Conductor Cailin Marcel Manson leads Carnegie Hall Premiere of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Piece

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New York, NY – February 27, 2025

On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, at 1:00 PM, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall will be the setting for a concert of extraordinary cultural and historical significance. Among the featured performances, renowned conductor Cailin Marcel Manson (Clark University, Longy School of Music of Bard College, Opera Vermont, New England Repertory Orchestra) will lead the New England Symphonic Ensemble in a Carnegie Hall premiere performance of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s Grass, Poem for Piano and Orchestra.

“Conducting Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s Grass at Carnegie Hall is both a profound honor and a deeply personal experience,” says Manson. “Perkinson was a masterful composer who seamlessly wove together classical traditions with his influences and essence, deeply rooted in the Black musical experience. His work is one testament to the richness of our cultural heritage, and I am thrilled to bring his piece to life on this historic stage for the very first time.”

This event, presented by MidAmerica Productions, features a diverse program that celebrates folk influences and choral masterworks. The lineup includes Skalkottas’s Five Greek Dances, Warlock’s Capriol Suite, and Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, under the baton of conductor Marco Alibrando. Following Manson’s direction of the Perkinson work and Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia X in B minor, the event will conclude with Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, conducted by Sterling Poulson and performed by an impressive lineup of participating choruses from across the United States, including the Clark University Choir, which Manson leads.

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson: A Legacy of Musical Excellence and Cultural Advocacy

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932–2004), named after the Black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, was a trailblazer in the world of classical music. A New York native, Perkinson was a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, later studying at Princeton University and training in conducting under Franco Ferrara and Dean Dixon, another pioneering Black conductor. His diverse career spanned jazz, film scoring, dance, and orchestral composition, making him a pivotal figure in American music history.

Perkinson was a fierce advocate for Black musicians and composers. In 1965, he co-founded the Symphony of the New World, the first racially integrated orchestra in the United States, and later became its music director. His career included work as music director for both the Jerome Robbins American Theater Lab and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, highlighting his ability to navigate multiple musical worlds with expertise and artistry. His compositions reflected influences as wide-ranging as Bach, Bartók, and Stravinsky, blending European classical traditions with elements of jazz and African American spirituals.

His orchestral work Grass—Poem for Piano and Orchestra, which will be performed at this concert, is a poignant example of his ability to merge lyricism with rhythmic complexity, creating a piece that is both deeply emotional and technically sophisticated. Clark University’s Yelena Beriyeva will be featured as the piano soloist.

Cailin Marcel Manson, Conductor

As an accomplished baritone, conductor, and educator, Cailin Marcel Manson has been a steadfast advocate for diversity and inclusion in the world of classical music. Currently serving as Professor of Practice in Music and Director of Music Performance at Clark University, Chair of Vocal Studies at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, Music Director of Opera Vermont, a Conductor-in-Residence at the Walnut Hill School For The Arts, and the Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of the New England Repertory Orchestra, Manson has worked tirelessly to uplift underrepresented voices in the field. His leadership in this Easter Sunday concert is both a tribute to the enduring contributions of Black composers and a testament to the necessity of diverse representation on the world’s greatest stages. 

Manson made his acclaimed Carnegie Hall conducting debut with MidAmerica Productions in March 2023, leading Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, becoming the second black person in the performance history of Carnegie Hall to conduct the work at the historic venue. Shortly thereafter, MidAmerica Productions appointed Manson as their Artistic Consultant, and he has since returned to Carnegie Hall numerous times to conduct masterworks in performance.

Beyond his passion for music, performance, and teaching, Cailin Marcel Manson is also known for his distinctive sense of self-expression, particularly through fashion. Whether on stage or off, his personal style effortlessly blends historical and modern influences, often seen in long, flowing lines, Mindy Lam brooches, high-fashion accessories, flared pants, platform cuban heel boots, elaborate capes and shawls, and striking hourglass silhouettes. Manson’s signature “#MaestroLewks” have been recognized by Ladies of Madison Avenue, New England Public Radio, and even in a meeting with renowned shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, further cementing his status as a style icon in the classical music world.

Tickets start at just $25

This season, MidAmerica Productions once again will offer limited $10 rush tickets available one hour before the concert at the box office, first come, first served. 

Student and senior discounts are available at the box office with ID. All tickets go on sale to the general public 90 days before the concert date via Carnegie Hall. For single tickets call CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or visit carnegiehall.org. Box Office is located at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. For group sales of 10 or more, contact groupsales@carnegiehall.org or call 212-903-9705. 

Sunday, April 20, 2025, 1:00 PM

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

On April 20, 2025, conductor Cailin Marcel Manson takes the podium at Carnegie Hall to lead the New England Symphonic Ensemble in a powerful Carnegie Hall premiere performance of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s Grass—Poem for Piano and Orchestra and Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia X in B minor. This concert, presented by MidAmerica Productions, also features works by Skalkottas, Warlock, Bartók, and Gjeilo, celebrating a rich tapestry of classical and folk influences. Tickets from $25.  BUY TICKETS

Click here for a complete 2025 season press kit

ABOUT MIDAMERICA PRODUCTIONS AND MIDAM INTERNATIONAL 

For over 40 years, MidAmerica Productions has brought together conductors, soloists, and choral and orchestral ensembles from the U.S. and abroad to appear at New York’s top venues,  including Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Weill Recital Hall, and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall; and Alice Tully  Hall and Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall) at Lincoln Center. In addition to presenting orchestral and choral works, MidAmerica Productions has championed contemporary composers with 98 World Premieres, 38 United States Premieres, and 121 New York  Premieres. 

In 2004, MidAm International, Inc. was formed to support MidAmerica’s growing presence in  Europe. Since then, concerts have taken place in countries throughout the world, including  Greece, England, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, France, Portugal, Russia,  Ukraine, Slovakia, and Mexico. 

For more information about the 2025 season including the full concert schedule and ticketing details, visit midamerica-music.com/2025-concerts 

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Andrea Niederman, Director of Public Relations and Audience Development • aniederman@midamerica-music.org • 646-355-8244