San Francisco Conservatory of Music welcomes the public to its free Black Student Union Concert on Feb. 28. Reservations are required as Barbro Osher Recital Hall has a capacity of only 200.
“Unity, Celebration of Sound” is the theme of the concert, that presents music by Terence Blanchard, Florence Price, and James Weldon Johnson, among others.
“Unity represents bringing all different ways that Black folks celebrate Blackness, the joy and power behind it,” said Jay Hernández, leader of the Black Student Union who is studying Roots, Jazz, and American Music (RJAM) at the Conservatory. Set to graduate in a few months, Saturday’s concert will be her last at the school.
Hernández wants to go out on a note of positivity and unity. “I am very excited to see what the world has to offer but very sad to leave this community at SFCM behind. For this concert, it feels great to bring in all these musicians from different walks of life, and have this performance be a success,” she said. “I wanted to really emphasize in our community all the different types of Black art.”
The concert will include performances by children from the Third Baptist Church, dancers from SF Ballet, and original music from The Black Excellence Band. “People can expect a powerful, intentional, high-energy experience showing our true definition of Black excellence,” Hernández said.
The evening opens with a pre-show DJ set by Pablo Blanc, then moves through classic repertoire, including a Tchaikovsky ballet excerpt and Mahalia Jackson's “Amazing Grace.” The program then expands into original works, that Hernández says “push artistic boundaries.”
"Sometimes we get so caught up in our own world of jazz and classical music. With this performance, I wanted to bring all types of art. That’s why for this concert we will rap, dance, and sing. That is what the BSU is all about, lifting the art of the entire Black community,” Hernández said.
She calls attention to the concert’s finale of original music by The East Bay Anointed Voices. “To see the joy on everyone’s faces is going to be great,” she said. “People are going to be fulfilled, and feel different after leaving. In this collaboration concert, people will be introduced to a lot of artists that have been doing great musical work in the Bay Area that they may have not have heard of yet, but they will leave fans.”
Despite external challenges and funding threats, the Conservatory continues to integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into its core mission, focusing on expanding representation in classical music through initiatives and community partnerships, like Bridge to Arts and Music (BAM)
The Onde Trio, teenagers from the conservatory's pre-collegiate program, will be featured in the concert. They were selected as semifinalists for the Coltman Chamber Music Competition, and are currently fundraising to participate in Austin, Texas, from March 7-8.
Members of the trio are violinist Sydney Li-Jenkins (15), cellist Elan Dorman Mackenzie (16), and pianist Kamil Iny-Woods (16). They began studying at SFCM in 2023, and have been presenting passionate interpretations of collaborative classical music to diverse audiences. They were recently featured on NPR’s From the Top.
“This concert represents the Black community, generations of resilience, and centuries of culture and creativity. It is incredibly meaningful to be included in something that honors that legacy,” said Onde Trio violinist Li-Jenkins. “This will be the trio’s second year, and my third year, performing in the BSU concert, and it’s such an empowering experience to share the stage with so many people who look like me.”
The trio’s name is inspired by the Italian word for wave — onde. To them, it is a nod to the quality of the sound (waves) they create together, the waves of the San Francisco Bay, and the waves in their hair.
“We have scheduled extra rehearsals to prepare for the BSU concert. Having the support of SFCM — coaching and masterclasses with world class chamber musicians — helps us so much as we develop our collaborative voice,” said cellist Mackenzie. “In SFCM's Pre-College, we recently had the opportunity to have coaching with Stella Chen on Sviridov's piano trio, which we will play at the BSU concert, and she really helped us make more of a story through our playing.
“This piece, written during the Siege of Leningrad, tells a story of destruction and devastation, as well as loss and mourning. I hope in our playing we are able to convey the emotions of anger and sadness that people may have right now. We’re so excited to bring this to the BSU concert, which last year showed us the importance of joy through music and community.”
