UPDATE: The concert has been rescheduled for June 19, 2022. 

Soprano Karen Slack makes her Baltimore debut with the two-time Grammy award-winning Pacifica Quartet on May 15.

They will premiere James Lee III’s “A Double Standard” as part of the Shiver Hall Concert Series. “A Double Standard” was co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, Chamber Music Detroit, and Chamber Music Cincinnati Lee III’s music is set to Francis Ellen Watkins Parker’s poem of the same name. Watkins Harper was born free in Baltimore in 1825 and became one the first African-American women to be published in the U.S.

The composer stated that the work is a “musical journey that displays her pain and frustration of the biases against women and the 19th century mindset of sex, gender, and societal roles. The work begins with an extended introduction in the strings that is highly agitated. Once the introduction is completed, the soprano sings a four-note motive on the words, ‘Do you blame me…’ and is frequently utilized when the word ‘blame’ is uttered. One can really sense the righteous indignation in the voice of Ms. Harper as she penned these words.”

The program will also include Prokofiev’s “String Quartet in F Major, Op. 92” and Beethoven’s “String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3, ‘Razumovsky.’” The event is both in-person and has a streaming option for ticket holders.

Following the concert, Karen Slack will conduct a master class at Morgan State later in May and Lee III is confirmed to meet with the Baltimore School for the Arts music students at the end of April.