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The Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a highly accomplished African-French composer, violinist, and conductor, who lived during Mozart's time.
You probably haven't heard of him nor his music, and that's what the Colour of Music Festival hopes to change.
"Most people are not deliberately not programming black composers. They just don't know about black composers' works, so we feel that we're a go-to place that can highlight that," said Artistic Director Lee Pringle.
Through concerts and talks by local and international musicians and scholars of African descent, the festival shines a light on the impact of black classical artists – from centuries ago to the present day.
Pringle founded the festival in Charleston, South Carolina about six years ago, and has presented prominent and emerging artists, such as Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who famously performed at the Royal Wedding this past summer.
This year, "petit" versions of the annual festival will tour to Pittsburgh, Richmond, and Houston.
With support from the City of Houston and the University of Houston, Pringle chose to bring it to Houston for the first time, partly because of the city's own diversity.
"It gives the patron of the arts a mosaic vision of what the city of Houston represents, what America represents."
That mosaic, or diversity, is important because "classical music is one of the last glass ceilings when it comes to the arts," said Pringle.
"What you see in a subscription brochure is a product of the sum of the life experiences of the decision makers. So if the maestro doesn't know black compositions, you're going to get programming with black composers omitted."
By introducing wider audiences to the contributions of black classical artists, he hopes the festival will impact orchestras around the world – from concert programming to artistic management.
The Colour of Music Festival is September 12 – 16 at the UH's Dudley Recital Hall and Moores Opera House. A schedule of events and ticket information can be found here.
Listen to the complete interview with Lee Pringle below:
