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Friends,

Welcome to 2009! This is going to be an exciting year of adjustment in many arenas of our lives... Here at MHS, we are continuing to work diligently behind the scenes. Therefore, I'm going to keep this letter short and sweet.

As we welcome our 3rd year, we want to thank you for your participation and support.  With your continued support, 2009 will be an incredibly fulfilling year. We cannot do this important work without YOU! Thank you so much.

Musically yours,
Rashida N. Black
Founder/Executive Director

Be part of the mission. Make a tax-deductible contribution. Or send checks payable to Myrtle Hart Society to: Myrtle Hart Society, 4800 S. Chicago Beach Drive, Suite 2008S, Chicago IL 60615. If you want to be included in an upcoming edition of the eNewsletter, just email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or click reply to the sender.

Photo credit: Lisa Kohler

You have to know from whence you came, you have to be familiar with the fact the playing field isn't anyways level, but you can't let that control you, you just have to take your best shot and hope that that speaks for itself.

Morris Robinson Interview
Friday, December 12, 2008
By Sergio A. Mims
Ebonyjet.com

Tubist and composer Roger Stubblefield is also the owner and engineer of 21st Century Recording, a studio he established as a way to combine his understanding of the demands of music performance with his interest in digital technology and his enthusiasm for music across the spectrum of styles.

On January 31 and February 1, the Madison String Quartet will premiere his opus 5 entitled "One" for string quartet.  Also on the program: Schubert, Mora, and Villa-Lobos! For more information about the concert, please visit http://www.madisonquartet.org/index.htm

Clarinetist Anthony McGill is the winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and currently serves as principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Prior to this position he was associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, following studies at the Curtis Institute with Donald Montanato and at the Interlochen Arts Academy with Richard Hawkins.

An experienced chamber musician, he has participated at the Marlboro Music Festival, Sarasota Festival, Tanglewood, La Musica International Chamber Music Festival, Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Menlo, Italy, and Music@Menlo. Since his solo debut in 1991, McGill has appeared with the Baltimore and New Jersey Symphonies, and with the Tokyo, Guarneri, and Avalon Quartets, and Opus One. He has been heard on Ravinia's Rising Star Series, toured with Musicians from Marlboro, performed at Carnegie Hall, and appeared at Lincoln Center as a member of its Chamber Music Society Two. McGill has also toured Japan with pianist Mitsuko Uchida and members of the Brentano Quartet, and has appeared in concert with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Check him out on Inauguration Day (Tuesday, January 20).

http://inaugural.senate.gov/media/releases/release-12172008-inauguralwebsite.cfm

http://www.leblancclarinets.com/artists/bio.php?aid=917

Chevalier de Saint-Georges

THE VIOLIN IN BLACK MUSIC HISTORY
Dominique-René de Lerma

Pop culture can be a fog that obscures a heritage in favor of economic advantage.  There are those, for example, who are astonished to learn that Black composers have been making contributions to so-called "European" classical music at least since the mid-1500s, that opera flourishes in Nigeria and, since the end of apartheid, now in South Africa.  When I was a guest, along with William Dawson, at the College of the Virgin Islands in the 1970s, the students unhesitatingly rejected Dawson's symphony because there were violins in the orchestra.

The violin had been popular in France well before it was accepted as a legitimate instrument elsewhere, mainly because it had been used for dance music.  Within that tradition arose the Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), born in Guadeloupe, child of a French father and a slave.  His father took the liaison seriously and made arrangements for the little boy to study the violin so that he would prove an acceptable dilettante within social circles when the family moved to Paris.  The unexpected happened, and the child proved himself equal, if not superior, to all violinists in Europe.  He was director of two major Parisian orchestras, with which he performed his exceptionally virtuosic concertos.  He was sought after by Mozart when, as a young man, the Austrian visited France seeking employment, and it was Saint-Georges who led the six "Paris" symphonies by Haydn, and arranged for their publication.

