Claflin University News October 21, 2010 Claflin University Faculty Duet Receives Record Deal and Historic Opportunity Two faculty members from the Claflin University Department of Music have received a recording contract to resurrect the unpublished scores of African-American composers. Dr. Meisha Adderley, assistant professor of music and piano, and Stacey Holliday, music instructor and accompanist, are set to record the first-ever piano duets inspired by African-American composers. The not yet titled album will be released in spring 2012 by Albany Records, one of the most prominent classical records labels in the nation. “It will be challenging because many of these works have never been published. We feel they deserve to be heard and enjoyed,” Adderley said. Holliday added, “I was very surprised honestly. Albany Records is extremely prestigious. It was a huge undertaking for us. It's very exciting.” The two met after Adderley returned to Claflin from sabbatical in early 2009. They immediately struck up a friendship and began performing duets. “It's a rarity to find two classically trained African-American pianists actively performing at the same institution,” Adderley noted. The harmonious duo began conducting research on African-American composers which led them to the archives of the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College in Chicago. What the pianists found was a wealth of unpublished works. Inspired by the composition of notes on paper, Adderley and Holliday decided to breathe some auditory life into the works by recording a demo in the studio. They also performed these songs at venues across the country over the last year. Adderley and Holliday were part of a recital on campus this February which celebrated the works of African-American female composers. Both were particularly intrigued by the Chicago-based composer Dolores White. Adderley described White's music as a blend of European, Cuban and African-American influences. Selections from White will be featured on the album as well as compositions from William Grant Still, the first person of color to conduct a major symphony orchestra and who is often referred as the dean of African-American composers. Adderley noted there will be a composition from her husband, Dr. Cedric Adderley, assistant vice president for academic affairs at Claflin, on the album. In addition to duets, Holliday noted there will also be solo pieces as well. Recently, the Claflin pianists were contacted by Albany Records President Susan Bush who commended them on their choice of repertoire and their “fine playing” on the demo. Bush was so impressed she extended an offer for a record deal, which the Claflin duo happily accepted. The album also received a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, which will assist in paying for the cost of manufacturing and distribution. The Copland Fund awards grants to projects which encourage and improve public knowledge and appreciation of contemporary American music. Holliday noted they have already recorded a significant amount of material for the forthcoming album. The duo hopes to continue what they started by releasing more records featuring unpublished work in the future. The goal of the album is to spark an interest in previously unknown African-American composers, she said. “As we move farther into the 21st century with a transformed interest in the music of African-Americans, the duets and solo works by African-American composers on this album will be veritable treasures for listening, analysis, future study and performance,” Adderley said. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.