Gateways Music Festival 2025-2026 Sets Fall Festival with Terence Blanchard, Spring Festival in Winston-Salem and more

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GATEWAYS MUSIC FESTIVAL’S 2025-2026 SEASON TO FEATURE
A FALL FESTIVAL CENTERPIECE WITH TERENCE BLANCHARD
AND A GRAND HOMECOMING THIS SPRING IN WINSTON-SALEM

Black classical artistry is in the spotlight from Rochester to Winston-Salem,
with season highlights including chamber works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
and featured appearances and partnerships with American String Teachers Association
and Suzuki Association of the Americas

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Gateways Music Festival, in association with the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music, ignites the season with its 2025 Fall Festival and crowns its 2025–2026 programming with a momentous return to its birthplace in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Festival, celebrated for its mission to connect and support professional classical musicians of African descent, will present an inspiring lineup of concerts, community events and educational programs that highlight artistry, cultural heritage and collaboration around the country.

Taking place October 13–16 in Rochester, the Gateways Fall Festival celebrates tradition and transformation through classical performance, cultural exchange and collective celebration. At the heart of the festival, seven-time Grammy Award-winner Terence Blanchard and his electrifying band, The E-Collective, joins the Gateways Festival Orchestra, led by conductor Damon Gupton for Film Scores Live! — a performance of Blanchard’s iconic film scores — including Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman and Inside Man. Presented in collaboration with the inaugural Soundtrax Film Festival, the concert underscores Gateways’ mission to spotlight the cultural contributions of Black composers.

The festival also features a solo recital by acclaimed pianist David Berry and a concert including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Nonet in F Minor performed by the Gateways Chamber Players — an all-star ensemble of Black classical musicians featuring bassoonist Monica Ellis of the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Imani Winds, cellist Patrice Jackson of the Berklee School of Music, hornist Kevin Newton of Imani Winds, oboist Titus Underwood of the Nashville Symphony, bassist Patricia Weitzel of the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture and others. Educational programming includes the Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings — a free, day-long, immersive program where young string players learn, rehearse and perform alongside Gateways' professional teaching artists.

From intimate recitals to bold orchestral collaborations, the festival celebrates the richness of Black musical excellence and the communal joy of gathering. By celebrating and sustaining the tradition of Black classical artistry, providing a home for musicians who carry the tradition forward and presenting performances that bring together audiences of all backgrounds, Gateways is writing its own classical narrative.         

“At Gateways, music isn’t just heard — it’s felt. It moves through the room, connecting people across time, tradition and lived experience,” said Gateways Music Festival President & Artistic Director Alex Laing. “This fall, we’re not just presenting concerts — we’re creating space for joy, recognition and cultural memory. To see Black musicians performing at the highest level, especially in works by Black composers, is powerful. But to witness that in community — with others who value artistry, history and belonging — that’s transformative. That’s Gateways.”

Resonant Together: Gateways Chamber Players Illuminate Coleridge-Taylor’s Nonet

At the Fall Festival, the Gateways Chamber Players offer a one-night-only performance of collaboration, connection and collective sound. At the heart of the program is Coleridge-Taylor’s rarely heard Nonet in F Minor (1894) — a sweeping work of youthful brilliance by the Black British composer who challenged racial barriers in his time and whose music speaks powerfully to questions of presence, belonging and artistic authority today.

The program also showcases the ensemble in smaller configurations — duos, trios, and other combinations — revealing different facets of the ensemble and the artists, which include violist Jordan Bak of the North Carolina School of the Arts, clarinetist Olivia Hamilton of the Minnesota Orchestra and Sioux City Symphony, violinist Kyle Lombard of the Saint Louis Symphony and rising-star pianist Joshua Mhoon, currently studying at the Juilliard School. The result is a performance alive with listening, dialogue and imagination, honoring both the composer’s legacy and the rare occasion of these artists sharing the stage.

Taking Center Stage: Gateways Featured at 2026 ASTA/SAA National Conference

As part of its 2025–2026 season, Gateways Music Festival is proud to be the collaborative artist at the joint American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) Conference, taking place February 26–28, in San Francisco. Laing will deliver a keynote address, and the Gateways Chamber Players will be featured in a showcase concert. Together, these appearances further Gateways’ mission to center Black classical artistry by engaging directly with the nation’s leading community of string educators and performers.