Read more: http://myrtlehart.org/content/view/275/5/

Hip-Hopping   

Miles Davis would have smiled and glowed

While Grand Master Flash  and Kurtis Blows

Toasted the Jamaicans: the U and I-Roys

Of Kingston's Shanty Towns

As the Dillingers and Yellowmans 

On the tripod of the Americas

Hip-Hop was born and bread

On the tripod of the Americas

Hip-Hop bloomed and spread 

Not that we forget  

The Golden Gate Quartet

Singing and rhyming the Gospel

Chanting tales from the Bible   

Hip-hopping on the streets of Beijing

From New Orleans to the Philippines

Hip-hopping on Lagos jump

Hip-hopping on the corner joints

of Luxemburg, hip-hopping

- Derf Erkab, 2001

To reproduce poems from this column call  
314-652-6800 or send email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Alyson Cambridge, soprano

Pianist Stewart Goodyear performs with the Cincinnati Symphony on Friday, January 9 at 8:00pm and Saturday, January 10 at 8pm.

Pianist Anthony Pattin performs with the Alabama Symphony on January 20 at 7:30pm in the Samford University, Brock Recital Hall.

Robert Spano leads the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's 17th annual King Celebration at the MLK International Chapel on the Morehouse College campus. The concert, which honors the legacy of Dr. King in words and music, features the Orchestra with the Morehouse and Spelman College Glee Clubs and special guest baritone Donnie Ray Albert. The performance is broadcast internationally each year on American Public Media. Thursday, January 15 at 8:00pm. Morehouse College, 30 Westview Drive, S.W., Atlanta, GA 30312.

Pianist Andre Watts performs with the Charlotte Symphony on Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17. Rossen Milanov, conducting. Program: RAMEAU Overture to Zaïs, BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4, RACHMANINOV The Isle of the Dead and DEBUSSY La Mer.

Soprano Alyson Cambridge performs with the Baton Rouge Symphony on Thursday, January 15 at 7:30pm in River Center Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Soprano Meashe Bruggergosman performs with the Cleveland Orchestra on Friday, January 30 and Saturday, January 31 at 8:00pm in Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Program: Wagner: Wesendonck Songs and Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 ("Leningrad").

Adolphus Hailstork will be present to talk about his music when the Delaware Symphony performs his Two Romances on Tuesday, January 20 at 8:00pm.

Soprano Nicole Cabell performs with Indianapolis Symphony on Thursday, January 29 at 11:00am, Friday, January 30 and Saturday, January 31 at 8:00pm.

Violinist Tai Murray performs with the Stamford Symphony on Saturday, January 24 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, January 25 at 3:00 pm in Palace Theatre, Stamford.

Youth Sinfo-Nia of Metropolitan Atlanta

The African Urban Legacy Orchestra (AULO) has formed in Atlanta, GA.  Under the direction of Dr. Greg McPherson, it is made up of professional musicians (mostly music educators - band and orchestra directors).  Rehearsals take place at Morris Brown College.  So far the orchestra has performed twice, both times in Nashville, TN.  The first performance was at a church service at Bethlehem A.M.E. Church.  The second was for the 70th Birthday Banquet of Dr. Bobby Jones.  The orchestra performed gospel selections.  However, the repertoire includes selections from the 70s disco era.  The orchestra will resume its schedule this month!  There are plans for more performances as well as recordings.

The Still Waters Youth Sinfo-Nia Orchestra and Dance Company of Metropolitan Atlanta under the directorship of David and Alycia Robinson is planning its third international trip to the continent of Africa (South Africa) during the 2009-10 Christmas holiday season (two weeks).  Sinfo-Nia has traveled to Ghana twice and included Togo and Benin on last year's tour.  Sinfo-Nia is looking for other young musicians (middle and high school students) from other parts of the U.S. to travel next year.  For more informaiton, please call (404) 328-0840 or e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  You may also log onto www.stillwatersyouthsinfo-nia.org. 

Sinfo-Nia is also active in the Youth and Junior Divisions of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. (www.nanm.org) and is the core group of the D. Jerlene Harding Memorial/NANM Youth Orchestra.  The NANM conference will be held July 25-31, 2009 in Chicago.  Young musicians (middle, high school and college) are certainly invited to some and participate. Sinfo-Nia also holds it annual Summer Academy in July at Morris Brown College.

An event you won't want to miss...

