The Experiential Orchestra will present an immersive performance of William Levi Dawson’s 1934 “Negro Folk” Symphony on May 13 at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in Manhattan, led by Music Director James Blachly. The audience will be invited to sit near and among the orchestra musicians during the concert, which also will feature Jessie Montgomery’s Soul Force. The concert represents the first time the full Experiential Orchestra has gathered since the start of the pandemic. In announcing the program, Blachly said, “William Levi Dawson’s ‘Negro Folk’ Symphony, after decades of neglect, is beginning to be recognized across the country as one of the truly great American symphonies….. We have fallen in love with this music, and we are excited to celebrate this piece with our audience.” The New York City-based orchestra has presented several previous immersive concerts, with audience members surrounding and surrounded by the orchestra in various ways.
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