Black History Month 2018 was a win-win for audiences and the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA) a non-profit arts organization dedicated to supporting Black classical musicians and others in the performing arts by “Bringing Color to the Classics!” Relatively new on the arts scene with a mere three years as a bonafide 501c3 organization, the Prince George’s County based group successfully completed over a dozen Black History Month events, concerts, and recitals since February 1, 2018. Programs included venues in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the Washington, DC area, as well as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Annapolis, Maryland.

“We have a great team working behind the scenes to pull things together,” stated CAAPA Co-Founder Pamela Simonson. “They have worked extremely hard to present strong programs to the community”, the chairwoman of the board emphasized enthusiastically. Simonson is an opera singer with Washington National Opera, who along with her brother piano virtuoso Victor Simonson simply wanted to “give back to the community” almost fifteen years ago when they founded CAAPA together with their mother Terri Allen who serves as Executive Director. Simonson continued by explaining the group holds themselves to high standard to offer quality and not a large quantity programs, but suggested if one is able, “Why not do both?”

The organization is gaining momentum each season with programs inclduing a recently National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) funded MasterCLass Series which partners with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) throughout the United States and CityCONNECT, a program designed to help musicians present a concert in their home town with an exhange debut performance in the Washington, DC metroplitan area. Simonson also mentioned the 2018 Black History Month programs by name including Blacks in Classical Music Panel at Montpelier Arts Center, Tribute to Paul Robeson in Philadelphia, PA, Seoul to Soul: Korean American and African American Musical Extravaganza at Publick Playhouse, Sweet Chariot Negro Spirituals Concert for the Church of the Epiphany’s Tuesday Noonday Concert Series, Voices of the Past Juanita Hall Concert at Montpelier Arts Center, and Time for Love Reception following the Make Time for Love Concert at The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. They also presented an Opera for Fun Youth Outreach Mini Mozart Master Class and two Deep River Recitals for senior citizens. In addition, the group collaborated with the Annapolis Opera to present Arias and Shanties Musical Tapestry Concert in Annapolis, MD, and finished up the month with Black and Brave Musical Tribute to African Americans in Times of War at Harmony Hall, Fort Washington, MD.

“It was also an honor to receive a Proclamation during such a significant month”, Simonson stated going on to explain that a ceremony took place at the Prince George’s County Council Proclamation Ceremony recognizing CAAPA for the continued work in the arts presented by Councilwoman Karen R. Toles and held during the council’s public meeting in Upper Marlboro, MD.

To contact CAAPA for upcoming events or how to sponsor, partner, or host a CAAPA program call 301-839-1444 or email info.4caapa.org. Visit the website for more information Click here