Sweets and Spirits, a dynamic fundraising event in the spirit of a true soirée, combines refreshments (pastries, wine, cheese, etc.) and intimate performances throughout the evening to help raise money for the pianists of Piano Passions and Ensemble du Monde to perform the complete Beethoven Piano Concerti at Merkin Concert Hall NYC on Wednesday, February 11.  The goal is to raise $32,000 to cover all expenses by their June 2009 deadline. Please help to bring to this wonderful dream to reality! For more information, visit the recently modernized website: www.artistworld.org

The National Association for the Study and Performance of African American Music (NASPAAM) is an organization whose purpose is to further the development and dissemination of African American music through advocacy, education, and performance. The organization is committed to providing leadership and motivation for music educators, musicians, and others interested in fostering the inclusion of African and African American music in education and society. The organization serves its members and others by increasing the awareness of Black Music and its contribution to the arts, culture, and society.

Please visit the website at naspaam.org for updates and further details regarding the organization and symposium.

Book your own concert on the radio!

Attention musicians! 98.7 WFMT is soliciting additional bookings for 2009. 

98.7 WFMT-FM ANNOUNCES NEW CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

LIVE FROM THE MORSE 

New series to air live Sundays 11AM - 12 Noon from The Morse Theatre, the new state-of-the-art venue in Rogers Park.

Chicago, IL- 98.7 WFMT-FM Chicago's Classical Experience has announced artist bookings through December for their new chamber music series Live from The Morse,which will originate at 11 AM Sunday mornings from the exciting new midsize performance venue in The Morse Theatre located at 1330 W. Morse Avenue in Chicago's Rogers Park.

98.7 WFMT will be broadcasting chamber music performed by the area's top ensembles Sundays in front of a live audience.  The 299-seat Morse Theatre has a 48 track digital live broadcast environment which was designed in consultation with our team of engineers to meet the high standards required for the proper presentation of acoustically oriented music. The seating arrangements are informal and relaxed -- The Morse combines the intimacy and ambience of a classic nightclub with the focus of a modern concert venue. 

Tickets will be $10.00 and a continental breakfast will be included. Tickets are available at www.themorse.com or by calling 773 654 5100. Please also visit www.WFMT.com for further information.

Contact: Gerry Fisher, 98.7 WFMT-FM
773.279.2121
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dictionary of African Composers. The site takes a while to load, so be patient. Once it comes up, you'll be able to search alphabetically through decades of composers, read their biographies and access their discographies. You may send additions, corrections and suggestions to Alexander Johnson [ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ].

The Festival of African & African-American Music: Tribute to Great African Composers will take place February 12-15, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri USA. Visit the official webpage at http://fesaam.org. The multi-day event will feature performances by McCluer North High School Orchestra, Winneba Youth Choir of Ghana, Silvia Belfiore (piano); Rachel Barton Pine (violin), Wendy Hymes (flutes), Darryl Hollister (piano), Marie Jureit (piano), Althea Ifeka (oboe), Rashida N. Black (harp), Calvert Johnson (organ), Dawn Padmore (soprano), Marie Robinson (Soprano), William-Chapman Nyaho (pianos), The Equinox Chamber Players (woodwind quintet), Marlon Daniel, conducting the New Horizons Orchestra  and musicians of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra... AND MORE!!

Call Dr. Wendy Hymes or Ms. Ablawa Reine at 314... for registration and general logistics questions. (Scholarly papers, lecture-recital proposals no longer accepted.)

Making Music Work will be held April 4-5, 2009, on the campus of McNally Smith College of Music in downtown St. Paul, MN. For more information, please visit our website at www.composersforum.org/MakingMusicWork.

Part Time Assistant, Meet the Artist School Series Program
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (New York NY)

Part Time Assistant reports to Manager, Visitor Services and is responsible for administrative support surrounding the department's Meet-the-Artist series. Respond to phone and email inquiries regarding Meet-the-Artist; attend to all follow up; liaise between educational and tourism professionals; assist with program confirmations, database entry and management; serve as production assistant at final performances; issue weekly performance schedule; contribute to program's promotional activity;provide general administrative support as needed .
 
Please send cover letter, resume and salary requirements to Human Resources, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, NY, NY 10023. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please put "Meet the Artist" in the subject line.

