Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated composer, trumpeter, pianist, and true Renaissance man, Terence Blanchard, will return to Bayou City for a special evening of celebration.
This Saturday, Blanchard will perform for one night only as the University of Houston – Downtown marks its 50th anniversary with “Terence Blanchard Live for UHD: Film Scores, Jazz, and Beyond.”
An eight-time Grammy Award winner and two-time Oscar nominee, Blanchard has composed scores for nearly two dozen Spike Lee projects, *The Woman King,* and more. He’ll be joined by his band, The E-Collective, along with student musicians from the UH Moores School of Music.
“Education has always been extremely important to me,” says Blanchard, who retired from teaching just last year. “You have to put students in real-world situations to help them understand what it’s like to play on a professional level.”
Blanchard, a trailblazing composer, made history with *Fire Shut Up in My Bones,* which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 2021. It became the first opera by an African American composer in the Met’s 138-year history and was based on the memoir of New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow. *Fire,* along with Blanchard’s earlier opera *Champion,* won Grammy Awards for Best Opera Recording.
Blanchard recalls his unexpected journey into opera, “I never thought I’d write an opera. My father loved opera, so I heard a lot growing up. To see the most talented musicians on the planet performing something I wrote—it’s indescribable.”
Blanchard also brought a fresh perspective to opera for his performers, encouraging them to draw from their backgrounds in church, jazz, and R&B. “We want you to bring all of that back and use it to express yourself,” he explained.
With a portfolio spanning *One Night in Miami,* *Red Tails,* and *Genius: MLK/X,* Blanchard’s work has woven soundtracks that enhance diverse stories. His talent even found its way into the Magic Kingdom, where he created music for Disney’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a ride inspired by *The Princess and the Frog.*
“I had so much fun working on that,” Blanchard said, smiling. “We created about 90 minutes of music with a full radio show to entertain guests waiting in line. It was a blast.”
Catch this unforgettable night with Blanchard on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the University of Houston Cullen Performance Hall. Tickets are still available.
