Community Music Center Of Houston To Present Women's History Month Concert

The Community Music Center of Houston will present a Women’s History Month concert on Sunday, March 22 at 5:00 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church in Houston. The event will be led by conductor Dr. Anne Lundy, the first Black woman to conduct the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will feature the Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra, one of the nation’s oldest continuously performing Black chamber orchestras, and will highlight music by women composers alongside new works by emerging artists.

Joining Dr. Lundy for the program are several guest artists, including pianist Donna Weng Friedman, composer Stefania de Kenessey, and double bassist Dr. Jacqueline Pickett.

Friedman is a Steinway Hall of Fame pianist and producer who was named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of 2024. She was also among the inaugural recipients of The New School’s Spark Award in 2025 recognizing creativity and impact in the performing arts.

Composer Stefania de Kenessey’s album Shades of Light, Shades of Dark received critical acclaim, and her series Microvids, a collection of piano miniatures with accompanying poems written during the pandemic, has been recorded by Friedman and Broadway performer Krystal Joy Brown.

Double bassist Dr. Jacqueline Pickett is a faculty member at Spelman College and serves as principal bassist of both the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Georgia and the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra. She also performs as principal bass for the Colour of Music International Black Classical Musicians Festival.

The program will include the Texas premiere of de Kenessey’s Microvids, the world premiere of Ahmed Al Abaca’s Bass Concerto, and the third movement of Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1. The concert will also feature new compositions by high school girls from the Houston area, developed through mentorship with CMCH guest artists.

“Our ‘Musical Tribute to Women’s History Month’ supports our Community Music Center of Houston’s mission of researching and performing beautiful but little known musical compositions,” said Dr. Lundy. “After these concerts we are delighted when audience members admit that they knew nothing about these composers’ works and now want to learn more. CMCH is always grateful for audiences’ curiosity and support.”

The performance will take place at St. James Episcopal Church, located at 3129 Southmore Boulevard in Houston. Admission is free and open to the public.