Valerie Coleman is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

and

flutist The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

as well as the creator of the

wind quintet A wind quintet, also known as a woodwind quintet, is a group of five wind players (most commonly flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon). Unlike the string quartet (of 4 string instruments) with its homogeneous blend of sound color, the in ...

Imani Winds Imani Winds is an American wind quintet based in New York City, United States. The group was founded by flutist Valerie Coleman in 1997 and is known for its adventurous and diverse programming, which includes both established and newly composed w ...

. Coleman is a distinguished artist of the century who was named

Performance Today ''Performance Today'' is a Peabody Award-winning classical music radio program, first aired in 1987 and hosted since 2000 by Fred Child. It is the most listened-to daily classical music radio program in the United States, with 1.2 million listen ...

's 2020 Classical Woman of the year and was listed as “one of the Top 35 Women Composers” in the Washington Post. In 2019, Coleman's orchestral work, ''Umoja, Anthem for Unity,'' was commissioned and premiered by the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscriptio ...

. Coleman's ''Umoja'' is the first classical work by a living African American woman that the Philadelphia Orchestra has performed. Coleman is known for her many contributions to wind

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small nu ...

and with Imani Winds, she released a number of studio albums with the group, one of which was nominated for

Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many ...

in 2005. A graduate of

Mannes College of Music Mannes School of Music is a music conservatory in The New School, a private research university in New York City. In the fall of 2015, Mannes moved from its previous location on Manhattan's Upper West Side to join the rest of the New School ca ...

and taught by musicians such as Julius Baker, her compositions frequently incorporate diverse styles such as

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

with

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...

and often incorporate political or social themes. Her piece ''Umoja'' in 2002 was listed as one of the "Top 101 Great American Works" by

Chamber Music America Chamber Music America (CMA) is an American non-profit organization that provides small ensemble professionals with access to a variety of professional development, networking, and funding resources. CMA's regular initiatives include grants, awards, ...

. She is an alumna of the

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is an American organization dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music in New York City. It is the largest organization of its kind in the country for chamber music. CMS's home is ...

's CMS Two Fellowship program, and a laureate of the

Concert Artists Guild The Concert Artists Guild is an American musical institution, based in New York City and established in 1951. It is dedicated to discovering and nurturing musical talent, and helping musicians start careers. It provides scholarships and grants, and ...

competition.

Early life and education

Valerie Coleman was born and raised in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, in the same West End

inner city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...

neighborhood that boxer

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...

grew up in. Her father died when she was nine, and her mother raised Coleman and her sisters as a single working mother. From early childhood, Coleman had a love for music and a great interest in playing the flute. She started her formal music education in fourth grade, at age eleven. During her early years as a young musician, Coleman was interested in composing music. She started writing symphonies as a hobby, using a portable organ that she had at her home. By age fourteen she had written three full-length symphonies and won several local and state competitions, as well as participating as a flutist in youth orchestra. She is a graduate of

Louisville Male High School Louisville Male Traditional High School is a public co-ed secondary school serving students in grades 9 through 12 in the southside of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is part of the Jefferson County Public School District. History Ninth and Ches ...

. Coleman and all her sisters attended college, and she earned a double

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may ...

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

and flute performance from

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...

. She then graduated with a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in flute performance from

. Coleman studied flute with Julius Baker, Alan Weiss, Judith Mendenhall, Doriot Dwyer, and

Mark Sparks Mark Sparks is the principal flutist of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and an acclaimed teacher and soloist. Early life and education Sparks was born in 1960 and raised in Cleveland and St. Louis, where he studied with former St. Louis Sympho ...

, and composition with Martin Amlin and

Randall Woolf Randall Woolf (born August 23, 1959) is an American composer known for his diverse contemporary works for chamber orchestra, chamber ensembles, and solo players, often combined with digital audio, turntables, and video. He studied composition priv ...

