Triumph Over Adversity Festival
February 17-21, 2021
A cornerstone of the Philharmonic Society’s programming, the Triumph Over Adversity Festival—curated by musicians and brothers Anthony and Demarre McGill—is a free, multi-day virtual series of concerts and educational and community outreach offerings advocating for social change on and beyond classical music’s stages. Spotlighting musicians as well as composers from marginalized communities, concerts will feature works by composers such as Gabriela Lena Frank, Valerie Coleman, and Adolphus Hailstork, including works specifically commissioned for the McGill brothers.
About Festival Artistic Directors:
Anthony McGill, clarinet & Demarre McGill, flute
Winner of the 2020 Avery Fisher Prize, clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. He serves as the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic—that orchestra’s first African-American principal player—and maintains a dynamic international solo and chamber music career. He also serves as an ardent advocate for helping music education reach underserved communities and for
addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music.
The elder of the two brothers, flutist Demarre McGill, has gained international recognition as a soloist, recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, he currently serves as the principal flute of the Seattle Symphony. As an educator, Demarre is Associate Professor of Flute at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and has taught and presented master classes in South Africa, Korea, Japan, Quebec and throughout the United States.
Concerts
Concert #1
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Virtual Performance
The opening concert of the Festival features the McGill brothers and guest artists performing works by Valerie Coleman, Adolphus Hailstork and William Grant Still.
Concert #2
Friday, February 19, 2021
Virtual Performance
The second performance of the Festival features special guest artists the Sphinx Virtuosi, one of the nation's most dynamic professional chamber orchestras, comprised of 18 top Black and Latinx classical soloists.
Concert #3
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Virtual Performance
The final performance of the Festival spotlights the McGill brothers performing works commissioned for the brothers by composers James Lee III, Tyshawn Sorey, Gabriela Lena Frank and Aldolphus Hailstork.
Events
Pre-Concert Q&A #1
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Tune in to this pre-concert Q&A with Festival Artistic Directors Anthony & Demarre McGill to watch them chat about the first concert program for the Triumph Over Adversity Festival and what it's meant to them to be able to curate this Festival and feature works by the composers they've chosen to spotlight.
Pre-Concert Q&A #2
Friday, February 19, 2021
Tune in to this pre-concert Q&A with Festival Artistic Directors Anthony & Demarre McGill to watch them chat about the second concert program for the Triumph Over Adversity Festival.
Pre-Concert Q&A #3
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Tune in to this pre-concert Q&A with Festival Artistic Directors Anthony & Demarre McGill to watch them chat about the final concert program for the Triumph Over Adversity Festival.
Live Composer Roundtable
Sunday, February 21, 2021 | 12pm PST
Join us for a composer roundtable consisting of a number of BIPOC composers whose works will be featured in the Triumph Over Adversity Festival programming.
Moderated by Terrance McKnight, evening host of New York City's WQXR, the Composer Roundtable will include Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman, Gabriela Lena Frank, James Lee III, Tyshawn Sorey, Adolphus Hailstork and Michael Abels.