🎶 This event is available to Young Musician’s Pass members. Booking is now open! Tickets are likely to sell fast so don't wait to secure yours💛

YMP members are eligible for up to two pairs of free tickets across a selected programme.

Please note you have to be logged into your account to book. Any questions, drop us a line at [email protected] or call +44 (0) 131 473 2000 (10-4pm Mon-Fri). Booking closes 4pm on Fri 26 June 🎶

Duke Ellington’s Black, Brown and Beige weaves the sounds of blues, spirituals and work songs into a suite for jazz orchestra. Ellington, troubled by clichéd representations of Black culture, felt it was ‘time a big piece was written from the inside’. His ambitious suite gives a powerful account of Black life in America, from slavery, through emancipation, segregation and military service, to a new era of prosperity and cultural assertiveness. 

In the years since its 1943 premiere, Black, Brown and Beige has been hailed as a remarkable musical and political statement. Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra recently released a definitive recording of the work.  

JLCO trombonist Chris Crenshaw conducts and Ekep Nkwelle joins to sing the haunting, melancholy ‘Blues theme mauve’. The orchestra is also joined by emerging stars of the American jazz scene, who will curate a surprise programme to complement Ellington’s masterpiece.    

What to expect at Usher Hall 🎻

Usher Hall is home to our series of world-class orchestras, soloists and operas in concert.

Sit back in the beautiful auditorium, turn off your phone and let the sounds of the symphony wash over you.