“We felt that there were these incredible musical traditions that we, as an orchestra, have not been in close contact with. There are all these great Black American cultural traditions, ”Miller said.

The Convergence Project, funded by the Carl E. Touhey Foundation, will be a three-year collaboration between ASO, the communities of the Capital Region and nationally renowned artistic partners. It aims to bridge the gap between the orchestra and the black community of Albany by creating a space for musicians to learn about black culture and the black experience through the prism of historical monuments and various forms of art created by black artists.

Friday’s tour was the first of a two-day Convergence Summit that continues on Saturday at the Palace Theater, where those in attendance will participate in workshops exploring three pillars of black art: jazz, hip hop and the Afro-Caribbean styles of the diaspora.

Three world-renowned artists chosen as collaborators for the project will lead workshops on Saturday: jazz violinist Regina Carter, Afro-Haitian dancer Adia Whitaker, artistic director of the Àṣẹ Dance Theater collective; and spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, vice president and artistic director of Social Impact at the Kennedy Center. They will continue to share their talents throughout the duration of the program through workshops and additional performances.

“Orchestras are made up of artists and if we can respect the artists and the arts as opposed to what they look like, what we think they look like or what we think they are supposed to look like, we can appreciate and celebrate different forms of that expression, ”said Jenae Gayle, Director of Education and Community Engagement at ASO.

She said that the culture of the program “really reflects how we can understand and represent the experience of black Americans through these genres with an American orchestra in a way that is not only appropriate butt authentic.”

Friday’s tour for around 20 people gave an overview of the historical significance of the Albany region and African-American roots in the capital. He showed a number of sites: Crailo State Historic Museum in Rensselaer, Empire State Plaza, Schuyler Mansion, the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence for the Underground Railroad walking tour and the Sweet Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.

The early history of African Americans in Albany was described at the very start of the tour by Sam Huntington, assistant interpretive programs at Crailo State Historic Site.

Huntington spoke of the original inhabitants of the Hudson Valley and of the slave trade that followed the arrival of Europeans in America. He explained that the first inhabitants of the area were Native Americans.

The first settlement by the Dutch in the Hudson Valley was Fort Orange in New Holland or Albany today. The settlements were established after Henry Hudson sailed up the river that will bear his name in 1609.

Huntington explained that the slaves arrived soon after and were reportedly captured off Spanish and Portuguese ships by Dutch privateers in the Middle Passage.

Listeners were silent as they listened to every word of this story in Albany, and they expressed appreciation for the efforts of the symphony to tell these stories with appreciation and respect.

“I had no idea how much history is here, so I want to learn more about it through the prism of this project,” said Paula Oakes, longtime violinist with the Albany Symphony Orchestra. .

Miller sees this tour as a springboard for the project and hopes that the events, workshops and performances to follow will engage the various communities of Albany who will create lasting relationships with the members of the orchestra.

“This tour helps to better understand Black Albany, the experience of the Black community in Albany and history,” Miller said. “I hope this will blossom into many different projects that will enrich us more as we move forward. “