another contemporary virtuoso, a French violinist named Kreutzer, who apparently never performed it.

On today's date in 1803, violinist George Polgreen Bridgetower, age 33, and pianist and composer Ludwig van Beethoven, age 32, gave the first performance in Vienna of a new Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano, a chamber work now regarded as one of Beethoven's greatest. The performance was to have taken place two days earlier, but Beethoven wasn't finished with the music. At the first rehearsal, Bridgetower had to read from Beethoven's manuscript score—no easy task considering Beethoven's poor penmanship—and at one point felt compelled to improvise a passage, which so enchanted Beethoven that he added Bridgetower's improvisation to his score. In fact, the two young men became fast friends, and were inseparable for a time. Bridgetower was an English violin virtuoso born in Poland of a European mother and an African father. He ended up in England, and joined the famous Salomon orchestra which premiered many of Haydn's "London" Symphonies. They caught the eye and ear of the Prince of Wales, who became his patron and sponsored a European tour which brought him to Vienna. His Viennese friendship with Beethoven came to a sudden end, Bridgetower later claimed, when the two men became interested in the same young lady. And so, even though it should be known as the "Bridgetower Sonata," when this music was published as Beethoven's Op. 47, Beethoven dedicated the music to another contemporary virtuoso, a French violinist named Kreutzer, who apparently never performed it.

24.05.1803: Der Geiger Bridgetower spielt Beethovens "Sonata mulattica"

