Introduction
Internationally renowned artist and esteemed scholar Thomas Hampson curated the Song of America: A Celebration of Black Music project with scholar/performer Dr. Louise Toppin. Hampson and Toppin provide insights into the project:
“Song of America: A Celebration of Black Music is a mini-festival celebrating the music, poetry, and stories of Black composers, writers, and artists. 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 is part of Thomas Hampson’s long-standing and multi-faceted Song of America project, which was inspired by a collaboration with the Library of Congress in 2005, and launched by the Hampsong Foundation in 2009. Song of America is a multi-faceted project that spans almost two decades. It invites performers, students, and audience members to explore the more than 250-year history of song in American culture through its online database, radio series, resources and events for educators and performers, and various special research ventures.
In Partnership with
Song of America:
A Celebration of Black Music I
(Available through June 2, 2022)
The first concert, "Langston Hughes: Singing Harlem in Europe," celebrates the masterful poetry of Langston Hughes, a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. Between 1929 and 2002, almost 200 of Langston Hughes’s poems appeared in German-language translation — a testament to their power and popularity. His wide-ranging poems, set to music by composers both in Germany and in the United States, boldly present Black American experiences in stark prose.
Song of America:
A Celebration of Black Music II
(Available through June 4, 2022)
The second concert, "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" explores the emotional complexity of Black diasporic art music. Bringing together classic works by composers such as Harry Thacker Burleigh and Florence Price with pieces by an exciting new generation of composers such as Tyshawn Sorey, B.E. Boykin, and Anthony Green, it highlights the Black diaspora in its broadest geographic range while also attending to the rich depths of Black expression.
Song of America:
A Celebration of Black Music III
(Available through June 6, 2022)
The final concert, "Hope in the Night" offers us messages of strength and resilience through operatic excerpts, spirituals, and instrumental music by composers William Grant Still, Valerie Coleman, George Walker, Margaret Bonds, Hale Smith, and William Dawson. Lush and vibrant or soft and warm, these compositions present exquisite musical moments of hope and joy.
View the programs, texts, and more concert materials
Song of America: A Celebration of Black Music I
The first concert, "Langston Hughes: Singing Harlem in Europe," celebrates the masterful poetry of Langston Hughes, a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. Between 1929 and 2002, almost 200 of Langston Hughes’s poems appeared in German-language translation — a testament to their power and popularity. His wide-ranging poems, set to music by composers both in Germany and in the United States, boldly present Black American experiences in stark prose.
This concert will be available 12 months, on demand via the Elbphilharmonie Streaming Platform.
Visit siteSong of America: A Celebration of Black Music II
The second concert, "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" explores the emotional complexity of Black diasporic art music. Bringing together classic works by composers such as Harry Thacker Burleigh and Florence Price with pieces by an exciting new generation of composers such as Tyshawn Sorey, B.E. Boykin, and Anthony Green, it highlights the Black diaspora in its broadest geographic range while also attending to the rich depths of Black expression.
This concert will be available 12 months, on demand via the Elbphilharmonie Streaming Platform.
Visit siteSong of America: A Celebration of Black Music III
The final concert, "Hope in the Night" offers us messages of strength and resilience through operatic excerpts, spirituals, and instrumental music by composers William Grant Still, Valerie Coleman, George Walker, Margaret Bonds, Hale Smith, and William Dawson. Lush and vibrant or soft and warm, these compositions present exquisite musical moments of hope and joy.
This concert will be available 12 months, on demand via the Elbphilharmonie Streaming Platform.
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Trailer
The Team
CURATION
Thomas Hampson & Louise Toppin
With special assistance in the orchestral repertoire by conductor Roderick Cox
PERFORMERS
Leah Hawkins soprano
Ema Nikolovska mezzo-soprano
Louise Toppin soprano
Justin Austin baritone
Lawrence Brownlee tenor
Thomas Hampson baritone
Joseph Joubert piano
Howard Watkins piano
Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Conductor Roderick Cox
In collaboration with the Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg) and the Hamburg International Music Festival
Hampsong Foundation, Managing Director: Christie Finn
Scholar-in-Residence, Song of America: A Celebration of Black Music: Dr. Kira Thurman
Research and translation assistance from Özlem Karuç and Domenic DeSocio
Supported by the Kühne Foundation, the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media, Stiftung Elbphilharmonie and the Förderkreis Internationales Musikfest Hamburg
In cooperation with
:
Internationales Musikfest Hamburg
Every year the Hamburg International Music Festival provides a final highlight in the concert calendar at the end of the season.
Visit sitePress:
Deutsche Welle
The music of African American classical composers is rarely performed on concert stages in Europe and the US. Baritone Thomas Hampson wants to change this.
Visit siteCredits:
In collaboration with the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
Scholar-in-Residence, Song of America: A Celebration of Black Music: Dr. Kira Thurman
Supported by the Kühne Foundation, the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media, Stiftung Elbphilharmonie and the Förderkreis Internationales Musikfest Hamburg