Associate Administrative Director, Vocal Arts
The Juilliard School (New York NY)

The Associate Administrative Director is responsible for the following:
-Oversee opera rehearsal schedules, scenes programs, opera studies classes and coaching assignments
-Oversee organization and coordination of master classes, special concerts, engagements, auditions and residencies involving vocal arts students and staff
-Oversee development and execution of all aspects of musical preparation for all song and opera projects, working closely with the schedule coordinator
-Oversee coordination of all aspects of special concerts including Wednesday's at One, Liederabends and Songbooks
-Oversee master calendar, maintaining and updating information to ensure accuracy
-Oversee dissemination of final casting assignments
-Serve on the Vocal Affairs Committee
-Work with artistic and administrative directors to field faculty and student concerns
-Generate and analyze reports tracking information such as student performance opportunities, coaching requests and coaching hours
-Receive and approve requests for releases
-Oversee the creation and editing of departmental policy materials and the Vocal Arts Handbook
-Coordinate artistic director's schedule
-Manage correspondence and recommendations as needed
-Represent artistic director at various meetings and with various constituents
-Oversee coordination of guest artist residencies and serve as primary liaison with guest faculty and guest artists, competition and special audition adjudicators

Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Programs Administrative Associate
National Black Programming Consortium (New York NY)

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) is a 30 year-old non-profit media arts organization that specializes in the funding, production and distribution of video media content to public and private media systems. NBPC also provides training in new media systems to independent media makers in the US and Africa.

NBPC is seeking an Administrative Associate for the Program Development Department to help coordinate and administrate NBPC's various program activities for multiple media platforms. The NBPC Administrative Associate is a key support position within the program development department as it is the responsibility of this person to coordinate the delivery of media content to NBPC as well as assist in the communication and distribution of this content across multiple media platforms. Major duties include:

-      Providing general project management support (follow up email/phone calls, notification of overdue materials, etc...) of NPBC's funded and acquired program content.
-      Writing and distributing press releases, announcements and correspondence to content providers (television and radio stations, webcasters) to insure program content pick-up.  
-      Maintaining the edit room & production equipment (assignment & tracking).
-      Overseeing the NBPC's digital media content archives.
-      Coordinating local program screenings.

To apply: Please email a cover letter and resume with "Programs Associate" in the subject header to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .   Regular mail: NBPC, 68 E. 131 Street, 7th Fl, New York, NY  10037   Attn: Human Resources/Programs Associate Position.

Executive Director
San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (San Francisco CA)

Now in its thirty-eighth year, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players is an internationally recognized leader among advocates for contemporary chamber music.  The ensemble attracts and engages audiences through concert events and nourishes the creation and dissemination of new music through commissioning, recording, and educational outreach to students and adults.   A ten-time winner of the national ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming, the group has commissioned 67 pieces, played over 1100 contemporary works, and made twenty recordings.   It offers an annual subscription concert series based at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Requirements:
Five or more years of management experience in arts and nonprofit administration, including demonstrated success in fundraising, both institutional and individual, and in financial and human resource management.  Preferred skills include music literacy, especially the ability to study a score and identify the logistical challenges implied, and knowledge of contemporary chamber music practices and repertoire.  

Salary range: $65,000 - $80,000 DOE. Excellent benefits.
Please send cover letter, resume, and contact information for three or more references to SFCMP Search Committee, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .   Please attach PDF or DOC files only and please mention where you saw the position announcement.

Development Manager
Columbus Symphony Orchestra (Columbus OH)

Responsible for managing all fundraising activities of symphony development department, including individual and corporate giving, grants, sponsorships and planned giving in coordination with the Executive Director, Director of Advancement, and Board of Trustees to meet annual budget and campaign goals. Will also oversee telefundraising and local volunteer groups as well as manage others responsible for all corporate and individual donor campaigns.

QUALIFICATIONS: Must have a Bachelor's degree and a minimum of five years related experience in development, fundraising, sales, or related field. Must have demonstrated knowledge and success in reaching fundraising campaign goals and objectives. Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with administration, board, staff, and donors. Knowledge of the arts community, its benefactors and previous contact with the community is a plus.

