Nkeiru Okoye facts for kids

Nkeiru Okoye (born July 18, 1972) is an American composer and musician. She writes music that often tells stories from American history. Some of her famous works include Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom and The Journey of Phillis Wheatley.

About Nkeiru Okoye

Nkeiru Okoye was born on July 18, 1972, in New York. Her mother is African American and her father was Nigerian. He belonged to the Igbo group.

Nkeiru spent her childhood living in both the United States and Nigeria. She started playing the piano when she was 8 years old. By age 13, she was already writing her own music.

She studied music at the Preparatory Division of the Manhattan School of Music. Later, she went to Oberlin Conservatory of Music, graduating in 1993. She then continued her studies at Rutgers University. In 1999, she conducted her piece "The Creation" at Rutgers. The famous actor Danny Glover narrated parts of this work.

Her Musical Works

Nkeiru Okoye has created many important musical pieces. Her music often explores historical events and important figures.

Voices Shouting Out

In 2002, Okoye wrote Voices Shouting Out. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra asked her to create this piece. It is one of her most well-known works.

The Journey of Phillis Wheatley

In 2005, Okoye worked with writer Carolivia Herron. Together, they created a piece for orchestra about Phillis Wheatley. Phillis Wheatley was an important poet from history. Okoye included some musical styles from Ghana in this work.

Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom

Okoye's opera, Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom, was first performed in 2014. An opera is a play where the story is told mostly through singing. This opera tells the story of Harriet Tubman. It also shows the lives of enslaved Africans on plantations.

Okoye received a special grant to help her finish this opera. She said she wanted to write about "a woman who did great things and survived." The opera also features other historical figures. These include William Still and Samuel Green.

Invitation to a Die-In

In 2017, Okoye wrote Invitation to a Die-In. The Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra first performed this piece. It was created to remember Trayvon Martin and other young Black men. They lost their lives due to violence.

The words for Invitation were written by David Cote. During the performance, percussion instruments sound like gunshots. Some orchestra members even fall as if they have been hit.

Charlotte Mecklenburg

For the 250th anniversary of Charlotte, North Carolina, Okoye wrote Charlotte Mecklenburg. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra asked her to create this piece. It is about 12 minutes long.

This work shows the diverse history of the city. It also includes a reference to Keith Lamont Scott. He was a victim of police violence. The percussion section in the music refers to this event.

Okoye is currently on the Board of Advisors for Composers Now!.

Awards and Recognition

Nkeiru Okoye has received several important awards for her music.

In 2020, she was the first person to receive the Florence Price Award for Composition. In 2021, she was named a Guggenheim Fellow. This is a very respected award for artists and scholars. Okoye was also named composer of the month in February 2024.

See also

In Spanish: Nkeiru Okoye para niños