Julia Bullock and Terence Blanchard are changing how we understand opera

Disrupted

Legendary trumpeter Terence Blanchard is the first Black composer to have had an opera performed at the Metropolitan Opera. But, as he says, he isn't the first Black composer qualified to do so. This hour, we talk to musicians who are changing the face of opera by bringing new stories to the fore.

GUESTS:

• Terence Blanchard: Executive Artistic Director at SF Jazz and Multiple Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and composer. He has performed as part of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and composed the scores for dozens of films, including Spike Lee films like BlacKkKlansman and Malcolm X. In 2021 he became the first Black composer to have had their opera performed at the Metropolitan Opera with Fire Shut Up in My Bones. He will be performing selections from Fire Shut Up in My Bones in Hartford on April 24th.

• Julia Bullock: Grammy Award-winning classical singer. She has curated a program that she performs called “History’s Persistent Voice.” It’s a multimedia project that includes poetry, visual art and music inspired by the songs of enslaved people.

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