Orchestra of St. Luke's + Joseph Parrish - Finding an American Voice: Burleigh and Dvořák
May 14, 2026
DATE: Thursday, May 14, 2026
TIME: 7 PM
Flushing Town Hall Gallery, 137-35 Northern Blvd, Queens, NY
Part of Five Boroughs Music Festival's all-five-boroughs tour
General Admission: FREE; RSVP recommended
Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL), joined by baritone Joseph Parrish, celebrates the friendship between Harry T. Burleigh, the pioneering Black American composer, and Antonín Dvořák, the renowned Czech composer that began when the two men met in 1982. Their collaboration, rooted in spirituals and folk music, helped shape a distinctly American sound that continues to inspire us today.
OSL brings that story to the Flushing Town Hall, joined by baritone Joseph Parrish in a program that weaves Burleigh's original songs and spiritual arrangements with Dvořák's Violin Sonatina in G Major--music born from the same conversation, performed together in Queens.
This concert is part of Five Boroughs Music Festival's season finale tour, with OSL performing the same program across all five NYC boroughs: Hostos Community College (BRONX), Snug Harbor Cultural Center (STATEN ISLAND), Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library (MANHATTAN), and Flushing Town Hall (QUEENS).
About the Artists
(Pictured, left to right: Joseph Parrish, Alexander Fortes, and Margaret Kampmeier)
Joseph Parrish, baritone Winner of the 2022 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Joseph Parrish is a Baltimore native with degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School. He made his Kennedy Center debut with Washington Performing Arts and his NYC recital debut at Merkin Hall, and has since performed at the Salzburg Festival, Cincinnati Opera, and the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall. A committed advocate for equity in classical music, Parrish was part of the inaugural cohort of Shared Voices, a program fostering collaboration between Historically Black Colleges and top conservatories in the US.
Alexander Fortes, violin San Diego-born violinist Alexander Fortes is celebrated for his versatility and warmth across orchestral and chamber music. He has performed throughout Europe, Indonesia, South America, and North America with ensembles including A Far Cry, the Knights, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and his playing is featured on A Far Cry's Grammy-nominated albums. His recording of Law of Mosaics was named one of the top ten albums of 2014 by The New Yorker's Alex Ross.
Margaret Kampmeier, piano Pianist Margaret Kampmeier brings a distinguished career as soloist, collaborative artist, and educator to this program. She has performed with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles, Kronos Quartet, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and serves as orchestral keyboardist with the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. Co-founder of the Naumburg Award-winning New Millennium Ensemble, she has taught piano and chamber music at Princeton University and the Manhattan School of Music.
About the Presenters
Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) features New York City's most talented concert musicians and makes its artistic home at Carnegie Hall, where it has performed more than any other orchestra since its debut there in 1983. Founded in 1974 in Greenwich Village, OSL has participated in 120 recordings—four of which have won Grammy Awards—commissioned more than 75 new works, and given more than 200 world, U.S., and New York City premieres. OSL champions composers from historically underrepresented groups in classical music, and its Education and Community Engagement program presents free concerts for thousands of NYC public school students each year.
Five Boroughs Music Festival is a recipient of a 2026 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant, administered by Chamber Music America and made possible with funding from the Howard Gilman Foundation.
Parking Information: Flushing Town Hall has a small parking lot at the rear of the building, which fills up quickly during events. Additional paid parking is available nearby at:
PEC Parking – 35-15 Farrington St, Flushing, NY 11354
The Farrington Parking – 33-66 Farrington St, Flushing, NY 11354
DATE: Thursday, May 14, 2026
TIME: 7 PM
Flushing Town Hall Gallery, 137-35 Northern Blvd, Queens, NY
Part of Five Boroughs Music Festival's all-five-boroughs tour
General Admission: FREE; RSVP recommended
Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL), joined by baritone Joseph Parrish, celebrates the friendship between Harry T. Burleigh, the pioneering Black American composer, and Antonín Dvořák, the renowned Czech composer that began when the two men met in 1982. Their collaboration, rooted in spirituals and folk music, helped shape a distinctly American sound that continues to inspire us today.
OSL brings that story to the Flushing Town Hall, joined by baritone Joseph Parrish in a program that weaves Burleigh's original songs and spiritual arrangements with Dvořák's Violin Sonatina in G Major--music born from the same conversation, performed together in Queens.
This concert is part of Five Boroughs Music Festival's season finale tour, with OSL performing the same program across all five NYC boroughs: Hostos Community College (BRONX), Snug Harbor Cultural Center (STATEN ISLAND), Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library (MANHATTAN), and Flushing Town Hall (QUEENS).
About the Artists
(Pictured, left to right: Joseph Parrish, Alexander Fortes, and Margaret Kampmeier)
Joseph Parrish, baritone Winner of the 2022 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Joseph Parrish is a Baltimore native with degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School. He made his Kennedy Center debut with Washington Performing Arts and his NYC recital debut at Merkin Hall, and has since performed at the Salzburg Festival, Cincinnati Opera, and the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall. A committed advocate for equity in classical music, Parrish was part of the inaugural cohort of Shared Voices, a program fostering collaboration between Historically Black Colleges and top conservatories in the US.
Alexander Fortes, violin San Diego-born violinist Alexander Fortes is celebrated for his versatility and warmth across orchestral and chamber music. He has performed throughout Europe, Indonesia, South America, and North America with ensembles including A Far Cry, the Knights, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and his playing is featured on A Far Cry's Grammy-nominated albums. His recording of Law of Mosaics was named one of the top ten albums of 2014 by The New Yorker's Alex Ross.
Margaret Kampmeier, piano Pianist Margaret Kampmeier brings a distinguished career as soloist, collaborative artist, and educator to this program. She has performed with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles, Kronos Quartet, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and serves as orchestral keyboardist with the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. Co-founder of the Naumburg Award-winning New Millennium Ensemble, she has taught piano and chamber music at Princeton University and the Manhattan School of Music.
About the Presenters
Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) features New York City's most talented concert musicians and makes its artistic home at Carnegie Hall, where it has performed more than any other orchestra since its debut there in 1983. Founded in 1974 in Greenwich Village, OSL has participated in 120 recordings—four of which have won Grammy Awards—commissioned more than 75 new works, and given more than 200 world, U.S., and New York City premieres. OSL champions composers from historically underrepresented groups in classical music, and its Education and Community Engagement program presents free concerts for thousands of NYC public school students each year.
Five Boroughs Music Festival is a recipient of a 2026 Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant, administered by Chamber Music America and made possible with funding from the Howard Gilman Foundation.
Parking Information: Flushing Town Hall has a small parking lot at the rear of the building, which fills up quickly during events. Additional paid parking is available nearby at:
PEC Parking – 35-15 Farrington St, Flushing, NY 11354
The Farrington Parking – 33-66 Farrington St, Flushing, NY 11354
