The festival originated in Winston-Salem and then moved with our founder, Armenta Hummings Dumisani to Eastman where she was on faculty. Paul J. Burgett Lecture SeriesBlack Idioms in the Music of Florence B. Although certainly, his most famous piece is the, , I urge you to check out George Walker's. It's wonderful to have you here. That is as Lee Koonce told us again and again, that's one of the most important things that's happening here this afternoon. to conclude and in between, four works by four composers of African descent that even if they weren't world premieres like Jon Batiste's work, were the first time they were being heard on the Carnegie Hall stage. John: Another curtain call for Conductor Anthony Parnther. May 12, 2021. Jeff: Now, all the orchestra on its feet and with Maestro Parnther bow to this Carnegie audience this afternoon. Announced by Gateways Music Festival in association with the Eastman School of Music, the news is very welcome to the 28-year-old organization, which works to connect and support . Join Terrance McKnight of New York Citys classical music station WQXR for an engaging conversation with Lee Koonce (president & artistic director of Gateways Music Festival), Ann Hobson Pilot (retired principal harp, Boston Symphony) and Titus Underwood (principal oboe, Nashville Symphony Orchestra). From August 6 through 11, 2019, 125 professional classical musicians of African descent are invited to Rochester, NY from across the . Conductor Anthony Parnther led this orchestra, all musicians of African descent, and. At least that's the case with her first, third, and fourth symphony. Today, 110 years later, another African American orchestra is making its first appearance on the stage of Carnegie Hall. In Wynton Marsalis's re-imagining, A Fiddler's Tale, he takes Stravinsky's early jazz ingredients even further, melding jazz and classical idioms together with an updated narrative. Founded in 1993, the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra celebrates the contributions of classical musicians of African descent, bringing together professionals from leading orchestras across the country to perform and inspire communities through the power of music. I asked him what was it like to be at Carnegie Hall. John: Jon Batiste is pointing to Maestro Parnther and to the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra. 3; Florence B. Prices Symphony No. John: I want to come back to Jeff's first question to you, which was about the significance of being here. . Jeff: That's more than 20 years now. Copyright 2022 New York Public Radio. The Orchestra made its stunning Carnegie Hall debut on April 24, 2022 as the first all-Black orchestra to be presented by the famed venue. Congratulations. I think the possibility of spontaneity is what makes this particular live performance so deeply engaging and organic for everybody involved including the audience. Now, you, as a very busy conductor on sound stages in Hollywood, are accustomed to looking at a score and getting the musicians all organized and playing it. Anthony Parnther, conductorAntoine T. Clark, assistant conductor, VIOLIN I Kelly Hall-Tompkins, concertmaster Cleveland A. Chandler Daniel Constant Caitlin Edwards Mellasenah Edwards Brendon Elliott Alex Gonzalez Mariana Green-Hill Marianne Henry Ashley Horne Amyr Joyner Kyle Lombard Jessica R. McJunkins Chelsea Sharpe Lionel Thomas Anyango Yarbo-Davenport, VIOLIN II Derek Reeves, principal Lucinda Ali-Landing Charlene Bishop Jeffrey Boga Dale Breidenthal David Burnett Nicole Cherry Frdrique Gnaman Bennie Harris Joshua Henderson Sarah E. Martin Phillip Payton Meredith Riley Booker Rowe, VIOLAJennifer Arnold, principalLeslie DeShazorAndrew FrancoisAshleigh GordonLinda GreenChristopher JenkinsCaroline JonesJaven LaraDeidra LawrenceAundrey MitchellYvonne SmithGeorge Taylor, CELLO Troy Stuart, principal Ifetayo Ali-Landing Cremaine Booker Eric Cooper Gordon Grubbs Joseph Hbert Timothy Holley Thapelo Masita Prudence McDaniel Derek Menchan James Ryan Murphy Wayne Smith, DOUBLE BASS Rick Robinson, principal William Johnson Kevin Mauldin Anthony Morris Jacqueline Pickett Patricia Silva Weitzel, FLUTE Judith Dines, principal Dennis Carter Jacqueline Cordova-Arrington Patricia Reeves, OBOE Titus Underwood, principal Hassan Anderson Sarrah Bushara Geoffrey Johnson, CLARINET Alexander Laing, principal Pamela Coats Robert Davis LeTriel White, BASSOONJoshua Elmore, principalAlexander DavisKai RockeMaya Stone, FRENCH HORN Larry Williams, principal David Dickerson Adedeji Ogunfolu Priscilla Rheinhart Jeffrey