Malachi Brown is a versatile cellist and composer who brings a distinct neo-Romantic sensibility to his interdisciplinary work across concert music, film, and animation. For his Recomposing America project, ACF has commissioned Malachi compose a new chamber work for Sugar Hill Salon titled It’s Black, It’s U.S. The collaboration highlights the uniquely American notion of Black/Afro-American music within the historical context of Harlem’s impact on American culture. The septet featured on the performance includes violinist Frédérique Gnaman, violist Javen C. Lara, cellist Rahel Lulseged, flutist Meghan Bennett, clarinetist Richard Adger, bassoonist Alexander Davis, and hornist Priscilla Rinehart. About the Commission “It’s Black, It’s U.S.” is a play on the phrase “For Us, By Us,” from the apparel brand FUBU. The piece is a love letter to Harlem as a center for Black creativity. The abstract musical narrative considers the subtle yet ongoing gentrification of the neighborhood as an example of more widespread gentrification of Black culture. Weaving together Malachi’s personal experiences with Black historical narratives, the composition celebrates the beauty that shines from Black culture in a world that often refuses to recognize its glorious nature. Free event; doors at 7:00 p.m. Recomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions, institutional collaborations, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who,” “what,” and “why” of the United States, and the stories therein.
