Classical Notes: Black composers in spotlight FacebookTwitterEmail 1of6 “Dreams of a New Day” baritone Will Liverman and pianist Paul SanchezProvidedShow MoreShow Less 2of6 3of6 5of6 6of6 One year after the George Floyd killing and the rise to new prominence of Black Lives Matter, the classical music field is woke. Or at least it’s trying hard to project that mindset by providing new opportunities to Black artists and more performances to Black composers. You can see it everywhere as the national arts scene comes back to life and institutions announce post-pandemic seasons. When the Metropolitan Opera returns in the fall, opening night will see the world premiere of Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” the first opera by an African American composer to be performed at the Met. Also in the fall, the Philadelphia Orchestra has scheduled music by William Grant Still and Florence Price, two overlooked masters from the last century. The 80th birthday of the composer and Albany native Adolphus Hailstork is being recognized with a variety of events, including a July 4 performance by the Cleveland Orchestra of his American Fanfare. Jesse Montgomery, who has been commissioned several times by the Albany Symphony, is having a banner year and she’ll soon begin her tenure as composer in residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. That’s just a sampling.