Thu 2/4 @ 7:30PM
Sat 2/6 @ 1:30PM
No school has earned the right to celebrate Black History Month (or Women’s History Month, coming up in March) as much as Oberlin College has. It was one of the first colleges to admit Africa-Americans, long before slavery was outlawed, and was the first to admit women to study alongside men. And my high school history teacher, Miss Bisbee (Eleanor Bisbee, Oberlin class of ’22), never let us forget this: she urged us all to apply there.
So this month, Oberlin Conservatory’s Stage Left virtual series is offering “A Celebration of Black Artistry,” spotlighting Black contributions to classical music and the work of often overlooked composers.
It kicks off on Thursday February 4 with an introduction to this month’s programming and a look back at the many previous Oberlin Stage Left programs that have tackled racial issues in music. It will be hosted by Chris Jenkins, Oberlin Conservatory’s associate dean for academic support and liaison to the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
On Saturday February 6, Oberlin Stage Left will air the symposium “Decentering the Canon in the Conservatory.” Four guest speakers will talk about how music that falls outside traditionally defined lines has been marginalized and often forgotten. Jenkins will moderate this program as well, and after each guest is introduced there will be a question & answer period. Guests include University of Michigan professor Naomi Andre, George Washington University professor Loren Kajikawa, University of Florida professor Imani Mosley and University of Michigan professor Kira Thurman. All four are authors of books about Black musicians in opera, rap and the traditional Germanic repertoire.
Those programs will be followed by four featuring the music of Black composters with ties to Oberlin.
Find a full schedule and listen to the programs at oberlin.edu/conservatory/stage-left.
Oberlin, OH 44074