Kay George Roberts facts for kids

Kay George Roberts, born on September 15, 1950, is a talented American conductor who leads orchestras. She is also a music professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She started and leads the New England Orchestra. Kay George Roberts made history as the first woman and second African American to earn a special music doctorate from Yale University. She is one of only a few female African American conductors around the world.

Early Life and Learning

Roberts was born on September 16, 1950, in Nashville, Tennessee. She started playing the violin when she was in fourth grade. She played with a group called the Cermona Strings Youth ensemble.

Joining Youth Orchestras

In 1964, when she was 14, Kay George Roberts tried out for the Nashville Youth Symphony and got in. This orchestra was led by Thor Johnson. When she was 17, she moved up to the main Nashville Symphony. In 1971, she was chosen to represent the Nashville Symphony in the World Symphony Orchestra. This special orchestra was led by Arthur Fiedler.

College and Advanced Degrees

In 1972, Roberts graduated from Fisk University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. She then went to Yale University School of Music. In 1975, she earned her Master's degree in both Conducting and Violin Performance. A year later, in 1976, she received another Master's degree in Musical Arts in Conducting.

Later, in 1986, she achieved something very special. She became the first woman and second black person to earn a doctoral degree in orchestral conducting from Yale University. This was a huge accomplishment!

Career and Impact

While she was studying at Fisk University, Roberts was a fellow at Tanglewood. There, she worked with the famous composer Leonard Bernstein. She played the violin in his orchestra.

Learning from Masters

At Yale, she learned from a master composer named Otto-Werner Mueller. He helped her get her first chances to conduct big orchestras. She made her debut as a conductor with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and also conducted the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Roberts has also worked with other famous composers. These include Denis de Coteau, Seiji Ozawa, André Previn, and John Eliot Gardiner. She is known as one of the only female African American conductors in the world.

Leading Orchestras and Teaching

In 1982, Kay George Roberts became the main director of the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also been a guest conductor for orchestras all over the world. This includes the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in Switzerland, the Cleveland Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, and the Bangkok Symphony in Thailand.

Since 1978, she has been a professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She is also the founder and musical director of the New England Orchestra. Additionally, she is the main conductor for Opera North, Inc. in Philadelphia. Roberts also started the UMass Lowell String Project. This program helps students from kindergarten to 12th grade get a music education.

Awards and Recognition

Kay George Roberts has received many awards for her work. The U.S. House of Representatives gave her "The Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition." This was for all the great work she has done in the community.

She also received the University of Massachusetts Presidents Public Service Award. The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) named her a Distinguished Alumna of the Year. These awards show how much her contributions are valued.

See also

In Spanish: Kay George Roberts para niños