Tag Archive for: Judlyne Lilly Gibson

Cecile and Clara performed by Anna

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Women’s History Month has brought forth an album of classical music featuring two of the most famous women composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Their music is performed by pianist Anna Shelest in the album she produced called Donna Voce, Volume 3: Clara Schumann & Cécile Chaminade.  

She even got her husband involved.  Dmitri Shelest performs with his wife on Chaminade’s Pièces Romantiques, Op. 55 for piano four hands.

Volumes 1 and 2 feature the works of Fanny Mendelssohn and Amy Beach.

This album is one of the last supported by the recently closed The Sorel Organization 

Loving v. Virginia.  An Opera Out of History And On to the Stage

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A new opera is about to premiere in Virginia called Loving v. Virginia.  It tells the true story of an interracial couple who had to go to the Supreme Court to legalize their marriage.  Two well-known opera singers were asked to compose and direct. Bass Baritone Damien Geter composed the music and Mezzo Soprano Denyce Graves is directing. 

Also on this March 2025 edition of Classical Music In Color.  The heartbreaking story of a music camp for BIPOC high school musicians that was shut down by the federal government. 

Here are the links to the competitions mentioned in the show.

The Audition Intensive from Sphinx

Video Biennial Open Call

Early Music America Engagement Awards

The La Maestra International Competition for Women Conductors

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Applications are now open for the La Maestra International Competition for Women Conductors. It takes place in Paris every two years.  It is a competition that is fast becoming THE place where women conductors can be seen, heard, and hired. Even for those who don’t win or place, there’s an Academy co-directed by the Philharmonie de Paris and the Paris Mozart Orchestra led by Claire Gibault and Olivier Mantei.

Claire Gibault

The percentage of women conductors has increased worldwide to 8%. A big increase considering it was only 4.3% in 2018. It still wasn’t enough for Gibault. She started the competition to increase the visibility of women conductors and to showcase their talent.

The competition is also the subject of a documentary Maestra, now streaming on Netflix.

Meet The Composers Of Some Of Your Favorite Video Games

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If you are a gamer who likes to listen to the music of video games, this event is for you. 

POWER UP:  THE ART OF VIDEO GAME MUSIC presented by Density 5-1-2 of Austin, is covering all of the bases when it comes to composing and recording music for video games.

Perhaps the music for the video games Walkabout Mini Golf by Mighty Coconut or The (evil) Baby in Yellow composed by Virginia Leo or the ABZÛ score by Austin Wintory captivates you as a player and as a fan of orchestral music.

Artistic Director Jacob Aaron Schnitzer says the event shows that Video game music has emerged as a gateway to symphonic music which draws younger audiences to orchestral performances.

Power Up:  The Art of Video Game Music takes place Friday, March 14th during SXSW at KMFA.

The String Quartet Smackdown

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After a two year break, Golden Hornet’s String Quartet Smackdown is on again.  This is the competition that uses the bracket system of March Madness with a live audience to determine the winner. Among the 16 finalists is Evan Blaché of Cedar Park, who won the competition two years ago. 

The String Quartet Smackdown is Saturday, February 22nd at The Baker Center.

That same weekend, the Austin Symphony Orchestra gives a nod to Black History Month with its American Splendor concert.  It features Duke Ellington and Luther Henderson’s evocative Three Black Kings,  the world premiere of Sam Lipman’s poignant Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra. Also on program, Leonard Bernstein’s vibrant On the Town: Three Dance Episodes and George Gershwin’s iconic An American in Paris

LIFT EVERY VOICE FOR JULIA PERRY

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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 acapella versions 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.

Watch with joy as Karen Slack and Michelle Cann accept their Grammy. 

Julia Perry’s Catalog of Music Is Finally Available  

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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 with Boosey and Hawkes, to distribute Perry’s music.  Now they’re looking for more of her “lost” compositions. 

How the Orchestras Are Coping Amid The LA Wildfires

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What a great loss!! 

The Wildfires in the Los Angeles area are still burning.  The loss of life and homes is immeasurable. 

Orchestras in the area are suffering their own losses, personal and professional. The League of American Orchestras says their disaster website is full of information on places to go for help.

There’s very bad news for the music of composer Arnold Schoenberg.  Much of his orchestral scores were destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire.

IT’S NICE TO BE BACK.  On Classical Music In Color

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I was pretty happy to see the last of 2024. 

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 this episode 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.

There’s a job open at the Berkeley Symphony with Joseph Young stepping down. 

A Happy New You In 2025

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Did you make a New Year’s Resolution for 2025?

YouGov.com says the most common resolutions for 30- to 44-year-olds are saving more money (31%) and improving mental health (23%).  Generally speaking, being happy is on the list of resolutions for all age groups.  Researchers believe they’ve found a way to treat one of the most serious mental health issues: Treat Resistant Depression. It seems music therapy is the key.

Here is the link to Sophie Mathieu’s “Night Poem” performed by Austin Unconducted.