Amadi Azikiwe, violist, violinist, and conductor, has been heard in recital in major cities throughout the United States, such as New York, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Houston, Baltimore, and Washington, DC, including an appearance at the US Supreme Court. Mr. Azikiwe has also been a guest of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at the Alice Tully Hall and the Kennedy Center. Abroad, he has performed throughout Israel, Canada, South America, Central America, Nigeria, India, Japan, and Hong Kong.
As a soloist, Mr. Azikiwe has appeared with the Prince George’s Philharmonic, Delaware Symphony, Virginia Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Fort Collins Symphony, Virginia Beach Symphony, Roanoke Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Western Piedmont Symphony, Salisbury Symphony, the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra, the City Island Baroque Ensemble of New York, the National Symphony of Ecuador, and at the Costa Rica International Music Festival.
Currently, Mr. Azikiwe is Music Director of the Harlem Symphony Orchestra. He is also Community Engagement Director of the Harlem Chamber Players and a member of the Pressenda Chamber Players.
As an orchestral musician, he has appeared with the New York Philharmonic and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and as guest principal violist of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra.
A native of New York City, Mr. Azikiwe first studied music with his mother, after which he began training at the North Carolina School of the Arts as a student of Sally Peck. His studies continued at the New England Conservatory with Marcus Thompson and at Indiana University as a student of Atar Arad.
Andre Dowell is a strategic arts administrator and thought leader who helps drive national programming and conversations around diversity in classical music. He currently serves as the Chief Programming Officer for the Sphinx Organization, the nation’s leading arts organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. In this role, he oversees all areas of programming. With his organizational career spanning back to 2000, Andre's visionary leadership has propelled the national partner network to encompass over 200 programmatic collaborators, benefiting more than 1,200 alumni, with a digital reach exceeding 100 million people worldwide.
Beyond his role at Sphinx, Andre's outstanding contributions have earned him the distinction of being recognized as one of Musical America's "The Resilient Warriors." Furthermore, he serves as a dedicated board member for prominent organizations, including the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Third Coast Percussion, River Raisin Ragtime Revue, and the Classical Connections Committee within the Association for Performing Arts Professionals, as well as an Artistic Advisor for Intersection Music.
A native of Trenton, Tennessee, Andre’s music career began with piano lessons at the urging of his mother. Despite his initial reluctance to embrace the craft, it was not long before Andre was transformed by an unshakable love of sound. Driven by a passion for music that crystallized in the Southern Black Baptist Church and school ensembles, he would complete Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Percussion Performance at the University of Michigan. Andre resides in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with his daughter and son, along with an expertly curated collection of bowties.
Derek Menchan is an accomplished cellist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his genre-defying artistry. His self-produced debut album, The Griot Swings the Classics (2018), earned critical acclaim, reaching Amazon’s Top 3 on the Best-Selling Contemporary R&B chart twice. Menchan’s distinctive sound and musical approach reflect his studies under world-renowned cellists such as Harvey Shapiro, Janos Starker, Olga Rostropovich, and Laszlo Varga. His training also includes a Master of Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was awarded the prestigious Pablo Casals Award for Musical Accomplishment and Human Endeavor.
Menchan’s career as a performer has taken him to prestigious venues and arts centers worldwide. He has premiered his arrangements and compositions at the Museum of Modern Art in Houston, DiverseWorks Artspace, and the Verizon Center, as well as at the Toledo Museum of Art. As a studio musician, he has collaborated with notable artists such as Mike Dean, former Bill Evans Trio drummer Marty Morell, and guitarist Ed Vitale, who played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
Deeply committed to education and community engagement, Menchan serves as a respected professor at Polk State College in Winter Haven, Florida, where he teaches humanities and directs the Voices of the People Chamber Music Series. He is known for his engaging, interdisciplinary approach and his role as a “mad professor,” inspiring students and audiences alike with his insights into music and the arts.
With roots in Tallahassee, Menchan’s connection to the city extends back to his father’s days at Florida A&M University, where he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Menchan himself joined the fraternity, continuing his family’s legacy. His work with the Javacya Arts Conservatory and involvement in the Arts-in-the-Heart Concert Series highlight his dedication to bringing classical music to diverse audiences.
In addition to his solo pursuits, Menchan is a bass artist for NS Design and is highly regarded for his technical mastery, poetic musicality, and unique ability to blend classical, jazz, and R&B genres. His recent singles, including Don't Dream It's Over, continue to reflect his dynamic artistry and innovation, bridging the worlds of classical and contemporary music.
