Black Chamber Music Collective
D-Composed
“Excellent cohesion within the ensemble and their ability to acoustically summon electronic-like spurts” - Donna Lee Davidson (I Care If You Listen)
D-Composed is a Chicago-based Black chamber music collective that celebrates Black culture and creativity through the music of Black composers.
We aim to make classical music experiences inclusive and reflective of the Black experience by intentionally creating experiences that meet our community where they are.
“D-Composed gave a stellar performance, leaning into a diverse set of fluid, disjointed, reserved, and brash musical styles. By noticeably having fun with the program, they made the complex electroacoustic music dance, evoking visible enjoyment in the audience. The music and on-stage interviews complemented and built upon the other, advancing the mission of D-Composed to “break down preconceived notions, barriers, and opinions of what classical music should be,” and fashioning a new vision for the future of representation in classical music.” - Donna Lee Davidson (I Care If You Listen)
The Early Creators: Florence Price
We're going back to the late 1920s to learn about an early creator whose music still leaves an indelible mark today.
For this video lesson, we're taking a trip to 1929, about two years after Florence Price settled in Chicago. Hear the quartet perform her String Quartet in G Major II. Andante Moderato - Allegreto.
This composition is Florence Price's first string quartet.
Experimentation & Improvisation: Jessie Montgomery
Explore more experimental sounds and hear how the ensemble improvises throughout the music of today's contemporary composers.
With Jessie Montgomery's Voodoo Dolls, hear how West African Drumming influences the rhythms played on their instruments.
See the many ways that each ensemble member adds their flair through improvisation to tell the story of Voodoo Dolls.
Music of the Diaspora: William Grant Still
Hear how music and stories of the Diaspora influence many of the compositions you hear today.
In this lesson, you'll move and groove to the rhythmic sounds of William Grant Still's Danzas de Panama, which features a collection of Panamanian folk songs.
The string quartet performs Movement 1: Tamborita and Movement 3: Cumbia y Congo.
When you hear the drumming in Cumbia y Congo, it may sound like there are African influences, but soon you'll catch onto the Latin melodies.
2025 D-Composed ABC Interview
Chicago's Black chamber music collective "D-Composed" appeared on ABC7's evening streaming show last fall. Now, the talented musicians are collaborating with acclaimed artist and South Side native Jamila Woods.