CRITICALQUESTIONS How Can Orchestras Become More Diverse? Distinguished African-American orchestra professionals discuss their lives in orchestras today. by Jesse Rosen ast August I spent two days at confront the homogeneity of their work- the Gateways Music Festival force, I wanted to hear the stories of these in Rochester, New York. Never musicians, to understand more about their Chris Lee heard of it? Neither had I. pathways into orchestras, their day-to- Jesse Rosen, President and CEO, League of L But it’s a remarkable festival day experiences, and their visions for the American Orchestras that all of us in orchestras should get future. I am happy to share a transcript of to know. The biennial festival celebrates our roundtable discussion. tion for us. A lot of times in the media, the participation and contributions of people are—I don’t know how quite to say classically trained musicians of African JESSE ROSEN: The most striking this in the best way—people don’t seem to descent through more than 50 solo, thing to me about the Gateways Festival think good things, and this festival is re- chamber, and orchestra performances in was the spirit among the players, the en- ally a good thing. To have so many people the Eastman Theatre at Eastman School ergy with all of you. I’m interested to hear out there playing is really fantastic. Every of Music, houses of worship, schools, and what you get out of it—what it means for time, it gets better and better, so that’s other community locations throughout you not so much as a larger cause but as why I enjoy going to this festival. the city and suburbs of Rochester. More JESSE ROSEN: When you say people than 100 musicians from around the “A lot of African-American don’t often think good things, could you United States participate in Gateways and kids play instruments, but they say more about what you mean? perform for a diverse and multi-ethnic drop off because they’re not JUDY DINES: I look at the nightly audience of nearly 10,000. news or newspaper articles where people Being there was like being welcomed seeing people who look like who maybe don’t know a lot of African- into a family reunion, but not exactly my them and not getting the idea American people in general may think the family. It was very familiar in the sense that this is something they can way we are portrayed is the only way we that here were wonderfully talented musi- do for a living.” –Judy Dines all are. What I like about this festival is cians, generously sharing their gifts in it’s a completely different thing, because programs new and old, big and small. But individual musicians coming together. we’re not represented in large numbers in as I came to understand, the experience JUDY DINES: This is maybe my third orchestras. People don’t think a lot about of each of these musicians in their home or fourth time at Gateways. I love going, African Americans playing classical music, orchestras is unique. In almost every in- and I give it priority over any of my other and this festival puts that out there. stance, each is the only African-American summer things like the National Flute TITUS UNDERWOOD: This sum- musician in his or her orchestra. So you Association Convention or other festivals, mer was my first time at Gateways. I can imagine the joy and excitement of because I really enjoy playing with so mainly enjoyed it because I’ve never had coming together for six days. many other great African-American mu- that experience—ever—in my life. Period. As our country continues its difficult sicians. That to me is great—to have all of I’m usually the different person within conversation about race, and as orchestras us on the stage, and it’s a good representa- whatever space that I’m in, and usually 20 symphony WINTER 2016 I get an array of questions regarding my presence. The thing that warmed my heart the most when I went to Gateways was that there were none of those questions. It was very nice to go there and be normal, making music with other people, and not being a spectacle in any way. It made me feel a lot more relaxed, more at home, like I was playing with family members or cousins that I hadn’t seen before, and I finally get to make music with them. Any concerns that I did have about the arts or talking about African Americans Fred Tanksley Fred “There needs to be more A standing ovation greets a 2015 Gateways Music Festival concert in Kodak Hall at Eastman representation in the Theatre, led by Michael Morgan. professional field showing ican players wearing African garb—that’s like an old painting of an aristocrat from African-American musicians completely different than what you would England, so it’s an African-American performing at a high level— see on any concert stage. I understand why person in the same pose. It totally blows just as there need to be more we wear more formal clothes now, but I your mind. To me, Gateways is a Wiley female conductors or more also understand where Armenta was com- picture—having all African-American female CEOs.” ing from as far as this being something players in a concert hall playing classical –Titus Underwood completely different. music. I live in Rochester, New York and play MICHAEL MORGAN: I go to in the arts, I could speak my mind and with the Rochester Philharmonic, and one Gateways because it really is a family people were like, “I’ve had that experience of the main things I get from Gateways is reunion—with instruments. There is not myself.” It was a heartwarming, almost that we perform at the Eastman The- that feeling anywhere else I go. To be healing process. I’ve been playing oboe for atre—my home court. I know that stage, in front of an orchestra where everyone almost twenty years and I had never had so to see all African-American classical clearly wants to be, and wants it to be that experience. musicians on that stage is kind of, “Wow.” good, and wants to support everybody else Flutist Judy Dines, a member of the Houston Symphony, is also on the stage, is really moving. I was at the a very active performer in Houston and beyond. Locally, she first Gateways Music Festival, but there’s performs in the Greenbriar Consortium, the Foundation for Modern no [ongoing] conductor for the festival, so Music, and the St. Cecilia Chamber Society. Outside of Houston, when I am invited to Gateways, I conduct Dines is a member of the Ritz Chamber Players. She has also because they want me. You get this feeling participated in the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra and has that everybody wants to be there, every- performed at several National Flute Association Conventions. In body wants the music to be the best it the orchestral world, Dines has performed selected weeks with possibly can be. You can’t bottle that. That the National Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and the is so incredibly rare. We throw everything Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Born in Washington, D.C., Dines attended Temple we’ve got into that week. I can’t imagine University in Philadelphia and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore before going to anything better to do. Houston. She joined the Houston Symphony in 1992. LEE KOONCE: Everything that everyone has said so far is certainly my experience, too. I’m not playing an HERB SMITH: I’ve been going to It’s different than what I’m used to. For instrument at Gateways, but helping Gateways for a while, so I can hark back me, the concerts are about love. There’s coordinate and organize. As a musician to the first time I was there with [Gate- not the attitude, the jadedness in the myself, I attended Eastman, and like all ways Founder] Armenta Hummings. At orchestra. Like Titus said, it’s like playing of you probably grew up being the only that time, we were wearing African garb, with family. I love that. one of African descent in my community dashikis and stuff, and that’s even more The other thing I was thinking about who studied classical music. I grew up of a cultural explosion because to see and was the painter Kehinde Wiley. He puts on the South Side of Chicago. There was hear Beethoven played by African-Amer- African-American people in what looks nobody carrying around sheet music for americanorchestras.org 21 “If an orchestra has a season and there’s not one person of color as a guest soloist, I’m thinking, ‘What in the world is going on here?’ That’s Scenes from the 2013 something that orchestras Gateways Music Festival. Above: a chamber music can change right now. There concert at Hochstein School are so many talented classical of Music and Dance, with Kelly Hall-Tompkins at musicians of African descent.” center. Top right and below: –Lee Koonce Michael Morgan conducts feel ostracized, but I didn’t feel ostracized Gateways Music Festival Orchestra there in any way. I showed up, we were concerts in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Gateways Music Festival talking about these natural things that we have in common. It gives you more life Beethoven sonatas and Bach preludes TITUS UNDERWOOD: I’m and more meaning to what you’re doing, who looked like me.