Composer Fela Sowande is considered the father of Nigerian art music

The players of the Imani Winds have had faith in commissioning new works that uplift the profile of BIPOC composers and performers. They have been doing so for more than 25 years. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

Meet Vernon Neal, the host of the podcast ‘Rhapsody in Black,’ where we turn up the voices of Black artists in the world of classical music.

Flutist, composer and producer Allison Loggins-Hull is often described as someone whose work ‘defies classification.’ Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

Anthony McGill is the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, the first Black musician to hold a principal chair in the orchestra’s history. He has used the platform to promote racial equity in classical music. Find out more on the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

Conductor Anthony Parnther’s career has focused on advocating for Black composers and changing the perception of what classical music should be. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known in the hip-hop world as RZA, is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Wu Tang Clan. Nowadays, he’s taking things a step further by writing a ballet. Find out more on the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

Cassie Kinoshi has taken on the role of musical mad scientist by mixing together Black American jazz, West African and Caribbean rhythms, and Western classical music in a process of compositional nuclear fusion. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Hip-hop artist and composer André 3000 released his latest album, ‘New Blue Sun,’ in 2023. The album revolves around compositions with wind instruments and is a result of his need to explore the many influences around him, both jazz and classical. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

The String Queens are a woman-powered string trio based out of Washington, D.C., who have made a difference in their community and in the classical music arena through their nontraditional programming and performances. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

Pamela Z is a visionary artist who embraces new ideas about identity and technology in her music. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.