Friday Face 5/14!

It’s that time again! This week’s Friday Face is Dr. Nkeiru Okoye! Dr. Okoye is an American composer best known for her opera Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed that Line to Freedom as well as her orchestral work in Voices Shouting Out, and African Sketches, a solo piano piece which has been performed across the world. Dr. Okoye received her doctorate degree from Rutgers University and was the inaugural recipient of the Florence Price Award for Composition. She has also been profiled in both the Music of Black Composers Coloring Book and Routledge’s African American Music: An Introduction textbook. In fact, a recent New York Times article mentioned, “Okoye’s work would make a fitting grand opening for an opera company’s post-pandemic relaunch.”

Dr. Okoye’s work has received high praise, including a proclamation in March of 2020 from the State of Michigan celebrating her “extraordinary contributions” in regards to her piece Black Bottom. This piece was “a symphonic experience” and commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for their centennial season of Orchestra Hall. Currently, she is in the midst of composing pieces for the Cleveland Opera Theatre, pianist Laura Downes, and cellist Matt Haimovitz.

To learn more about Dr. Nkeiru Okoye, be sure to visit her official website: https://www.nkeiruokoye.com/home. You can also watch the entirety of Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed that Line to Freedom, from Dr. Okoye’s Youtube page below! And be sure to let us know who you would like to see on the next edition of Friday Face in our forum!

​