BESSIE SMITH SIDE-BY-SIDE: ORCHESTRATING THE BLUES

Honoring the legacy of Blues legend Bessie Smith, who stood up for herself, her love, and her people when the voices were few: the CSO, CSO Youth Orchestras (CSOYO), and community choral groups team up to perform full orchestral arrangements of Bessie’s music, commissioned by the CSO as part of the Bessie Smith: Orchestrating the Blues project.

This performance will also spotlight compositions by other Black composers including widely celebrated local composer Roland Carter, and feature pieces that honor the defining contributions that Black artists have made and continue to make in American music, history, and culture.