Young, Gifted and Black lived up to its title with a lineup of talented musicians of color ranging in age from 12 to early 30s. Most grew up in the neighborhood of the Classical Theatre of Harlem, which produced the evening as part of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances. Made available by Bank of America as a free first-come-first-serve live event with a streaming simulcast, the concert was enjoyed by over 4000 people according to Producing Artistic Director, Ty Jones, who hosted with sincere enthusiasm and praise.
The poised 12 year old pianist, Emery Mason, opened with three short pieces punctuated by the rapidly changing tempos of Debussy’s Cakewalk. She was followed by 16-year-old Kaden Kennedy, a cellist who somehow also finds time to compete in track and field. His selections honored both beauty with Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Le Cygne” (“The Swan”) and pain with Élégie, Op. 24, which Gabriel Fauré wrote for his deceased wife. Kennedy later returned to play Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, an ambition of his since the age of 7. Accomplished 15 year old Melissa Mosley — an attendee of the Special Music High School who recently returned from concerts in Canada — closed out the first part of the program with Chopin’s Nocturne in C-sharp minor and the downright jazzy 1984 composition by Nikolai Kapustin, Concert Etude, Op. 40, No. 3: Toccatina.
For her solo, 14 year old Roen Jones, who has performed in prominent public spaces including the Metropolitan Museum, chose Violin Partita No. 3 in E major by Johann Sebastian Bach, a work she said has made her a better violinist. Wrapping up the instrumental portion was the extraordinary violinist/composer/teacher Edward W. Hardy. He began with his own composition, Evolution, which required employing a variety of styles in a single song. Commencing with musical phrases from Wading in the Water and inspired by the evolution of Black music, the piece was included in the opening night program at the Smithsonian’s African American Museum in Washington D.C. After a smooth re-arrangement of Chopin and a swirling Tennessee Whiskey dedicated to his “Colorado Family” at the University of Northern Colorado, Hardy switched gears. As a child, his mother had encouraged him to play his violin in the subway as a way to build confidence in front of a crowd. So he reached back to his hits previously heard in the 103rd street station. Shouts of “OK!” and grass-muted toe-taps accompanied his rendition of If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys. He ultimately brought the crowd to its feet with his mind-blowing twist on Freddie Mercury’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
As a coda to a lovely evening, Tony nominee Crystal Lucas-Perry interpreted a monologue from “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes. The words honored those who have smoothed the way and the power of a community to elevate others. Then the mezzo-soprano ended on a literal high note with her performance of Greatest Love of All by Michael Masser.
With its approachable blend of classical and modern selections, The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s Young, Gifted and Black fulfilled its goal of shining a well-earned spotlight on the exceptional Black youth of New York City. The full show is available to stream on demand at https://bryantpark.org/calendar/event/the-classical-theatre-of-harlem/2023-09-01.
The Unforgettable Line 