UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 2023 African American Music Festival will take place Feb. 1-4 on the Penn State University Park campus, featuring students and faculty of the School of Music, special guests John W. Jones and the Unified Jazz Ensemble, Maria Thompson Corley (piano), and Lara Downes (piano). The festival is hosted by Anthony Leach and Essence of Joy.
The festival kicks off on Wednesday, Feb. 1, with “Music and Spoken Word” at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall, including performances by Essence of Joy with the Unified Jazz Ensemble and Mojatuba.
The lineup for Feb. 2 includes a Bach’s Lunch concert at 12:10 p.m. in Eisenhower Chapel and “Music of African American Women Composers” at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall, featuring Essence of Joy and the Graduate Brass Quintet.
Feb. 3 highlights include a concert honoring the music of renowned composer and 1951 Penn State alumnus T.J. Anderson, at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall.
The festival concludes with “Color My Music” at 1 p.m. in the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center Worship Hall, featuring School of Music vocal and instrumental ensembles.
For the full schedule, see the College of Arts and Architecture events calendar. Admission is free for all festival events and most will be livestreamed.
Festival funding provided by the Anthony T. Leach and Neal Holter Endowment, University Park Allocation Committee, Penn State Equal Opportunity Planning Committee, and the School of Music.