Each day during February, we posted a “Classical Music Moment in Black History” on our Facebook page to show the contributions of black artists to classical music throughout history. We’ve collected our twenty-eight February entries in this article. By the way, these entries were originally part of an episode of the Classical Classroom podcast (audio included below).  Composer Chevalier de Saint-Georges.  In the mid-to-late 1700’s, Chevalier de Saint-Georgeswas an Afro-French composer who was also France’s best fencer. After Napoleon re-instituted slavery in France, de Saint-Georges’ works were rarely played, though lots of his work has been recorded since the 1970’s. In 1803, virtuoso violinist George Bridgetower, who had studied under the leader of the Royal Opera, played with Beethoven. Beethoven then dedicated his Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major to Bridgetower, and they premiered the piece together. Later, the two had a falling out – something to do with a lady – and Beethoven changed the piece’s name. It’s now called the Kreutzer Sonata. Poet Rita Dove wrote a book about Bridgetower and Beethoven’s relationship. Soprano Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, “The Black Swan”.  In 1853, soprano Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield – people knew her as the “Black Swan” – made her New York debut at the Metropolitan Hall. While she could sing, her skin color would have denied her entrance to the concert. But that didn’t slow Greenfield down: In 1854, this classy lady sang a command performance before Queen Victoria. Composer Scott Joplin.  In 1868, innovative composer and pianist Scott Joplin was born in Texas. Joplin wrote 2 operas, one ragtime ballet, and 44 original ragtime pieces before he died. Composer Harry Thacker Burleigh.  From 1892-95, Antonin Dvorak – not black as you might know, but stick with me – was director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. The woman who founded the school, Jeanette Thurber, opened the school to men, women, blacks, and whites – pretty unusual for that time. Dvorak felt that a true American style of music should grow out of African- and Native-American music. Harry Burleigh, one of the earliest African-American composers and one of Dvorak’s pupils, introduced Dvorak to American spirituals. In 1898, Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor wrote the musical Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast. It was wildly successful during his lifetime. Coleridge-Taylor also visited the States and inspired American blacks to become composers. Tenor Roland Hayes.  In 1921 tenor Roland Hayes gave a performance before King George V of England. In 1923, Hayes debuted at Carnegie Hall. He was the first African American man to become famous worldwide as a concert performer, and he became one of the world’s greatest Lieder interpreters. In 1926, Undine Smith Moore graduated cum laude from the Juilliard School. She was the first graduate of Fisk University, a historically black school, to receive a scholarship to Juilliard. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Moore became “…one of this country’s most prominent composers and arrangers of choral works, many based on or inspired by Negro spirituals and folk songs.” Composer William Grant Still.  1931 was the year William Grant Stillbecame the first Black American composer to have a symphonic work performed by a major American orchestra. The Rochester Philharmonic performed his Afro-American Symphony. Stills had another big “first” in 1949 when his opera Troubled Island – based on a libretto by Langston Hughes – was performed by the New York City Opera, becoming the first opera by a black person to be performed by a major company. William Grant Still was also the first black man to conduct a major orchestra (LA Phil) and he won 2 Guggenheim fellowships. In 1933, Caterina Jarboro became the first black woman to appear in a leading role with a major American opera when she again played the title role in Aida with the Chicago Opera.  Composer Florence Price. Also in 1933, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed Florence Price’s Symphony in E Minor. She was the first female African-American composer to have a symphonic composition performed by a major American symphony orchestra. Baritone Todd Duncan and Anne Brown. Culver Pictures/file 1935. In 1935, George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway, with baritone Todd Duncan as Porgy, and sopranos Anne Brown as Bess and Ruby Elzy as Serena. In 1945, Todd Duncan became the first African American to sing with a major American opera company, when he played the role of Tonio Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci with the New York City Opera. Contralto Marian Anderson In 1939, both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the District of Columbia’s Board of Education refused to allow contralto Marian Anderson to use Constitution Hall and Central High School auditorium for a recital respectively. So, she gave her concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial instead, drawing a crowd of 75,000 – not to mention the millions who listened on the radio. (To read more about the performance, go here.) Lyric Soprano Camilla Williams (l) with Margery Mayer. Courtesy of Fred Fehl/New York City Opera. Also in 1945, lyric soprano Camilla Williams signed a contract with the New York City Opera in 1946, becoming the first African American to do so with a major American opera company. She debuted with the role of the heroine in Madama Butterfly. And in 1947, soprano Helen Phillips was the first African American to sing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. In 1951 William Warfield and Muriel Rahn were the first black concert artists on TV – they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Soprano and educator Dorothy Maynor. In 1953, soprano and educator Dorothy Maynor was the first black person to sing at a US presidential inauguration when she performed the national anthem for Dwight Eisenhower. Composer Margaret Bonds. Wikimedia Commons. Margaret Bonds, who frequently collaborated with Langston Hughes, was one of the first black composers and performers in the US to gain recognition. In 1965, when the Freedom March on Montgomery, Alabama took place, she wrote Montgomery Variations for orchestra, dedicating it to Martin Luther King, Jr.. For more information about Ms. Bonds, check out this piece from WBUR 90.9 FM. Conductor Henry Lewis. In 1968 Henry Lewis became the first black conductor and music director of a major American orchestra when he was appointed to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He was also the first African-American to conduct at the Metropolitan Opera. 1972 saw Scott Joplin’s opera Treemonisha finally premiere – 55 years after his death – at the Atlanta Memorial Arts Center. In 1976, Joplin posthumously received a special Pulitzer Prize for his contributions to American music. Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Photo by Luigi Beverelli. Courtesy Mr. Marsalis’ website. In 1983 and 1984, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis became the only artist ever to win Grammy Awards for both jazz and classical records. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1997 for Blood on the Fields, a three-hour oratorio for 3 singers and a 14-member ensemble. The oratorio follows the story of an African couple sold into slavery in the US. In 1987, conductor Paul Freeman became Founding Musical Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta. This orchestra’s mission is “Musical Excellence Through Diversity”. Dr. Freeman served for 24 years. Violinist Aaron Dworkin. Courtesy of the MacArthur Foundation website. Violinist Aaron Dworkin founded the non-profit Sphinx Organization in 1996 to cultivate the development of young black and Latino musicians in the classical music profession. The Sphinx Competition, spotlights young black and Latino string players on a national platform. Composer George Walker received the Pulitzer Prize in 1996 for Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra, a work commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra as part of its tribute to tenor Roland Hayes. This was the first time a living African American won the prize for music. Mezzo-Soprano Denyce Graves. Courtesy of the artist’s website. In 2001 mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves sang “America the Beautiful” and “The Lord’s Prayer” at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance Service at the Washington National Cathedral following the September 11 attacks. James DePriest conducting the Oregon Sympony. Courtesy of the Sympony’s website. In 2005, James DePriest, one of classical music’s most accomplished conductors who at the time of his death in 2013 was Laureate Music Director of the Oregon Symphony and Director Emeritus of Conducting and Orchestral Studies at the Juilliard School, received the National Medal of Arts. Tim Brooks won a 2007 Grammy award for Best Historical Release with his Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, which includes performances by Harry Burleigh, Roland Hayes, and Edward Boatner. Tenor Noah Stewart. Photograph: Mitch Jenkins Mitch Jenkins/PR. In 2012, tenor Noah Stewart became the first black musician to top the UK Classical Album Chart. Of course, we had to leave a GAGILLION people out of our daily Black History Month Facebook posts because (duh) there are just not enough days in the month. Like Jeffrey Mumford, Awadagin Pratt, David Baker, Imani Winds, André Watts, Chelsea Tipton, Thomas Wilkins, Morris Robinson, Lawrence Brownlee, Valerie Coleman, Rachel Jordan, and Tona Brown. And Daniel Bernard Roumain. And Black Violin. And… you get the idea!  But, blacks are still one of classical music’s most under-served communities. As of 2011, according to the League of American Orchestras, only 1.83% of our nation’s orchestras’ makeup was black. Aaron Dworkin has pointed out that African-American composers are often missing in traditional classical music station programming. But people like Dworkin and many others are working to change that!  We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about all of these awesome artists.

George Augustus Polgreen Bridgetower, the son of an Abyssinian slave, was hailed as a musical prodigy in the eighteenth century. Taught by Haydn, his appearance at the court in Windsor to play in front of George III led to his subsequent 'adoption' by the Prince Regent. Friends with...

Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23 (March 14, 2004)Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 ("Kreutzer") (October 12, 2003)The “Kreutzer” Sonata is loved by audiences for its thrilling range of emotions and displays of technical daring. For violinists, though, the piece is extremely difficult. Beethoven was urged to write the piece by English violinist George Bridgetower, and the two played the premiere together. Beethoven was so thrilled with Bridgetower’s playing that he actually ran across the stage to embrace him in between movements in the middle of the concert. Elated with their successful debut, Beethoven dedicated the piece to Bridgetower after the recital. Later that evening, though, Bridgetower made a disparaging remark about a woman Beethoven knew. Enraged, Beethoven withdrew the dedication, instead dedicating the piece to Rudolphe Kreutzer, a famous Parisian violin virtuoso, giving the sonata the name it’s had ever since. Ironically, though, Rudolphe Kreutzer never actually performed the “Kreutzer” sonata. Upon receiving the manuscript in Paris, he declared the piece impossible to play. In this program, we’ll hear violinist Corey Cerovsek prove him wrong.