“The Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a highly accomplished African-French composer, violinist, and conductor, who lived during Mozart’s time,” writes Catherine Lu in Monday’s (9/10) Houston Public Media. “You probably haven’t heard of him nor his music, and that’s what the Colour of Music Festival hopes to change. ‘Most people are not deliberately not programming black composers. They just don’t know about black composers’ works,’ … said Artistic Director Lee Pringle. Through concerts and talks by local and international musicians and scholars of African descent, the festival shines a light on the impact of black classical artists—from centuries ago to the present day. Pringle founded the festival in Charleston, South Carolina about six years ago, and has presented prominent and emerging artists, such as Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who famously performed at the Royal Wedding this past summer. This year, ‘petit’ versions of the annual festival will tour to Pittsburgh, Richmond, and Houston. With support from the City of Houston and the University of Houston, Pringle chose to bring it to Houston for the first time [this September].… Pringle … hopes the festival will impact orchestras around the world—from concert programming to artistic management.”
Posted September 11, 2018
In photo: The Grimbert-Barré Trio are among the performers in the Colour of Music Festival, which holds concerts in Houston for the first time this year, from September 9 to 16.
