THIS TOO MUST BE HEARD
URBAN PLAYGROUND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
PRIORITIZES MUSIC BY WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR
TO FURTHER ENLIVEN THE CLASSICAL CANON
PRIORITIZES MUSIC BY WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR
TO FURTHER ENLIVEN THE CLASSICAL CANON
NYC'S URBAN PLAYGROUND CREATES NEW SPACES FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A DIVERSE, VIBRANT AUDIENCE.
URBAN PLAYGROUND BROADCASTS HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED VOICES, AND NURTURES EMERGING COMPOSERS.
MUSICIANS FROM URBAN PLAYGROUND CURRENTLY PLAY WITH THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC, BEYONCÉ, THE METROPOLITAN OPERA ORCHESTRA, BROADWAY, LATE NIGHT TELEVISION PROGRAMS, AND LEAD A VARIETY OF SOLO AND CHAMBER PROJECTS.
MUSICIANS FROM URBAN PLAYGROUND CURRENTLY PLAY WITH THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC, BEYONCÉ, THE METROPOLITAN OPERA ORCHESTRA, BROADWAY, LATE NIGHT TELEVISION PROGRAMS, AND LEAD A VARIETY OF SOLO AND CHAMBER PROJECTS.
OUR STORY
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Urban Playground was formed out of the urge to develop a distinctively 21st century orchestra: Collaboration amongst artists from disparate backgrounds and experiences with respect to genre, and working in non-traditional venues.
That changed when Eric Garner was killed by New York City police on July 17, 2014. The orchestra felt that there had to be a musical response to the broader national conversations regarding police brutality and systems of oppression. Rather than throw a gala featuring a requiem from the European tradition, or perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with its promise of brotherhood, Urban Playground pivoted its repertory to prioritize the works of composers of color. At the same time, it became clear that works by female composers, especially those born prior to World War II were similarly excluded from concert stages. While Urban Playground maintained its collaborative roots, the orchestra shifted to prioritizing the works of composers of color and female composers, in order to expand and enliven the classical canon. After some experimentation with combining canonical masterworks (your Handels, Sibeliuses, and Dvoraks), including works that tracked the 20th century emergence of an “American sound,” it became evident that it made more sense for us and our audience solely to perform works by composers of color and female composers. The thriving cultural institutions of New York City will always offer outstanding performances of music from the predominately white, male European tradition; Urban Playground’s mission is to broadcast that which has not been heard, and to give opportunity to new and dormant voices. |
painting by Visual Artist-in-Residence, Young Sun Song
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Connect with us @upchamberorchestra
JoinUrban Playground brings innovative programming to audiences throughout New York City, creating new intersections between artists and championing the music of neglected and undervalued composers. Our collaboration-first model allows us to show what an orchestra can be, and embrace new audiences, genres and spaces. Your contributions will directly support the multi-disciplinary artists, programming and events of Urban Playground and our work to broaden New York's cultural landscape. We rely on the generous support of our community to create collaborations and performances at an affordable price to the public. If you are able to contribute by donating your time, talents or fiscal resources, Please contact us here. As a 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit organization, all donations are tax deductible to the extent permissible by law. DONATE |
Photo Credit: Allison Stock
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August 26, 2019 | 7:00 PM
in collaboration with Catskill Jazz Factory & National Jazz Museum in Harlem The Spirit of Harlem Harlem School of the Arts 645 Saint Nicholas Avenue New York, NY 10030 (map) |
AUGUST 26th THE SPIRIT OF HARLEM
Co-presented by Catskill Jazz Factory and National Jazz Museum in Harlem
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This tribute by some of the most outstanding musical voices of today's NYC jazz renaissance recreates the vibes of Minton's Playhouse, the Lafayette Theater, the Savoy Ballroom and beyond. Drawing on the rich musical past of Harlem, from Blues to Bebop headlining night reincarnates the iconic roots of artists like James P. Johnson, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, through to Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. The performance culminates in a specially-arranged commission for chamber orchestra.
Take a ride on this night of pit stops through Harlem's jazz history for a high-energy evening of blues and swing! Free admission $10 suggested donation Harlem School of the Arts 645 Saint Nicholas Avenue New York, NY 10030 (Map) |
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REPRESENTATION: MEET OUR ARTISTS
Young Sun Song 2018 Visual Artist-in-Residence
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Young Sun Song is an artist based in NYC. Overall, organic contours dominate her aesthetic because they allow for subtle flow within each piece.
