All Shenandoah Conservatory students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in Shenandoah University’s celebration of Black History Month in February. Below are some events that feature conservatory students and alumni; visit su.edu/bhm for more information and a full list of events.
Studio Big Band: The Legacy of Ellington & Strayhorn
Friday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. | Armstrong Concert Hall
The Studio Big Band celebrates the legacy of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Billy Strayhorn, a musical collaboration resulting in hundreds of compositions rooted deep in the Great American Songbook.
Shenandoah University students, faculty and staff are eligible for complimentary tickets, subject to availability. Visit conservatoryperforms.org to learn more about the event, explore the digital program, and more.
The Legacy of Florence Price
Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. | Goodson Chapel – Recital Hall
Spiritual Life Program Coordinator Marco Pflanzen ’20 (Bachelor of Music in Performance – Violin) presents a lecture recital on the legacy of composer Florence Price. Attendees are invited to learn about Price’s music and enjoy a performance on violin and piano, followed by a Q&A session. This event is presented as part of Shenandoah University’s celebration of Douglass Day in February. Douglass Day is an annual project co-presented with the Library of Congress and the By the People crowdsourcing platform celebrating Frederick Douglass’s birthday that also invites participants to help transcribe his letters, making them accessible to researchers around the world. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.
Douglass Day Closing Keynote Featuring David McCormick ’01, ’03, ’09
Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. | Smith Library
David McCormick ’01, ’03, ’09 (Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Master of Music in Performance, Artist Diploma) will present the closing keynote as part of Shenandoah University’s celebration of Douglass Day in February. McCormick will share findings from his investigation into the repertoire of Black musicians at Monticello at 4 p.m. on Feb. 14, in Smith Library. McCormick currently serves as the executive director for Early Music America and the artistic director of the Early Music Access Project. This keynote is presented as part of Douglass Day, an annual project co-presented with the Library of Congress and the By the People crowdsourcing platform celebrating Frederick Douglass’s birthday that also invites participants to help transcribe his letters, making them accessible to researchers around the world. Visit libguides.su.edu/crowdsourcing/douglass to learn more.
Symphony Orchestra: Student Soloists Competition Winners Concert
Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. | Armstrong Concert Hall
For this concert, the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra accompanies the winners of the Student Soloists Competition, who represent the conservatory’s keyboard, instrumental and vocal/choral divisions. In celebration of Black History Month, the ensemble also presents Jessie Montgomery’s “Soul Force,” a work whose title is drawn from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The one-movement symphonic work seeks to portray the notion of a voice that struggles to be heard beyond the shackles of oppression and features elements of popular African American musical styles, such as big-band jazz, funk, hip-hop and R&B.
Shenandoah University students, faculty and staff are eligible for complimentary tickets, subject to availability. Visit conservatoryperforms.org to learn more about the event, explore the digital program, and more.
World of the Piano: Clayton Stephenson
Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. | Armstrong Concert Hall
American pianist Clayton Stephenson’s love for music is immediately apparent in his joyous charisma onstage, expressive power and natural ease at the instrument. Hailed for “extraordinary narrative and poetic gifts” and interpretations that are “fresh, incisive and characterfully alive” (Gramophone), he is committed to making an impact on the world through his music-making. His accolades along the way have been numerous: in addition to being the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, he was named a 2022 Gilmore Young Artist, as well as a 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts and a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. Stephenson’s program features music by Bach, Beethoven, Albéniz and Gershwin, including “Rhapsody in Blue,” which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
Shenandoah University students, faculty and staff are eligible for complimentary tickets, subject to availability. Visit conservatoryperforms.org to learn more about the event, explore the digital program, and more.
Celebrating the Life of Tenor and Composer Roland Hayes in Song
Friday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. | Armstrong Concert Hall
Jackson Caesar, who has studied voice pedagogy (contemporary and commercial music) at the graduate level at Shenandoah, will perform a one-man concert from the audio documentary project, “Spirituals: Celebrating the Music, Life, and Legacy of Roland Hayes.” The event, offered in partnership with the city of Winchester Black History Month committee and the Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, is open and free to the community.
CANCELED: African Theatre Workshop with Desirée Dabney ’14
Sunday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. | Glaize Studio Theatre
This event has been canceled; we apologize for any inconvenience.
CANCELED: She is the Narrative (Directed by Desirée Dabney ’14)
Sunday, Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. | Glaize Studio Theatre
This event has been canceled; we apologize for any inconvenience.
Events and information subject to change; visit su.edu/bhm for more information and a full list of events.
