Gateways musicians are multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-national people of the African diaspora who are challenging the status quo and preconceptions about classical music at the highest levels. We celebrate the heritage of a people distinguished for their creativity, perseverance and unwavering desire for self-determination. We honor the contributions of those who have preceded and paved the way for us.
Gateways affirms the important role people of African descent have played in music for centuries. Performers, composers, arrangers, historians and organizations – like the National Association of Negro Musicians founded 100 years ago in response to their exclusion from most concert stages ‒ are featured in Gateways performances and events to create a more complete and accurate picture of classical music in and beyond the United States. In this way we are able to change the perceptions of audience members, especially those who believe that a lack of racial diversity is evidence of an absence of talent, interest or inclination, and those who, for the first time, can imagine themselves occupying a music-making space once thought to be restricted, exclusive or out of reach.
FREE 2022 Ticket Registration is Open Here. Multiple Dates and Locations for Performances and Film Screening.
