Imani Winds &
Cory Smythe, Piano
Revolutionary aka The Civil Rights Project

Saturday, March 21, 2020 | 8:00 pm

Baldwin Auditorium

March 16, 2020: Important Announcement: Remainder of Duke Performances spring season cancelled

Dear Friends,

Due to precautionary measures related to COVID-19, Duke University has temporarily suspended on-campus classes and is postponing all events with an expected attendance of more than 50 people taking place both on- and off-campus.

Sadly, we must cancel all Duke Performances presentations, both on- and off-campus, for the remainder of our spring season, through May 16.

We wish these changes weren’t necessary, but under the circumstances an aggressive course of action is justified to protect public and community health.

We will do our best to present in the future the artists impacted by these cancellations.

The Duke University Box Office will issue refunds to patrons holding tickets for presentations through May 16. Tickets purchased with a credit card will be refunded to the card of purchase. If card of purchase is expired, refund will be issued via check. Tickets purchased via check or cash payment will receive a check reimbursement sent to the address on record. All refunds are expected to be completed within 8 weeks. Thanks for your patience as we work to expedite refunds.

We thank you for your support of Duke Performances and look forward to seeing you at our presentations in the future.

Until then we wish good health for you and your loved ones as we endure this unprecedented challenge.

With best wishes,

Scott Lindroth
Vice Provost for the Arts
Duke University

Eric Oberstein
Interim Director
Duke Performances

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Imani Winds has never shied from activism. From its very founding, the ensemble has been dedicated to expanding the wind quintet repertoire, exploring non-European musical traditions, and recruiting culturally and racially diverse collaborators. Revolutionary aka the Civil Rights Project puts this dedication in the forefront, reflecting the past, present, and future of the movement which still surges on.

Following an arrangement of Sam Cooke’s anthem “A Change is Gonna Come,” Imani Winds performs several commissions from the past dozen years. Frederic Rzewski’s Sometimes, commissioned by and premiered at Duke Performances in 2015, celebrates the legacy of John Hope Franklin. Vijay Iyer’s Bruits takes on race relations and gun violence in America and features pianist Cory Smythe, known for his collaborations with Tyshawn Sorey and Hilary Hahn, among others, while Jason Moran’s Cane — a reference to his ancestral home near the Cane River in Louisiana — treats the impact of slavery within his own family history. Imani founder Valerie Coleman’s Bronzeville, also featuring Smythe on piano, commemorates poet Gwendolyn Brooks, setting three of her poems to incidental music.