Celebrating Diversity in Michigan

by sarah | Nov 11, 2016

It’s been a rough week.  But I’m glad to know that we can take solace in music to reflect, regroup, be reminded of the value of diversity in the world around us, and move forward.  Lucky for us, there is a great opportunity to do just that this weekend! On...

Happy Birthday Julia Perry

by sarah | Mar 25, 2016

Today would have been American composer Julia Perry’s 92nd birthday. Perry was one of the first African American composers to gain acclaim – and establish a career in composition.  Her music was largely neoclassical, but also included experimentation with...

Grieving and healing: Julia Perry’s “Stabat Mater”

by Liane Curtis | Jun 30, 2015

The U.S. continues to mourn the massacre of nine African Americans in a South Carolina church.  At the Rev. Clementa Pinckney’s funeral service, President Barack Obama drew on the healing power of words melded with music, as he sang “Amazing Grace.”  This was a...

Concerning Race

by sarah | Aug 13, 2014

Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy is working to level the playing field when it comes to the representation of works by women in the classical music repertoire.  But it goes without saying that there is a need for equal representation not only of works by women, but...

Julia Perry: Neoclassicism at its Best

by sarah | Mar 16, 2014

We’ve featured American composer Julia Perry (1924-1979) on this blog before, but the excellence of her music—and the neglect it still faces—bears more mention. Born in Ohio, Perry received support from her parents for her musical endeavors from an early age.  A...