Podcast appearances and mentions of ruby elzy

Listen to the Sun. June 9, 2024 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. This episode features our PANW report with dispatches on new details involving the massacre of Palestinians in Nuseirat; Pentagon troops have begun their withdrawal from the Republic of Niger; Somalia has secured its seat on the United Nations Security Council; and global food prices are continuing to rise sharply. In the program we present more artists in our commemoration of Black Music Month. We look at the Morogoro Jazz Band of Tanzania, Ruby Elzy and Rosetta Tharpe of the United States.

Listen to the Sun. March 10, 2024 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the often overlooked plight of Palestinians in the West Bank; the White House has not fundamentally altered its policies towards Gaza despite the rhetoric to the contrary; a former cabinet minister from the West African state of Gambia has accused the Swiss Court of racism and lies; and the International Monetrary Fund (IMF) is releasing $120 million to the East African state of Uganda. In the second and third hours we continue our focus on International Women's History Month with features on the legendary vocalist Ruby Elzy and the role of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) during the early 20th century.

Listen to the Sat. March 18, 2023 edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. This episode features our PANW report with dispatches on the continuing police killings of African Americans in the United States from Tennessee to Virginia; elections are being held this weekend in the West African state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; there has been reports of a polio outbreak in Burundi; and an announcement has been made that another transitional government will be appointed in the Republic of Sudan. In the second and third hours we will continue our focus on International Women's History Month. We are looking back on the life, times and contributions of artists Ruby Elzy and Billie Holiday.

Listen to the Sun. June 12, 2022 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. This episode continues our focus on Black Music Month. In our PANW segment we will discuss the following dispatches where the People's Republic of China has expressed its opposition to both the Ukraine war and sanctions against the Russian Federation; there are unconfirmed reports that the Ethiopian government is slated to hold secret talks with the TPLF in Tanzania; problems are persisting in initiating a dialogue between the Sudan Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the military regime; and the first group of migrants from Britain to Rwanda have arrived in Kigali. In the second and third hours we further examine the history of African American music with examinations of the cultural legacies of Ruby Elzy and Odetta Holmes.

Gospel Memories' 21st anniversary episode includes long sets in honor of Mother's Day. Artists include the Pilgrim Travelers, Helen Robinson Youth Chorus, Windy City Four, Ruby Elzy (pictured), Bessie Griffin, and the Mighty Clouds of Harmony.

My special guest is author L. Sydney Fisher who's here to discuss Mississippi's paranormal history. You can get here entire The Haunted Series on Amazon. Visit Sydney's website: LSydneyFisher.com Visit our website: paranormalfears.com Don't forget to "follow" the show so you never miss an episode! The spirits of famous people…From the likes of frontier legend, Davy Crockett or Ruby Elzy, African American opera singer to Gladys Presley, mother of Rock-n-Roll's legendary King, Elvis Presley, the Mississippi hills of The Wilderness have stories of grandeur to tell. Battlegrounds and Bloodshed…It's a place of new beginnings and heartbreaking endings. A place where battles and bloodshed have weaved a history destined to be retold. And beneath the graves of many left behind lies the bodies of restless spirits who still roam the streets, trapped by the memories of another time. A time in 1836 when The Wilderness was given a new name. Malevolent Spirits Unleashed…Explore the haunting tales of ghosts and paranormal phenomena in this second volume in the series. Experience the terror of The Devil's Den, a site once investigated by Taps of Alabama and a place where even the skeptics cannot deny its malevolent force. If you love history and ghosts, you'll love the second book in this series. Like The Haunted America series by The History Press, L. Sydney Fisher's The Haunted is a historical narrative that explores southern sites with a paranormal past. Let's continue in The Wilderness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My special guest is author L. Sydney Fisher who's here to discuss Mississippi's paranormal history. You can get here entire The Haunted Series on Amazon. Visit Sydney's website: LSydneyFisher.com Visit our website: paranormalfears.com The spirits of famous people…From the likes of frontier legend, Davy Crockett or Ruby Elzy, African American opera singer to Gladys Presley, mother of Rock-n-Roll's legendary King, Elvis Presley, the Mississippi hills of The Wilderness have stories of grandeur to tell. Battlegrounds and Bloodshed…It's a place of new beginnings and heartbreaking endings. A place where battles and bloodshed have weaved a history destined to be retold. And beneath the graves of many left behind lies the bodies of restless spirits who still roam the streets, trapped by the memories of another time. A time in 1836 when The Wilderness was given a new name.  Malevolent Spirits Unleashed…Explore the haunting tales of ghosts and paranormal phenomena in this second volume in the series. Experience the terror of The Devil's Den, a site once investigated by Taps of Alabama and a place where even the skeptics cannot deny its malevolent force. If you love history and ghosts, you'll love the second book in this series. Like The Haunted America series by The History Press, L. Sydney Fisher's The Haunted is a historical narrative that explores southern sites with a paranormal past. Let's continue in The Wilderness.

