Not Quite Dead White Man Music

The traditional canon is dominated by white men of the past, which inspired African American composer Evan Williams to ask, “what music am I called to write, and who should be my models?” His answer: the harpsichord concerto Dead White Man Music, which blends J.S. Bach with Nina Simone and Julius Eastman, Renaissance ballads with rock. ASU’s Tigran Buniatyan is the soloist.

The rest of the program follows suit, showcasing music by two living women. Valerie Coleman pays tribute to Native Americans and former African slaves who endured the Trail of Tears, while Cuban-born Pulitzer Prize winner Tania León weaves together Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz, and dance energy. Even the one “dead white man” on the program, Paul Hindemith, was a rebel who defied authority and had to flee Nazi Germany.