Sunday, April 14, 2024
FAITH RINGGOLD AND WE CAME TO AMERICA
Sadly, yesterday, at the age of 93, the
world lost a distinguished artist and writer and an incredible human being,
Faith Ringgold.
Several years ago, the JCC
Thurnauer School of Music commissioned Rob Kapilow, a composer, music lecturer
and their Artist in Residence, to compose a major work for orchestra and chorus
inspired by Faith Ringgold’s children’s book We Came to America and by
the spirit of her words, “We Came to America, every color, race, and religion
from every country in the world.”
We Came to America in Faith’s words
is dedicated to all the children who come to America, may they find peace,
freedom and prosperity in their new home. May we welcome them and inspire them
to sustain a love and dedication to peace, freedom, and justice for all.
The breadth of the Thurnauer “We Came To America”
project integrates community
outreach, explores and celebrates diversity, and strives to promote inclusive
and equitable educational opportunities through the transformative power
of music.
The official launch of the project
was the World Premiere performances of this work in January at the New Jersey
Performing Arts Center in Newark and the Mayo Performing Arts Center in
Morristown, with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and Ember
Choral Arts joining the Young Peoples Chorus at Thurnauer and the New
Jersey Symphony.
The project includes concerts, as
well as an educational curriculum and music that has components for students at
every level.
Today, Sunday April 14, as part of Thurnauer’s “We Came to America” themed year, there will be a chamber music concert (in-person & online), with Sharon Roffman and other distinguished chamber music artists, featuring music by composers Dvorak, Weill, Berlin, and Stravinsky. who immigrated to America.
This concert will be
dedicated to Faith Ringgold and the extraordinary accomplishments of her life.
Here are some links to Faith
Ringgold’s story:
FAITH RINGGOLD – THE NEW
YORK TIMES
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/13/arts/faith-ringgold-dead.html
FAITH RINGGOLD –
WIKIPEDIA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_Ringgold
MORE FAITH RINGGOLD
LINKS
https://www.google.com/search?q=FAITH+RINGGOLD
Links to the Thurnauer “WE
CAME TO AMERICA” project:
THURNAUER CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT April 14, 2024:
IMMIGRANT COMPOSERS
https://www.jccotp.org/event/chamber-music/
THE THURNAUER “WE CAME
TO AMERICA” PROJECT
https://www.jccotp.org/event/we-came-to-america-2024/
THURNAUER “WE CAME TO
AMERICA” PROJECT VIDEO
Labels: Berlin, Dvorak, Faith Ringgold, immigration, Sharon Roffman, Stravinsky, Thurnauer School of Music, We Came To America, Weill
