Tag Archives: Cartography Project

Kennedy Center Launches Anti-Racism Commissioning Project

 The Kennedy Center—with its resident companies, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and Washington National Opera (WNO)—will commission works by composers of color, responding to racial crimes and injustices across the US. 

The initiative is called the Cartography Project—named for its intention to be a musical map, tracing events that have caused outrage and activism. The goal is to promote healing and understanding, and the commissioning organizations hope that fellow arts organizations will be inspired to take up similar projects.

Some of the shorter orchestral commissions may be debuted by NSO virtually as soon as this fall. NSO and WNO musicians are members of Local 161-710 (Washington, D.C.).