Come As You Are. Leave Transformed.
Learn more about Hannibal Lokumbeโs epic, transformative, and inspirational opera
Join the Nashville Symphony and Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero this April for the world premiere of The Jonah People: A Legacy of Struggle and Triumph by the visionary composer Hannibal Lokumbe. Few artists have conveyed the African American experience as movingly and as powerfully as Lokumbe, who started as a jazz musician with Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, and other greats. Bridging the worlds of jazz and classical music, he has written more than 150 works, many of which have paid tribute to civil rights leaders and iconic historical figures including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., abolitionist John Brown, Malcolm X, and Anne Frank.
In The Jonah People, his first fully staged opera, Lokumbe calls upon his own familyโs ancestry and the parable of Jonah and the Whale, finding commonality between Jonah and those who endured the Middle Passage from Africa to enslavement in the Americas. The Jonah People takes us on that journey, culminating in a celebration of those who persevered, and against all odds, maintained hope and resilience to become artistic, intellectual, scientific, literary, and spiritual visionaries whose contributions have changed our world forever.
Duke Ellington. Maya Angelou. Toni Morrison. Miles Davis. Marian Anderson. Harriet Tubman. Medgar Evers. LeBron James. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The list goes on.
None would exist without the journey, the struggles, and the lives of The Jonah People.
World Premiere: April 13 to 16 | Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Welcome to the Schermerhorn
The Nashville Symphony is widely known for its commissioning of new works from โ and giving voice to โ American composers. The Jonah People: A Legacy of Struggle and Triumph stands out as one of the largest and most significant bodies of work our organization has ever commissioned and produced. I applaud our staffโin particular our operations and artistic team, and our education and community engagement team โ for the two years they have dedicated to mounting this monumental production and shepherding Hannibal's many visits to public schools, churches, universities, and other partner organizations throughout the community.
Hannibalโs music and his story will cause every person in the audience to think about their own heritage and ancestry. To call it โpowerfulโ doesnโt even begin to describe how deeply profound this experience will be, and we are proud that Hannibal chose our orchestraโand our community โ to bring his magnum opus into the world.
Though the subject matter early in the work is challenging, Hannibal's message is ultimately one of peace, love, and transcendence, and a celebration of the American spirit.
We thank you for being here. And we hope Hannibal's prayer comes true: that you leave us today transformed.
Alan D. Valentine
President & CEO
Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero
Music Director
Nashville Symphony
โThe Jonah People: A Legacy of Struggle and Triumph was created to end the suffering of a people, who could then end the suffering of a nation, who could then end the suffering of the world."
โ Hannibal Lokumbe
Bringing the story of The Jonah People to our community
As part of his role in the commission and premiere process, Hannibal Lokumbe embedded himself throughout the Middle Tennessee community, creating personal relationships with people and organizations throughout the region. With Nashville Symphony staff, musicians, and volunteers, Hannibal visited HBCUs, Metro Nashville Public Schools, underserved neighborhoods, houses of worship, and partner arts organizations.
IN GRATITUDEโฆ
The composer is hopelessly indebted to Lillian E. Peterson - Sumai Lokumbe - Haile Lokumbe - Morning Star Lokumbe - Eternal Faith Lokumbe - Amma Lokumbe - Shawn Grimes - Carter Grimes - Nile Peterson - Yohan Lokumbe - James A. Wilson - Carole Haas Gravagno - Alan Valentine - Giancarlo Guerrero - Sonja Thoms - Angelica Franzino-Brown - Kimberly McLemore - The Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Staff - Judy Bergeron - Reid Sharp - Freddy Fletcher - Jim Gray and YOU.