Born to immigrant parents, Portia Dunkley is a native of Miami, FL with Bahamian and Haitian Caribbean roots. Early on in life, she was introduced to the double bass and continued her studies graduating from The New World School of The Arts in Miami, FL and attended Florida State University where she received both a bachelor’s degree in performance and a Master Degree in Arts Administration. She currently resides in South Florida where she continues the joy of creating music with her husband, jazz trombonist, Waldron Dunkley and daughter Auriel, who also plays double bass.
In 2017, Portia started Teeny Violini, a mobile music education program for preschools and afterschool programs, providing music education services for historically underserved communities, reaching over 600 students from preschool-5th grade through weekly programming.
In 2019 Portia was chosen as a Fellow for the SphinxL.EA.D (Leaders in Excellence, arts and Diversity) inaugural cohort. In that same year she was recognized by the Knight Foundation with an Arts Challenge Grant for her project, Music of the Unsung America, a multi event lecture-concert series that highlights music compositions by Black composers in the shadows of history. This project creates opportunities for Black and Latinx professional classical musicians in South Florida to perform works by Black and other minority composers left out of the “traditional” canon of music. Most recently she was a recipient of the American Composers’ Forum, ACF Connect Fellowship and grant. Inspired by her own experience as a Black woman musician and double bassist and having learned about these Black composers late in her career, Portia hopes that her work with New Canon Chamber Collective will help build communities of belonging, amplify the voices and creative talents of marginalized artists and inspire young people of all cultures to see themselves reflected in classical music.
Dr. Khari Joyner Described by the New York Classical Review as "one of the most exciting young musicians on the classical scene," Dr. Khari Joyner has a following both nationally and abroad as a versatile concert cellist, chamber musician and ambassador for the arts. He has made numerous guest appearances with orchestras and ensembles across the world, including two recent performances of both Saint-Saëns "Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor" and Tchaikovsky’s "Variations on a Rococo Theme" with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which received rave reviews. In addition, he has given many cello masterclasses and lectures at notable institutions, including SUNY Fredonia, Oberlin Conservatory and Clayton State University.
Furthermore, Joyner received the 2017-18 career grant from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund, which nominates and endows a select number of gifted artists with generous funding to further their careers. Joyner has also performed for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, the latter for which he gave a private performance in the Oval Office.
A passionate advocate for the music of the 21st century, Joyner has collaborated and given performances of works by major composers such as Tyshawn Sorey, Carman Moore, Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, among many others. An active chamber musician and one of the founding members of the Altezza Piano Trio, Joyner has given performances as a guest at the Ritz Chamber Players, Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival, Fontainbleau Music Festival and on WQXR as a part of the Midday Masterpieces series.
A graduate of Juilliard’s prestigious Doctor of Musical Arts program, he has had teaching affiliations with Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College and recently joined the faculty at Mannes Prep. He also pursued a mathematics concentration in an exchange program with Columbia University, while studying in Juilliard’s Accelerated BM/MM program. Joyner actively collaborates across genres with many choreographers, actors and jazz musicians and was recently featured as a guest artist for Dance Theater of Harlem and on NPR’s Tiny Desk with Sudan Archives.
Terrance Patterson, a distinguished clarinetist and Jacksonville, Florida native, has garnered international acclaim for his exceptional musicianship and dedication to promoting diversity within classical music. His performances have graced prestigious venues across the globe, including Paris, London, Milan, Brussels, Belgrade, Munich, Amsterdam, Moscow, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York.
Patterson's journey with the clarinet began at the age of 11 under the tutelage of Peter Wright, the principal clarinetist of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. His early passion for classical music was further ignited by listening to WJCT, Jacksonville's public radio station. He pursued formal education at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, earning a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance. Further studies took him to Temple University, where he continued to refine his craft.
Throughout his career, Patterson has collaborated with numerous esteemed orchestras, including the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Sphinx Symphony of Detroit, and the Nashville, Florida West Coast, Huntsville, Festival, and Las Vegas Symphonies.
In 2002, Patterson founded the Ritz Chamber Players, the nation's first chamber music ensemble series comprised solely of accomplished musicians spanning the African diaspora. Serving as Artistic Director, he has been instrumental in presenting a subscription series at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, and at Atlanta's Kennesaw State University. The ensemble is renowned for performing chamber works from the standard classical repertoire, as well as highlighting compositions by contemporary African American composers.
Patterson's commitment to increasing the visibility of African American classical composers and musicians has been a driving force behind his initiatives. Under his leadership, the Ritz Chamber Players have not only performed extensively but have also engaged in educational outreach, fostering multicultural participation in the performing arts.
