The Department of Music presents a Faculty & Friends concert featuring the Charlotte Strings Collective, with special guest artist YUNG Citizen. The program includes music by Charlotte Strings Collective members Madison Bush, Adrian Gordon, and Taylor Byrd; historical composers Ignatius Sancho (1729-80), William Grant Still (1895-1978), and Duke Ellington (1899-1974); and a set of original work by YUNG Citizen.
The mission of the Charlotte Strings Collective is to celebrate the music of Black composers through performance and education. The ensemble is composed of students, faculty, and alumni from UNC Charlotte, Davidson College, and Winthrop University; students and alumni from Northwest School of the Arts; members of the Charlotte Symphony; local orchestra directors; freelance musicians; and private string teachers. We first performed together virtually in the Summer of 2020 as a musical affirmation that Black Lives Matter. More recently, we have performed at the College Music Society National Conference, the American String Teachers Association National Conference, the North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference, the Jazz Room in Charlotte, UNC Charlotte, Winthrop University, and in collaboration with the Charlotte Symphony in I am Queen, a 2022 event that honored Black women of Charlotte, and in the 2023 Bridging Musical Worlds, a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Born Christopher Williams, YUNG Citizen, is a recording artist and masterful producer based In Charlotte. Originally from Charlotte, YUNG made his mark on the city’s music scene by working with a variety of artists Including Deniro Farrar, Jalen Santoy, Neako, Dexter Jordan, Deore, & Tecoby Hines. YUNG blends his own unique interpretations of alternative Hip Hop, R&B and Pop to create timeless masterpieces that will penetrate and refresh the inner soul. As founder of his own media company, Citizenship Music Group, YUNG Citizen’s ultimate goal is to create timeless music that inspires the world.
Tickets are $10 and $8. CoAA Faculty, Staff, and Students are eligible for free tickets to this performance. Please log into your Niner account in the ticketing system to redeem.
This concert has been supported by a UNC Charlotte Inclusive Excellence Grant.