American Youth Concert Orchestra presents Philip Herbert's "Elegy"

AYPO is proud to be the first orchestra in the Washington DC Metropolitan area to present Philip Herbert's Elegy: in memoriam - Stephen Lawrence". Under the direction of Conductor Doug Martin, AYCO will work with the London-based composer and perform his recent work that symbolizes empathy and paying homage to a young life unjustly lost.

Philip has eclectic interests and has taken the path of a portfolio career, where he has enjoyed combining teaching up to University level, composing, Examining for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music for a period, writing for publication, performing, project origination and broadcasting: as well as developing workshops, masterclasses and residencies across an eclectic musical range, for young people and Adults, of all abilities, in collaboration with some of Britain’s finest musicians.

In 1998, Philip conducted a research trip that took him to the USA, to visit the St Louis Orchestra, Chicago Center for Black Music, Indiana Bloomington University’s Music department - to see the African American Archives for Music: then finally Schomburg Music Center for Research in Black Culture. It was through this trip, that his awareness of the need to promote the hidden repertoire, written by Black Composers of classical music.

In February 1999, he wrote ‘Elegy: in memoriam - Stephen Lawrence, as a gesture of empathy, after watching heartbreaking media footage involving a case of a student. This piece was premiered at the first annual memorial lecture of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, in September 2000: which was given by HRH Prince Charles.

Please join us as our American Youth Concert Orchestra presents this virtuosic piece by Philip Herbert at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center on November 21, 2021 at 3:00pm.

Read more about Philip Herbert here.

Purchase tickets to the Sunday, November 21, 2021 concert here.