Imani Winds

In 1996, while still a student, Coleman began planning a

ensemble. She chose the name

, Imani being the Swahili word for faith, and sought African American

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...

players who might approach

from a similar cultural background. About her reasons for starting the ensemble: The group grew to five people, with Coleman on flute, Torin Spellman-Diaz on

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

, Monica Ellis on

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuos ...

, Mariam Adam on

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitch ...

, and Jeff Scott on

french horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

. From the beginning the ensemble focused on "championing composers that were underrepresented from the non-European side of contemporary music." The repertoire frequently involves music that is inspired by many different cultures including influences from the music of Africa, Latin America and North America. In 2001 the group won the

competition, and over the following years released five albums internationally on the

E1 Music MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had ...

label (formerly known as Koch International Classics), with many of those tracks composed by Coleman herself. About their musicianship, the ''

New Orleans Times Picayune ''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,

'' stated, "As an ensemble, the Imani Winds cultivate the big, rich sound one associates with classical players -- and they also display the daring, respond in-the moment qualities one associates with a swinging jazz combo." The ensemble was named resident-artists of

, and has appeared in major concert halls throughout the United States. The ensemble has won awards from Artists International and the 2005

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

WQXR-FM WQXR-FM (105.9 FM) is an American non-commercial classical radio station, licensed to Newark, New Jersey and serving the North Jersey and New York City area. It is owned by the nonprofit organization New York Public Radio, which also operates ...

Award for Adventurous Programming, and were honored at the 2007 ASCAP Concert Music Awards.

NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...

named their album ''Terra Incognita'' one of the "5 Best American Contemporary Classical Albums Of 2010," saying "Imani Winds' members have earned a reputation for expanding the recorded wind-quintet repertoire, but in a way that's culturally significant." According to the ''Cleveland Classical'', "Imani Winds have carved a unique path into the world of classical chamber music for themselves through inventive programs, commissioning projects, and educational activities, and above all superb musicianship."

Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival (IWCMF)

In 2009 Coleman conceived and created the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival, which is both an institute and chamber music series on the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

Campus in New York City. The festival attracts artists from the US and abroad. In 2012 composers were added to the roster through the Emerging Composers Program. It involved master classes with composers such as

Mohammed Fairouz Mohammed Fairouz (born November 1, 1985) is an American composer. He is one of the most frequently performed composers of his generation and has been described by Daniel J. Wakin of ''The New York Times'' as an "important new artistic voice". Fa ...

and

Daniel Bernard Roumain Daniel Bernard Roumain (known by his initials, DBR; born 1970) is a classically trained composer, performer, violinist, and band-leader, whose work combines classical music with jazz, hip-hop and rock. Composer In September 2010, ''Dancers, Drea ...

, and the panel of guest artists included Stefon Harris,

Paula Robison Paula Robison (born June 8, 1941) is a flute soloist and teacher. Early life and education Paula Robison was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of David V. and Naomi Robison, an actor. David Robison was a playwright and writer for film a ...

, Carol Wincenc, and

Stanley Drucker Stanley Drucker (February 4, 1929 – December 19, 2022) was an American clarinetist. For nearly five decades, he was principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. According to Guinness World Records, he achieved the longest career as a c ...

Solo career

Coleman made her debut as a flutist and composer at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

in 2004, and prior to that was the understudy for flutist

Eugenia Zukerman Eugenia Rich Zukerman (born September 25, 1944, Cambridge, Massachusetts) is an American flutist, writer, and journalist. An internationally renowned flute virtuoso, Zukerman has been performing with major orchestras and at major music festivals i ...

at Lincoln Center. Coleman was also a featured soloist in the

's Mannes 2000 Bach Festival. She has had performances and premieres at

Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assist ...

The Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

Chamber Music Northwest Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) is an American non-profit organization in Portland, Oregon that is dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music. The organization's main presentation is its annual five-week Summer Festival, that occurs ...

