For many CMPI fellows, most of their interaction with classical music is focused on music of the past written by composers who tend to be long dead, European, and male. But here in the Chicago area, we are fortunate to be surrounded by living composers telling the stories of our time and history from a wider range of perspectives. One of these storytellers is Shawn Okpebholo, a Nigerian-American composer and composition faculty member at Wheaton College.
Just a few months ago, Okpebholo was named the 2024 Chicago Classical Musician of the year, an honor that speaks to his importance as a composer reflective of our time, place, and history. He’s remarked about his disdain for absolute or non-descriptive music, always making sure his works tell stories that are important to him as a Black man and father existing in today’s world.
One of his Chicago-based compositions, the piano trio city beautiful, tells the stories of three architectural masterpieces from different periods: Jeanne Gang’s Aqua skyscraper, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, and Daniel Burnham’s Union Station. Visualizing architecture in musical terms, especially beloved Chicago buildings that all of us recognize, combines the visual, aural, and structurally utilitarian, forcing the listener to connect different artforms in unexpected ways. Other recent Chicago-related works include a chamber work addressing redlining, or the process of marginalizing black and brown areas of cities, perpetuating poverty and segregation.
A recent album on the Chicago-based Cedille label includes Songs in Flight, a collection of art songs with texts taken from runaway slave advertisements that reimagine traditional slave songs in contemporary musical language. Another song on the album, “Sing, O Black Mother,” blends spiritual themes with a complex harmonic structure. His music is powerfully poignant, beautiful, and tends to hit deep into your soul.
That’s not to say all his works are serious in nature. He recently composed a comedic opera for the Chicago Opera Theater called The Cook-Off, a very relevant take on a reality cooking contest. Even within the overall comedy, however, you will find themes that challenge the racial bias of history – even if only in regard to mac and cheese.
Okpebholo’s background reads much like an American success story, though he is careful to note that he was lucky to be given opportunities, and the system needs to change to make sure everyone can get the same kind of support. He grew up in the projects of Lexington, Kentucky, the child of a mother working three jobs, and received his initial musical training from a Salvation Army program. He was also fortunate to receive compositional mentoring from the band composer James Curnow, who happened to attend his church. He followed a traditional path through music education at the college level, receiving masters and doctoral degrees in composition from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, before taking on his role in academia at Wheaton College.
He continues to try to foster the talents of his students and musicians, including those in CMPI, making sure they have opportunities for success.
Here are a few works to get you started listening to Shawn Okpebholo:
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Shawn Okpebholo headshot