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Atlanta GA USA
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Homecoming Concert
Sisters Chapel, Spelman College
350 Spelman Lane, Atlanta, GA 30314
5:30 – 6:30 PM Pre-concert Talk
Maestra Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director, Chicago Sinfonietta
Dr. Paula Grissom-Broughton, Spelman Music Department
Mr. Blake-Anthony Johnson, President & CEO, Chicago Sinfonietta
7:30 PM Concert
Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director & Conductor
Chicago Sinfonietta
Program
Scott JOPLIN (orch. TJ Anderson)
Overture from Treemonisha
Florence PRICE
II. Andante Moderato from String Quartet in G major
Margaret BONDS
VI. Lament from Montgomery Variations
Jennifer HIGDON
Raucous Rumpus from Dance Card
Michael R. DUDLEY Jr.
A Prayer for Our Times for String Orchestra
Benjamin BRITTEN
II. Playful Pizzicato from Simple Symphony
Jessie MONTGOMERY
Strum
Grace WILLIAMS
II. Sailing Song from Sea Sketches
Tchaikovsky
Serenade mvt. IV. Teme Russo
Celebrating Black creativity, freedom of artistic expression,
and Historical Black Colleges and Universities
Chicago Sinfonietta’s First Tour to Atlanta, Georgia, under Music Director Mei-Ann Chen
Renowned for celebrating the creativity of BIPOC composers and musicians, championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and innovation, this March 2024, Chicago Sinfonietta takes the celebration on the road, making its first tour to Atlanta, Georgia, under Music Director Mei-Ann Chen to celebrate the creativity, music, and education traditions of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCS).
Chicago Sinfonietta Music Director Mei-Ann Chen said of the tour, "As a conductor, I've had the privilege of leading this talented ensemble through a myriad of performances that reflect our mission. Now, we are embarking on a new adventure, one that ties our two great cities together. This is ... a cultural exchange, a celebration of shared values.
“We bring with us the spirit of inclusivity, unity, and the universal language of music. We look forward to forging new connections, building bridges, and celebrating the power of music to bring people together.”
The orchestra will make its home base at Atlanta’s Spelman College, the No. 1 ranked HBCS for the past 17 years by US News & World Report. Chicago Sinfonietta will also work closely with students at Spelman College, Atlanta Clark University, Morehouse College, and Atlanta Music Project giving masterclasses, lectures and in-class performances (closed to the public). Principal percussionist Jeff Handley will give an African Percussion Lecture & Demonstration; Sinfonietta string principals will perform the Andante Moderato movement from Florence Price’s String Quartet in a Survey of African American Music class; there will be string and brass/winds masterclasses; and a Sinfonietta wind quintet will join a Spelman Composition class for a reading of original student compositions, plus give a performance of Valerie Coleman’s Umoja.
The culminating event will be 2024 Homecoming, a free, open to the public pre-concert panel discussion and concert at the historic Sisters Chapel.