I bid a lingering farewell to Black History Month 2022 with the first of a two-part episode featuring singers, each of whom left a relatively small but invaluable recorded legacy. I begin with soloists from the Leonard de Paur Chorus, and continue with earliest recorded examples, more than a century old, of African American singers. I follow with a series of singers, each of whom made a mark in varied productions of Porgy and Bess, but all of them singing other material: by Mozart, Arlen, Bernstein, Cole Porter, Howard Swanson, and a US workers' song translated into German. I conclude with a trio of exceptional Verdi sopranos of whom you may not yet have heard. Among the singers heard today are Charles Holland, Luther Saxon, Eugene Holmes, John C. Payne, Harry T. Burleigh, Evelyn Dove, LeVern Hutcherson, Inez Matthews, Todd Duncan, Florence Cole-Talbert, Kenneth Spencer, Martha Flowers, Bruce Hubbard, Helen Thigpen, Ella Lee, Ruby Elzy, Theresa Green Coleman, Edward Boatner, Betty Allen, and Sarah Reese. Prepare to have your horizons expanded and your consciousness raised! Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available exclusively to Patreon supporters are currently available and further bonus content including interviews and livestreams is planned for the upcoming season.

Sheena, Lori and Hannah discuss three very different celebrities in this episode of Cemetery Row. Sheena shines a light on Ruby Elzy, a pioneering Black soprano from her hometown, and Lori discusses war hero-turned-actor Audie Murphy. Hannah shares the many adventures of shock punk rocker GG Allin. *Note: Some audio difficulties within.

Listen to the Sun. March 21, 2021 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features a PANW report with dispatches on the continental mourning of former Tanzanian President John Magufuli who passed away several days ago; hundreds of young people are joining the ruling party in the Southern African state of Zimbabwe; sectional conflict is continuing in the southern regions of Ethiopia amid growing interference from the United States; and African migrants are still losing their lives in the Mediterranean in attempts to relocate in Europe. In the second hour we review news reports from Africa and the international community. Finally, we continue our focus on International Women's History Month through an audio documentary on the life and times of Ruby Elzy. 

This coming Saturday, December 19, is an important day for my family: it’s my mother Jane’s 85th birthday. To pay tribute to this event, and to this very special woman, I’m presenting a program focusing on the year 1935, and important milestones in film, musicals, and the hit parade. There was such a dizzying variety of musical material in this year that it was challenging to organize, but I focus on young artists who were just entering the scene (Judy Garland, Carmen Miranda, and Édith Piaf) to émigrés to and from America (including Marlene Dietrich, Paul Robeson, Joséphine Baker, Kurt Weill, Elisabeth Welch, and Erich Korngold), to Broadway shows that debuted in that year (in performances by, among others, Ethel Merman, Libby Holman, and Nat King Cole). Along the way I pay particular focus to what was, in retrospect, the most important Broadway event of the year, the premiere of Porgy and Bess. From that show, I present performances by Todd Duncan, Anne Brown, and Ruby Elzy, all of whom created their roles. I also examine the “Latin” influence on US culture from artists like Xavier Cugat, Carlos Gardel, and Miranda, and of the enormous cultural impact (in spite of repression and discrimination) that African American artists were making (Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Alberta Hunter, Fats Wallter, and Adelaide Hall.) Finally I look at musicians who were also born in 1935 who made their mark in subsequent decades in a wide variety of styles (including Johnny Mathis, Julie Andrews, Diahann Carroll, Elvis Presley, Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer, and Jerry Orbach). This is not to forget figures ranging from Ruth Etting to Grace Moore to Fred Astaire to Patsy Montana to Allan Jones to Noël Coward to Benny Goodman to Lucienne Boyer to the Comedian Harmonists to Bette Davis. Please join me in celebrating all these artists, and in wishing my mother a very Happy Birthday! Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please visit the Countermelody website (www.countermelodypodcast.com) for additional content. And please head to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available, including a new extra episode further exploring today’s topic.

This week represents the limbo between the first and second seasons of Countermelody. I have been collating ideas for programs for the coming year and I have some short snippets representing singers and topics that we’ll be encountering there. We begin the episode with Francisco Araiza, who celebrates his 70th birthday on October 4th. And we conclude the episode celebrating the live of Helen Reddy, whose song “I Am Woman” formed the soundtrack to the burgeoning Women’s Movement in the 1970s. In between I present short clips of some of my favorite singers who will be featured in upcoming episodes, including Anita Cerquetti, Alexander Kipnis, Russell Oberlin, Ruby Elzy, Eidé Noréna, Sándor Kónya, Heather Harper, Paul Robeson, Cyndi Lauper, Milada Šubrtová, Carol Brice, John Reardon, Yi-Kwe Sze, Judith Blegen, Charles Cambon, Dory Previn, Donald Gramm, Pierre Bernac, Irmgard Seefried, Lotte Lenya, Dusty Springfield, and many others. This episode is also a thank you to all listen and support the podcast in whatever ways they are able. I can’t wait to bring you the first episode of Season Two next week! Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” Occasional guests from the “business” (singers, conductors, composers, coaches, and teachers) lend their distinctive insights. At Countermelody’s core is the interaction between singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. Please visit the Countermelody website (www.countermelodypodcast.com) for additional content. And please head to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/countermelody to pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available only to Patreon supporters are currently available!