, and

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society is a non-profit presenter of chamber music and recitals and one of the largest organizations of its kind in the United States. It was created, in 1986, by Anthony Checchia and Philip Maneval, its Founding A ...

. Her compositions and performances receive regular play on classical radio stations in the United States, and she has been showcased on the New York classical radio station WQXR. She also appeared on

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

's ''

'', ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'', and '' The Ed Gordon Show'';

WNYC WNYC is the trademark and a set of call letters shared by WNYC (AM) and WNYC-FM, a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations located in New York City. WNYC is owned by New York Public Radio (NYPR), a nonprofit organization that ...

's ''Soundcheck'', and MPR's '' Saint Paul Sunday''. In April 2008 she was featured in ''Flutist Quarterly''. She has received commissions from the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra,

Brooklyn Philharmonic There have been several organisations referred to as the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The most recent one was the now-defunct Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, an American orchestra based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, in existence ...

, The National Flute Association, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, College Band Director's National Association, West Michigan Flute Association, and The Flute and Clarinet Duos Consortium. She has been a teacher for the

, has served on the faculty of the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely ...

's Music Advancement Program and Interschool Orchestras of New York. She's given flute masterclasses at SUNY Purchase, Columbus State,

UMass Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and ...

Utah State Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...

, Norfolk State, and

Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association a ...

, She has also been a composer/flutist in residence with Young Audiences NYC, and completed a mentorship with the

. Coleman is on the advisory panel of the National Flute Association.

Compositions

Coleman is the resident composer of Imani Winds, though the ensemble also incorporates the work of other members and composers. Coleman's style mixes modern orchestration with genres including

and

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural el ...

. She has added a number of works to the

flute repertory This is a list of compositions for flute (particularly the Western concert flute). Solo flute * C. P. E. Bach: ** Sonata in A minor (1763) * J.S. Bach: ** Partita in A minor for solo flute ( 1718) * Luciano Berio: ** ''Sequenza I'' (1958) * Cl ...

, also contributing to the literature for

, full

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

woodwinds Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

, and strings, many of which have been published by International Opus. She often interposes music with the words of historical figures and poets, in some cases using manipulated speeches of people of diverse as

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

, A. Philip Randolph and Cesar Chavez. About her world premiere of ''Painted Lady'', a set of two songs for orchestra and soprano and her first commission, ''

The Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...

'' said "The songs are luminous works, with a tangy but accessible harmonic language, graced with a humanizing sense of melodic line and a mildly exotic rhythmic lilt. They are the work of a major talent, and they should be recorded immediately." The songs used words by African American poet

Margaret Danner Margaret Danner (1915–1984) (Margaret Esse Danner, Margaret Danner Cunningham) was an American poet, editor and cultural activist known for her poetic imagery and her celebration of African heritage and cultural forms. Early life and Chicago ye ...

. Her signature wind quintet piece ''Umoja'' (named for the Swahili word for "unity") in 2002 was listed as one of the "Top 101 Great American Works" by

. Additionally, ''Umoja'' was arranged for orchestra and performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2019. This marks the first time the Philadelphia Orchestra performed a work by a living African American female composer. ''Josephine Baker: A Life of le Jazz Hot'' in 2007 traced the life

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

, receiving a positive review in ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

''.

Academia

In 2018, Coleman was appointed as Assistant Professor of Performance, Chamber Music, and Entrepreneurship; and Director of the Chamber Music program at Frost School of Music, at the University of Miami (FL). In 2021, Coleman was appointed a Clara Mannes Fellow within the Flute Performance and Music Composition faculty at Mannes School of Music, at The New School in New York City.

Awards

*Aspen Music Festival Wombwell Kentucky Award *Michelle E. Sahm Memorial Award at the

Tanglewood Music Festival The Tanglewood Music Festival is a music festival held every summer on the Tanglewood estate in Stockbridge and Lenox in the Berkshire Hills in western Massachusetts. The festival consists of a series of concerts, including symphonic music, c ...

