‘Oh let me shine like a morning star!’ In the 20th century, music spoke with many voices, but it’s only recently that we’ve truly started to recognise the originality and ambition of the African American classical tradition. The RSNO’s inspirational Assistant Conductor Kellen Gray was born in South Carolina and he’s passionate about the music of pioneers like William Grant Still and William Levi Dawson – as well as modern masters like the Pulitzer Prize-winning George Walker. Expect intense emotions and melodies to spare.