Welcome to the Oakland Civic Orchestra’s first-ever Virtual Concert - Voices of the African Diaspora: Black Classical Music and Musicians.
For those of you who are joining us for the first time, the Oakland Civic Orchestra is a community orchestra celebrating our 29th season in the heart of Oakland, for the heart of Oakland. Like other arts organizations, we’ve had to reinvent how we connect with each other and with our audience in sharing the joy of music through the challenges of the pandemic. We are pleased now to introduce our series of virtual concerts.
This new chapter in our shared work has been the product of many creative partners who have embraced themes of social justice and equity in curating a program that features several generations of Black musicians and showcases the talents of local Bay Area musicians. You will see new recordings that the Oakland Civic Orchestra has made especially for this event, as well as highlights from our past concerts and brief introductions for each piece. I hope you will enjoy our offering to honor Black History month, and please stay tuned at the end of this concert for more information about our next virtual concert in April 2021.
James P. Johnson, Harlem Symphony (Movement 3, "Nightclub") uploaded by permission of James P. Johnson Music, via Niram Inc.