February 2025 brings us Black History Month and the 125th anniversary of the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice And Sing. There are many arrangements of this uplifting song including two acapellaversions featured in this month’s podcast. There’s also celebrations at Lift Every Voice and Sing Park in Florida.
Composer Julia Perry (1924 – 1979) has finally found a copyright holder and a distributor of her music. After a long legal tussle, a non-profit called Vidamus has the copyright and Boosey and Hawks will distribute it.
https://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CMIC-2025-FEBRUARY-cover-graphic.jpg597948Judlyne Lillyhttps://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.pngJudlyne Lilly2025-02-13 00:37:162025-02-13 00:37:17LIFT EVERY VOICE FOR JULIA PERRY
African-American composer Julia Perry died in 1979 without a will, after an illustrious career in classical music that started in the 1950’s. Then she and her works fell into obscurity. Nearly 50 decades later, Perry’s music is back in part because it is finally legally available for musicians to perform.
That’s thanks to Dr. Louise Toppin, the Director of Vidamus, a group promoting concert works by under-presented composers. Vidamus has joined withBoosey and Hawkes, to distribute Perry’s music. Now they’re looking for more of her “lost” compositions.
https://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Julia-Perry-photo.jpg567449Judlyne Lillyhttps://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.pngJudlyne Lilly2025-02-07 19:51:242025-02-07 19:51:25Julia Perry’s Catalog of Music Is Finally Available
So many reasons but I think after some time, I am happy to be back producing more episodes of Classical Music In Color in 2025.
In thisepisode I tell you about music organizations like Arts2Work and the League Of American Orchestras offering help for those affected by the Los Angeles Wildfires. Shoppe Black also has a list of African-American businesses that are helping too.
I also cover BIPOC classical musicians who are up for Grammy Awards.
Application season is here for young musicians looking for a summer music program. Equity Arc is offering a streamlined application.
https://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/CMIC-2025-JANUARY-COVER-PHOTO-SSD.jpg716700Judlyne Lillyhttps://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.pngJudlyne Lilly2025-01-19 21:53:402025-01-19 21:53:42IT’S NICE TO BE BACK. On Classical Music In Color
You would think that a “special” classical music program would be all about the music. You’d be wrong if you’re talking about one particular program for high school aged female classical musicians. The Fortissima program at Colburn School in Los Angeles is aiming for something completely different.
Artistic Director and Violinist Jannina Norpoth says they aim to teach their charges how to make it in the world they want to pursue. One student, Tess Reed, says this was the best experience ever.
https://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Fortissima-group-shot-398.jpg398398Judlyne Lillyhttps://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.pngJudlyne Lilly2024-09-18 18:50:092024-09-18 19:05:14There’s Almost No Music In This Classical Music Program
After reading numerous articles about our shorter than short attention spans, I’ve decided to split this, the August 2024 Classical Music in Color into two parts. It may be a permanent fixture. Let me know what you think.
Mary D. Watkins is a Colorado native who earned a degree in classical composition from Howard University in Washington, DC. She started getting noticed later in life. She won a Female Composer grant from Opera America in 2020, has previously won composer fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with various other grants. AND She received a 2021 Artist Legacy Award from the California Arts Council. She was also recognized with a 2022 Composers Now Visionary Award. She says her composition of this opera was a long time coming.
The Second part of this, the August 2024 edition of Classical Music In Color is what I’m calling for now, the Albums, Opportunities, Events and Milestone section of the show.
https://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.png00Judlyne Lillyhttps://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.pngJudlyne Lilly2024-08-13 23:02:562024-08-13 23:02:58The Opera about Fannie Lou Hamer
https://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Njioma-and-Clayton-for-CMIC-2024-July-SSD.jpg498498Judlyne Lillyhttps://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.pngJudlyne Lilly2024-07-08 20:33:102024-07-08 20:33:10Good News About Three Black Classical Artists
The First Black Principal Clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic.
Something special happens when two African American classical musicians come together to perform a work about the Black experience in America. Anthony McGill, the first Black Principal Clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, has been on a tour of sorts with Pulitzer Prize winning composer Anthony Davis. McGill performs Davis’s reality-based work, You Have The Right To Remain Silent.
In this edition of Classical Music In Color, hear the story of how McGill made his ascent to the top of the classical music world. And how he’s helping others get there too.
Althea Waites is a pianist extraordinaire. In her 85 years, she has performed all over the world and will occasionally accept invitations to teach master classes at music schools across the country. She has produced several albums, including her 2023 grammy nominated album, Reflections in Time. Her main goal is to perform new music and the music of composers of color. She has recorded the works of Margaret Bonds, Jeremy Siskind and Curt Cacioppo along with three of the “Three-Fours” of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Waites is scheduled to perform this month at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
During his lifetime in the 1500s he lit up the Early Music/Renaissance world with his music, intelligence, and moxie. Unfortunately this Afro-Portuguese composer’s mixed parentage and the prejudices of the period meant his legacy would not survive. But his music remains.
In this January 21st edition of Classical Music In Color, two Lusitano experts, Garrett Schumannand Joseph McHardy, talk about his life and works and revival today, nearly four centuries later.
Here are links to the events and competitions mentioned in the podcast:
https://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Frontispiece-Vicente-Lusitano-no-border.jpg723554Judlyne Lillyhttps://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.pngJudlyne Lilly2024-01-17 21:43:242024-01-17 21:43:24The Re-Discovery of Vicente Lusitano, A 16th Century Afro-Portuguese Composer
https://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Album-cover-African-American-Voices-II-Kellen-Gray-SMALLER-still.jpg375375Judlyne Lillyhttps://secondstreetdreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/logo.pngJudlyne Lilly2023-12-18 23:01:202023-12-18 23:04:07New Album: African American Voices II With Conductor Kellen Gray.
