Rhapsody in Black

Chi-Chi Nwanoku, founder of the Chineke! Foundation and Orchestra, is a champion of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse musicians in Europe. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Composer Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson combined classical, jazz and popular music to build a varied career that advocated for the Black community, especially its performing artists. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Named one of the most influential Black people in the United Kingdom, composer Shirley Thompson writes music that inspires and fights against Eurocentrism in classical music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Tenor Henry Thacker Burleigh was a gifted tenor who dedicated himself to the Black spiritual tradition. He worked closely with composer Antonín Dvořák, and their friendship helped Dvořák unearth the heart and soul of American music. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Scott Joplin, considered the ‘King of Ragtime Writers,’ opened the door for many other Black musicians and artists making their way in a racially segregated nation at the turn of the century. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' is an unforgettable and mesmerizing classic that speaks to racial violence and anti-lynching legislation. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Organist Alcee Chriss III breaks down barriers and attracts new audiences to organ music through his incorporation of jazz and gospel. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

On the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast, we learn about Omar Thomas, a composer whose music is rooted in topics such as Black liberation and affirmation, including those who are also members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Listen now.

Find out how Kellen Gray curates and conducts programs that deal with African-diasporic composers, their place in music history and their relation to the classical canon on the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast. Listen now.

Composer Errollyn Wallen has had teachers tell her that classical music is ‘not her sort of music’ and has had to deal with being underestimated her whole life. Now she is one of the United Kingdom’s leading composers. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.