Black History Month

I always get a kick out of seeing people carrying musical instruments in public places. So I was delighted when a woman with a violin case sat down next to me at the airport recently. We began chatting, and it turned out that she is a world renowned soloist! Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins is a Naumburg

Soprano Leontyne Price recently celebrated her 96th birthday! The legendary singer was born Mary Violet Leontyne Price on February 10, 1927 in Laurel, Mississippi. The award-winning musician pursued her musical training at Central State University, The Juilliard School, and Wilberforce University. In 1961 Ms. Price began her affiliation with the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. Today’s

Daniel Bernard Roumain is a violinist and composer. Born in 1971, the Black, Haitian American musician has worked with a broad group of collaborators, including J’Nai Bridges, Lady Gaga, Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones, Marin Alsop, and Anna Deavere Smith. Today’s Beautiful Music features Daniel Bernard Roumain’s artistry both as a violinist and composer. His 2005

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today’s Beautiful Music is a selection of love songs sung by the versatile and talented countertenor Reginald Mobley! You’ll hear him with lutenist/guitarist Stephen Stubbs singing COME AGAIN SWEET LOVE by John Dowland and HERE THE DEITIES APPROVE by Henry Purcell. There’s also a lovely recording of Mr. Mobley singing George and

American composer and conductor Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson was named after the African-British musician Samuel Coleridge Taylor. Perkinson’s interests and expertise as a musician included many genres, include classical, jazz, popular music, and film & television works. Today’s Beautiful Music is the 3rd movement of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s Sinfonietta performed by Sphinx Virtuosi from a 2011 concert.

Xavier Foley is a double-bass player and composer. Today’s Beautiful Music features both of those exceptional talents. First, listen to his soulful performance of his own composition, LOST CHILD. He premiered it in 2021 at Bowdoin International Musical Festival when he was on faculty. And second, listen to Xavier Foley playing the Suite #2 for

Are you familiar with the name Mary Cardwell Dawson? She was an accomplished musician who lived from the 1894-1962, and in 1925 she graduated from New England Conservatory of Music with degrees in piano and voice, the only African American person in her class. Ms. Dawson hoped to pursue a career as an opera singer,

It’s exciting to see the rising stars of classical music, and today’s Beautiful Music features one of them. And it is a marvelous story of the power of music, the tenacity and resourcefulness of an exceptionally talented young man, and the support and encouragement of teachers and mentors. Twenty-one year old pianist Clayton Stephenson is