The Black Classics Symposium

Organized by the Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, the symposium starts at 2:00 PM at the institute’s headquarters on Bowling Green Street. The event brings together a diverse group of composers, artistic directors, and scholars to discuss how the classical music canon has been shaped and to address structural inequities and exclusions within the field. The discussions aim to center Black-led artistic practices as a way to redefine the genre's future.

The symposium features notable participants including Professor Antonio Cuyler, an expert in arts equity; Alison Buchanan, the artistic director of Pegasus Opera Company; and award-winning composer Philip Herbert. These experts will explore the role of Black musicians in shaping classical traditions and challenge conventional notions of cultural value.

The day concludes with the 'Black Classics in Concert' at 7:30 PM at Leicester Cathedral. This performance showcases a repertoire of opera, spirituals, and art songs by influential composers such as Florence Price, Scott Joplin, and Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The concert is designed to celebrate artistic excellence that often falls outside traditional classifications while promoting a more inclusive vision of classical music history.