Taking Flight
WDCB’s Gary Zidek catches up with composer Shawn Okpebholo to talk about the backstory behind creating the song cycle, SONGS IN FLIGHT.
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A research project has inspired a completely unique work that combines music, poetry and history. The 12-movement song cycle, SONGS IN FLIGHT, premiered at The Met in New York last year. It’s set to make it’s Chicago-area premiere at Wheaton College on March 11. The project was originally inspired by a Cornell University research initiative called FREEDOM ON THE MOVE, that compiled a database of runaway notices that appeared in U.S. newspapers in the 18th and 19th centuries. The notices were purchased by enslavers who were attempting to track down Black people who had emancipated themselves. The music for SONGS IN FLIGHT was composed by Wheaton-based composer Shawn Okpebholo.
Composer Shawn Okpebholo
