Grammy-Winning Violinist Melissa White to Perform with Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra
Acclaimed violinist Melissa White, a founding member of the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet, will perform with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra later this month in a concert featuring works from a trio of composers.
White joins the TSO for "Into the Light" on Monday, October 19 at 7 p.m. at Moody Concert Hall on the University of Alabama campus.
In a press release to the Thread, TSO said Music Director Adam Flatt will lead the orchestra through a program built around White's performance of Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto, alongside Jennifer Higdon's blue cathedral and Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 2.
Donna Boles is sponsoring the evening.
White is a first-prize laureate of the Sphinx Competition, the national contest that showcases young Black and Latino string players, and her resume since has stretched well past the standard concert circuit.
TSO said she has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Boston Pops and the Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras. She also recorded a violin solo for the soundtrack of Jordan Peele's Us and has shared stages with Alicia Keys, Pharrell, Bruno Mars and Lauryn Hill.
Through the Harlem Quartet, White has worked to connect classical music to jazz and other traditions, including collaborations with Chick Corea and Gary Burton. She also co-founded Intermission, a program that folds yoga and meditation into the practice of making music.
"Melissa's career reflects the connection we want people to experience at TSO—the discovery that orchestral music belongs in a much bigger musical world," TSO Executive Director Natassia Perrine said. "We're thrilled to welcome her to Tuscaloosa and invite our community to hear her artistry up close."
Tickets and additional concert information are available at TSOonline.org or by phone at (205) 752-5515. More about White is available at MelissaWhiteViolin.com.
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