Watch events from the African American Art Song Alliance 20th Anniversary Conference in Irvine, California live–courtesy of the Hampsong Foundation!

The African American Art Song Alliance was founded by Darryl Taylor in 1997. Nationally and internationally acclaimed artists and scholars converge on Irvine to celebrate and investigate African American Art Song, mingled with performances of spirituals, opera, lectures, paper presentations, and panel discussions through the conference. This quinquennial event is always sure to enlighten and entertain. This event is presented in conjunction with Christ Our Redeemer AME Church.

View the full conference schedule here.

Learn more about the African American Art Song Alliance here.

The African American Art Song Alliance on Facebook

Live Events available via the Hampsong Foundation’s LiveStream Channel
from the Winifred Smith Hall at the University of California, Irvine
All times are in Pacific Time. Program subject to change without notice.

9:00 AM Pacific (12noon Eastern)
Plenary Session

• Welcome and Introduction, Darryl Taylor
• Welcome, Dean Stephen Barker, Claire Trevor School of the Arts
• Chronology, Hansonia Caldwell
• Address, Thomas Hampson (remote from New York City)
• Performance, “On Virtue” (Phyllis Wheatley), by Marvin Mills
  Kearstin Piper Brown, soprano and Marvin Mills, piano
• Keynote address, George Shirley, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan
  Recipient of the National Medal of Arts
• Awards presentations
  • Willis Patterson Award for Excellence in Research, presented by Willis Patterson
  • George Shirley Award for Excellence in Performance, presented by George Shirley
  • Adams-Owens Composition Prize, presented by H. Leslie Adams

11:00 AM Pacific (2:00 PM Eastern)
Lecture: “‘A Vein of Fresh Melody’ – Harry T. Burleigh Ushers in the African American Art Song”
View program here

• Jean Snyder, scholar
• Roderick George, tenor
• Katie Franklin, piano

12:00 PM Pacific (3:00 PM Eastern)
Lecture-Recital: “Highlights of the Dunbar Music Archive”
View program here

• Minnita Daniel-Cox, soprano
• Gwynne Kuhner Brown, piano

2:30 PM Pacific (5:30 PM Eastern)
Performance: Concert of Songs by Adolphus C. Hailstork
View program here

• Donnie Ray Albert, baritone
• Theresa Dimond, marimba
• Roderick George, tenor
• Kathryn Goodson, piano
• Jennifer Lindsey, soprano
• Brent McMunn, piano
• William Chapman Nyaho, piano
• Darryl Taylor, countertenor
• Rick E. Taylor, voice
• Daniel Washington, bass-baritone

3:30 PM Pacific (6:30 PM Eastern)
Panel Discussion: Composers’ Roundtable Forum

4:30 PM Pacific (7:30 PM Eastern)
Performance: Generation Next: Passing the Torch
Songs by Brittney Elizabeth Boykin, Marques L.A. Garrett, Anthony R. Green,
Lori Celeste Hicks, James Lee III, Andre Myers, Nailah Nombeko, Shawn E. Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, & Brandon Spencer
View program here

• Jayme Allilaw, soprano
• Brittney Elizabeth Boykin, piano
• Maria Thompson Corley, piano
• Loñieta Cornwall, piano
• Katherine Goodson, piano
• Pheaross Graham, piano
• Lenora Green-Turner, soprano
• Makeda Hampton, soprano
• Phillip Harris, baritone
• Lori Celeste Hicks, soprano
• Kisma Jordan Hunter, soprano
• Candace Johnson, soprano
• Katherine Jolly, soprano
• Marvin Mills, piano
• Andre Myers, piano
• Darryl Taylor, countertenor

7:30 PM Pacific (10:30 PM Eastern)
Performance:An Evening Potpourri
Songs by H. Leslie Adams, Margaret Bonds, H. T. Burleigh, Eugene W. Hancock, Charles Ingram, Roy Jennings, Richard Thompson, Robert Owens, Gregory T. S. Walker, & John Work, Jr.
View program here

• Won Cho, bass
• Loñieta Cornwall, piano
• Kimberley Davis, soprano
• Paul Dorgan, piano
• Katie Franklin, piano
• Roderick George, tenor
• Katherine Goodson, piano
• Antoine Griggs, baritone
• Stacie Haneline, piano
• Phillip Harris, baritone
• Washington Isaac Holmes, baritone
• Paula Dione Ingram, soprano
• Katherine Jolly, soprano
• Leberta Lorál, soprano
• Marvin Mills, piano
• William Chapman Nyaho, piano
• Jamie Reimer, soprano
• Gail Robinson-Oturu, soprano
• Byron Smith, piano
• Lukas Swidzinski, piano
• Richard Thompson, piano
• Raymond Tymas-Jones, tenor