Valerie Coleman is featured in WQXR Classical

12 Black Contemporary Composers You Should Listen To
By Maya Cassady
WQXR Classic
February 4, 2023

Everyday, contemporary composers are making their mark on the sonic palette of classical music. Throughout history, there have been incredible examples of music, artforms, and creative cultures forged from Black communities. Here are twelve Black contemporary composers who are continuing this tradition, expanding and exploring what modern classical music has to offer. 

An artist at the forefront of innovation in 21st century classical music, Valerie Coleman is best known for her prowess as a flutist and composer. Coleman was introduced to music through a second-hand electronic organ in her Louisville, Kentucky home. She would sit at the organ for hours using cassette tapes to loop layers of melodies giving her a taste of the symphonic compositions to come. 

A distinguished artist in her own right, Coleman is also well known as the creator of Imani Winds, an American Wind Quintet dedicated to diversifying the classical wind repertoire. Coleman’s compositions center around a similar message of recognizing stories and perspectives previously untold. Coleman musically weaves these perspectives into a sonic mosaic of classical, folk, and urban traditions. As she told New Music USA, “it’s my job to create music that allows that transformative power to happen.”

Hear Valerie Coleman’s Red Clay Mississippi Delta performed by Imani Winds at WQXR:

Read the full article here.