First-time ever --- free MasterClass Series features renowned African American classical musicians in cities throughout the United States helping to “bring color to the classics”.

By definition a master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline. In the case of the first-ever premiere Black national music MasterClass Series® sponsored by the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA), the organization taps into renowned African American MusicMasters® to conduct all of the master classes at performing arts institutions, Historically Black College & Universities (HBCU’s), high schools, and other venues, at no cost to the presenters, students, or attendees. The goal is to encourage African Americans and others to pursue classical music as a possible career, inspire attendees to embrace the art form as a viable option, and to engage students into honing their musical craft through expert advice. Symbolic to the legacy of classical musicians of African heritage, the MasterClass Series® is scheduled to begin during Black History Month, and being presented in cities including, but not limited to Atlanta, GA; Salisbury, NC; Detroit, MI; Columbia, SC; and on Long Island, NY. The recent Baltimore, MD MasterClass®, which kicked off the nation-wide series, was held at Morgan State University with Metropolitan Opera soprano Angela M. Brown serving as the MusicMaster®. Nearly fifty students were in attendance. Setting the standard for the future MasterClasses®, Brown worked one-on-one with eight of those aspiring students; coaching, vocalizing and offering solid and valuable learning tools, serving as a format example of upcoming CAAPA MasterClasses. In addition to the sessions being casual, they are listed on the CAAPA website at www.4caapa.org and are underwritten by CAAPA, helping to substantially finance the venue’s desire to present top-notch MusicMasters® at no cost. While the target audience includes the overall community and are offered free-to-the-public, this season’s scheduled sessions also include Morehouse College and Winston-Salem State University. “We are extremely excited to help make an impact on students and the community throughout the nation”, stated CAAPA’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Pamela T. Simonson, who also sings with the Washington National Opera. “Our goal is part of CAAPA’s commitment to support classical music education, create performance opportunities for aspiring musicians and foster a genuine love for classical music in an underserved community”, the New York native and co-founder continued. Simonson believes it is important to lean on the shoulders of seasoned professionals when offering the MasterClasses, which is why CAAPA called on expert MusicMasters such as George Shirley, Angela Renee Simpson, Issachah Savage, Angela M. Brown, and Morris Robinson, all expert musicians in their own right, to facilitate the MasterClasses. The CAAPA national MasterClass Series® initiative is the first time an African American arts organization has ever offered a program specifically targeting the black audience. Contact 301-839-1444 or masterclassseries.4caapa.org for information regarding sponsorship, to host a MasterClass or serve as a MusicMaster®.