I Dream a World: Transitions and Trailblazers

A neoclassical masterpiece and history-making conductor…

Dedicated to her mother, Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater engages with a 13th-century Christian hymn and grapples with righteous anger and grief. In 1951 this composition for contralto and orchestra launched the brilliant young composer’s career, which was tragically cut short by illness. Join mezzo-soprano Briana Hunter, conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson and your New World Symphony for this haunting and cathartic masterpiece.

In 2005 Jeri Lynne Johnson made history as the first Black woman to win an international conducting prize. Since then, she has continued to break barriers as the Founder and Artistic Director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra. Hailed by the LA Times as “a stunning, rhythmically vital conductor,” she leads New World Symphony in a celebration of Black artistry centered around the work of three visionary midcentury composers: Julia Perry, William Grant Still and William Dawson.

Program:

William Grant Still (1895-1978)

Festive Overture (1944) - 10 minutes

Julia Perry (1924-1979)
Stabat Mater (1951) - 21 minutes

Intermission

William L. Dawson(1899-1900)
Negro Folk Symphony (1934; revised 1952) - 35 minutes

A limited number of free tickets are available through Eventbrite. Please email [email protected] with questions.

This event is part of the 2025 I Dream a World Festival. Visit for more information.

Host or Publisher New World Symphony