The African diaspora’s contribution to European art music has been substantial but a history of white supremacy and racial oppression has largely erased their contributions.  With this concert, Music Gallery, Innovations en concert, Western Front, Music on Main, NOW Society, Coastal Jazz and Blues and Suoni Per Il Popolo collaborate to bring an online performance of two major works by African-American composers, performed by Canadian artists, to audiences world-wide: Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater and Julius Eastman’s The Holy Presence of Joan D’Arc.

Les Angles Mortes is a Montreal based ensemble directed by Julie Richard that revives marginalized classical works composed by African-American women. The ensemble rediscovers, re-contextualizes and sometimes reimagines these works so that they will not be forgotten and so that they can take their place in the history of contemporary music.

They will present a version of Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater.

Toronto-based cellist Amahl Arulanandam is known for his musical versatility and ability to adapt to many different genres. From baroque music to heavy metal, in studios, small clubs and large concert-halls, Amahl hopes to convey that musical expression is beyond genres and labels.

In this pre-recorded performance, he plays all ten cello parts of The Holy Presence of Joan D’Arc, written by Julius Eastman.

These two performances will be streamed for free by Suoni TV at suoniperilpopolo.org at 5:00PM PST/8:00 PM EST on April 1, 2021, and will be available afterward on the Coastal Jazz YouTube page. Trading Places is a co presentation of Suoni per il Popolo, Music on Main, NOW Society, Western Front, and Coastal Jazz.