“Let us take you on a musical journey as we celebrate Black History Month.”
Pegasus Opera Company invite audiences to indulge in a night to celebrate the Legacy and Hope of Black History and Diversity in the form of a digital concert featuring the renowned Sir Willard White, Alison Buchanan (Artistic Director of Pegasus Opera Company), Ronald Samm, Themba Mvula and the sixteen diverse opera mentees from our inaugural Opera Mentorship Programme (Class of 2020). The concert will also feature London based rapper Kharleone who worked with Pegasus Opera Company reimagining Rule Britannia to reflect our modern and diverse Britain in light of the recent Proms controversy.
Hosted by actress Martina Laird (Blitz, Casualty, Eastenders, Great Performances), this wide ranging, exciting concert features songs arranged by Felix Cross MBE celebrating the Windrush generation and settings of Langston Hughes poems by various black composers. The large ensemble of emerging and renowned established diverse classical artists will be joined by Pegasus Opera Company’s World Digital Choir, a community chorus of non-professionals from around the world, coming together in unity to share their passion for singing during the difficulties and social isolation due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
“For more than 25 years Pegasus Opera Company has fearlessly paved the way for diverse talent in Opera and Theatre championing harmony in diversity, which is the heart of everything they do, they support artists from culturally diverse backgrounds helping them to hone their skills, working within the community and schools making opera accessible, fun and affordable for all.”
Alison Buchanan, Soprano & Artistic Director of Pegasus Opera Company
With the Black Lives Matter movement currently dominating the news cycle, this is a critical and positive moment for programmes like Pegasus Opera Company’s Opera Mentoring Programme to contribute to making a difference in the arts industry, by offering opportunities that enable artists of Black and Asian heritage to thrive and flourish under the mentorship of those who have been at the forefront of diversity in the arts. This concert is just one of many career development opportunities for our emerging artists and both educates and entertains audiences at a time where we can’t be in the theatre together.
For over 25 years Pegasus has supported artists who have incredible talent but lack opportunity and this programme has provided an enhanced opportunity to offer a high quality mentoring experience from the safe, accessible convenience of their own home during this difficult Coronavirus pandemic that is still affecting every life, particularly heavily on arts professionals, today.
London is the cornerstone of British diversity and this celebration showcases the tremendous diverse talent Britain has to offer and highlights the next generation of professional opera artists of African and Asian heritage.
Pegasus is excited to have one of our mentors, countertenor Joshua Elmore to be interviewed on his experience as a mentee with the Opera Mentoring Programme and to promote the upcoming Legacy and Hope Concert on Focus on Africa TV which runs on BBC World TV every week day at 18.30. The interview will be filmed at the internationally renowned Renaissance theatre, The London Colosseum. The interview is currently set to be aired on the 23rd October 2020 and will also feature an interview with Alison Buchanan, Artistic Director of Pegasus Opera Company. The BBC have recognised the importance of Pegasus Opera Company in their striving to break down the elitist perceptions so often associated with Opera and the importance in the mentoring programme in making opera accessible to the next generation of diverse classical artists