In recognition of his contributions to the arts, Patterson was named the first recipient of the Ann McDonald Baker Art Ventures Award in 2015, an honor that underscores his impact on the cultural landscape.
Patterson's influence extends beyond performance; he is a pivotal figure in reshaping the classical music scene to be more inclusive and reflective of diverse societies. His work continues to inspire and pave the way for future generations of musicians.
Cellist Tahirah Whittington has performed for audiences in the United States, Chile, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Bermuda, St. Kitts, and Japan. Solo engagements include a performance with the National Symphony Orchestra because of winning 1st prize at the 1999 Sphinx Competition.
Tahirah Whittington, originally from Houston, TX, has performed for audiences in the United States, Chile, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Bermuda, St. Kitts, and Japan. Solo engagements include a performance with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, because of winning 1st prize at the 1999 Sphinx Competition.
She was a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall for the 2007 Sphinx Gala. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Whittington has toured as a member of Core
Ensemble since 2001. Core Ensemble is a trio of cello, piano, and percussion, which collaborates with actors to produce chamber music theater. Ms. Whittington is a founding member of The Young Eight, a touring string octet based in Seattle, WA, and a resident member of the Ritz Chamber Players based in Jacksonville, FL.
She is featured on Cedille Records’ recording of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s unaccompanied cello work, “Lamentations: a Black Folk Song Suite.” Ms. Whittington has been fortunate to also collaborate with jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman and reggae artist Beres Hammond. She has played on the recordings of R&B artists Alicia Keys, Angie Stone, and Joe, as well as gospel singer, Donnie McClurkin.
Ms. Whittington received her master’s degree in Cello Performance from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Joel Krosnick and received her bachelor’s degree at the New England Conservatory as a student of Laurence
Lesser. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral Degree at the Bienne School of Music at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, with Hans Jensen.
Antonio C. Cuyler, Ph.D. is a Professor of Music in Entrepreneurship & Leadership, Faculty Associate in Voice & Opera in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD), and Faculty Associate in the African Studies Center at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Cuyler’s scholarship explores intersections of arts administration, entrepreneurship, leadership, management curricula, creative justice, cultural policy, and experiential learning. His central research question asks: “In what ways can the creative sector ensure and protect the creative justice of historically and continuously low-caste, othered, and subaltern peoples?”
To this end, he has authored Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cultural Organizations: Insights from the Careers of Executive Opera Managers of Color in the U.S., edited Arts Management, Cultural Policy, & the African Diaspora, and co-edited Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Cultural Sector: Initiatives and Lessons Learned from Real Life Cases. Dr. Cuyler has also contributed 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and 9 book chapters.
In 2023, the League of American Orchestras commissioned him to lead the seminal report, Racial/Ethnic and Gender Diversity in the Orchestra Field, and the Hewlett Foundation enlisted him to author Arts Leadership in the Bay Area: A Qualitative Study.
Internationally recognized, Dr. Cuyler has presented his scholarship on six continents and in more than 30 countries. Most recently, he served as a delegate at the 2024 World Opera Forum in Los Angeles. He has moderated thought-provoking panels such as Recentering Black Voices in the Arts, #BlackLivesMatter in and Through the Arts, Truth Telling: The Kinship of Critical Race Theory and Hip-Hop, and Opera: Reflecting on the Past, Reaching Toward the Future. His insights have been featured in interviews, including Q & A with Antonio C. Cuyler and the Michigan Minds podcast.
In 2020, Dr. Cuyler founded Cuyler Consulting, LLC, a Black-owned arts consultancy that partners with cultural organizations to enhance performance and community relevance through Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI). His clients include the Arts Administrators of Color Network, Charles H. Wright Museum, Dance/USA, Chorus America, the League of American Orchestras, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, OPERA America, and Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, among others.
During the 2024-25 season, he will serve as Lyric Opera of Chicago’s inaugural Scholar-in-Residence with Lyric Unlimited. Dr. Cuyler currently serves on the boards of the American Composers Forum and OPERA America and has previously served on the boards of the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras, Association of American Cultures, Florida Alliance for Arts Education, Florida Cultural Alliance, and Arts Administrators of Color.
As a proud first-generation college graduate, Dr. Cuyler has held faculty positions at Florida State University (FSU)—where he became the first Black man in the U.S. to earn promotion and tenure in arts administration—Colorado State University (CSU), Purchase College, SUNY, American University, and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).