Philadelphia Orchestra’s home renamed Marian Anderson Hall as Verizon name comes off

Marian Anderson, an acclaimed and boundary-breaking Black contralto, was born in Philadelphia in 1897.

Chineke! performs Beethoven and Haydn

Anthony Parnther leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4, Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto, and works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and Valerie Coleman.

Catching Up with Ryan Speedo Green

“It is rare, not only for a male singer who’s not a tenor, but especially a bass-baritone to be able to do this kind of concert with an orchestra like the Chicago Philharmonic.”

Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Simone Young

Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the first Black musician to win the BBC Young Musician Award, is the soloist in Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.

Ella Jenkins at 99: A Timeline

For more than 60 years, the “First Lady of Children’s Folk Music” has used music to inspire and teach children around the world.

Gateways Brass Collective

The Gateways Brass Collective, an all–African American quintet, was founded in 2018 to inspire artists from all backgrounds.

André Watts, Groundbreaking Concert Pianist, Dies at 77

In 1963, Watts made his national television debut performing Liszt’s First Piano Concerto with Leonard Bernstein and the NY Phil.

Juneteenth Events in Chicago 2023

Concerts, festivals, and more to celebrate Juneteenth in Chicago.

Season Finale: Music and Conversation with Randall Goosby

The American violinist comes to WFMT to share his new album—a collaboration with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra that showcases violin concertos by Max Bruch and Florence Price.

Grace Bumbry, 1st Black singer at Bayreuth, dies at 86

Bumbry was among the winners of the 1958 Met National Council Auditions. She had a recital debut in Paris that same year and made her Paris Opéra debut in 1960.

Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer, dies at 96

Belafonte stands as the model and the epitome of the celebrity activist. Few kept up with his time and commitment and none his stature as a meeting point among Hollywood, Washington and the civil rights movement.

11 Studs Terkel Conversations for Black History Month

Just a few of the Black voices from the Studs Terkel Radio Archive.

Historically Black TSU hopes for Grammy with gospel album

The record’s nomination for best roots gospel album marks the first time a college marching band has been nominated in that category.

Pharoah Sanders, influential jazz saxophonist, dies at 81

Sanders, who launched his career playing alongside John Coltrane in the 1960s, died in Los Angeles early Saturday.

Renowned jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis has died, age 87

The Chicago born and based Lewis was revered in jazz circles for hits like “The In Crowd” and “Hang on Sloopy.” He earned three Grammys and seven gold records.

The Sounds of Chicago in a Festival of Art Song and Vocal Chamber Music

“We’re celebrating the spirit of the city and taking a moment for some musical civic pride!”

Jon Batiste leaves Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show

After winning multiple Grammys this year, Jon Batiste is moving on after a seven-year run backing up host Stephen Colbert as bandleader of “The Late Show”.

US soprano, offended by blackface, pulls out of Italy opera

Soprano Angel Blue will be bowing out of La Traviata because the theater recently mounted another Verdi opera using blackface.

Pianist Stewart Goodyear on the Magic of Music

“Every time I play a piece of music, I train my mind to look at a score fresh.”

Tony Moments: A Night For Broadway to Reclaim Its Groove

Broadway has its groove back, said Tonys host Ariana DeBose at an exuberant ceremony seeking to illustrate just that sentiment.

US artist Leigh recasts colonial imagery at Venice Biennale

Simone Leigh’s 16-foot bronze bust of a Black woman, titled Brick House, presides over the entrance.

Playlist: 11 Black Performers Instrumental to Classical Music

Here are just a few Black performers who changed the course of classical music… and continue to inspire us today!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Art: Music, Dance, Poetry, and more

An assortment of multimedia tributes — music, visual arts, poetry, and dance — to the monumental Civil Rights leader.

Emilie Kouatchou Makes ‘Phantom’ History On Broadway

The actor and soprano made her Broadway debut as Christine in “The Phantom of the Opera,” becoming the first Black woman in the role in the show’s 33-year history in New York.

Met Opera to Stage Anthony Davis’ ‘X’ on Malcolm X in 2023

The Met says X will open on Nov. 3, 2023, in a staging by Robert O’Hara that will be conducted by Kazem Abdullah. Will Liverman will star in the title role.

1 2 3 4