Bio
The Juneteenth Legacy Project (Juneteenth LP) is a musical collaborative based in NYC, whose mission is to share the music of the African Diaspora through the unique lens of Black classically trained musicians with a focus on access, outreach and community building through music. Continually pushing boundaries in their musical and lecture offerings, Juneteenth LP brings together unexpected classical music and brilliantly crafted arrangements of more popular repertoire for a refreshing take on the live performance and educational music experiences.
Juneteenth LP
Nnenna Ogwo, Artistic Director
Erika Banks- Alvarez, Communications Director
Eric Cooper, Production Director
Juneteenth LP Musicians
Erika Banks-Alvarez, soprano
Frédérique Gnaman, violin
Daniel Constant, violin
Patrick Page, viola
Eric Cooper, cello
Nnenna Ogwo, piano
Press Quotes
“...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.”
— Nick Stevens, I Care If You Listen
“...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.”
“... 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.”
— Michelle Hromin, New Music USA
Press Photos