*Meet The Composer's Edward and Sally Van Lier Memorial Fund Award, 2003 * the Wombwell Kentucky Award for study at the Aspen Music Festival, 2003 *Michelle E. Sahm Award for flutists, 2003 *Received the Multi-Arts Production Fund - a grant given to "support innovative new works in all disciplines and traditions of performing arts."

Grammys

List of compositions

Wind quintet

*2001: ''UMOJA'' *2002: ''speech. and canzone'' *2005: ''Afro-Cuban Concerto'' *2006: ''Suite: Portraits of Josephine - 4 Movements'' *2009: ''Red Clay and Mississippi Delta - Scherzo'' *2011: ''Tzigane'' ; ;Arrangements *"Afro Blue - Mongo Santamaria" *"NKOSI SI KE LEL 'I AFRIKA - Enoch Sontaga" (South African national anthem) *''Spirituals, Vol.1'' (" Every Time I Feel the Spirit", "

Steal Away "Steal Away" ("Steal Away to Jesus") is an American Negro spiritual. The song is well known by variations of the chorus: Songs such as "Steal Away to Jesus", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Wade in the Water" and the " Gospel Train" are songs with ...

", "Little David Play on Your Harp") *"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" *Various holiday songs

Chamber music

*2003: ''UMOJA'' for wind sextet *2005: ''Sonatine for Clarinet and Piano'' *2006: ''Maombi Asante - A Prayer of Thanksgiving'' for flute, violin, and cello *2006: ''Suite: Portraits of Josephine - A Ballet in 8 Movements'' for chamber ensemble *2007: ''Suite: Portraits of Langston'' for flute, clarinet & piano *2007: ''LENOX AVENUE'' for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano *2008: ''Des Filmes Epiques'' for wind and string quartet *2009: ''Our God of Voiceless Things'' for choir, wind quintet, and jazz ensemble *2011: ''Four Winds of Ol' Forester'' for flute, violin, cello and mp3 *2012: ''Rubispheres'' for flute, clarinet and bassoon *2012: ''Ruby St. Nola'' for three C flutes *''Pontchartrain'' for flute choir

Orchestral

*2005: ''The Painted Lady'' *2018: ''Phenomenal Women'' *2019: ''UMOJA'' *2020: ''Seven O'Clock Shout''

Concert band

*2008: ''UMOJA'' *2009: ''ROMA'' *2013: ''Arabia'' for intermediate concert band

Solo flute

*2011: ''Danza de la Mariposa'' (

Theodore Presser The Theodore Presser Company is an American music publishing and distribution company located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, formerly King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and originally based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest continuing music pub ...

)

Discography

Imani Winds

;Studio albums *2002: ''Umoja'' *2005: ''The Classical Underground'' (

) *2006: ''Imani Winds'' (E1) *2007: ''Josephine Baker: A Life of le Jazz Hot'' (E1) *2008: ''This Christmas with Imani Winds'' (E1) *2010: ''Terra Incognita'' (E1) *2013: ''Mohammed Fairouz: Native Informant'' ( Naxos Records) *2013: '' Without a Net'' ( Blue Note Records)

Personal life

Coleman lives with her husband, Jonathan Page, and daughter, Lisa.

References

External links

Valerie Coleman's page at Theodore Presser Company
*
ImaniWinds.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Valerie Living people Juilliard School faculty American classical flautists American jazz flautists Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky American flautists African-American classical composers American classical composers African-American women classical composers American women classical composers 21st-century classical composers Year of birth missing (living people) Mannes School of Music alumni Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni 21st-century American composers Jazz musicians from Kentucky Louisville Male High School alumni Women flautists Kentucky women musicians Jazz musicians from New York (state) 21st-century American women musicians Educators from New York City American women educators Classical musicians from New York (state) Women music educators 21st-century women composers 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American musicians 21st-century flautists