J. Kimo Williams.
In Wednesday’s (4/8) Johns Hopkins University Hub (Baltimore), Claire Goudreau writes, “For over 80 years, Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait has been a go-to choice for orchestras across America. ‘I’ve done the Lincoln Portrait, I don’t know how many times,’ says Hopkins Symphony Orchestra conductor Jed Gaylin…. On April 18, the HSO will add a second perspective to their program. The newly commissioned Douglass Portrait, composed by retired U.S. Army Captain J. Kimo Williams, will tell the story of renowned abolitionist, writer, and orator Frederick Douglass, who was enslaved in Baltimore before escaping to freedom. ‘This orchestral work does not … deliver a literal reenactment of his speeches,’ writes Williams … ‘Instead, it presents a portrait in sound and text, offering audiences an opportunity to engage directly with the intellectual and moral force of Douglass’s language … not as static artifacts of the past, but as living expressions of a struggle that remains ongoing.’… By playing both pieces in the same program, the HSO hopes to highlight the wide array of American experiences in advance of the nation’s 250th birthday…. Adds Gaylin: ‘At this momentous time in our nation’s history, in terms of [250] years, it’s important to remind ourselves what is most important about America, no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on.’ ”
