LECTURE RECITALS

As a doctoral student at The Juilliard School in New York City, Raymond Jackson entered the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree program with a major in Piano Performance and the credentials of an internationally recognized concert pianist. After completing 3 years of intensive piano study and research, he expanded his performance career as an advocate who would bring public attention to those composers of African descent whose works were instilled with such qualities of excellence that merited performances on the concert stage and study in classrooms and teaching studios.

For over 3 decades Dr. Jackson has sought to fulfill this mission throughout the United States and in distant countries. As both solo and lecture recitalist he has shown that whether one plays Bach or Ulysses Kay, Haydn or the Chevalier de Saint Georges, Brahms or Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Chopin or Hall Johnson, Clara Schumann or Dorothy Rudd Moore, Debussy or William Grant Still, Barber or George Walker, Copland or Adolphus Hailstork–many of the compositions of these and numerous other composers of African descent demonstrate pinnacles of excellence in spirit and craftmanship.

The cultural heritage of Black composers is musically and culturally rich. Dr. Jackson’s Lecture Recitals directs the listeners’ attention to influences and musical idioms that often reference folk, rag, spirituals, jazz or blues. Identifying and defining many of these inherent characteristics are in themselves lessons in Black history and ethnic culture, whether as derivatives from Africa, the West Indies, South America, or the United States. The listener quickly learns to recognize pentatonic and blues melodies, cakewalk and jazz rhythms, and call and response patterns. With many audiences their rhythmic and vocal participation is an exciting component of each presentation.

By programming traditional classical repertoire along with this new, vibrant and colorful music, Dr. Jackson’s exquisite pianism and communication skills bring unique learning and entertainment experiences to public schools, college campuses, local teacher organizations, and concert audiences around the globe.


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“His performance of George Walker’s
Sonata No. 1 made an eloquent case [for programming more works by African-American composers].”
-Allan Kozinn (The New York Times)
http://www.query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.htm



“Raymond Jackson brings more than entertainment to his listeners.”
-The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA)



“Jackson puts black composers in the spotlight.”
-Newport This Week (Newport, RI)



“Raymond Jackson gets audiences to realize that there is a wealth of classical black American music just waiting to be heard.”
-Providence Sunday Journal (Providence, RI)



“Every minute of your presentation was enlightening. It was a fine educational hour for all those who heard you.”
-Dr. Karen Wiley Sandler, President (Penn State-Abington)



“He skillfully demonstrated elemental points of music in a way that could educate tyros without boring more sophisticated sorts.”
-Shreveport-Bossier Times (Shreveport, LA)



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