In Friday’s (9/11) Concentrate (Washtenaw County, MI), Natalia Holtzman writes, “It’s a season of firsts for the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO). The A2SO will present its first [jointly] commissioned piece, ‘African Queens,’ composed by a consortium of Black composers; music from the internationally acclaimed Studio Ghibli films is expected to be another season highlight; and, for the first time in its history, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) has expanded its concert series to include two performances in Ypsilanti for the 2026-27 season…. Many A2SO musicians are on the faculty at Eastern Michigan University, where the orchestra also frequently rehearses. That makes the performances a way of ‘going a little deeper into a community where we already have some long-standing roots,’ says [A2SO Executive Director Sarah] Calderini. Those extend from ongoing programs with Ypsilanti Community Schools to a partnership with the University of Michigan Credit Union to collect and redistribute used musical instruments…. The orchestra’s first commissioned piece, ‘African Queens,’ was composed by a consortium of Black composers collectively called the Blacknificent 7 … Featuring soprano Karen Slack, the piece will be performed on Friday, Feb. 19, 2027, at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor.” “African Queens” was composed by Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson.
