Karen Slack is what clout looks like in the classical music business. Her touring recital, titled “African Queens,” is proof of that.
She dreamed up the material herself, then lined up some of the industry’s hottest composers to write the music. She found multiple sponsors wiling to support the project, and a long list of venues eager to present it.
And that is what an innovative idea and a very impressive voice will get you in the opera world.
Karen Slack will perform the Colorado premiere of ”African Queens” Oct. 2. (Kim Caldwell, provided by Primo Artists)
Though, Slack said, she was surprised herself over the positive responses that poured in when she asked her managers to shop around an idea to create a program of songs honoring historic female figures from Africa.
“Apparently it was a very easy sell, but I think it was the subject matter. I really do,” she said in a recent interview. “Presenters and audiences are hungry for new stories, and they’re hungry for new voices.”
That includes Denver’s own local presenter, Friends of Chamber Music, which showcases the program on Oct. 2 at the Newman Center on the University of Denver campus. For the solo vocal recital, Slack will be accompanied by pianist Kevin Miller.
Friends was among seven classical-minded groups around the country that co-commissioned the work, which was also funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The program will feature all seven songs from “African Queens,” each based on individual figures “celebrated as rulers but rarely recognized in the Western world,” as the program notes put it. That includes such works as composer Shawn Okpebholo’s “A Letter From Queen Ufua”; Joel Thompson’s “Queen Nanny’s Lullabye”; Jessie Montgomery’s “The Song of Nzingah”; and Damien Geter’s “Amanirenas.”
All of the music writers are part of a loose network of composers, from both the U.S. and Africa, known as the Blacknificent 7 (a play on the famous movie “The Magnificent Seven”), which has been getting a great deal of media attention. The other composers in that group are Dave Ragland, Jasmine Barnes and Carlos Simon.
Each of the musical elements of “African Queens” is about 6 to 8 minutes long. The songs are connected by a narrative text that Slack shares with the audience.
Slack has had considerable success as both a recital performer and as a cast member of major opera productions. Her resume is full of greatest-hits moments at places like the Metropolitan Opera House and Carnegie Hall. She has made records and toured extensively appearing with orchestras and ensembles internationally. She is also involved in the industry itself, teaching, serving on advisory boards — and commissioning fresh music like “African Queens.”
Slack said she initiated the new work so that she would have solid material to sing herself on stage. She has performed some big roles — her breakthrough moment was a turn in Verdi’s “Luisa Miller” in 2005 — but still she found opportunities limited.
The standard opera repertoire, and even the new works being written today, “put women, or Black women, in a box,” she said. “You know, we have to play someone’s mom or play someone’s wife,” she said. “The opportunities to play powerful, strong, transformative characters are just not there.”
So, she took matters into her own hands, and she did it in the recital world where singers tend to have a little more control over what they sing — unlike the big opera houses where artistic directors hold sway over every note. Slack connected with Jay Saint Flono, a librettist colleague who joined the effort early on. The pair dug through facts and images and examined historical records and came up with a list of queens who were crucial enough to inspire songs, Slack said.
“We condensed it down to about 15 queens who we gave to the composers for them to choose from,” Slack said.
Karen Slack has performed at the Metropolitan Opera and via stage recitals across the globe. (Provided by Primo Artists)
The members of the Blacknificent 7 parsed the list for stories they found inspirational and created their pieces individually. Some of them asked Saint Flono to write the lyrics. Others worked with librettists they already knew, such as Lorene Cary, Alicia Haymer and Tsitsi Ella Jaji.
In addition to having new, and customized, material, Slack said she is happy to be getting these stories told before audiences. One of her favorites is Queen Amanirenas.
“She was the one queen who defeated Caesar, and we don’t hear about her at all,” Slack said. “We only hear about Cleopatra and Nefertiti, but she ruled for a number of years.”
Slack has big plans for the future of “African Queens.” She is touring it to various music halls with a major stop planned for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in March. Before then, Slack hopes to add more production elements to give the show a richer feel.
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At the Newman Center this week, it will be Slack and pianist Miller front and center. Friends of Chamber Music is adding a few extra selections to round out the evening, such as composer Will Liverman’s “A Prayer.”
Friends is also offering the public two ways to experience the concert: in person or via a livestream of the event, which also will be available for 72 hours after the show. Tickets for both opportunities are on the organization’s website.
IF YOU GO
Karen Slack will perform “African Queens” at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 at the Newman Center on the University of Denver campus. Info: 303-871-7720 or friendsofchambermusic.com.