Home | Black Composers
The Gateways Brass Collective, an all–African American quintet, was founded in 2018 to inspire artists from all backgrounds.
A special program commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans
A self-conducted chamber orchestra, Sphinx Virtuosi is the most prestigious group of musicians to represent the magnificently impactful Sphinx Organization.
Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green is the young boxer Emile Griffith, who rises from obscurity to become a world champion.
In Chicago composer Shawn E. Okpebholo’s new opera, three chefs vie for cooking show glory — and $100K — by tackling the classically American dish macaroni and cheese.
Special events, dance, and more are on deck for the Auditorium.
Next year’s lineup of six mainstage operas offers choices for traditional and contemporary opera fans alike.
Just a few of the Black voices from the Studs Terkel Radio Archive.
Despite an upturn, William Grant Still’s music remains under-performed. We spoke to Judith Anne Still about her five favorite pieces by her father.
Sanders, who launched his career playing alongside John Coltrane in the 1960s, died in Los Angeles early Saturday.
A dynamic balance of intensity and optimism holds true throughout the season, which features such program titles as Next, Boundless, and Unapologetic.
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.
WFMT spoke to the Chicago-born Lewis in 2015, when, at the age of 80, his music received its first CSO performance.
“We’re celebrating the spirit of the city and taking a moment for some musical civic pride!”
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”.
Broadway has its groove back, said Tonys host Ariana DeBose at an exuberant ceremony seeking to illustrate just that sentiment.
“It feels like I’ve been carrying this world with me for a long time.”
Here are just a few Black performers who changed the course of classical music… and continue to inspire us today!
“It’s like Paganini and Bruce Lee in one dude,” marvels Bill Barclay, the writer and director of a new play about Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. day, we’ve compiled an assortment of multimedia tributes — music, visual arts, poetry, and dance — to the monumental Civil Rights leader.
The staging follows the success of the composer Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones on the opening night of this season.
From the Composer’s Studio invites you to hear Missy Mazzoli and Jessie Montgomery, two of today’s most celebrated composers, provide a glimpse into their work. Enjoy this insightful, lively discussion co-produced by the CSOA and WFMT.
Fire Shut Up in My Bones became the first work by a Black composer in the 138-year history of the Metropolitan Opera as the company presented its first staged performance since March 2020 following a gap caused by the coronavirus.
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.
Ahead of her appearance at Ravinia this week, we sat down to talk with Lara Downes about her efforts to broaden the classical canon, her first introduction to Black composers like Florence Price and Margaret Bonds, and why she loves to work with Rachel Barton Pine.