Throughout our history, and to this day, artists from marginalized groups — including the Black community and women — have faced barriers to entry erected around historically white institutions and arts organizations. On Friday, April 8, 2022, at 1:45 p.m. ET, The Unanswered Questions: Opening the Gate examines this issue, as well as the various means by which artists have challenged the status quo and successfully broken down these barriers, while making new spaces for creative expression. The conversation was inspired in part by the backlash within the classical music establishment to the Grammy nominations of Black artists Curtis Stewart and Jon Batiste, whose works were considered by some to be not truly classical.
The fifth installment of The Unanswered Questions — the new series presented by the NY Phil and John Jay College of Criminal Justice delving into complex societal topics raised by the Orchestra’s programming — will feature a panel comprising Stewart, the Grammy-nominated violinist who previously participated in NY Phil Bandwagon; Anna Glass, executive director of Dance Theatre of Harlem; and Edward Yim, chief content officer and senior vice president at WQXR. Ethnomusicologist Dr. Fredara Hadley, a professor at The Juilliard School and a previous Unanswered Questions panelist, will moderate the discussion.
The full discussion will be streamed live on the Philharmonic’s Facebook page. Previous installments of The Unanswered Questions series are available to view on YouTube; Opening the Gate will be added at a later date.
