The Colour of Music Festival will be in residence at the University of South Carolina School of Music (UofSC) from Sept. 9 to 11, offering performances, a masterclass, and community-engagement activities in the school’s Mahogany Music Festival, which presents three days of diverse classical performances. Since 2013, the Colour of Music Festival has brought classically trained musicians, composers, and performers of African descent together to showcase Black classical artistry. On Sept. 9, the Colour of Music Festival Octet and UofSC alumni will perform the Mendelssohn Octet and chamber works by Joseph Haydn, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and William Grant Still. The festival’s September 10 program will open with the Auntie Karen Foundation All-Star Band, then conductor Julius P. Williams will lead the Festival Orchestra in a performance with vocalist Vanessa Williams. On Sept. 11, the Colour of Music Orchestra will perform a free concert that honors the 20th anniversary of September 11, conducted by Julius P. Williams. The festival will also engage UofSC students in masterclass settings and K-12 schoolchildren with educational and engagement activities throughout Richland County.
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