Schola Cantorum's New Album to Debut on Jazz at Lincoln Center's 'A Closer Listen' Webcast

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A Closer Look with Seton Hawkins, from Jazz at Lincoln Center

Jazz at Lincoln Center's A Closer Listen with Seton Hawkins webcast will feature a special soft premiere of Schola Cantorum's new album, Wander-Thirst: The Choral Music of Florence Price, at 11 a.m. CST today, Tuesday, Feb. 28, the final day of Black History Month. The curated listening series began broadcasting via Zoom during the pandemic, but has remained online since to reach a broader international audience.

Campus listeners may participate in the event at the following link: jazz-org.zoom.us/j/425502556.

The U of A Special Collections holds the largest archive of Florence Price materials anywhere in the world, and scholarship on her music and life has been abundant in recent years. Price is America's first signifant Black woman composer and the first Black woman to have a piece of music performed by a major American orchestra. Schola Cantorum has performed a number of her choral works from manuscripts dating back to the 2014 acquision of archive materials. The world premiere album featuring Price's choral works will be released soon on the university's student-run record label, Hill Records.

Stephen Caldwell, associate professor of music, commented, "We are very excited to let the world hear this music, and Schola Cantorum is honored to have such a platform to begin the promotion of their album."

Jake Hertzog, assistant professor of music and faculty adviser to Hill Records, said, "We are thrilled for this project and this incredible chance for so many of our students to participate in the launch of a very important record."