As a child, she often got lost from the group while picking leaves off the ground. Many years down the line, she still finds beauty in the mundane and loves to find the nuances of her surroundings. The valley between the knuckles, a sparkly rock, a crumbling facade, all find small aspects of themselves embedded into the overall aesthetic of her work. This habit of constant observation naturally combined over time with a love of problem solving. These practices have led to the constant renovation of her process and product. She started her journey as a jeweler at Pratt Institute and in 2014 received her B.F.A at Pratt Institute with Honors and Pratt’s Gate Keeper award. Her interest in jewelry lies in its unique station as an intimate art that literally connects the wearer and object. She currently works primarily in metals, but still actively creates in multiple media. Ideas are born spontaneously and then continuously refined until she has a product that satisfies the need for both comfort and beauty without compromising concept. Her work usually begins as a means to identify what is beautiful in nature and project it on the body or other canvas to contrast and compare expectations of perfection and beauty. Instagram | Facebook | Website |
Jessica McJunkins Leader
©️Andrew Whitey for Beyonce.com
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Known for her 'dynamic playing' and 'fearless artistry', Charlotte, NC native Jessica McJunkins performs and teaches in New York City, and throughout the North and Southeast. As a classical musician, she has had concert engagements with the Harlem Chamber Players, Wordless Music Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Sherman Chamber Ensemble and Lake George Festival Orchestra, where she served as assistant concertmaster. She was a 2011 fellowship member of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and is currently a regular extra member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. As a recording artist, she has collaborated with noted artists Sufjan Stevens, Frankie Rose, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, the Four Tops and more. As a chamber musician, she has toured internationally with the Beacon Street Trio, and recently completed an educational quartet residency at the University of Massachusets, Lowell with Quatuor Mahogony. Internationally, Ms. McJunkins has performed on the stages of North America, Asia and Central America. She has performed on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Trinity Wall Street, Le Poisson Rouge, Highline Ballroom, Gramercy Theatre, Apollo Theatre, Rockwood Music Hall, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Center, Symphony Space, The Academy of Arts and Letters, the Palace Theatre and more.
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Thomas Cunningham Artistic Director
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American conductor Thomas Cunningham is Artistic Director of Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra and interim Director of Orchestras at Iowa State University. Cunningham made his New York debut conducting Iolanta for Opera Slavica in 2012. Previously, he served on the conducting staff of Voices of Ascension Chorus & Orchestra in New York, NY (2015-2018) and the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County in Bucks County, PA (2011-2018).
A conductor of distinctly broad repertory, recent engagements have included the concertos of Bach, Dvorak and Berg, orchestrating Addi & Jacq's award-winning songs, and commissioning numerous young composers. Passionate about the American repertory, Cunningham believes deeply in the underperformed compositions of African American composers, especially William Grant Still and George Walker. His recently completed symphonic suite of William Grant Still’s grand opera Troubled Island is published by William Grant Still Music. Cunningham counts Cristian Măcelaru, Tito Muñoz, Kynan Johns, and Dennis Keene amongst his teachers and mentors. He is a graduate of Westminster Choir College. Instagram | Website |
Alicia N. Brozovich Assistant Conductor
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Alicia N. Brozovich is a conductor and professional soprano hailing from Wichita, KS. She is passionate about 20th- and 21st-century composers, compositions, and programming that highlight the American narrative. Among her favorite musical endeavors is the staged production of Julia Wolfe’s Anthracite Fields with Bang on a Can in Trenton, NJ.
Brozovich has led ensembles in the Midwest, on the East Coast, and abroad in Italy and Oxford, UK. Recent conducting engagements include chorus preparations of symphonic works by Rutter, Ravel, and Mozart for the Continuo Arts Society and Westminster Symphonic Choir at Carnegie Hall. She has also collaborated with the Juilliard Orchestra, Juilliard415, and members of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra in performances of Mozart, Bach, and Buxtehude in both Princeton and New York City. Brozovich performs regularly as a soprano with the Philadelphia Symphony Chorus. Noteworthy vocal performances include: the Boston Early Music festival, Spoleto Festival, and World Symposium on Choral Music in Spain. She holds degrees from Benedictine College and Westminster Choir College. |
Urban Playground is
VIBRANT. OFFBEAT. DIVERSE. INCLUSIVE. ADVENTUROUS.
