The Sunflower Music Festival and the African American Experience 2022
The 2022 Sunflower Music Festival will honor both past and contemporary African American composers, performers and soloists, and a collaboration with the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Our project has won multiple endorsements and grants from the National Endowment of the Arts.
Browse our programming below to see all Sunflower will offer celebrating the African American musical experience:
- Performance of SYMPHONY NO. 1 “AFRO-AMERICAN” by William Grant Still
- Programs featuring the music of Jessie Montgomery, George Walker, Joseph Bologne – Chevalier de Saint-George, and more!
- A Jazz Night performance featuring native-Topekan Richetta Manager, Angela Hagenbach, and David Basse on vocals, with the City Light Jazz Orchestra
Friday, June 17
Chamber Orchestra
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Opening Celebration - Mozart, and George Walker’s 100th
SPECIAL GUEST CONDUCTOR - ANDRÉ RAPHEL
7:00p Pre-concert series: 'Musically speaking' with alex klein, principal oboist
Discussions, interviews and exposés to enrich your concert experience
Offered in partnership with the Blanche Bryden Institute and Foundation
Così fan tutte, K.588: Overture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K.488
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro assai
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
David Allen Wehr, Piano
Lyric for Strings
George Walker
(1922 – 2018)
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K.551 “Jupiter”
I. Allegro vivace
II. Andante cantabile
III. Allegretto
IV. Molto allegro
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
Saturday, June 18
Chamber Ensembles
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Canção Pequena
World Premiere
Michael Cohen
Vocalise, Op. 34, No.14
Sergei Rachmaninoff
(1873 – 1943)
Adagio
Michael Amorosi
(1947 – 2000)
Alex Klein, Oboe
Rita Costanzi, Harp
Strum
Jessie Montgomery
b.1981
Meredith Riley, Violin I
Sascha Mandl, Violin II
Rafael Gargate, Viola
Jonathan Tortolano, Cello
String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Opus 96, B.179 “American”
Antonín Dvořák
(1841 – 1904)
Allegro ma non troppo
Lento
Molto vivace
Finale. Vivace ma no troppo
Philip Manning, Violin
Sascha Mandl, Violin
Jonathan Moerschel, Viola
Jonathan Tortolano, Cello
Danzas di Panama
Tamborito
Mejorana y Socavon
Punto
Cumbia y Congo
William Grant Still
(1895 – 1978)
Jeanyi Kim, Violin I
Zsolt Eder, Violin II
Orlando Wells, Viola
Claudio Jaffe, Cello
Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 111
Largo
Allegro molto
Allegretto
Largo
Largo
Dmitri Shostakovich
(1906 – 1975)
Zhan Shu, Violin I
Philip Manning, Violin II
Jonathan Moerschel, Viola
Claudio Jaffe, Cello
Following Concert: Musician ‘Talk-Back’ Session
Monday, June 20
Mary Elizabeth 'Liz' Stratton Jazz Night
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Sponsored by: Liz Stratton
Hosted by: Topeka Jazz Workshop
Liz Stratton Jazz Night, Featuring Richetta Manager, Angela Hagenbach, and David Basse, vocals
with the City Light Jazz Orchestra
City Light Jazz Orchestra would like to thank The Duke Ellington Family and Tom Alexios, Director of Music Outreach. Thanks to musical arrangers Pamela Baskin-Watson, Brad Gregory, Paul Roberts, and James Ward.
Sweet Georgia Brown
Richetta Manager, vocalist
Vine Street Boogie
Scorpio
Choo Choo Cha Boogie
David Basse, drums and vocals
Work Song
Big Six
Simone
Angela Hagenbach, vocalist
South American Suite
Oclupaca (Acapulco backwards)
Rocks in My Bed
Jump for Joy
Latin American Sunshine
Dimensions in Blue
Caravan
Red Top
David Basse, vocalist
Swingmatism
Alright, Okay, You Win
Richetta Manager, vocalist
7 Years of Good Luck
Bittersweet
Angela Hagenbach, vocalist
Me and Mrs. Jones
Richetta Manager, vocalist
My Song
Angela Hagenbach, spoken word
LeeDon
East of the Village
Angela Hagenbach, vocalist
Duke’s Place
David Basse, vocalist
Maceo Pinkard
(1897-1962)
Jay McShann
(1916-2006)
Buck Clayton
(1911-1991)
Louis Jordan
(1908-1975)
Nat Adderley
(1931-2000)
Amhad Alaadeen
(1934-2010)
Frank Foster
(1928-2011)
Duke Ellington
(1899-1974)
Ben Kynard
(1920-2012)
Jay McShann
(1916-2006)
Mayme Watts
Joe Sample
(1939-2014)
Angela Hagenbach
b. 1960
Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff
b. 1943 b. 1942
Bobby Watson and Glenn North
b. 1953
Jason Goudeau and Charlie Parker
b. 1967 (1920-1955)
Hank Mobley and George V. Johnson
(1930-1986)
Duke Ellington
(1899-1974)
Tuesday, June 21
Chamber Ensembles
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
String Quartet No. 6 in D major
