Melanated Moments in Classical Music Classical Music Indy

Angela and Joshua open Season Seven with an exposé on pianist, musicologist, and The First Lady of Jazz; Mary Lou Williams. This stunning artist’s impact crosses multiple genres from jazz to classical and sacred to bebop.  She navigates compositional shifts seamlessly all while providing the world of classical music with a much-needed approach to archival, analysis, and expansion to welcome those previously left out of the industry.  An undisputed artistic prodigy, Williams’ expansive influence on Black music positions her as one of the 20th century’s most revolutionary musicologists.

Featured Music:
“Night Life” - Mary Lou Williams, composer/performer“Sagittarius” and “Aquarius”  from Zodiac Suite - Mary Lou Williams, composer“People in Trouble” and "One" from Mary Lou’s Mass - Mary Lou Williams, composer



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Season Six wraps with a high-energy conversation with Grammy Award-winning baritone Kenneth Overton. Known for his rich and booming voice, Overton is booked and busy across the U.S. and around the world, yet still finds time to intentionally dedicate part of his career to the mentorship of the next generation of young Black vocalists in classical music.

Featured Music:
"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child," arranged by George Crumb
"There's A Man Goin' Round Taking Names"
"Look to the Rainbow," from the album A Bright Tomorrow
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Joshua and Angela delve into the many facets of Paul Robeson, the man behind the voice that made him a household name on stage and screen. An academic scholar, bass-baritone concert artist, and stage and film actor, Robeson was as well-known for his artistic prowess as he was for his outspoken commitment to disrupting the hypocritical political strategies of the American government in the 1940s.
Featured Music:
"Scandalize My Name," arranged by Harry T. Burleigh, performed by Paul Robeson live from Carnegie Hall
"No More Auction Block"
"Ol' Man River"
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 Dr. Portia Maultsby, ethnomusicologist and curator of the inaugural exhibition of the National Museum of African American Music, talks with Angela and Joshua about her influential work on throughlines between classical and popular Black music. An esteemed professor emeritus at Indiana University, her work is regarded as an integral component of research and study in ethnomusicology. She is the founder of the popular I.U. Soul Revue and the Archives of African American Music and Culture at Indiana University. With a growing list of famous vocalists and artists from Broadway to TV and film under her tutelage, Dr. Maultsby scores the blueprint for future preservationists, performers, and scholars committed to sharing the comprehensive story of Black excellence in music.

Featured Music:
"Summertime"
"But Who May Abide," from Messiah, performed by Marietta Simpson and Robert Shaw
"Ah, mes amis," from La fille de régiment, performed by Lawrence Brownlee
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British-born composer, opera singer, and teacher Amanda Ira Aldridge is the topic of conversation for Joshua and Angela on this episode. A promising operatic contralto, Aldridge studied and performed the vocal works of compatriot Samuel Coleridge Taylor. A severe case of laryngitis ended her singing career but provided the catalyst for her to mold and teach vocal legends Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson, and Marian Anderson. Adaptable, resourceful, and musically imaginative, Aldridge created a lineage of melanated moxie whose influence spans generations of groundbreaking Black artists from the 20th century to the present day.
Featured Music:
"Prayer Before Battle," arranged and performed for harp by Elisabeth Remy Johnson
"Carnival, Suite of Five Dances: I. Cavalcade," performed by Rochelle Sennet
"Three African Dances, Mvt. 2: Luleta's Dance," performed by Bryan Chuan
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Angela and Joshua welcome Maestro Marlon Daniel, a dynamic up-and-coming conductor and one of the leading scholars on the life of Joseph Bologne. Daniel discusses the life of the mixed-race aristocrat who single-handedly put French classical music of the 18th century on the map and helps our audience reframe and properly reposition the virtuosic composer and violinist as the leading influencer of some of classical music’s most recognized contributors.


Featured Music:
"String Quartet No. 1 in C-Major," by Joseph Bologne, performed by the Quatuor a Cordes
"Symphony in G-Major Op. 11 Movement 1, part III," by Joseph Bologne, performed by the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra


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