Gateways on the Airwaves: Expanding Access Through Radio

Launched in 2023, Gateways Radio continues to amplify Black classical artistry through a nationally syndicated, one-hour weekly program airing on stations across the country. Hosted by Loki Karuna, the show blends rich storytelling and powerful performances into a compelling listening experience that extends Gateways’ impact far beyond the concert hall.

Listeners can tune in Saturdays at 4 p.m. on WDAV 89.9FM (Charlotte, North Carolina) at wdav.org/listen, and at 11 a.m. on WXXI Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM (Rochester) at wxxiclassical.org.

Gateways Brass Collective Tours Midwest and South

A pillar of Gateways’ national presence, the Gateways Brass Collective — the only all-Black professional brass quintet in the country — continues its dynamic touring initiative with performances and masterclasses in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Orlando, Florida; Winston-Salem; Atlanta; and Fort Wayne, Indiana, throughout the 2025–2026 season. Through performances, educational and artist residencies and a focus on community, the ensemble models the excellence and accessibility that defines Gateways. The Gateways Brass Collective is comprised of trumpeters Herbert Smith and Courtney Jones, horn player Larry Williams, trombonist Isrea Butler and tuba player Jerome Stover.

Back to the Beginning: Gateways Returns to Its Birthplace in Winston-Salem

In Spring 2026, Gateways returns to Winston-Salem — the city of its founding — for a series of performances, community celebrations and recordings that honor the Festival’s original roots and its founder, pianist Armenta Hummings Dumisani. Programming details will be announced in early 2026.

For complete tickets and Spring Festival information, please visit www.gatewaysmusicfestival.org.

About Gateways Music Festival

Gateways Music Festival connects and supports professional classical musicians of African descent and enlightens and inspires communities through the power of performance. Founded in 1993 by concert pianist Armenta Hummings Dumisani in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the festival relocated to Rochester, New York, in 1995 when Hummings Dumisani joined the Eastman School of Music faculty. Approximately 125 musicians — drawn from major orchestras, top conservatories and the nation’s freelance artist community — participate in each festival. In 2016, Gateways formalized its longstanding relationship with the Eastman School and the University of Rochester, gaining critical infrastructure and support while remaining an independent nonprofit. This deepened partnership enabled the festival to expand programming and build its first professional staff.

Today, Gateways presents a full-orchestra festival each year alongside a growing constellation of programs: an annual chamber music festival; the Gateways Brass Collective, the nation’s only all-Black professional brass quintet; the Gateways Chamber Players, an all-star touring ensemble; and ongoing residencies and special projects. In 2023, Gateways launched Gateways Radio, a one-hour syndicated radio program heard nationwide, featuring music and stories from Black classical artists. Through all its work, Gateways builds an abundant, joyful home for Black classical artistry — amplifying its legacy, celebrating its present and shaping its future.

For high-resolution photos and promotional materials, click here.

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2025 GATEWAYS FALL FESTIVAL EVENTS AT A GLANCE

Monday, October 13, 2025
Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings
Kilbourn Hall at Eastman School of Music | 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
6:30 p.m. Showcase | Free with RSVP
A free, day-long program for young string players to learn, rehearse and perform alongside Gateways' professional teaching artists, culminating in a joyful concert.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Piano Recital: David Berry
Hatch Recital Hall at Eastman School of Music | 7:30 p.m. | $20
Pianist David Berry performs works by Walker, Liszt and his own arrangements — celebrating Black music and the virtuoso piano tradition with depth and brilliance.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Gateways Chamber Players
Hatch Recital Hall at Eastman School of Music | 7:30 p.m. | $20
An all-star chamber ensemble performs Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Nonet in F Minor and more, in a soul-filled concert of classical depth and expression.

Thursday, October 16, 2025
Film Scores Live! Terence Blanchard with the E-Collective and the Gateways Festival Orchestra
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre | 7:30 p.m. | $25–$75
Terence Blanchard joins the Gateways Festival Orchestra for Film Scores Live! — a powerful celebration of music, culture and legacy, in collaboration with the inaugural Soundtrax Film Festival.

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