SSQ celebrates Black History Month

Derrick ParkerThe Spokane String Quartet is observing Black History Month at its Sunday, Feb. 20, concert with music by Black composers and a guest appearance by bass-baritone Derrick Parker. The concert begins at 3 p.m. at the Bing Crosby Theater.

Parker has performed with opera companies and orchestras across the country. He is no stranger to Spokane audiences, where he now makes his home. He has performed in several local opera productions and soloed with the Spokane Symphony. He will sing Samuel Barber’s arrangement of the Matthew Arnold poem “Dover Beach.”

Also on the program are English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s “Five Fantasy Pieces for String Quartet”; String Quartet No. 1 by George Walker, the first person of color to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music; and the “Rosa Parks Quartet” by contemporary Haitian-American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain, who goes by his initials, DBR. Roumain has collaborated with artists ranging from Philip Glass to Lady Gaga.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and $10 for students. All seats are general admission and are available at TicketsWest or at the door before the concert. Click here to buy tickets. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test is required for entry into the theater.