Women’s History Month Event

Leading the Change: Women’s Voices Take the Stage

Houston to Host Landmark Women’s History Month Concert Led By Dr. Anne Lundy.

The Community Music Center of Houston (CMCH) is proud to present a landmark Women’s History Month concert on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM at St. James Episcopal Church, located at 3129 Southmore Blvd, Houston, TX 77004. 

Led by the trailblazing Dr. Anne Lundy, the first Black woman to conduct the Houston Symphony Orchestra, this concert celebrates the legacy and future of women’s classical music. The evening features the Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra, one of the nation’s oldest continuously performing Black chamber orchestras.

Joining Dr. Lundy on this special occasion is a roster of internationally recognized women artists:

• Donna Weng Friedman is a Steinway Hall of Fame pianist, producer, filmmaker and creative visionary. She was selected as one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of 2024 for her outstanding contribution to the performing arts.
• Stefania de Kenessey, a leading figure in contemporary classical music: A CD of her compositions “Shades of Light, Shades of Dark”, received critical acclaim. Her Microvids, 19 piano miniatures and accompanying poems written during the pandemic, have been recorded by award-winning pianist Donna Weng Friedman and Broadway star Krystal JoyBrown (Diana Ross in Motown, Eliza in Hamilton, among others).
• Dr. Jacqueline Pickett, master double bassist and distinguished Spelman College faculty member. She is Principal Bassist of the Columbus, Georgia Symphony Orchestra and LaGrange Georgia Symphony Orchestra. Pickett also serves as Principal Bass of the Colour of Music International Black Classical Musicians Festival.

The program will feature major orchestral works, including the Texas premiere of Stefania de Kenessey’s Microvids, the world premiere of Ahmed Al Abaca’s Bass Concerto, and the third movement of Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1. Alongside these works will debut original compositions by high school girls from the Houston area. These student works, developed under the guidance of CMCH’s guest artists, will debut on the same stage as seasoned professionals, creating a powerful moment of intergenerational artistic dialogue.

This is more than a concert. It is a cultural statement. It is also a platform for change, acting as both a professional bridge and an opportunity for underrepresented emerging talent. CMCH is ensuring the next generation is not only seen, but heard in spaces of artistic excellence.

Admission is free and open to the public.