Scott, TRUMPET Herbert Smith, principal Javian Brabham Leonard Foy Courtney Jones, TROMBONE Burt Mason, principal Isrea Butler Timothy Robinson Martin McCain (Bass), PERCUSSION Ralph Barrett, principal Jauvon Gilliam Cleo Goldberg Don Johns Terry McKinney. We should mention too that. As long as we stick to that principle, I think that's the vision. I'll share it with you now. I just feel that as musicians, our first responsibility is to come together and create beauty. Gateways Orchestra concert, 4:00 p.m. at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre on Sunday, August 11, $15 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens with ID, and free for youth under 18. Music Director The Gateway Festival Orchestra of St. Louis Home Music Director Darwin Aquino, Music Director Darwin Aquino joined the Gateway Festival Orchestra as Music Director in 2019. Also particularly looking at it from the context of American orchestras. Right now, the stage door opens and back out to center stage here at Carnegie Hall, strides the conductor Anthony Parnther to lead this first performance at Carnegie Hall of George Walker's Sinfonia No. The performance was the first by an all-Black classical symphony orchestra in Carnegie Hall's history. Since then, musicians have been eagerly performing this real treasure trove of music. He's having so many moments at one time, yes. Orchestra Hall And serves on the board of directors in this orchestra. This work that Jon Batiste is going to perform with the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra has that same kind of structure. degrees in piano performance from Juilliard. John: As Jon Batiste's piece just showed. LEARN MORE Become a GFO Volunteer Help us serve the St. Louis community LEARN MORE Our Story It began on a barge in the Mississippi. It takes active participation to do that. Development of the Orchestra, Music Appreciation, Bio-Musicology and Music Theory. The final . John: I think it's really interesting, Alex, that this idea that-- Representation, of course, is important, but this idea of the narrative of classical music is beyond race, is something universal. There's a significant difference between conducting full-time orchestras and in this orchestra of special musicians from all over the country who do not play together regularly, once every year, once every couple of years. The Gateways Music Festival opens Nov. 9 -13. John: I Can, the name of that piece. Right now, the stage door opens and back out to center stage here at Carnegie Hall, strides the conductor Anthony Parnther to lead this first performance at Carnegie Hall of George Walker's Sinfonia No. a series of exciting broadcast concerts drawing upon some of the finest live performances from Carnegie Halls stages over the past eleven years. I wonder if in working with them now if any vision has occurred to you? Gateways is an all-Black classical symphony orchestra created in 1993 by concert pianist and educator Armenta Adams (Hummings) Dumisani. Exactly. Another first for this concert by the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra. Of course, personally, I would love to see this orchestra come together more frequently. For his work with Chicago Sinfonietta leading the premiere of Joel Thompson's "breathe/burn: an elegy" for cello and orchestra, the Chicago Tribune praised "Clark . I want to come back to Jeff's first question to you, which was about the significance of being here. , SoAKay, riJ, cnT, btJ, olIvbv, OLf, RXfYD, WcJOC, KFkT, MCWw, cFCNnX, dQCUj, RhTk, XbNJRg, TGHq, RHAVZG, ZMXrj, atVTD, yPlGu, JPZ, TawPdb, JaVlc, LQtwZ, XSjCQ, bkUc . Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information. The orchestra just rehearsed his new piece for the first time on Thursday, it's called I can. Gateways For: STUDENTS ; FACULTY & STAFF; ALUMNI; PARENTS I'll share it with you now. The historic concert was broadcast live on WXXI in Rochester and on the New York City classical station WQXR. It's an incredibly exciting week for all of us. Carnegie Hall Live is a co-production of WQXR and Carnegie Hall. Leading the Hollywood Studio Symphony in recording sessions, he has conducted many international feature film and television projects including Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Tenet, Little, American Dad, The Hunt, Fargo, The Way Back, The Night Of, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Encanto, Star Wars: Book of Boba Fett, and Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild. Jeff: We'll hear the third of her symphonies this afternoon, which was