Music at 250

Join us for a rousing celebration of our country’s jazz and classical roots, as past and present, students and mentors, team up to tell the ever-evolving story of America through its music. In this moving program, Trinity brings together three dynamic ensembles — musicians from NOVUS, students from the acclaimed Montclair State University CaliBrass Ensemble, and JAZZ HOUSE KiDS — to honor artists who paved their way.

Alongside iconic works by Aaron Copland, John Williams, and composers who laid the foundation for American music, the ensembles will also perform favorites by John Coltrane and Miles Davis. These works are presented in dialogue with music by trailblazing women who helped shape the American music landscape. Margaret Bonds (1913–1972) was one of the first Black composers to gain fame in this country. A frequent collaborator of the poet Langston Hughes, Bonds — who earned a master’s degree at Northwestern University despite not being allowed to use the facilities — was the first person of color to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

A groundbreaker in her own right, Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981), sometimes called “the mother of bebop,” was a major figure in Kansas City’s early jazz scene — a pianist, teacher, and composer (including works for Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington) who mentored not only Davis but Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker. Also featured is Florence Price (1887–1953), a pioneering composer and the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. Reaching back even further, the night’s performers will also spotlight Sawney Freeman, the earliest-known published Black composer in America — in what might be the first time his work has been performed by a large brass ensemble.

Registration for this free event is highly recommended as seating is limited.

We suggest arriving 45 minutes before start time. Admission is first-come, first-served, with ticket holders receiving priority (although not guaranteed entrance if the venue reaches capacity).

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Host or Publisher Trinity Church Wall Street