Brandon Patrick George: The Community Concerto Project - Commissioning, Mentorship, and Community Empowerment
Marco Borggreve
LINKS & ASSETS
Brandon Patrick George: Community Concerto Project Brochure
BOOKING INQUIRIES
Christina Jensen, christina@jensenartists.com
Gina Meola, gina@jensenartists.com
646.536.7864
Brandon Patrick George
Brandon Patrick George is a leading flute soloist and Grammy®-nominated chamber musician whose repertoire extends from the Baroque era to today. He draws on his personal experiences in his commitment to educating the next generation.
Since late May 2020, Brandon Patrick George has received frequent invitations to serve on panels about diversity in classical music, being repeatedly asked what institutions can do to support and reflect the communities they serve. The many conversations, and desire to use his platform for change, has inspired this solo project. Brandon aims to help orchestras deepen their connections with their audiences, inspire young musicians of color, and expand the repertoire with programming that reflects the community in which they serve.
Being raised in a single-parent household and beginning his musical journey at age 10, Brandon experienced many of the inequities that continue to plague the classical music industry. He says, “Looking back, it is apparent that the industry was not designed for people like me to succeed. I did not have resources for a great instrument, and my lessons were free, thanks to being admitted to the local performing arts high school at age 12. Until quite recently, symphony orchestras did little to cultivate ties with the Black community, recruit musicians of color, or showcase Black classical artistry, with the rare exception during Black History Month. To this day there are very few people of color in leadership roles in the arts, and traditionally serving on the board of an artistic institution has required wealth, and social connections, both which the average person of color lacks. According to a 2015 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the median net worth for Black households in Greater Boston is only eight dollars.”
Mentoring and Community Engagement
Brandon will curate site-specific chamber music performances for orchestras that allow him to work with young musicians from underserved communities, alongside musicians from the orchestra. Brandon will identify students to work with on an individual basis and workshop the repertoire that they will ultimately perform, first in a recital, and later during a concerto performance.
Concerto Project
Brandon proposes a new concerto written by a composer of his and the orchestra’s choosing. In addition to the solo flute part, the work will feature students that Brandon will have mentored during his collaboration. The small ensemble of students is not limited to flutes, but any chamber instrumentation that allows students to perform with Brandon for a portion. Having a new commission which tells the story of that community, while also representing the community on stage, would allow the orchestra to deeply reflect Brandon’s mission of helping classical musicians make connections with their city through commissioning and mentoring.
Summary
After years of his work with community music initiatives from Atlanta Music Project, Play on Philly, and many others in nearly every city he has toured, Brandon feels that the heart of his work lies in making meaningful connections with the communities he visits through music. He believes this project could plant the seeds for real growth, and help orchestras fully engage their communities, on and off the stage. An investment in the future of orchestral performance, music education, and community engagement.