The powerhouse behind Imani winds, the ground-breaking and Grammy-winning wind quintet: an MPR Classical Woman of the Year, distinguished artist of the century; and the first living Black woman on the program of the Philadelphia orchestra – following in the footsteps of Florence Price. The composer and flutist, Valerie Coleman. I love her work. She calls herself "an imagery kind of gal" and it’s so true, she takes you on such a narrative journey – it’s almost as if you’re reading a novel or watching a beautiful movie. She is a true storyteller
And all the more impressive since she grew up in a one-parent household, her father having died when she was nine. Born 1970 in Louisville Kentucky – the poverty-stricken south, in a shotgun house in the same neighborhood as Muhammad Ali, she was in grade six when she picked up the flute at school, joined the school band, and by the time she was 14 had written three symphonies, and won several local and state competitions – all encouraged by her mother, who was a big Beethoven fan.
But she didn’t want to play Beethoven. She wanted to be in a wind quintet and we don’t have any wind quintets by Beethoven – the seed of Imani winds was planted there. Meanwhile, she practised and studied, getting into Boston University and later a masters in flute at the Mannes College of Music – that’s where this dates from, Umoja, from a Black History concert she put together in her first year.
And there it was, in New York, that something finally clicked. She hadn’t liked what she called the "smarty-pants" environment of Boston but here, freelancers and Black freelancers were everywhere. She had the name before the music, Imani meaning faith in Swahili, called up the best she knew and Imani has been touring the world ever since.
And Coleman herself, now retired from Imani to focus on teaching and composing, continues to rack up commissions and awards including a Chamber Music America honor for this, Umoja, and APM’s Classical Woman of the Year. She sees herself as a storyteller.
“There are stories yet untold that if they were told,” she says, “would transform all those who would hear them. So it's my job to create music that allows that transformative power to happen”
Valerie Coleman (1970 –)
MUSIC: Umoja: Anthem of Unity
New York Youth Symphony / Michael Repper
Presented by Anna Clyne
Written and produced by Charlotte Wilson for WMHT
