EVENTS

The Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra (SJCO) is one of the nation’s oldest contemporary majority African-American community orchestras. Formed in 1983 under the umbrella of Community Music Center of Houston (CMCH) by its Music Director, Anne Lundy, its mission is to share music written by Black composers with communities which historically have had limited access to orchestral works. THE SJCO has performed mainstream works such as Handel’s Messiah but black composers and traditions are its focus. In 1986, CMCH’s Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration orchestral performance of Free At Last grabbed such public attention that it served as the theme of Dan Rather’s CBS News cast that day. In 1991, CMCH presented the first major Juneteenth concert to be held indoors at Houston’s Wortham Theater. In 1995 the daughter of William Grant Still who is considered to be the dean of African-American composers so appreciated CMCH that of all the national 100 birthday, she chose to celebrate his birthday with a workshop and a performance of his music performed by CMCH’s Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra. Other notable performances include accompanying pop superstar Beyoncé as she sang the Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXXIII.