By Sean Yoes, AFRO Baltimore Editor, syoes@afro.com
Venerable Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia will be the home of the world-renowned Soulful Symphony for the summer. Over the years the Soulful Symphony has re-energized American music through the prism of the essential Black American cultural experience.
The Soulful Symphony, a 75-piece American symphony orchestra, was founded by Darrin Atwater in Baltimore in 2000. Under his guidance, Soulful has presented an extraordinary blend of genres including, Gospel, Soul, Pop, Hip-Hop and Jazz around the globe.
Darrin Atwater is the conductor and founder of the Soulful Symphony. The orchestra will perform this summer at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. (Courtesy Photo)
The three-show season for Soulful Symphony will launch this weekend, June 29, with a performance of #soulfulsetlist. On July 28, Soulful will continue with Slang. The orchestra will end the summer with Under an Open Heaven on September 14.
Atwater, a native of Washington, D.C., made his orchestral debut as both a composer and pianist in May 1995 with the National Symphony Orchestra.
Atwater, who is a composer, music producer, film composer, educator and arts advocate, has served as an exemplary ambassador for classical music artists of color. He has performed with a diverse list of musical titans including: Kathleen Battle, Jennifer Holiday and Wynton Marsalis.
He has been a guest conductor with the Dallas Symphony, Memphis Brass, Columbus Symphony and from 2004-2007 Atwater was Composer-In-Residence with the Baltimore Symphony.
