Classical Music In Color – The Second Street Dreams Audio Network

The Art Songs Now “In Plain Sight”. AND the musical life of the colonists during the revolutionary war.

October 17, 2026/0 Comments/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

There are so many musical works that have been lost to history. Joshua Conyers and the faculty and students at the Eastman School Of Music in Rochester, NY has recorded over 40 of them in an album called In Plain Sight, The Black Anthology.

In recognition of the nation’s 250^th, there’s the first part of a three-part series about the musical lives of the colonists during the Revolutionary War. Music professors at the University of Texas in Austin, Andrew F. Dell’Antonio and Hannah Lewis offer some fascinating information about it.

Here’s the link to the Spoleto USA request for souvenirs

Expanding The Opera Canon With THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR

October 7, 2026/0 Comments/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr is historic. It’s one of the few operas covering South Asian themes. It centers on Laila Starr, the Avatar of Death living as a mortal in Mumbai, India.

It was created by composer Kamala Sankaram, and the librettist, Minita Gandhi via The New Works Initiative at the Minnesota Opera.

Hear how their backgrounds, talents and curiosity shaped The Many Deaths of Laila Starr.

Here are links to:

The One Ounce Opera Call for Composers

Dudamel And Dale Making Music On Both Coasts

September 20, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Now that Gustavo Dudamel is holding the baton for the New York Philharmonic, the classical music community is all atwitter. He says he’s not coming in to make changes, but changes will most likely come.

And on the west coast, from whence he came there’s Dale Hikawa Silverman, a violist and the first Asian American woman at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She tells stories of her 40-year career so far with the orchestra in her documentary DALE.

Here are the links to some stories mentioned in the podcast.

Classical Music At The Beerfest

September 14, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

When you go to a beerfest, like the one coming up in Munich are you expecting to hear any form of classical music? If the answer is no, then patrons attending the Munich Oktoberfest are going to be quite surprised when Cellist Anna Rehker and her string quartet start playing music from Bridgerton along with some classical music hits.

Here are links to other items mentioned in the podcast:

Opera Creole Continues Performing The Sounds Of History After Morgiane

September 4, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Morgiane, the opera by Louisiana native Edmond Dédé got national and international attention when it was performed and recorded earlier this year. This 1887 opera was finally included in the opera canon after 138 years and a 12-year effort by Givonna Joseph, Artistic Director of Opera Creole in New Orleans. This opera company continues singing about historical events in the Black community of New Orleans and beyond as they prepare for their 2026-2027 season.

Here are links to other items mentioned in the podcast.

Yuja Wang + Documentary

Manon, Like You’ve Never Heard It Before

August 28, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Heartbeat Opera in New York has a reputation for modern reimagining’s of classic operas. They did it earlier this year with their production of Manon by Jules Massenet. Now they’ve done something they’ve never done before. They called back the cast to record a cast album of the show. It was a revelation for the cast, especially for the two leads, Emma Grimsley and Matt Dengler.

Here are links to some of the items mentioned in the show.

**The New York Philharmonic Youth Choir**

**The Fall Chant Retreat of the Community of Jesus**

The Last “Uncovered” Album

August 20, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Since 2021, the Catalyst Quartet has released albums of the music of Black composers.

The series called Uncovered featured the works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence B. Price, Coleridge-Taylor, Perkinson, William Grant Still, and George Walker.

The latest and last album features the works of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

The National Symphony Orchestra won’t be performing at the Kennedy Center this coming season. They’re performing all over the Washington DC area and in other cities.

The BBC Proms continues with an All American program and a performance from the American Soprano Angel Blue.

Here are links to other items mentioned in the podcast.

Squeezing The New Out Of Opera

July 31, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Since the 21^st century started in earnest, there’s been some discussion about opera. New operas versus the standard repertoire and how it’s measured against the prevailing views about race and attitudes. Now comes One Ounce Opera out of Austin, Texas. They are seeking to throw the old views out about everything that opera represents with their annual show Fresh Squeezed Ounce of Opera.

Julie Fiore – Founder of One Ounce Opera

Then there’s the horror of a singer being flogged and more for not wearing a hijab.

And here’s a question: What’s NOT going on at the Kennedy Center, especially when it comes to the National Symphony Orchestra.

A Composer of Conscience and Thank Goodness for Music Librarians

July 23, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

A soothing album as a balm for the ICE infested people of Minneapolis.

This guy likes to play his piano outdoors

These are the links to other items mentioned in the podcast.

Houston’s FIRST Pride Orchestra

July 15, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Some ideas nag at you over time. That is until something happens and you have to act.

This is what happened to Ruby Ortiz who finally decided to start Houston’s first LGBTQ+ symphony orchestra. It’s called the Houston Pride Orchestra.