What happens when an iconoclast becomes an institution? That question continues to unfold with Julius Eastman. Composing in the heady New York scene of the 1970s and \u201980s, Eastman wrote music years ahead of its time, all while placing his identity as a Black, openly gay man front and center. He died in obscurity in Buffalo, New York, in 1990.<\/p>\n
Decades later, it has become Eastman\u2019s time. Publishing titan G. Schirmer acquired the rights to Eastman\u2019s music in 2018, the same year it purchased a swath of Florence Price\u2019s music. Eastman\u2019s Symphony No. II was widely performed and recorded by the Cleveland and BBC Symphony Orchestras. And three years ago, Stay On It<\/em> (1973) even made its way to NPR\u2019s Tiny Desk Concerts<\/a>, via prolific Eastman advocates Wild Up<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Eastman renaissance took root in Chicago on Aug. 23 with a free presentation of his The<\/em> Holy Presence of Joan d\u2019Arc<\/em> (1981), produced by AfriClassical Futures<\/a>. The local series has long sought a foothold outside of its host institution Elastic Arts, located in Logan Square, with future performances planned on the city\u2019s South Side. This inaugural offsite performance at the Epiphany Center for the Arts \u2014 a church-turned-venue near the United Center \u2014 was a resounding success, drawing around five times the series\u2019 average attendance. The concert had to be delayed by about 20 minutes to scrounge up extra seating for the capacity crowd.<\/p>\n The<\/em> Holy Presence of Joan d\u2019Arc<\/em> is seldom performed due to its unusual instrumentation \u201410 cellos and solo voice \u2014 and steep performer demands. According to AfriClassical Futures co-curators Julian Otis<\/a> and olula negre<\/a>, and conductor\u2013composer Ahmed Al Abaca<\/a>, the concert required years of ideation, several grants, and ample rehearsal time. The performers were drawn from the trio\u2019s network of Black, Latine, and queer cellists: Ev\u00e9 Sanchez<\/a>, Lindsey Sharpe<\/a>, Sajdah Muhammad<\/a>, Alex Moore<\/a>, Nick Reeves<\/a>, King Sophia<\/a>, \u00d3mkara Gil<\/a>, Luis Gonz\u00e1lez, Malik Johnson<\/a>, and negre themselves.<\/p>\n Though separated by generations, Otis and Eastman both came to wider renown as interpreters of the same work: Peter Maxwell Davies\u2019 Eight Songs for a Mad King<\/em><\/a>. Otis brought the same fiery command to the Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan D\u2019Arc<\/em>; he stretched Eastman\u2019s lines to the point of suspended timelessness, assuming the part of saint and oracle. Donning a white hoodie emblazoned with a Black Power fist that contained various terms for Black people \u2014 including the N-word \u2014 Otis was the embodiment of Eastman at his most provocative<\/a>.<\/p>\n With its insistent sixteenth note ostinato and textural density, The Holy Presence<\/em> is a work that lays its physicality bare. The focus and commitment from the Chicago ten-tet was hot to the touch. Dastardly technical moments \u2014 suddenly emerging simultaneities, linked lines across the ensemble \u2014 came off impressively.<\/p>\n As Al Abaca noted in the post-concert talkback, some of The<\/em> Holy Presence<\/em>\u2019s \u201cstruggle\u201d comes from the fact that it is often played sans conductor, requiring the players to trade off cuing at various points in the piece. Here, Al Abaca shepherded the performance, signposting fastidiously and shaping the contour of key lines with emotive, emphatic gestures.<\/p>\n In the same talkback, negre said the performance and rehearsals had been healing after dispiriting experiences in grad school. By the time they moved to Chicago in 2019, they seriously considered quitting the cello. \u201cBucket-list pieces like The Holy Presence<\/em>, I wrote them off as something I never got to do,\u201d negre said. They smiled. \u201cBut I did it today.\u201d<\/p>\n Al Abaca also contributed two partner pieces to complement The Holy Presence:<\/em> One More Angel<\/em>, and Dawn,<\/em> a premiere for 10 cellos and speaker which sets a poem by negre. Originally written for flute quartet, One More Angel<\/em> was recently adapted by the composer for cello quartet; it was adapted yet again for 10 cellos for this concert. <\/p>\n \n![\"AfriClassical](\"https:\/\/icareifyoulisten.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/africlassical-futures-chicago-photo-by-jonathan-woods-1200px-1024x683.jpeg\")