"It takes a silver bullet to kill Brutus Jones." The Emperor Jones (1933) directed by Dudley Murphy and starring Paul Robeson, Frank H. Wilson, Fredi Washington, Ruby Elzy, Rex Ingram and Jackie "Moms" Mabley. Next Time: The Young Philadelphians (1959)

Listen to the Fri. June 8, 2018 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire.  The program will feature our regular PANW report with dispatches on the recent court ruling in South Africa which awarded control over legendary artist Miriam Makeba's music to her family; the Lake Chad region is experiencing horrendous food deficits particularly among children; the Boko Haram Islamist group is still striking out at civilians and military personnel in northeastern Nigeria; and more Somalians are being displaced in the Horn of Africa region. In the second hour we listen to a rebroadcast of an interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, the host of this program, which aired on June 7 over the Progressive Radio Network (PRN) discussing the social crisis in the state of Michigan involving water, poverty, housing and education. Finally we continue our monthlong focus on Black Music Month with the second part of an audio documentary on Ruby Elzy.

Listen to the Thurs. June 7, 2018 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the continuing political instability in the Horn of Africa state of Somalia; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has paid a visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) where he met with Marshall Kim Jong un; an Albanian immigrant who is a United States ctizen had $58,000 seized by customs officers while he was boarding a plane to his home country; and Zimbabwe officials have held further discussions with their British counterparts on the prospects of reentering the Commonwealth group of nations. During the second and third hours we will continue our monthlong commemoration of Black Music Month with focuses on Otis Redding and Ruby Elzy. 

Listen to this edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the horrendous fire at the Grenfell Towers in the West London area of North  Kensington where at least 30 people have been confirmed dead; a tribute to Cuba-Argentine Revolutionary Che Guevara has taken place in Santa Clara; Venezuelan President Nicolas Madura has lashed out at United States foreign policy toward Cuba; and a jury in Minnesota has acquitted the police officer who shot dead Philando Castile. In the second hour we look at African American singer Ruby Elzy in a documentary about her life, times and contributions. Finally we rebroadcast a Global Research News Hour program on the situation involving state-sponsored violence against the African American people..

Listen to this special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program will feature our regular PANW report with dispatches on the appeal to the African Union by African students in India after a series of racist attacks; the Brazilian politician who played a key role in the coup against the Brazil Worker's Party government of President Dilma Rousseff has been convicted of corruption; the Trump administration is appealing a restraining order against the latest entry ban on people from Africa and the Middle East; and the Republican Party is facing greater internal acrimony over the role of the conservative caucus and the offer by Gen. Michael Flynn to testify with immunity. In the second and third hours we conclude our monthlong commemoration of Women's History examining the contributions of Ruby Elzy and Kathleen Cleaver.

Listen to the Thurs. March 30, 2017 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the recent passing of Ahmed Kathrada in South Africa; unrest continues in the West African state of Cameroon where teachers have gone on strike over non-payment of salaries; fighting continues for the control of the Iraqi city of Mosul; and UK Prime Minister Theressa May is preparing to exit from the EU. In the second hour we will present an audio documentary on the African American freedom fighter Assata Shakur. Finally we look back at the contributions of Ruby Elzy known as the Black Diva of the 20th century.

Listen to the Sun. March 19, 2017 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the Zimbabwe diamond industry which has shown some signs of recovery after last year's shutdown by the government; a recent summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has adopted a regional industrialization program; the battle for control over Libya oil has been resumed with armed conflicts in various regions in the east of the war torn North African state; and German defense has disputed a statement by United States President Donald Trump over the EU contribution to NATO. In the second hour we continue our monthlong focus on Women's History with an audio documentary on Ruby Elzy. In the final hour we hear a documentary on the history of African American freedom fighter Assata Shakur.

Listen to this edition of the Pan-African Journal hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. We feature our regular PANW report with dispatches on the United States President Barack Obama's visit to the revolutionary Caribbean island-nation of Cuba; the European Union migrant crisis has taken on a new dimension with the attempt to halt movement from North Africa and the Middle East to Greece; the Pentagon has announced a plan for the escalation of troop presence in Iraq; and one of the rival regimes occupying the capital of Libya has delcared a state of emergency amid reports that the so-called "unity government" had entered Tripoli in order to assume control of the neo-colonial junta. In the second hour we look at the history of the Cuban Revolution in the aftermath of the state visit by Obama to the country, the first for a U.S. president since 1928. The final hour examines the life and contributions of African American woman singer Ruby Elzy of Mississippi.

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.

Readings from February 2nd, 2007. Features David Weaver, Ohioana Library read from his novel Black Diva of the Thirties: The Life of Ruby Elzy.