After two successful years, Black Lives in Music (BLiM) and Warner Classics have launched an expansion in their partnership, which aims to nurture the next generation of classical talent and remove barriers for Black and underrepresented musicians and composers.
As the partnership enters its next phase, five young artists from BLiM’s The Next Movement cohort have been paired with prominent industry professionals for a new mentorship programme. The participants include cellist Hoda Jahanpour, clarinettist Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson, singer/pianist Michael Howell, pianist Teddy Otieno and singer/pianist Zara Williams.
The mentors they will be paired with are: Sean Michael Gross, vice president at Warner Classics UK and North America; KaraTamir Mukerjee, strategy and innovation specialist at Warner Classics; Andrew Howell, vice president of Sync at Warner Chappell Music; Harriet Wybbor, the general manager at the Royal Philharmonic Society; and Sam McShane, artistic director at Kings Place.
This year’s programme was launched at an event held at Warner Chappell Music’s London office. Alongside the partnering, mentees were given the opportunity to tour the Warner Chappell Music studios, network with other industry professionals, attend the second annual Classically Black Networking Breakfast, and participate in a Q&A with pianist Shani Diluka.
Born in Monaco to Sri Lankan parents, Warner Classics artist Shani Diluka was the first student from the Indian subcontinent to graduate from the Paris Conservatoire with the highest honours. Her mentors included Martha Argerich and Leon Fleisher. Deeply committed to education and mentorship, Diluka’s work - which ranges from exploring the link between Beethoven and Indian Ragas to leading excellence classes in Monte Carlo - encapsulates the programme’s mission of blending heritage with innovation and inspiring a more inclusive classical future.
