ABOUT THE CONCERT
Chamber Music Detroit is thrilled to welcome Detroit Symphony Orchestra cellist Cole Randolph to the Black Artists Black Composers Series. A native of Washington, D.C. who has performed at the White House and the Kennedy Center, Randolph famously balanced his cello studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in mathematics and economics before earning a permanent chair in the DSO cello section in 2021.
For this performance, Randolph brings his characteristic technical precision and expressive depth to a brilliant, vast, and structurally demanding program. The recital anchors itself in two profound multi-movement pillars: Adolphus Hailstork’s magisterial Sonata for Solo Cello (24 minutes) and T.J. Anderson’s evocative Spirit Songs (20 minutes), alongside the rigorous Sonata for Solo Cello by Anthony Randolph. Balancing these sweeping, grand-scale narratives are brief, poignant snapshots of modern brilliance, including Carlos Simon’s meditative Silence and Tomeka Reid’s kinetic Volplaning. Seamlessly shifting from lone virtuosity to collaborative dialogue, the program culminates in an intimate, yet-to-be-disclosed duet for viola and cello, perfectly capturing both the expansive scale and intimate nuances of Randolph’s exceptional artistry.
SNEAK PEEK
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Cole Randolph
Cole Randolph, a Posse Foundation Leadership scholar, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison holding degrees in mathematics, music performance, and economics. Randolph was born and raised in Washington DC and began playing the cello at the age of five. He has performed in many venues including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The White House.
Randolph studied cello under Uri Vardi and has performed in masterclasses for various artists including Alban Gerhardt, Clive Greensmith, and Timothy Eddy. Throughout his collegiate studies, Randolph participated in a myriad of musical and non-musical activities. In the summer of 2016, he had the unique opportunity to participate in the Leadership Alliance program at the University of Chicago, conducting mathematics research under the supervision of Dr. Benson Farb. Randolph presented his findings at two research symposia in Illinois and Connecticut.