2020

TDU’s 2020 season The Red, White and Blues used classical music to spark dialogues on voting rights and voter suppression, and promote greater civic engagement throughout NYC. Content, both online and in person, was targeted towards communities with historically low voter-turnout, and invited viewers to register to vote and learn about local ballot initiatives. The Red, White and Blues was intended to coincide with the 2020 elections, and while it wasn’t used as a platform for any campaigning officials, it was meant to spark greater civic engagement in a critical year for federal and local elections.

Music on the March was a city-wide, synchronous live and virtual concert which empowered New Yorkers to get out the vote in their communities, and featured music from the 1963 March on Washington and non-partisan information around civic engagement for the November election. Music on the March took place across all five boroughs of New York City culminating in a synchronous city-wide performance of “We Shall Overcome” for musicians and audience, arranged by Jannina Norpoth. Partners included Queens Council on the Arts, Jamaica Center for Performing Arts, DemocracyNYC, ChaShaMa, Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, Wave Hill and the Brooklyn Public Library. Sponsors included Fotografiska, New Music USA, Groupmuse, and the Tate Group.

2019

Deep River featured works by composers hailing from communities impacted by climate change and other environmental issues, which included Laura Kaminsky, Roberto Sierra, Harry Burleigh, and new orchestrations of works by Trevor Weston, Jeff Scott of the Imani Winds, and Zenobia Powell Perry. Guest artists included baritone Damian Norfleet, concertmaster Kelly Hall-Tompkins, and conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni. Speakers included Commissioner Mitchell Silver of the NYC Parks Department and Leslie Velasquez of El Puente de Williamsburg, who will provide local and global perspectives on climate justice. Hosted by Terrance McKnight.

2018

Sanctuary centered on our current immigration crisis in an electric evening of music and protest. The program highlighted artists of color who identify as immigrants or first generation Americans; featuring the music of George Walker, Vijay Iyer, Tania Leon, Kareem Roustom and Huang Ruo. Special guest artists included violinist Jennifer Koh and pianist Vijay Iyer. Speakers include Ravi Ragbir of New Sanctuary Coalition, Ninaj Raoul of Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, Fahd Ahmed of DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving), and Carlene Pinto of New York Immigration Coalition. 

2017

RAISE YOUR HAND drew attention to the school-to-prison-pipeline: the increasingly widespread trend of pushing children of color out of schools and into the penal and criminal justice systems. Musicians included students from the Corona Youth Music Project (Nucleo Corona), UpBeat NYC, WHIN Music Project, YOSL from the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Manhattan Girls Chorus, performing works by Teresa Carreño, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the Chevalier de St-Georges, Margaret Bonds, George Walker, William Grant Still, and a premiere by Evan Williams. Speakers included Antonio Gendrickson, Ruffin Prentiss III, and students from The Bobcats. Conducted by Roderick Cox and hosted by Terrance McKnight.

2016

In homage to #SayHerName, Sing Her Name highlighted the marginalization of women of color and LGBTQ women of color in the Black Lives Matter movement. It featured music by composers of color such as Florence Price, and Margaret Bonds, included the orchestral premiere of a work by Ethel Smyth, the first openly lesbian composer of classical music, and premiered a new work by Courtney Bryan with text by Sharan Strange. Guest soloists included pianist Michelle Cann and vocalist Helga Davis. Speakers included Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw of African American Policy Forum, comedian Agunda Okeyo, Sankofa’s Gina Belafonte, composer Trevor Weston, Columbia University’s Dr. Farah Griffin, and Farah Tanis of Black Women’s Blueprint. Conducted by John McLaughlin Williams and James Blachly, and hosted by Terrance McKnight.

Past Events