Of Folk, Faith, and Fellowship: Exploring Chicago’s African-American Women Composers

Join pianist and scholar Samantha Ege in exploring the music and lives of four great composers! Florence Price and Margaret Bonds lived and composed on Chicago’s South Side during the remarkable artistic period of the Chicago Black Renaissance in the 1930s. Supported in their friendship in the midst of a thriving arts environment, these trail-blazing women created historic and ground-breaking compositions influenced by African-American folk melodies – especially spirituals.  Ege also explores the  remarkable music of contemporary composers Dolores White and Regina Harris Baiocchi, and how their friendship has supported them to become strong voices within a community of contemporary composers.
Samantha Ege has written detailed program notes for this program; read them here to learn about the music before you hear it!

The event will take place at Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, and is free and open to the public.

The program includes:
Fantasie Negre by Florence Price

Azuretta by Regina Harris Baiocchi

Toccata by Dolores White

Sonata in E minor by Florence Price
Troubled Water by Margaret Bonds

This program is partially supported by a grant from Illinois Humanties.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.