Gateways Music Festival: Reaching New Audiences

Note: this is a series of our blog posts looking at stories and activities of PBS Member Stations.

As a Media Sponsor, WXXI supported the 2017 Gateways Music Festival, which celebrated the talents of classical musicians of African descent and heightened public awareness of their contributions. This festival offers an opportunity for young professional and student musicians from across the country to meet in Rochester every two years to exchange ideas and revitalize their musical energy. Sixty-five musicians from across the country will be participating in this year’s festival 2019,including young professionals, student musicians, as well as musicians from major orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Originally established in 1993 in Winston-Salem, NC, Gateway’s mission is to increase visibility of African American classical musicians, to provide networking opportunities for them and to establish role models for young musicians of all ethnic origins.