Composer

RISE
Composer Nkeiru Okoye's new work "A Time for Jubilee" honors the 60th anniversary of the Selma March and is also being Orchestra, performed by The Montgomery Symphony Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Muscle Schoals Symphony in 2026.

EPSG:4326

RISE

University of Alabama

Celebrate a powerful evening of American music with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra as we present the world premiere of A Time for Jubilee by Nkeiru Okoye, a new MSO-commissioned work honoring the spirit of resilience and freedom. The program also features Adolphus Hailstork’s vibrant American Port of Call and Aaron Copland’s heartfelt The Tender Land Suite, capturing the hope and beauty of the American landscape.

Masterworks III: A Time for Jubilee

Troy University

Experience a powerful evening of music as the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra performs Voices Shouting Out by Nkeiru Okoye, a vibrant tribute to resilience and hope. Acclaimed pianist Evren Ozel joins the MSO for Mozart’s lyrical Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, followed by the sweeping drama of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major—a program rich with contrast, expression, and energy.

Masterworks I: Mahler’s Titan Symphony

Celebrate the mixed tapestry of 20th-century American music with a stunning concert featuring works by Gershwin, Bernstein, and John Carter woven alongside the rich contributions of Black composers: Quenton Blache, Regina Harris Baiocchi, Nkeiru Okoye, Omar Thomas, and James Lee III. This program shines with the brilliance of Met Opera star and internationally acclaimed soprano Angela Brown, whose powerful voice and artistry bring these timeless pieces to life. 

American Song

King Street corner of the Capitol Square

Dvorak Symphony No. 9

Warren Woods Middle School

The Washington Chorus and National Philharmonic join forces once again to bring American voices and struggles to life on stage in “Stand the Storm.” On this program, composers Nkeiru Okoye, Leonard Bernstein, John Legend, Common, and Rollo Dilworth demonstrate their own method for both standing through adversity and enacting the change necessary to build and sustain communities that are fair and just for all. Featuring the world premiere of the brand-new symphonic orchestration for Dilworth’s Weather: Stand the Storm, as well as the beloved arrangement of “Glory” by TWC’s own Eugene Rogers, join us as we examine our nation's disparities and find strength and unity through this powerful performance.

Stand the Storm

Strathmore

The Music Center at Strathmore

In the face of fear and the wake of the unimaginable, music offers the courage to rise up and shout out truths to which words cannot speak. Nkeiru Okoye responds to the events of September 11, 2001 with “a march to acknowledge those fighting on behalf of our safety, and yet a sparkling celebration of life for those of us who continue living.” Shostakovich’s monumental fifth symphony journeys from torment to rebirth under the oppressive watch of the Soviet state.

Rise

St. Catherine University

Celebrating Black Voices in Classical Music: A Conversation & Concert

Orpheum Theatre, Galesburg

The Fresno Philharmonic proudly presents a captivating evening of music in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, featuring the extraordinary talents of soprano Karen Slack. The concert begins with Nkeiru Okoye’s dynamic composition, "Voices Shouting Out," an energetic piece that sets a powerful tone for the evening. Following this, Karen Slack will deliver a poignant performance of Mahler’s "Rückert-Lieder," a series of songs that explore themes of love, loss, and introspection, rendered with haunting beauty. The program concludes with Leonard Bernstein’s "Fancy Free," a jazzy ballet score that encapsulates Bernstein’s lifelong advocacy for civil rights through its vibrant and celebratory melodies. Under the baton of guest conductor Tito Muñoz, this concert promises to be a profound and moving tribute, blending classical and contemporary works that resonate with the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy.

Bernstein and Mahler

Paul Shaghoian Memorial Concert Hall

American Mosaic

The Palace Theatre Greensburg

Please join us for this one-hour concert celebrating the diverse backgrounds of these living composers that make up our American landscape.

American Dreams Pop-Up Concert at the Harlem Rose Garden

Sugar Hill Hope Garden

Harlem Rose Garden

Join the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes for an unforgettable evening of music at the Clemens Center in Elmira, New York, as they present "A Grand Gershwin Celebration" on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 7:00 pm. This concert, running for 1 hour and 25 minutes with a 15-minute intermission, is suitable for all ages and promises to be a grand celebration of George Gershwin's enduring musical legacy.

The evening will showcase the talents of three American composers, starting with the energetic and powerful "Leviathan" by local composer Robert Dusek, followed by Nkeiru Okoye's poignant "Voices Shouting Out," a piece written in response to the 9-11 tragedy that calls for national optimism. The highlight of the night will be the masterful works of George Gershwin, including the iconic "Rhapsody in Blue," celebrating its 100th anniversary. This piece will transport the audience to the dazzling streets of 1920s New York City, with a performance by the virtuosic pianist Bryan Pezzone. The second half of the concert will feature "Porgy and Bess: A Concert of Songs by George Gershwin," performed by soprano Lynnesha Crump and baritone Fred Redd, alongside the Chorus of the Southern Finger Lakes.

Under the direction of Music Director & Conductor Toshiyuki Shimada, this concert is not just a performance but a grand celebration of music that promises to captivate and enchant. Tickets are available for purchase, with special rates for adults, college students with ID, and youth under 18. Group discounts are also available. Don't miss this opportunity to be swept away by the magic of Gershwin and more, performed by the talented Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes and guest artists. Get your tickets today and prepare for an evening of spectacular music and celebration.

A Grand Gershwin Celebration

Clemens Center

Illinois Wind Symphony

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

8 dramas in 90 minutes - Mannes' first annual celebration of short opera is a theatrical sampler of incredible composers and librettists, new and old. With the longest opera at 15 minutes, and showcasing the talents of our incredible singers, Mannes Opera launches FLASHPOINTS this spring as an annual festival, celebrating short bites from a selection of stellar composers.