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GET IN TOUCH
Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra
PO Box 1372
New York, NY 10021
or send us an email at:
info@upchamberorchestra.org
PO Box 1372
New York, NY 10021
or send us an email at:
info@upchamberorchestra.org
PAST CONCERTS
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in collaboration with the Harry T. Burleigh Society FROM SONG CAME SYMPHONY SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE, NYC |
MAY 8, 2019 FROM SONG CAME SYMPHONY
In collaboration with the Harry T. Burleigh Society, Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra showcases the symphonic influence of Harry T. Burleigh, with performances by violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins.
READ MORE: FROM SONG CAME SYMPHONY REVIEWED BY NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
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The Harry T. Burleigh Society and Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra’s second collaboration showcased the symphonic influence of Harry T. Burleigh. Increasingly credited as influencing some of the spiritual-inspired thematic material for the “New World Symphony” and “American String Quartet” of Dvorak, Burleigh’s work also influenced other composers of the 20th century. The program included William Grant Still's "And They Lynched Him on a Tree,” spirituals by William Levi Dawson and Burleigh, as well as the New York City premiere of Florence Price’s Violin Concerto 2. This program was generously supported by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Women's Philharmonic Advocacy.
PROGRAM
HARRY T BURLEIGH/ANTONIN DVORAK Deep River/Symphony No. 9, Largo FLORENCE PRICE Violin Concerto No. 2, New York Premiere Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violin WILLIAM GRANT STILL And They Lynched Him On A Tree Lucia Bradford, contralto Lawrence Craig, narrator Brooklyn Ecumenical Choir Courtney Carey, chorus master With talks by musicologists A. Kori Hill, Marti Slaten and historian Lynne Foote |
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ALICE,
ALMA,
CLARA
Read about our recent concert
with featured artists
Dr. Ashley Jackson, harp &
Justine Aronson, soprano.
with featured artists
Dr. Ashley Jackson, harp &
Justine Aronson, soprano.
OCTOBER 12, 2018 ALICE, ALMA, CLARA
Soloists Dr. Ashley Jackson (harp) and Justine Aronson (soprano) join Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra for an evening of alternating meditation and intimate expression.
READ MORE: ALMA, ALICE, CLARA FEATURED ON OPERA WIRE
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Coltrane, Mahler & Schumann are common names to find on concert programs, but did you know these were not single-composer homes? Alice, Alma and Clara were, too, world-class composers. However, in the case of Alma and Clara they struggled against societal expectations of what a woman's compositions should be. With the exception of Clara's piano concerto, both composers were confined to art song, solo piano works and some chamber music. In order to amplify their songs, Urban Playground artistic director Thomas Cunningham has arranged the works for string orchestra, hoping to share a glimpse of what might have been had such restrictions on their writing not existed.
Alice, who later went by Turiyasangtananda (or Turiya), was a harp firebrand, bringing the instrument to the forefront of jazz as a bandleader and composer. After the passing of John, Turiya joined an Ashram in California. The works you'll hear were originally devised solely for members of her Ashram, but later released internationally. As part of our BLACK WOMEN FIRST initiative, the program began with Alice Coltrane's works. PROGRAM
ALICE Prema ALMA Five Songs CLARA Die gute Nacht Lorelei Op. 23, #4 & 5 Op. 13, Ich Stand in Dunklen Träumen ALICE Radhe-Shyam |
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EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
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We're proud to partner with local organizations like Opportunity Music Project, the Harmony Program and Opus 118 Harlem School of Music to provide free tickets to students and families for concerts and invited dress rehearsals.
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VISUAL ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
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by Visual Artist-in-Residence 2016-18, Olivia M. Suffern
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by Visual Artist-in-Residence 2016-18, Olivia M. Suffern
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by Visual Artist-in-Residence 2015-16, Grace Needleman
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PRESS
RECENT PRESS
"A wide-ranging night of African-American music served up
with fire and feeling by the Harry T. Burleigh Society"
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW (Reviewer: David Wright)
"Marginalized Composers Take Center Stage at the Schomburg Center"
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE (Reviewer: Brin Solomon)
OPERAWIRE
BROADWAY WORLD
OPERAWIRE
"A wide-ranging night of African-American music served up
with fire and feeling by the Harry T. Burleigh Society"
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW (Reviewer: David Wright)
"Marginalized Composers Take Center Stage at the Schomburg Center"
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE (Reviewer: Brin Solomon)
OPERAWIRE
BROADWAY WORLD
OPERAWIRE
