Let Us Play

11/12/2024

Candid is a nonprofit that provides the most comprehensive data and insights about the social sector.

https://www.guidestar.org/profile/88-3956035

11/09/2024

https://www.chineke.org/chineke-orchestra

06/15/2024

Listen to Jonathon Heyward from Speaking Soundly. American conductor and cellist Jonathon Heyward is the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. It's remarkable that he's achieved such prominent positions at just 31-years-old. On this Season 5...

06/26/2023

Check this movie out! The Black Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will definitely be performing his compositions!

Now Playing in TheatersInspired by the incredible true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The illegitimate son of an African slave...

06/18/2023

Where are the Black musicians in the country's largest orchestras? An interview from NPR.

04/30/2023

Welcome to Let Us Play!
Let’s Play-Harmonizing Cultures Through Music Incorporated dba Let Us Play, was established in November 2022 to create a working environment in the classical music field to give work to musicians who have been ignored because of race, nationality, skin color, age, and academic background.
A large part of the non-profit is to establish a symphony orchestra based on the style of the New York Philharmonic. The difference with this orchestra is the musicians hired to perform will be a majority minority musicians with the main criteria for the musicians selected to play in the orchestra being talent.
The orchestra will use the same repertoire as the New York Philharmonics' from is beginning days. The repertoire will be from classical symphonic music; ie; Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelsohn, Bach and Mozart.
The name of the orchestra is The Black Philharmonic Orchestra. Its location will be in the borough of Manhattan, New York. The orchestra will open doors to people of color who want to perform in a classical symphonic orchestra. It is designed to attract an audience of people of color to go to its concerts to hear beautiful classical music.
Looking at the personnel of all United States symphony orchestras including those in New York you will see how few people of color are employed as musicians. To say that people of color do not play classical music is a mistake. Classical music is the first taught music in all school grades. Some musicians decide to pursue classical music and some go in a different direction. The point is they all start with classical music training.
Let Us Play has only just begun.

04/29/2023

Musician auditions will be conducted most likely not in person but via video. This will allow musicians who do not live in close proximity a chance to audition without have to travel to New York City.
The wages will be based on the standard Musician Union wage scale. Once the orchestra gets established, we will offer health benefits and vacation pay. “Artist Fees” will apply to soloists hired for a specific concert. This fee will be a standard amount based on the average fee for visiting artist.

04/29/2023

A historian/librarian will be needed to investigate the repertoire. The orchestras' repertoire is based on the same repertoire the New York Philharmonic used in its inception. Getting licensing for the music used will be necessary.

04/29/2023

Finding a conductor who wants to be part of this exciting orchestra is top priority. This conductor will be a person of color.