Flashpoints~the Mannes festival of short operas

Arnhold Hall

This free concert promises to transport you to realms of emotion and imagination through a diverse program. Let the melodies and harmonies take you to familiar and unknown places, from new works to contemporary to classical. This concert features two of our 23-24 Creator Corps Members, so you will get to hear music from living composers! We are excited to have you during our Music Without Borders series, where we bring the Louisville Orchestra 

Music Without Borders: Rhythm and Song

Jeffersontown Veterans Memorial Park

California Community Center

St. Vincent De Paul Louisville Family Success Center

Nkeiru Okoye is an American-born composer of African American and Nigerian ancestry. After studying composition, music theory, piano, conducting, and Africana Studies at Oberlin Conservatory, she pursued graduate studies at Rutgers University and became one of the leading African American women composers. An activist through the arts, Okoye creates a body of work that welcomes and affirms both traditional and new audiences.

Penny Stamps Speaker Series: Nkeiru Okoye

Michigan Theater

The American Rhapsody is a tribute to the ideals of courage, freedom, and commitment while also serving as a story of vulnerability and the progression of humanity through the great injustices which plague our history. William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony is emotionally charged and rigorously constructed, taking themes from melodies he learned at his mother’s knee. 

An American Rhapsody

Toledo Museum of Art

He’s back! Audience favorite Jon Nakamatsu returns to Reno to perform the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 – surging with youthful fire, tender passion, and thunderous power. Written when Brahms was only 25 years old, the piano concerto is one of music history’s most monumental and stunning creative achievements. The program opens with a composition from Nigerian composer Nkeiru Okoye, a response to the 9/11 tragedy. In her words, “It was a march to acknowledge those fighting on our behalf of our safety, and yet a sparkling celebration of life for those who continue living.” Sibelius No. 6 speaks to the soul while evoking the change in seasons due to its interplay with the listener’s senses.

Nakamatsu Plays Brahms

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts

Chicago Sinfonietta’s Music Director, Taiwanese American conductor Mei-Ann Chen, acclaimed for “infusing orchestras with energy, enthusiasm, and high-level music-making,” leads a magnificently ebullient program.  Opening the concert is a work by one of “America’s leading African American women composers,” Nkeiru Okoye, with her stirring Voices Shouting Out and its percussive, passionate and beautiful homage in response to the tragedies of September 11, 2001.  Next, Rachmaninoff’s Romantically lyrical and virtuosic piano concerto Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini will enthral us, performed by the multi-talented Conrad Tao, described as “An explosive force [and who] possesses startling technical elan.”  Then, Tchaikovsky’s Ukrainian folksong-filled and powerfully joyful Symphony No. 2 will conclude tonight’s showcase of lyricism and energy.

Tchaikovsky

Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts

Compositions with family ties take the Whitney stage, beginning with pre-existing works from the second generation of our Creators Corps family. Gabriel Kahane, well known for blurring the lines between rock and classical, has written a beautifully personal piano concerto for his father, acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Kahane. The piece, called Heirloom, will be performed with the LO by the senior Kahane. Our program ends with an orchestral adventure by popular minimalist composer John Adams whose third movement was inspired by a dream of his daughter (nicknamed Quackie) drifting along in the universe on the shoulder of the mysterious Mr. Eckhardt.

Classics: Lasting Legacies

The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts

Nightlites: Lasting Legacies

Indiana University Southeast

Coffee: Lasting Legacies

Seen-Unseen: The Symphonic Legacy of Black American Women

Hatch Memorial Shell

THE PRIMAVERA PROJECT is an ongoing series of 81 commissions for cello, celebrating a rich tapestry of distinct and diverse compositional palettes. Each composer has been asked to respond to two paintings, Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera (c.1480) and Charline von Heyl’s Primavera 2020. This three-day residency at the Barge offers a curated survey divided into three thematic programs, featuring 17 works heard for the first time in NYC and world premieres by Tyshawn Sorey, Texu Kim, Layale Chaker, Analia Llugdar, and Aaron Jay Kernis. Works by Josquin des Prez and J.S. Bach offer a musical grounding through the centuries.

Eclectic Series: The Primavera Project / RITES OF SPRING / Matt Haimovitz

Bargemusic

This joyous concert features a humorous new mini-opera inspired by the traditional stories of the famous trickster Brer Rabbit. With a toe tapping and energetic first half, this concert is a great outing for the whole family.

Family Concert – Tales from the Briar Patch

Lesher Center for the Arts

With her distinctive voice as maestra, speaker, and poet, critics praise Panamanian-American conductor Kalena Bovell as “one of the brightest stars in classical music.”

Valentine Romance

Proctors Theatre

The Hindsley Symphonic Band performs repertoire celebrating community and collaboration followed by the Wind Orchestra and their program of belonging, mental health, and hope.

Hindsley Symphonic Band And Illinois Wind Orchestra

Experience the music that defined the American sound. Delight in the effervescence of Sanchez-Werner for Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue and get lost in one of the most popular symphonies of all time – a tribute to the American spirit.

Rhapsody in Blue

Ambassador Auditorium

This can’t-miss concert is a celebration and exploration of Black ritual and spirituality through the music of the African diaspora. A wide array of instruments, traditions and guests take center stage in this powerful program.

Composer

Nkeiru Okoye

Events

Upcoming events

Jun 18, 2026

Juneteenth · Minnesota Orchestra

Past events

Apr 27, 2026

RISE · Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra

Feb 9, 2026

Masterworks III: A Time for Jubilee · Montgomery Symphony Orchestra

About

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