Black History Month on All Classical Portland

Posted on January 29, 2021

All Classical Portland celebrates the music of Black composers and artists year-round, and this month, we invite you to join us as we take a closer look at the contributions that Black composers and musicians have made to classical music. Read below to learn about the special programming coming up this month on All Classical Portland. All broadcast times listed are Pacific Standard Time.

You may be interested to know that All Classical Portland recently launched the Recording Inclusivity Initiative, to address the gap of classical music composers and musicians from underrepresented communities that make it into the concert hall and on to the airwaves. Learn more at allclassical.org/recordinginclusivity

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Black History Month Kick-Off!
February 1, 7am-10pm

All Classical Portland begins Black History Month with 15 hours of back-to-back music created entirely by Black artists. Photo of James DePriest, courtesy of Oregon Symphony.

Where We Live, Take Flight - Darrell Grant
February 13, 5:15pm

Host Andrea Murray highlights local Portland pianist, composer, and educator Darrell Grant, and his project Take Flight. His son’s teacher requested that Grant write a song that parents could sing to the children during their middle-school class promotion. As he wrote, he thought about the bittersweet nature of launching our children into the world. Everything shifted as the coronavirus descended on the world, traditional rites of passage for youth were suspended indefinitely, and nationwide protests began in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. In this challenging and painful time of re-evaluation and reckoning, Grant was moved by the emotional resilience of young people, by their courage in the face of the pandemic, and by their demands to end racism. Photo of Darrell Grant, taken by Adolfo Cantú-Villarreal.

leontyne price

The Concert Hall
February 13, 7pm

Host John Pitman celebrates many extraordinary contributions Black artists have made to classical music in this week’s show. The program will feature works such as Adolphus Hailstork Symphony No. 1, William Grant Still’s Africa, Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Soprano Leontyne Price sings arias from Puccini’s Tosca, Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, and more! Photo of Leontyne Price, taken by Dave Hecht.

Where We Live, Onry / Livin' in the Light
February 20, 5:15pm

Host Andrea Murray highlights local Portland singer and composer Onry. Onry and Future Prairie were the recipients of All Classical Portland’s 2020 Rising Tide Grant for their project, Livin’ in the Light. Livin’ in the Light documents the joy, perseverance, and struggle of being a Black male artist in what is often called “the Whitest City in America,” while honoring the timeless art form of opera. Photo of Onry, taken by Wesley Lapointe.

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terrance blanchard

The Score, The Voice and Vision of Black Composers
February 20, 2pm

The Score honors Black History Month with a celebration of the vibrant perspectives and fresh vision Black composers have made to the film industry. Join Edmund Stone for conversations with award-winning composer Terence Blanchard (BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods) and Michael Abels (Us, Get Out), and enjoy works by composer Kathryn Bostic, and the legendary composer and producer of records, television, and film, Quincy Jones. Photo of Terence Blanchard, taken by Daymon Gardner.

Recommended Reading

Nineteen Black Composers You Should Know
Adam Eccleston shares personal reflections on his favorite music by Black and Brown composers
Nine Black Women Who Changed Opera Forever
Six Black Clarinetists To Know
Trail-Blazing Trans Women of Color in Classical Music

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