The Ritz, which this evening makes its first appearance in the high-profile Shriver Hall Concert Series at the Johns Hopkins University, is among a handful of chamber groups on the national scene showcasing musicians of color. Others include the Imani Winds, founded in 1997; the nearly two-decade-old Marian Anderson String Quartet; and Young Eight, a string octet formed six years ago.
The rise of such ensembles could dispel what Stuart describes as "the myth that African-American classical musicians don't exist." Classical music doesn't attract a huge percentage of the public, regardless of race, but the perception lingers that few blacks are drawn to the genre, either as performers or audiences. Asian-Americans, on the other hand, have a greater presence in the field.
The Ritz has a roster of 15 highly accomplished players, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra's longtime, stellar harpist, Ann Hobson-Pilot.
"I know we're a shock to some people," says Terrance Patterson, the Florida-born clarinetist who founded the Ritz in 2002. "It is a matter of changing perception. It will take time, but we're patient."
'Time for some role models'
Today, it is hard to find counterparts to the kind of mainstream celebrity status achieved decades ago by such eminent African-American artists as contralto Marian Anderson, soprano Leontyne Price and pianist Andre Watts. Fresh examples of that widespread acclaim could inspire more young black musicians to enter the classical field. "It's time for some role models out there," Stuart says.
In the 1980s, as a graduate student at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, the toughest challenge Stuart faced wasn't in the pieces he studied, but in a large mirror on the practice room wall - the reflection of an African-American staring back at him.
"I had to cover it for the first half-year," Stuart says. "I wasn't gaining any confidence from seeing myself. If I had had a Yo-Yo Ma to look up to, I know I wouldn't have had any problem looking into that mirror. I still remember the first time I saw an African-American on a classical album cover, I almost fainted."
Stuart recalls an incident during his student years that left its mark. After he played in a recital at a Baltimore synagogue, a woman approached him and asked, "Where are you from?"
"Baltimore," Stuart said.
"No, where are you from?"
"Park Heights."
"But where are you from?," she persisted. "Your last name is Stuart."
