Tony & Grammy Winner Cynthia Erivo Will Headline CLASSICAL ROOTS Concert in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announces that the 2016 Tony Award winner for Best Actress in a Musical and 2017 Grammy Award winner, Cynthia Erivo, will headline its enormously popular annual Classical Roots concert at Crossroads Oakley in Cincinnati on Friday, May 5, 2017 (7:30 p.m.).

The British-born singer and actress won a Tony as well as several other high-profile theater awards for her role as Celie in the Broadway production of The Color Purple and also garnered acclaim for her recent performance at the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. She also performed alongside John Legend for the "In Memoriam" segment of the Grammy Award television broadcast on February 12, and also won a Grammy for The Color Purple.

In addition to Ms. Erivo, the chamber ensemble Sons of Serendip, who rocketed to stardom after appearing on America's Got Talent, will also be performing during the concert, as well as participating in various community engagement activities in the week leading up to Classical Roots.

The one-night-only, multi-genre performance conducted by John Morris Russell will again include elements from the classical tradition as well as gospel, Broadway, R&B and spirituals, all celebrating the rich African American musical heritage and bringing together friends and neighbors for a shared concert experience.

Classical Roots started as a program performed by the CSO in churches throughout the region and moved to the Orchestra's home at Music Hall in 2011 where it regularly sells out. This year's performance will be located at Crossroads Oakley due to Music Hall's historic renovation.

The Classical Roots Community Mass Choir, which is comprised of over 100 singers representing dozens of area churches and is prepared by director William Henry Caldwell and several local music ministers, returns as a staple for the annual concert. Also returning is the CSYO Nouveau Chamber Players which features talented African American student musicians who are nurtured through the CSO's education programs. The Nouveau Chamber Players are also celebrating their 10th anniversary season.

In addition, all five of the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows will be performing for this concert. The Diversity Fellowship, supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is a groundbreaking new program in which these string players work on advanced degrees at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music while receiving specialized training with CSO musicians and performance opportunities with the full Orchestra.

Classical Roots will be American Sign Language interpreted. Details about the Sons of Serendip's community engagement activities will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for this concert are $20-50 for adults and $10 for children under 17. They can be purchased by visiting or calling the CSO Box Office at (513) 381-3300 or visiting www.cincinnatisymphony.org/classicalroots.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Cynthia Erivo is a multiple award-winning actress who has made a name for herself on both West End and Broadway stages. Cynthia appeared alongside John Legend singing the 'In Memoriam' segment at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Erivo made her Broadway debut reprising her starring role as 'Celie' in the critically acclaimed revival of The Color Purple. She first played the role in 2013 at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, earning rave reviews, an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination for Best Musical Performance and a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She also earned a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, as well as the Drama Desk Award, Theatre World and Outer Critics Circle Awards, Grammy nomination and a Drama League Award nomination. Cynthia performed at The 39th annual Kennedy Center Honors broadcast on CBS where she sang an illustrious rendition of "The Impossible Dream" in honor of JFK's 100 birthday. Cynthia is also an accomplished songwriter, having written the song, "Fly Before You Fall," for the 2014 feature film Beyond the Lights, which she also performed. In the spring 2017, Erivo will co-star opposite Viola Davis in the Steve McQueen directed film Widows. A UK native, Erivo graduated from the famEd Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Sons of Serendip is a musical group of four friends, who through a series of serendipitous events, came together in graduate school at Boston University. Micah Christian, a former teacher from Randolph, Massachusetts, is the lead vocalist of the group; Cordaro Rodriguez, a former attorney from Charlotte, North Carolina, is the pianist and guitarist; Kendall Ramseur, a former cello instructor from Charlotte, NC, is the cellist and vocalist; and Mason Morton, who is a former teacher from Atlanta, GA, is the harpist for the quartet. They have each been playing their instruments since childhood, but in 2014, they came together to begin what they know will be a long beautiful journey of creating music that touches people's hearts. They hope that their music will resonate deeply with listeners and that, in some way, it will make their lives a little better - even if just for a moment.

Micah Christian, a native of Randolph, Massachusetts, became interested in music at an early age. However, it wasn't until his senior year of high school, when he earned a solo in the Massachusetts Southeastern District Senior Choir, that he realized his potential as a musician. As a freshman at Stonehill College, he decided to follow his passion for music. For the next five years, he spent his summers performing with the Cape Cod-based a cappella group, Hyannis Sound, and his love for music deepened. Alongside Micah's passion for music is his desire to help build a better world. He has volunteered for a year in Honduras, and a month in Calcutta, India with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. Also, in 2013, after graduating from Boston University with a Master of Divinity, he and his wife volunteered in a rural community in northern Peru for another year. As a member of Sons of Serendip, Micah hopes to inspire others to use their gifts to spread love and build a better world.

Kendall Ramseur is a singer-songwriter, composer, and cellist from Charlotte, North Carolina. Kendall's relationship with music began at age seven when his father purchased an upright piano for the family. While excelling in his piano studies, Kendall found his instrument of choice at age 10, "My orchestra teacher laid all the instruments on the floor in the classroom and told each student to stand by the instrument of their choice... the cello really sparked something in me". Kendall chose the cello that day, and one of the ways he would express himself chose him. He then went on to receive his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Boston University, in Music Performance with a concentration in cello. As a member of Sons of Serendip, his hope is that this quartet will inspire others through their music, creating an experience one will never forget.

Mason Morton was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He lived in a house full of love and encouragement with his mom, an aunt, and his grandparents. He always admired his grandparents, and he says he learned his drive, determination, and taste in music from them. His love of music was instilled early on, and quickly became a passion for him. Mason began to see his own potential with the help of his harp mentors: principal harpist of the Atlanta Ballet, Nella Rigell, and former principal harpist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Ann Hobson Pilot. It was their combined confidence in Mason that gave him the courage to believe in himself. After completing his graduate studies at Boston University, he is thrilled his musical journey has led him to Sons of Serendip. It is here he has gained the brotherhood he has longed for. As a member of Sons of Serendip, he hopes that his journey will help to inspire others to follow their dreams.

Cordaro Rodriguez was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He began teaching himself piano at the age of 10 and became well- versed in several other instruments as well as in music production. He has produced music for several well-known International Artists such as Verbal, Kylie Minogue, CREAM, and Deaf Tech. After graduating from Princeton University in 2008 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, he spent a year volunteering as an English teacher in Ecuador. He then attended Boston University School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 2012. At Boston University he serendipitously reconnected with his childhood friend, Kendall Ramseur, and met his future bandmates -- Mason Morton and Micah Christian. As a member of Sons of Serendip, Cordaro is very grateful to have the opportunity to pursue his love for music.