Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Orchestra and choral ensembles on stage at Carnegie Hall.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ in NYC 2023

The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Orchestra and conservatory choral ensembles—Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ College Choir, Musical Union, and Gospel Choir—performed the master work by 1908 Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ graduate R. Nathaniel Dett in New York City's Carmegie Hall in January 2023.

Photo credit: Fadi Kheir

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ shined brightly on two of New York’s grandest stages in January 2023, and this time the glow spanned generations.

The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Orchestra and conservatory choral ensembles—numbering some 250 musicians in all—joined forces at Carnegie Hall for the second time in as many months for a program that showcased the masterwork of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ composer R. Nathaniel Dett and the talents of two standout alumni soloists making their Carnegie Hall debuts: soprano Chabrelle Williams ’11 and tenor Limmie Pulliam ’98.

In early December, the ensembles performed before the United Nations General Assembly in a celebration of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s new partnership with the UN’s Institute for Training and Research and the Global Foundation for the Performing Arts.

This time, the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ entourage also included the exceptional musicians of the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble, which sandwiched a pair of sold-out gigs at the famed Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola between outreach visits with schoolchildren across the metropolitan area.

One day prior to the orchestra’s January 20 performance of Dett’s The Ordering of Moses, a panel discussion at Kaufman Music Center contextualized the life and work of Dett, who in 1908 became the first Black double-major graduate of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Conservatory and who enjoyed a remarkable career as a composer, performer, choral director, and educator at historically Black Hampton University and other institutions.

Highlights

Student jazz musicians performing in a New York City nightclub.

The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble play a pair of sold-out sets at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola—the same venue where the group made its New York City debut four years earlier.

Photo credit: Chris Lee

Six panelists hold a discussion on stage.

A panel discussion led by Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ faculty member Courtney-Savali Andrews (far right) examined the life and legacy of R. Nathaniel Dett, who in 1908 became the first double-major Black graduate of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Conservatory. The panel was hosted by Kaufman Music Center.

Photo credit: Fadi Kheir

Conductor leading orchestral musicians in a performance.

Raphael Jiménez guided the orchestra through performances of Johannes Brahms’ Tragic Overture, Iván Enrique Rodríguez’s A Metaphor for Power, and R. Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses.

Photo credit: Chris Lee

The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Orchestra stand in an elevator backstage.

The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Orchestra awaits its call to take the stage.

Photo credit: Fadi Kheir

A single violinist practicing.

Concertmaster Madeleine Zarry warms up backstage.

Photo credit: Fadi Kheir

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Orchestra performing for an audience of younger students.

The Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble visits middle school students in Brooklyn on the morning after its Dizzy's performance.

Photo credit: Lorenzo Ciniglio

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