Composer Leonard Bopp’s “Christopher Street Liberation Day 1970” to Premiere Sunday, June 28

Music Celebrating 50 Years of Marching for Equality and Gay Rights

(Tuesday, June 2, 2020 - New York, New York) - Early Saturday morning on June 28, 1969, police staged a raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood. Unlike the many previous raids that had taken place at the Christopher Street establishment, this one inspired the bar's patrons to fight back. The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was formed shortly after the riots. On June 28, 1970, a year after the riots, the Christopher Street Liberation Day in New York and the Christopher Street West Association in Los Angeles, a part of the GLF, marked the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, with the first Gay Pride Parades in United States history. The Stonewall Riots, as the days-long protest became known, is credited as the spark that ignited the modern-day LGBTQ-rights movement. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first NYC Gay Pride March on June 28, 1970.

To celebrate the anniversary, composer, conductor, and trumpet player Leonard Bopp has composed Christopher Street Liberation Day 1970, using the text from an archived GLF flyer as the libretto. The flyers were handed out prior to the historic first march. Leonard Bopp’s Christopher Street Liberation Day 1970, written for countertenor and string trio, will have its premiere broadcast on Sunday, June 28, 2020, at 3 PM EST. It features countertenor Luke Paulino, Jeff Pearson on violin, Jay Julio on viola, and David Newtown on cello. The project started at the invitation of Fr. Graeme Napier, Rector at St. John’s in the Village, in New York City’s Greenwich Village. In June 2019, celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, St. John’s Revelation Gallery hosted an LGBTQ art exhibition, and Fr. Graeme invited the young composer to create a special piece for the opening night reception. The performance was filmed and will be featured on the broadcast.

Mr. Bopp shares, “I knew I wanted the piece to be directly related to LGBT history, especially the history of the Stonewall Riots and the early GLF movement, which emerged in the West Village, where St. John’s is located. I did some digging, both online and in archives, and found an image of a flyer for the inaugural Christopher Street Liberation Day in the digital catalogs of the ONE National LGBT Archives at the University of Southern California. The text immediately spoke to me - not only did it document the event itself, but the history and struggle that led to the formation of the gay rights movement. These are challenging times. Remembering and honoring those that stood up for equality in the past, as we profoundly still continue to deal with inequality today, will help us as individuals and as a global community, to maintain the change that has been created.” 

The program on June 28 will start off with newly recorded interviews featuring Fr. Graeme, Mr. Bopp, and longtime West Village resident, owner, and publisher of the highly regarded West View News, George Capsis. Other panelists will be added on the events ticketing page as new guests confirm. The group will discuss the Gay Pride movement and its growth over the years as well as the working process for the young composer. Tickets and links to watch the event are available through Musae.me. The indie record label KeyMedia Music Group is producing the event and simultaneously releasing the mastered audio recording to coincide with the broadcast. Leonard Bopp’s Christopher Street Liberation Day 1970 will be distributed through all major music outlets, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify. Tickets will be available at Musae at bit.ly/liberation-1970 and for more information about the project please visit KeyMedia Music Group’s link: https://bit.ly/2TvRzPv  or LeonardBopp.com. Please note, all ticket purchases for $25 or more will receive a free copy of the music recording (MP3) upon purchase.

About Leonard Bopp: Leonard Bopp is a conductor, composer, and trumpet player who works on solo and collaborative projects that span from the classical repertoire to contemporary music is the founder and conductor of the Blackbox Ensemble, a New York-based new music ensemble devoted to social engagement through contemporary music performance. A graduate of Williams College and Juilliard Pre-College, Leonard currently studies conducting with Kenneth Kiesler at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

About KeyMedia Public Relations: Located in New York City, KeyMedia Public Relations is a results-driven, boutique PR firm and production company-owned and operated by Denise Marsa. The company provides a full spectrum of services, ranging from creative and strategic to advisory. The focus is on arts & entertainment, health, and wellness and non-profit.