I. Allegro Assai
II. Rondeau
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
(1745 – 1799)
Eric Tanner, Violin I
Philip Manning, Violin II
Orlando Wells, Viola
Jonathan Tortolano, Cello
Quintet in G minor, Op. 39
I. Tema con variazioni
II. Andante energico
III. Allegro sostenuto, ma con brio
IV. Adagio pesante
V. Allegro precipitato, ma non troppo presto
VI. Andantino
Sergei Prokofiev
(1891 – 1953)
Alex Klein, Oboe
Jonathan Gunn, Clarinet
Eric Tanner, Violin
Orlando Wells, Viola
Nic Tsolainos, Double Bass
String Quintet in G minor, K. 515
I. Allegro
II. Menuetto: Allegretto
III. Adagio ma non troppo
IV. Adagio – Allegro
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
Jeanyi Kim, Violin I
Sascha Mandl, Violin II
Jonathan Moerschel, Viola I
Rafael Gargate, Viola II
Jonathan Tortolano, Cello
Following Concert: Musician ‘Talk-Back’ Session
Wednesday, june 22 Brown v. Board of Education Chamber Concert 3:00pm
Featuring music by black composers: Samuel coleridge-taylor, william grant still, jessie montgomery, Joseph bologne – chevalier de saint-georges
brown v. board of education national historic site
1515 SE Monroe street
topeka, ks 66612
free admission
Wednesday, June 22
Chamber Orchestra
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Spirituals, New Voices and the African American Experience Special Guest Conductor - ANDRÉ RAPHEL
Three Spirituals for Orchestra
Adolphus Hailstork
b.1941
Antifonys for Chamber Orchestra
George Walker
(1922 – 2018)
Elegy for Viola, String Quartet and String Orchestra, op. 15
Herbert Howells
(1892 – 1983)
Basil Vendryes, Viola
String Quartet
Charles Stegeman, Violin
Eric Tanner, Violin
Jonathan Moerschel, Viola
John Walz, Cello
Starburst
Jessie Montgomery
b.1981
Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American”
I. Longing: Moderato assai
II. Sorrow: Adagio
III. Humor: Animato
IV. Aspiration: lento; con risoluzione
William Grant Still
(1895 – 1978)
Thursday, June 23
CONcertmaster and Friends
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Blue/s Forms for Solo Violin
I. Plain Blue/s
II. Just Blue/s
III. Jettin’ Blue/s
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson
(1932 – 2004)
Jesse Thompson, Violin
Le Api, “The Bees”
Antonio Pasculli
(1842 – 1924)
arr. Alex Klein
Alex Klein, Solo Oboe
Michelle Sung, Flute
Mark Kleine, Clarinet
Joe Merchant, Bassoon
Greg Miller, French Horn
Robert Skavronksi, Double Bass
Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32
I. Allegro moderato
II. Scherzo: Allegro molto
III. Elegia: Adagio
IV. Finale: Allegro non troppo
Anton Arensky
(1861 – 1906)
David Allen Wehr, Piano
Charles Stegeman, Violin
John Walz, Cello
Friday, June 24
Chamber Ensembles
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
7:00p pre-concert session: 'musically speaking' with alex klein, principal oboist
Discussions, interviews, and exposés to enrich your concert experience
Offered in partnership with the Blanche Bryden Institute and Foundation
En Aranjuez con tu amor
World Premiere
Joaquín Rodrigo
(1901 – 1999)
Arr. Alex Klein
Rêverie
Claude Debussy
(1862 – 1918)
Alex Klein, Oboe
Rita Costanzi, Harp
Bohemian Café
Stacy Garrop
b. 1969
Michelle Sung, Flute
Jonathan Gunn, Clarinet
Alex Klein, Oboe
Joe Merchant, Bassoon
James Thatcher, French Horn
Robert Skavronski, Double Bass
Requiem for Three Cellos and Piano, Op. 66
David Popper
(1843 – 1913)
Claudio Jaffe, Cello I
Jonathan Tortolano, Cello II
Beideth Briceno, Cello III
David Allen Wehr, Piano
Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Andante, un poco adagio
III. Scherzo: Allegro
IV. Finale: Poco sostenuto – Allegro non troppo
Johannes Brahms
(1833 – 1897)
David Allen Wehr, Piano
Charles Stegeman, Violin I
Rachel Stegeman, Violin II
Basil Vendryes, Viola
John Walz, Cello
Following Concert: Musician ‘Talk-Back’ Session
Saturday, June 25
Blanche Bryden Student Ensembles
3:00 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Saturday, June 25
Chamber Orchestra
7:30 p.m. | Livestream or In-Person | White Concert Hall
Black Influence and the New World
SPECIAL GUEST CONDUCTOR - ANDRÉ RAPHEL
Danse nègre from African Suite Op. 35, No. 4
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
(1875 – 1912)
Violin Concerto in C major, Op. 3, No. 2
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de
Saint-Georges
(1745-1799)
Meredith Riley, Violin
Symphony for the Sons of Nam
James Kimo Williams
b.1950
Intermission
Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, B.178
“From the New World”
I. Adagio – Allegro molto
II. Largo
III. Molto vivace
IV. Allegro con fuoco
Antonín Dvořák
(1841 – 1904)
