The College of Arts & Media (CAM) at the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) will host internationally acclaimed artist Awadagin Pratt as he performs Awadagin Pratt: Black in America on October 4, 2021 at the King Center Concert Hall on the Auraria Campus.

Carried by graphic accounts of being stopped by police for driving while black, Pratt’s performance chronicles his life from the time he was a music student in Baltimore through his ascent to international acclaim. The multimedia performance infuses music, still and moving images created by filmmaker Alrick Brown, and a narrative written and delivered by Pratt. Pratt’s narrative unpacks a pungently accurate portrayal of the routine life experiences that have come to define the Black American experience.

Joining Pratt in this performance is CAM violin professor, Gregory Walker, as well as members of the Colorado Symphony. The October 4th performance is part of the U.S. premiere of Pratt’s social commentary and will represent only the third time it has been performed in America.

October 4^th Concert to Support More Equitable Opportunities for Young Artists

Driven by the shared belief that every child deserves the opportunity to develop a creative life, CU Denver, the Colorado Symphony, Redline Contemporary Arts Center, and Awadagin Pratt invite patrons to join us in creating greater access to artistic life by making a contribution of any size to CU Denver’s LYNX National Arts & Media Camps.

Additionally, CAM is delighted to host Pratt as visiting artist October 3-6^th, during which time he will collaborate with faculty and students to create digital and virtual art pieces. The project is designed to illuminate opportunities for building a more equitable and just society.

In the spring, Pratt will return to Denver to perform Jessie Montgomery’s “Piano Concerto” at the Boettcher Concert Hall May 13^th–15^th. (The piece, composed specifically for Pratt, will be featured on his forthcoming recording, STILLPOINT.) Immediately following the May 13^th performance, the fruit of the fall collaboration between Pratt and CAM will be on display at the adjacent Next Stage Gallery.

Featuring Awadagin Pratt

Among the most celebrated artists of his generation, Awadagin Pratt has performed at venues with addresses as recognizable as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Sesame Street. Pratt studied piano, violin, and conducting at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he became the first student in the school’s history to receive diplomas in three performance areas. He is also the first African American pianist to win an international piano competition. A great favorite on college and university performing arts series and a strong advocate of music education, Awadagin Pratt participates in numerous residency and outreach activities wherever he appears; these activities may include master classes, children’s recitals, play/talk demonstrations and question/answer sessions for students of all ages.

Dates and Details

October 4, 2021

Awadagin Pratt: Black in America
Venue: King Center Concert Hall
            Auraria Campus
            855 Lawrence Way
            Denver, CO 
Time: Doors open at 6:30pm, Performance at 7:00pm
Price: Free, donations for CU Denver's Lynx Camps will be collected

October 3-6, 2021

Awadagin Pratt’s Residency
Venue: College of Arts & Media, CU Denver

May 13-15, 2022

Piano Concerto
Venue: Boettcher Concert Hall
            1000 14th St
            Denver, CO 80202
Time and price: See Colorado Symphony website for times and ticketing information.

May 13, 2022

Spring 2022 Exhibition
Venue: Next Stage Gallery
           1025 13^th Street
           Denver, CO 80202
Time: Immediately following the May 13^th performance at Boettcher Concert Hall
Price: Free