Gateways Music Festival

Fresh, exciting performances highlighting musicians of African descent.

WSHU will once again air Gateways Radio, a 13-week series celebrating the artistry of the Gateways Music Festival — the only classical festival in the U.S. featuring a majority of musicians of African descent.

Each week, Gateways Radio features powerful performances, music by a wide range of composers, and stories that amplify voices that are too often left out of the classical mainstream. The series will air Sundays at 1 p.m., with a repeat broadcast on Friday nights at 9 p.m. on 91.1, 107.5, and the WSHU music stream.

The Gateways Music Festival Orchestra is a 125+ member ensemble of musicians of African descent under the leadership of conductor Anthony Parnther. Gateways Radio features exceptional compositions and exquisite performances, celebrating the Gateways Music Festival’s mission of connecting and supporting classical musicians of African descent and serving as a source of inspiration, enlightenment, and engagement for communities—especially communities underrepresented in classical music.

Gateways Radio on 91.1, 107.5 WSHU

Sundays at 1 p.m. and repeat Fridays at 9 p.m.

Program 1: September 7, 2025 (repeat September 12)
Gateways Radio returns for Season 2! We open with Edgar Redmond’s Transition in Black, alongside music by Paquito D’Rivera, Brahms, and more.

Program 2: September 14, 2025 (repeat September 19)
This week brings a dynamic mix: Rhiannon Giddens, Duke Ellington, Michael Abels, and Edvard Grieg.

Program 3: September 21, 2025 (repeat September 26)
Gateways musicians engage with works rooted in the Western tradition—Clara Schumann, Dvořák, Joseph Bologne, and an African American Spiritual reimagined in the style of Bach.

Program 4: September 28, 2025 (repeat October 3)
We explore the rich legacy of Black composers across the 20th century, with works by William Grant Still, Jessie Montgomery, Errollyn Wallen, and William Levi Dawson.

Program 5: October 5, 2025 (repeat October 10)
Trailblazing wind quintet Imani Winds takes the spotlight, joined by music from Nkeiru Okoye, Florence Price, and a soulful twist on The Star-Spangled Banner.

Program 6: October 12, 2025 (repeat October 17)
This week honors women in classical music, featuring Margaret Bonds and Florence Price, plus performances by Marian Anderson and violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins.

Program 7: October 19, 2025 (repeat October 24)
Host Loki Karuna highlights today’s living composers whose music resonates with the mission of the Gateways Festival.

Program 8: October 26, 2025 (repeat October 31)
The Gateways Brass Collective takes center stage with a vibrant program spanning Classical and Jazz—from Hummel to Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie.

Program 9: November 2, 2025 (repeat November 7)
We explore compositions shaped by the Black church tradition, featuring William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 3 (“Sunday Symphony”).

Program 10: November 9, 2025 (repeat November 14)
This week showcases the artistry of Black conductors—including Henry Lewis, Antoine Clark, Anthony Parnther, and Michael Morgan—alongside performances by Isata Kanneh-Mason and the Chineke! Orchestra.

Program 11: November 16, 2025 (repeat November 21)
Music born of struggle and resilience: works by Florence Price, Jonathan McNair, Duke Ellington, and Margaret Bonds.

Program 12: November 23, 2025 (repeat November 28)
Live from Carnegie Hall—fiddle-inspired pieces by Dvořák, Stravinsky, and Wynton Marsalis, with a special appearance by stage and screen legend Phylicia Rashad.

Program 13: November 30, 2025 (repeat December 5)
As Season 2 concludes, we look ahead to the future of Gateways with music by Adrian Dunn, Valerie Coleman, William Grant Still, and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson.