With guest conductor Dr. Jan Taylor, the choruses of UC Davis — the Concert Choir and the Chamber Singers — join to sing the music that Albert J. McNeil (1920–2022) loved and championed.

McNeil was a transformative force in the music department during his 21 years as a faculty member (1969–90). He greatly increased participation in the University Chorus from an occasional course to a full public performance group, and created the University Chamber Singers. He founded a music education program and was an original faculty member of the African American and African studies program. As founder and longtime director of the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers in Los Angeles, he had a profound effect on the performance, preservation and presentation of African American spirituals.

EPSG:4326

Choruses of UC Davis: “Celebrating Albert J. McNeil”

Mondavi Center

Who was Florence Price, beyond the music? Prolific American composer Florence Price made history as the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major U.S. orchestra. In this world premiere from MN Opera’s New Works Initiative, My Name is Florence was inspired by writings and correspondence unearthed in the backyard of her family home. This chamber opera composed by B.E. Boykin to a libretto by Harrison David Rivers presents vignettes from Price’s life that bring into focus the impact of family, legacy, and the transformative power of a seat in front of the piano. With warmth and humor, My Name is Florence explores the complexities of identity, generational connection, and ultimately the power of music to transform. It is a celebration of Price’s enduring legacy in music and a reclamation of the space she occupies within the American musical canon.

B.E. Boykin

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 31 - Feb 8, 2026

My Name is Florence · Minnesota Opera

Past events

Mar 8, 2025

Choruses of UC Davis: “Celebrating Albert J. McNeil” · UC Davis Concerts

About

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