Music for the Crisis
JUNE 27 at 8:00PM
VIRTUAL CONCERT
Pre Concert Facebook Live @ 7:15PM
Concert Viewing Available (June 27 @ 8PM):
With injustice at the forefront of our national conversation, Music for the Crisis is a concert presented by Challenge the Stats on June 27th at 8:00 p.m. in response to the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on Black communities.
This virtual concert will include engaging musical performances featuring the Southeast premiere of Joel Thompson’s “In Response to the Madness” for String Quartet, Brandee Younger’s Harp Solo “Essence of Ruby”, and commentary from healthcare workers and advocates currently on the frontline pushing for change.
This event is co- presented Challenge the Stats and Concerts at First with generous support from our sponsor First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta and in partnership with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra‘s Talent Development Program, The Atlanta Opera, and the Fulton County Remembrance Coalition.
Music for the Crisis - 2020 Concert Artists
Jayme Alilaw
Soprano, Jayme Alilaw is a resident artist with The Atlanta Opera and a featured Artistic Family member at Dad’s Garage Theater Company. A staunch advocate of the performance of works by African American composers, Jayme has co-created Tapestry, a residency program geared toward exposing students to the power and creative value of Spirituals. she is a founding member of ImprOper, an operatic improvisation team that improvises 30 minute operas. A veteran of the U.S. Army, she frequently sang for military ceremonies throughout the United States and the Middle East.
brittney boykin
Tara byrdsong
Acclaimed Flutist and Educator Tara Byrdsong holds a Master of Music in flute performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Bachelor of Music from Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C. Tara is an alum of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program, Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony. Tara has performed as a solo flutist and ensemble artist throughout the United States, Prague, Vienna and England. She is currently Band Director at MLK Middle School.
Andrew Brady
wilfred farquharson
Violist Wilfred Farquharson recently received his Bachelor’s Degree in Viola Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music studying with Stephen Wyrcyzynski and Masumi Rostad. Wilfred is a graduate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program and was a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. Currently Wilfred is an incoming fellow in the LA Orchestra Fellowship and will pursue a Graduate Certificate in Music Performance at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. He will be studying with Karen Dreyfus and mentoring the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA). He aspires to be a model of excellence for other aspiring musicians of color.
Angelica Hairston
Harpist Angelica Hairston is known for her fiery performances and her passion for social change. Throughout her career, she has made it a priority to create social impact through the power of the arts. Angelica is a recipient of the 2019 Georgia Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities. She is the founder of the organization Challenge the Stats and currently serves as the Artistic Director of the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble providing free harp instruction to over 90 students in Atlanta, GA. Angelica is an internationally acclaimed performer and holds a Master of Music Industry Leadership from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Music from The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Ontario.
Khari Joyner
Dubbed by the New York Classical Review as one of the most exciting young musicians on the classical scene, he has a following nationally and abroad, and has made a number of accomplishments including teaching residencies and concert series for over one thousand students in Beijing, Shanghai, The Netherlands, and at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts and Humanities. He also gave a
private performance for President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. In addition, he was recently awarded a 2017-2018 career grant from the
Leonore Annenberg Fellowship for the Performing and Visual Arts.
Tramaine Jones
Tramaine Jones began learning the violin at the age of nine and has not put down her instrument since. She is a graduate of the Tri-cities High School Performing Arts Program and went on to receive a highly competitive scholarship to attend Northwestern University. While at NU, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance and Master’s Degree in Music Education. Tramaine is a highly-regarded violinist in the Atlanta area and performs regularly with the Symphony Orchestra of Augusta, Tuscaloosa Symphony, and the Harlem Festival Orchestra.
Chelsea Sharpe
A native of Duluth, Georgia, Chelsea Sharpe, is a third-year Violin Fellow at the New World Symphony. She is a graduate of the Atlanta Symphony’s Talent Development Program and also served as concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. Following high school, Chelsea attended the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, studying with Kathleen Winkler for her bachelor’s degree, and recently completed her master’s degree at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where she studied with Glenn Dicterow.
Lindsey Sharpe
Cellist and Duluth native, Lindsey Sharpe, is currently a masters student studying cello performance at Rice University. She recently completed her undergraduate studies also in cello performance at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is a graduate of the Atlanta Symphony’s Talent Development Program and also served as a cellist with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. She had performed throughout the US and been a member of prestigous summer music programs such as Interlochen Arts Camp, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Sitka International Cello Seminar in Sitka, Alaska