commissioned by the Works Progress Administration's Federal Music Project. Thank you, gentlemen. Exhausting, but exciting. To Learn More, Click Here Rochester, NY | APRIL 18-20, 2022 Festival Piano Recital Gateways Music Festival Orchestra Anthony Parnther, conductor Jon Batiste, piano and composer. Gateways Music Festival's mission is to connect and support professional classical musicians of African descent and enlighten and inspire communities through the power of performance. Listen Monday June 20 at 8 p.m. Kelly Hall Tompkins, the concertmaster giving the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra a chance to retune after that Brahms opening. , composed by Jon Batiste and performed by him at piano and the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra, making its Carnegie Hall debut in this concert under the direction of conductor Anthony Parnther. That'll be the next work on the program. Also, sometimes I think we've used it to absolve ourselves as an art form from the issues of the day. Before I'd conceived this piece, I had this poem, and it just kept resurfacing in my subconscious. Thank you!!! Congratulations. They're leaving the stage for a few minutes, but we have managed to grab one of them by the coattail as he walks by. Carnegie Hall Presents Across the Stars: The Music of John Williams . The project sought to, " . It's a new work by Jon Batiste, the Grammy-winning pianist and band leader you may know from The Late Night with Stephen Colbert. That's an unfair question. Jeff: -for Soul, the Pixar film, and has also just won five Grammys, including Record of the Year at the most recent Grammy Awards just a few weeks ago. Also at home playing classical music he has performed with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, Rochester Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra, and the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra. It takes active participation to do that. Jon: In the spirit of sharing a little of the backstory behind this piece, I want to share a poem that I wrote. Jeff: It's wonderful to have you here. Applause is for Anthony Parnther now taking center stage here at Carnegie Hall, and beginning this concert by the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra with this work by Brahms, his variations on a Theme by Haydn. The Gateways Music Festival Orchestra is a 125+ member ensemble of musicians of African descent under the leadership of conductor Anthony Parnther. Jeff: Now, we spoke with Lee Koonce, who is the president and artistic director of the Gateways Music Festival, whom we had a chance just to say what Jon Batiste's piece that he had heard, and what we could expect. There is an improvisatory element to it. The Gateways Music Festival Orchestra, making their debut today, taking their place alongside the Clef Club Orchestra and a lot of other great African American musicians in the illustrious history of Carnegie Hall. The Cleveland Orchestra. We are about to hear this performance of the, , music by Johannes Brahms based on a theme that probably wasn't actually written by Haydn. That is as Lee Koonce told us again and again, that's one of the most important things that's happening here this afternoon. Jeff: The ensemble taking center stage is part of the Gateways music festival, a larger organization dedicated to providing a community and a performance hope for classical musicians of African descent. Next performances this artist is scheduled to appear at: This artist has no upcoming performances - yet! 230 were here. See locations and times below. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster), downloading the latest version of Internet Explorer, Gateways Music Festival Orchestra makes Carnegie debut, Fantastic Rochester undergraduate research highlighted at annual expo, How to get a job after college: 5 tips for juniors and seniors. That's available to everyone. John Schaefer's here as well. with high distinction from the Eastman School of Music and M.M. Of course, the orchestra, a whole bunch of people on stage, makes a great sound, gets a lot of attention, makes a big statement. Lee: It's this kind of dual mission. John: A drum kit as well will be called for in this next piece by Jon Batiste, who is a Perspectives artist here at Carnegie Hall, which means he gets to oversee a whole series of events during this 2021-22 season. John: George Walker was the first Black composer to win a Pulitzer prize in music that was in 1996 for his piece Lilacs. He . John: In fact, the third movement is called Juba, which is a type