Focusing on the profound influence of Black women’s orchestral and operatic innovations, this full orchestra performance pays tribute to Black women composers in classical and opera music. The evening will showcase works by the renowned late composer and educator Julia Perry, alongside symphonic and orchestral works composed by Patrice Rushen and Solange Knowles. The evening will be conducted by Jerri Lynne Johnson, the founder and Artistic Director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, a professional ensemble in Philadelphia, and will feature soprano vocalist Zoie Reams.
Julia Perry’s remarkable compositions pushed the boundaries of dissonance and modern technique. In 1965, the New York Philharmonic performed her “Short Piece for Orchestra,” marking the first time a composition by a Black woman—and only the third by any woman—was featured in the orchestra’s history. Perry’s works blended neo-classical style with Black and African spiritual influences, and she also fascinatingly wrote operas inspired by the Salem witch trials, a revolutionary act during those times. The audience will experience the dynamic orchestral qualities of selected pieces from Perry’s extensive repertoire, including Stabat Mater, featuring soprano Zoie Reams.
Titled “On Dissonance,” the program’s name is a reference to the tonal qualities of Homunculus C.F., Perry’s composition for harp, celesta/piano, and eight percussionists, which she created in the summer of 1960 in Akron, Ohio, above her father’s medical office. This piece pays homage to Perry’s pioneering work in minimalism, which was composed years before canonical early minimalist pieces. As part of Saint Heron’s mission to preserve the legacies of Black women creators, the performance aims to revive these important yet often overlooked works.
The orchestra will also perform four-time Grammy winner Patrice Rushen’s dynamic symphonic piece Sinfonia. Known for her influential R&B hits and role as Ambassador of Artistry In Education at Berklee College of Music, Rushen describes her classical compositions as “sonic landscapes with peaks and valleys.”
Solange Knowles will make her U.S. compositional debut with “Not Necessarily In Arms Reach”, a recent composition for two tubas. This work draws inspiration from repetition, gospel vocal arrangements, sonic minimalism, and Black Southern marching bands.
This rare presentation of Perry, Rushen, and Knowles’ classical works bridges the gap between a rich historical legacy and contemporary innovation, offering powerful insights into Black women’s contributions and voices in classical music.
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135 N. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012 (Get Directions)
