Over the past six months, the halls of Lincoln Center's various performance venues have stood mostly silent, as its partners have sought virtual ways to reach audiences and share music. But one day in August, 15 brass players representing the Metropolitan Opera Musicians, Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York Philharmonic, Mostly Mozart Festival, The Juilliard School and New York City Ballet Orchestra arranged themselves - socially distanced - around the plaza to perform and record a new work, "Invictus," by composer Anthony Barfield. The composition sought to capture the uncertainty and anxiety - but also the resilience and hope - of New York City and its residents amid the Covid-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests.
A Tempo host Rachel Katz this Saturday (9/26 at 7 pm) speaks with Barfield about the thoughts and inspiration that went into composing and conducting the work, including his own reflections on being an African-American composer, and also with Raymond Riccomini, a trumpet player with the MET Opera Musicians and Mostly Mozart Festival, who was one of the performers.