of body percussion and dance that was widely found in musical traditions of enslaved Afro-Caribbean people. There was an assembly of musicians and people here within the organization that very carefully crafted this program along with Michael Morgan. The work we'll hear today is a bigger piece by George Walker, his Sinfonia No. George Walker composed it in 2003. I think we're really making some ground today in terms of that piece of it, in terms of, is this a space that celebrates and uplifts Black people, Black culture, not just Black performers. The concerts are free to attend. Congratulations to you, Anthony Parnther, and to the Gateways Music Festival at an amazing week in New York in an amazing combination of this concert. That's available to everyone. In 2015, Anthony was profiled by Los Angeles' KCET/TV as a "Local Hero" for his extensive community outreach and advocacy for the performance of works by Black, Latinx, and Women artists. I think that's really a significant thing that's happening right now in real-time. A terrific program today bookended by two sets of variations. The Sphinx Organization, based in Detroit, supports young Black and Latinx musicians, the Gateways Music Festival in Rochester features musicians of color from around the country, and the . Jeff: A great big deep bow and a warm welcome to this Carnegie Hall audience. He resides in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Gateways Radio features exceptional compositions and . 56a; George Walkers Sinfonia No. 1 in E Minor); and the orchestras signature closing piece, Fantasia on Lift Every Voice and Sing, by African American film and classical music composer James Cockerham. She had this great idea to provide a safe affirming space for classical musicians of African descent. The film screening and lecture are both free and open to the public, but tickets are required. The two pieces are musical cousins and were actually intended to be so. is sacred to my community. I'd love to see this orchestra personally go on tour so that audiences outside of New York State have the privilege of witnessing the power and beauty of such a special ensemble. Media Only: Dolores Orman, Gateways Music Festival, 585-271-5185, dolores.orman@gmail.com I think it's really interesting, Alex, that this idea that-- Representation, of course, is important, but this idea of the narrative of classical music is beyond race, is something universal. The orchestra comes together and you just dig into the music. They're leaving the stage for a few minutes, but we have managed to grab one of them by the coattail as he walks by. John: This program has an almost built-in encore, which is a work by James V. Cockerham Fantasia on Lift Every Voice and Sing. We should mention too that I Can, this new work also is credit offered in the program to orchestrator Matt Wong. My good friend Titus Underwood likes to often post the question to American orchestras, "Are we American orchestras or are we European approximations?" We did that in Rochester also a couple of days ago when we presented this program minus the Batiste work. What's the potential of this orchestra? She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro five years ago. Free, but tickets are required.. Alcohol served. << Galilee Chamber Orchestra. Jeff: The Gateways Music Festival Orchestra from Carnegie Hall Live. These and additional COVID-related policies can be found here. She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro five years ago. Price, Corey Hunter, PhD*General admission. The Festival's mission is "to connect and support professional classical musicians of African. is a work for piano and orchestra called I Can. You'll receive the most up-to-date information about our musicians, venues and performances delivered right to your email inbox. Press Room. 3 in C Minor and Sinfonia No. What was the idea there? That's a narrative that can be true, but it doesn't just happen. There was this outpouring of interest from all over the country. Brahms: Haydn Variations George Walker: Sinfonia No. In no time he charmed us with his wit and delighted us with his energetic performances. . Jeff: Congratulations to you, Anthony Parnther, and to the Gateways Music Festival at an amazing week in New York in an amazing combination of this concert. The Walker in its own way is a set of variations as well. It's a new work by Jon Batiste, the Grammy-winning pianist and band leader you may know from, . It's an incredibly exciting week for all of us. Recent guest. 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