An exciting African American voice in the symphonic field to both the classical and education/family repertoire, Nkeiru Okoye has had numerous performances in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including orchestras such as the Detroit Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Virginia Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the Grand Rapids Symphony, as well as regional orchestras throughout the US. Her best known pieces include Voices Shouting Out, an orchestral short, The Journey of Phillis Wheatley a narrated demonstration piece, and African Sketches for piano. Okoye specializes in writing work for multicultural audiences. Her work is notable for its accessible style and its combining of contemporary classical, African American, popular music, and West African influences. Okoye\'s ongoing celebration of Black women through music include an upcoming work, Harriet Tubman, a folk oratorio, and In Praise of Courage, which celebrates Rosa Parks, Coretta King, Marion Anderson, Barbara Jordan, and Shirley Chisolm, and was commissioned by the University of Texas at Austin. Born and raised in New York, Nkeiru Okoye (pronounced in KIR roo oh KOY yeh) is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory. She received Master and Doctoral Degrees in composition and theory from Rutgers University. Her composition teachers and mentors have included Noel DaCosta, Adolphus Hailstork, Wendell Logan, and Robert Sirota.
