„Song of America: A Celebration of Black Music“ is a digital three-concert mini-festival celebrating the music, poetry, and stories of Black composers, writers, and artists. The festival will be presented digitally starting the first week of June 2021 in collaboration with the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and the Hamburg International Music Festival.
View the festival materials, and concert streams (beginning June 2), here. More materials are available on the Hampsong Foundation website.
Curated by Thomas Hampson and scholar/performer Dr. Louise Toppin, with special assistance in the orchestral repertoire from conductor Roderick Cox, this festival brings the stories and artistry of Black Americans to the international stage with the message that this music is for everyone.
This festival aims to lift up artists and artistic works that have been marginalized and amplify the beauty and creativity of their artistry. Writing Black artistic expression back into the narrative of American art music, this festival – in cooperation with Hampson’s not-for-profit Hampsong Foundation and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg – invites a global audience to participate in our celebration of Black musicality in all its rich and diverse expressions.
Song of America: A Celebration of Black Music EVENTS:
- June 2: Langston Hughes: Singing Harlem in Europe
- June 4: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
- June 6: Hope in the Night: Orchestral and Vocal Treasures by Black American Composers
All live streams are available free of charge and will remain accessible for 12 months, on-demand from the Elbphilharmonie website „Mediatheque“.