Pew Center for Arts and Heritage

Get our monthly newsletter in your inbox for the latest on cultural events, ideas, conversations, and grantmaking news in Philadelphia and beyond.

Main page contents

ENGOMA ENTEERA: Classical Music from Uganda

Orchestra 2001
ENGOMA ENTEERA: Classical Music from Uganda performed at Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Photo by Adam Lesnick.
ENGOMA ENTEERA: Classical Music from Uganda performed at Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Photo by Adam Lesnick.
Husband and wife team curator Sylvia Nannyonga-Tamusuza and composer Justinian Tamusuza.
Husband and wife team curator Sylvia Nannyonga-Tamusuza and composer Justinian Tamusuza.
Conductor Na'Zir McFadden. Photo by Sarah Smarch.
Conductor Na'Zir McFadden. Photo by Sarah Smarch.

In a cross-continental collaboration with Ugandan composer Justinian Tamusuza, Orchestra 2001 premieres new works that marry Western classical music with Kiganda folk traditions from East Africa. Tamusuza uses techniques such as prepared instruments, microtones, and polyrhythms to give orchestral musicians tools to emulate the qualities of Kiganda music. Tableaus from Ugandan life are depicted in solos, chamber music, and chamber orchestra pieces conducted by Na’Zir McFadden. Dr. Sylvia A. Nannyonga-Tamusuza, associate professor of music and head of the performing arts and film department at Makerere University in Uganda, joins the composer to share insights into East African music during public programs and instrument demonstrations. Open rehearsals and concerts take place at public locations, and Ugandan audiences can tune in live online for some concerts and programming.

Visit the project website.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

Recipient
Orchestra 2001

Orchestra 2001

Orchestra 2001 is a collective of adventurous, virtuoso performers dedicated to the music of our time. The ensemble connects diverse audiences with music of the 20th and 21st centuries, engaging new listeners through concerts, innovative artistic collaborations, and enriching community partnerships in Philadelphia and beyond. Orchestra 2001 has performed across the US and overseas, including prominent concert halls and festivals in Austria, Denmark, England, Russia, Cuba, China, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Recipient of the Philadelphia Arts + Business Council Award, it has performed in 41 of the city’s 48 zip codes.

More info
News

$9.5 Million From The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage to Support 30 Philadelphia Organizations and 12 Artist Fellowships

Sep 19, 2022
Explore Connections
Carl Cheng: Nature Never Loses, 2025 installation view, Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania. Photo by Constance Mensh.

Artist Carl Cheng on the Nature of Being Contemporary
Interview Tradition & Translation
Mary Testa, Taylor Trensch, and Jordan Dobson in Night Side Songs at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Photo by Nile Scott Studios.
Director Taibi Magar on Night Side Songs and the Power of Sharing Stories
Odili Donald Odita, 2022 Pew Fellow. Photo by Neal Santos.
Discover New Books, Music, and Art from Pew Fellows Imani Perry, Chad Taylor, Odili Donald Odita, and more
EgoPo Classic Theater, rehearsal for Ramayana with Papermoon Puppet Theatre and Kalanari Theatre Movement, 2023, Java, Indonesia. Photo courtesy of EgoPo. 

Projects in Process: Wilma Theater and EgoPo on Creative Collaborations
Essay Co-Authorship & Collaboration
Photography related to this content

Poet Ross Gay on Sport and the Act of Looking
Video Cross-Disciplinary Practices
Photography related to this content
Four Pew Fellows Receive 2025 Artist Residencies to Develop Creative Work
The Barnes Foundation, Returning to Before, performed as part of William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision exhibition, choreographed by Brendan Fernandes. Photo by Daniel Jackson for Embassy: Interactive.
Choreographer Brendan Fernandes on Dance in Museums
Video Site-Specific Performance
Pew Fellows Carmen Maria Machado and Vitche-Boul Ra. Photos by Neal Santos.
Fellow to Fellow: Carmen Maria Machado and Vitche-Boul Ra on Blending Genres and the Hidden Work of Being an Artist
Interview Cross-Disciplinary Practices
Enrique Bostelmann, Portrait of Cora Flores, 1980, part of Mirages series.

Projects in Process: Discoveries in the Archives with Berman Museum and Japan America Society
Essay Legacy & Archives