“...to note that pianist, composer, and educator Nnenna Ogwo celebrates her birthday on Juneteenth is not to introduce trivia. The holiday, itself a birthday for freedoms too often infringed in the 155 years since, occasions both joy and reflection. Accordingly, so did Ogwo’s fifth annual Juneteenth Celebration concert, premiered as a pre-recorded video on June 19, 2020...Featuring performances of new and favorite music, including “A Change is Gonna Come,” the show is a must-watch…”

“The...“Happy Birthday” jam for Ogwo at the end of the video was no mere touch of fun. It said something about the communities that regular performance builds, the bond between composers, performers, and audiences that develop over time...Ogwo’s productive collaboration with Sterling Strings is a light against the shadows that loss casts over too many Juneteenths.”

“...The Red Stage’s mission is to invite artists to create freely and authentically... I had originally come to see the Juneteenth Legacy Project featuring Nnenna Ogwo, Erika Banks-Alvarez, percussionist Donnie Johns, and the Sterling String Quartet...What I loved was how open the environment felt, not only because of its outdoor location, but because of the programming and energy generated by the artists themselves...there was space for each listener, whether there for a minute or an hour, to experience movements between experimental, classical, and even pop music.”

“... I was in awe of the artists who I only knew virtually until that day making music so beautifully and authentically...From time to time, a light drizzle pushed its way into the atmosphere, but most paid no mind; there was a collective feeling of gratitude for being able to hear these artists do what they do best.”