Michael Repper Celebrates 150 years of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor on NPR

Aug. 15 marked the 150th anniversary of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's birth, a composer who gained prominence in his early 20s with two major successes: the orchestral work Ballade in A minor and the secular cantata Hiawatha's Wedding Feast, both from 1898.

On Aug. 1, conductor Michael Repper, violinist and composer Curtis Stewart, and the National Philharmonic released the album Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L'Ouverture ᐧ Ballade Op. 4 ᐧ Suites from "24 Negro Melodies" (AVIE Records), which was specially planned to celebrate the composer's 150th birthday.

“With this project, we aim to preserve and promote the legacy of one of the greatest composers from the turn of the 20th century,” says Repper, who in 2023 became the youngest North American conductor to win a GRAMMY® Award in the Best Orchestral Performance category.

Read Repper’s NPR interview and feature here.

Listen to the new album here.