Atlanta Artists ‘Challenge The Stats’ On Diversity In Classical Music
Harpist Angelica Hairston is an alum of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program, which develops musically gifted and motivated young artist of color for careers as professional musicians. Joel Thompson studied Music and Choral Conducting at Emory University.
Credit Kristan Toczko; Photo courtesy of Joel Thompson
Harpist Angelica Hairston wants to challenge a few statistics – namely, that only 4.2 percent of orchestral musicians in the United States are Black or Latinx. Or that only 8.3 percent of U.S. orchestral staff are Black or Latinx. To that end, she’s launched Challenge the Stats, an organization empowering artists of color.
“City Lights” host Lois Reitzes spoke with Angelica Hairston about her organization, alongside composer Joel Thompson. At a free concert this weekend, Hairston will give the world premiere of a tenor and harp duet that Thompson wrote for the launch of Challenge the Stats in Atlanta. Thompson’s piece addresses the school-to-prison pipeline by setting poems written by inmates in Michigan’s criminal justice system.
Challenge the Stats launches in Atlanta with a free concert on Saturday, Feb. 24. “Lois Reitzes will moderate a panel before the concert.
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