Tuesday Musical Concert Pays Tribute to Range of Black Musical Talent

Thu 2/2 @ 7:30PM

While much of the programming offered by Akron’s venerable Tuesday Music Association, now in its 135th (! ) season, features traditional chamber music groups, it also stretches its reach to offer other types of music.

Its next presentation showcases Black musicians through a range of musical styles including art songs, arias from operas and spirituals in a program titled “Our Story, Our Song: From a New Generation of Black Voices.”

The program was designed and created by composer/keyboard player/conductor/producer/educator Damien Sneed, who has worked in classical, jazz, pop, R&B, gospel and avant-garde contemporary music, with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Jessye Norman and many more. He’s served as music director for many top gospel artists. He’s scored a dance work for the Alvin Ailey company, written operas and previously toured another program he designed called “We Shall Overcome: a Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” And those are just a handful of his career highlights.

The program at Akron’s E.J. Thomas Hall features two opera-trained singers, soprano Jacqueline Echols and baritone Justin Austin, along with Sneed on piano and the Griot String Quartet, performing music by Frideric Handel, Giacomo Puccini, George Gershwin, Margaret Bonds, Terence Blanchard, Harry T. Burleigh, and new pieces by Sneed himself.

Go here for more information and tickets.

 

Post categories:

Leave a Reply

[fbcomments]