HOW TO APPLY: Send resume and salary requirements to Sophie Ferenz, Director of Institutional Advancement; Columbus Symphony; 55 E. State St., Columbus, OH 43215 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Humanities Manager, Public Programs & Artist Talks
Brooklyn Academy of Music (Brooklyn NY)

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), an internationally recognized presenter of contemporary performing arts and cinema, seeks a full-time Humanities Manager, Public Programs and Artist Talks to develop and implement a variety of Humanities programs. These programs aim to enrich the experience of BAM audiences beyond their attendance at the performance alone by providing them with access to discussions with artists and experts in the field. The Manager reports to the Director of Education and Humanities.

How to Apply: Complete an application at http://brooklynacademy.appone.com/  

Teaching Artist
Midori & Friends (New York NY)

Midori & Friends, a not-for-profit music outreach organization serving public schools throughout New York City, is seeking part-time music Teaching Artists for Early Childhood General Music (grades Prek-2) and Vocal/Choral Instruction (grades 2-12) for the 2008-09 school year.

Midori & Friends Teaching Artists must demonstrate interest in and ability to provide creative learning experiences for public school students. Applicants should have a degree in music and/or music education, and/or several years' experience working in this field with the age group specified for each area. Experience in urban schools preferred. Please include contact information for 3 references familiar with your teaching.

Email resume, cover letter, and contact information (phone numbers) for 3 references (people who are familiar with your teaching) to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or fax to 212-767-0018.

Executive Director
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (Kalamazoo MI)

Founded in 1921 by Leta Snow, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is the third largest professional orchestra in Michigan and is widely recognized as one of the country's finest regional orchestras.   The KSO's mission is to present professional orchestra performances and education programs for audiences throughout southwest Michigan, fostering lifelong appreciation and support for symphonic music.  The appointment of Raymond Harvey as Music Director in 1999 marked the beginning of a new era for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra both artistically and institutionally.

The Executive Director is responsible and accountable for the organizational, financial, and artistic success of the Kalamazoo Symphony. Working with the Chairman of the Board and the Music Director, s/he provides the vision and leadership that ensures the KSO achieves its goals for artistic excellence, financial stability, and community engagement.

Please send a resume, a salary history, and at least three professional references to: Kalamazoo Symphony Executive Director Search, c/o Catherine French Group, 2500 Q Street NW, Suite 623, Washington, DC  20007. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Website: www.kalamazoosymphony.com (Please send MS Word or Adobe Acrobat attachments only.)

Concert Artist Liaison / Artistic Administrator
Bernstein Artists, Inc. (Brooklyn NY)

This position will begin as a consulting position for a 6-month trial period, after which it would move into a full time salaried position.

Candidate should have a passion for the Arts and knowledge of the contemporary classical, avant-garde, world music and new music scenes; Should be highly motivated and organized with the ability to work both independently and collectively in a small office environment; Be able to multi-task and prioritize work load; Must be highly proficient with Windows based programs and databases; Excellent oral and written communication skills required; Knowledge of current new media and marketing trends, social networking, etc. a plus; Basic knowledge of html or Dreamweaver; Creative writing and editing skills a plus.

Send resume and cover letter to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Include your phone number.

Executive Director
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (San Francisco CA)

The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra invites nominations and applications for the position of Executive Director, available immediately.

The next Executive Director will join a financially stable organization with a thoroughly engaged, high-functioning Board of Directors, a skilled and experienced staff, an internationally acclaimed music director, and an orchestra that is widely considered among the finest period instrument ensembles in the world. The Executive Director will take a leadership role in the development and implementation of a new strategic plan, which will allow PBO to realize its vision to be recognized as a major musical force not only in the Bay area, but nationally and internationally, and in both live performance and electronic media.

Please submit a resume and a cover letter outlining qualifications and specific interest in this position.  Include salary history or requirements and a list of at least three references.  (All applications will be treated as confidential and references will not be contacted without the candidate's permission.)  Send to: PBO Executive Director Search, c/o Catherine French Group, 2500 Q Street NW, Suite 623, Washington, DC  20007, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , 202-965-0939 (fax). (MS Word or Adobe Acrobat attachments only, please.) Website: www.philharmonia.org