The ISM to host Andromeda Turre in “Homegrown Dialogues"

On Saturday, September 20, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music will host a daylong symposium and performances featuring award-winning vocalist and composer Andromeda Turre. The symposium will be convened by Dr. Mark Lomanno, an esteemed ethnomusicologist, jazz historian, and pianist whose work critically examines the intersections between artistic performance, academic study, and sustainable community-building. The event is sponsored by the ISM’s Religion, Ecology, and Expressive Culture initiative. 

Turre was raised in the presence of jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Charles, and is the daughter of trombonist Steve Turre and cellist Akua Dixon. Turre’s emotionally resonant performances have captivated audiences in over seventeen countries across Europe and Asia, as well as in renowned American venues. Turre is also a prominent advocate for environmental causes, a theme which is strongly integrated into her work.

“Homegrown Dialogues: Womanist Perspectives on Spirit, Sound, and Sustainability” will feature a live musical performance by Turre and engaging panel discussions centered around her 2024 acclaimed album, “From the Earth” (listen to the album here.) Turre and Lomanno will be joined by Turre’s ensemble, and scholars and activists who study African American and Indigenous cultural traditions in the arts, public education, and spiritual practices. 

“Homegrown Dialogues” will emphasize the intricate connections between holistic knowledge traditions, ecological sustainability, and expressive culture, focusing on the generations-old traditions of African American women’s community stewardship. As stated by Turre’s collaborator Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter in the composition “Grandmother’s Permission,” “who the soil would speak to is the women who are tied to the Earth and therefore tied to this ancient way of [knowing] we’re all connected.”

The impressive lineup of speakers and performers includes Dr. Wright-Carter, Chelsea Baratz, Richie Goods, Omi Osun Joni Jones, Gene Lake, ELEW, Kameelah Martin, Betty Neals, Drew Tucker, and Aja Burrell Wood.”

The symposium is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register at the link below. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday September 20 in Sudler Recital Hall at Yale University (100 Wall Street, New Haven, CT 06511).  For those who cannot attend in person, the event will also be available via livestream.

For more information, visit the event’s webpage or email Katya Vetrov.

Learn more about the ISM’s Religion, Ecology, and Expressive Culture initiative and view more upcoming events.