For those looking to elevate their Black History Month plans beyond the expected, West Michigan Symphony offers a compelling option: a weekend of music that traces the profound influence of African American artistry on the classical canon — anchored by the arrival of a dynamic new pianist.
A Jubilee in Muskegon
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at the Frauenthal Center, 425 W. Western Ave., the symphony presents “American Jubilee,” led by guest conductor Kellen Gray, widely regarded for his interpretations of composers of the African diaspora.
The evening opens with the Overture to Jubilee by Michael Ellis Ingram, whose opera premiered at Seattle Opera in 2024. Drawing on more than 40 spirituals — including “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Deep River” and “Go Down, Moses” — the work forms a sweeping tapestry of American sound. Ingram’s overture distills that spirit into a vivid orchestral introduction, rich with color and reverence.
The program continues with William Levi Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, a landmark work that blends European symphonic tradition with African rhythms and melodies rooted in spirituals. It remains one of the most significant symphonic statements by a Black composer in the 20th century.
Closing the program is George Gershwin’s Concerto in F, performed by pianist Michelle Cann. Written just after Rhapsody in Blue, the concerto channels the syncopation, blues inflections and restless optimism of the Roaring ’20s. Cann — praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer as “exquisite” and by Gramophone for her “sterling artistry” — brings both refinement and rhythmic vitality to Gershwin’s genre-blurring score.
Tickets start at $19 for adults and $10 for students.
An Intimate Saturday Recital
Cann remains in residence for a 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 recital at The Block, 360 W. Western Ave., the symphony’s live listening room.
Her solo program thoughtfully expands the weekend’s themes. On the program: Florence Price’s Sonata in E Minor, a powerful and lyrical cornerstone of 20th-century piano literature; Felix Mendelssohn’s Fantasie in F-sharp Minor; and Clara Schumann’s Variations on a Theme of Robert Schumann.
Tickets start at $35 for adults and $10 for students.
Beyond the Stage
As part of a weeklong residency, Gray and Cann will host a free Lunch ’n Learn at noon Wednesday, Feb. 25, at The Block, offering audiences a deeper look at the music and its cultural lineage. Cann also will lead a master class for piano students at Grand Valley State University on Thursday afternoon.
For Friday evening’s performance, complimentary shuttle service is available from the Muskegon Farmers Market to the Frauenthal and back. A post-concert gathering in the lower-level Frau Lounge invites patrons to mingle with the conductor and musicians over beverages and light fare.
For West Michigan audiences seeking a Black History Month experience that is both celebratory and substantive, “American Jubilee” delivers — honoring spirituals, symphonic ambition and jazz-age brilliance in equal measure, while introducing a pianist whose star continues to rise.
