African American conductors (Music)

Scope and Contents Ted Joans and Frederick King lectured together on 10/26/1976 (2015-0002/RR199). For more information on the lecturers, please see their individual profiles. RR199 Hale Smith introduces an unexpected guest--poet Ted Joans who is a member of the "Beat Generation." Joans speaks breifly and then reads some of his poems.  [~1:03:30] Frederick King (Percussionist) is the scheduled speaker for the evening. Mr. King picks on up the rhythm of Joans' last poem to discuss rhythm and...

Scope and Contents Musician Frederick King delivered 4 lectures. He spoke on 4/27/1982 (2015-0002/RR208), 4/19/1983 (2015-0002/RR209), 3/25/1986 (2015-0002/RR210) and 4/28/1987 (2015-0002/RR211). RR 208 Edward O'Connor makes several class announcements before the introduction of Frederick King. [difficult to hear since there doesn't appear to be a microphone; a lot of coughing and moving around] Mr. King provides a musical introduction followed by a discussion of some of the influences that...

Scope and Contents Composer, conductor, and cellist Kermit Moore lectured on 3/12/1974 (2015-0002/RR235). Although primarily a cellist, Kermit Moore was also a conductor, composer, and teacher. Having begun his music training as early as six-years-old, Moore began studying with cello faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and went on to spend a summer at the Tanglewood Music festival all before simultaneously attending both Julliard and New York University for three years receiving an MA in Music. ...

Scope and Contents Composer, conductor, and flutist James Newton lectured on 9/13/1983 (2015-0002/RR237). Newton is primarily known as a classical and jazz flautist. Although being multi-instrumental during his childhood and early adult years, Newton began to focus more directly on the flute and eventually earned a BA in music from California State University, Los Angeles in 1980. Throughout the 1970s, Newton played in various jazz ensembles, recorded, and toured across Europe and the US. Starting...

Scope and Contents Conductor Leon Thompson delivered 2 lectures. He spoke on 4/1/1975 (2015-0002/RR276) and 3/28/1978 (2015-0002/RR277). Thompson studied music at the Eastman School of Music and then went on to the University of Southern California to pursue his doctorate in conducting. In 1955, while teaching at West Virginia State College, Thompson was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Paris. While there he studied with Pierre Monteux, Nadia Boulanger, Howard Hanson, and George Szell. ...

Scope and Contents Musician, composer, performer, poet, arts advocate and administrator, director emeritus of the University of Massachusetts Fine Arts Center (FAC) and co-founder and director emeritus of its Jazz in July program Frederick Tillis delivered 4 lectures. He spoke on 10/15/1985 (2015-0002/RR278), 10/7/1986 (2015-0002/RR279), 10/6/1987 (2015-0002/RR280), and 9/12/1989 (2015-0002/AC24). RR 278 Recording begins after Professor Tillis has begun talking about his childhood and his...

Scope and Contents Musician and conductor Lenzy Wallace lectured on 3/18/1975 (2015-0002/RR291). Hale Smith makes several class related announcements before introducing the speaker for the evening. Lenzy Wallace provides historical background and connections between early forms of Black musical expression, some of which are African in origin and some through transmutation come down to us through what's known as "field call" or "field holler." Wallace will make a connection between this transmutation and...

Scope and Contents Composer and conductor Julius Williams delivered lectures on 1/28/1986 (2015-0002/RR297) and 3/3/1987 (2015-0002/RR298). Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Lehman College, a master’s degree from the Hartt School of Music, and then went on to study orchestral conducting and composition at the Aspen School of Music in 1984. Since 1998, Williams has been on faculty at the Berklee School of Music where he teaches conducting and composition. He has held positions at Wesleyan...