Historians of art and culture may not currently take into full account that Black culture and creativity are a part of every musical institution’s foundation that we currently see today. D-Composed, a Black chamber music collective, exists to ensure that we never forget it.
Led by its mission to uplift and empower society through the music of Black composers, this Chicago-based creative incubator serves as a bridge between the past and the present, connecting to the future of representation, music-centered experiences, and the communal power of Black composers and their lasting impact.
Music is not just solely entertainment; for this collective, music is a storytelling tool that educates and inspires. Unapologetically, Blackness is at the core of its experience; protecting, nurturing and sustaining are on the other side. At the heart of it lies the collective’w impact: the people who make up these experiences, whether as musicians, creatives or community members.
As a Black ensemble that focuses exclusively on the works of Black composers, D-Composed ensures that it partners with institutions that have a proven commitment to communities of color. The Chicago-based ensemble with global impact has been presented by Apple, Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, TUCCA in São Paulo, Brazil, the Kaufman Music Center in New York and TEDx. While merging the worlds of contemporary music and classical, D-Composed also has collaborated with esteemed artists across genres and disciplines, including Jessie Montgomery, Pamela Z, avery r. young, Jamila Woods, Davóne Tines, Sudan Archives, Plínio Fernandes and New York Times best-selling author Tricia Hersey.
In fall 2025, D-Composed was named as one of the inaugural creative partners at artist Theaster Gates’ latest space-based project, The Land School.
The walls that exist to keep Black people out of America’s most beloved cultural institutions are meant to be scaled and then dismantled by the creative architects who are bold enough to build against the status quo.
The meaning of the collective’s name embodies that boldness in action.
D–COMPOSED /DEE-KUHM-POHZD/ – ADVERB: Our creative process that involves the breaking down of preconceived notions, barriers and opinions of what people think classical music should be to rewriting our own narrative to reflect what the classical world could be.
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSO by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
