When Karen Slack, a classically trained opera singer, steps onto the stage at the Germantown Performing Arts Center this Friday, Oct. 10, she’ll be doing more than opening Iris Collective’s new “On Stage” chamber music series. She will be carrying the legacies of Florence Price, William Grant Still Jr. and generations of Black women whose brilliance reshaped classical music.
Rebecca Arendt, executive director of Iris Collective, said this series was planned with great intention.
“All of the guest artists coming to work with Iris this year have two things in common: They are fabulous musicians, and they have deep roots and strong commitments to using their talents as a platform for community growth and good,” said Arendt. “Music has the amazing ability to connect people regardless of our seeming differences, and it is our intention to make the most of that ability.”
Slack, who recently won a Grammy Award for her debut album, “Beyond the Years,” is the featured soloist at Iris Collective’s first intimate, cabaret-style experience that brings audiences directly onto the stage at GPAC, surrounded by musicians and music. The new three-part series reimagines chamber concerts as immersive gatherings, pairing world-class soloists with the ensemble’s core artists.
“We are so excited for Karen Slack to make her debut with Iris Collective this year. We don’t usually call opera singers rock stars, but that is exactly what she is,” Arendt said. “Hearing a voice like Karen’s live, in and of itself, is something special; getting to hear it while sitting on the stage with her is not to be missed.”
For Slack, the participation and collaboration came quite naturally.
“I’ve known Mary Javian, Iris Collective’s artistic and strategic advisor, since our college days at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia,” Slack said. “When she invited me, it was an easy yes. I’m thrilled to make my Memphis debut with this amazing group.”
Slack’s “Beyond the Years” album is a landmark. Recorded in late 2023 and released in 2024, the album brought to life a treasure trove of unpublished songs by Florence Price, the pioneering Arkansas-born composer whose work had been largely hidden for decades.
“When the organization, ONEComposer, approached me about choosing a composer for my debut, I could’ve gone the mainstream route,” said Slack. “But the timelessness of Price’s music spoke to me. We found about 150 songs in her house, of which we recorded 23 and 19 made the album. Anyone who listens will fall in love with her, but they’ll also be angry that these pieces were kept from us for so long.”
That passion for uncovering and elevating forgotten or silenced Black voices is the unifying thread in Slack’s work.
“Composers need ‘Rolls-Royce’ talent to bring their work to life,” she said. “If I have the platform, I’m going to use it to center the brilliance of women and Black composers. Florence Price deserved that.”
Friday’s concert will include selections from “Beyond the Years” along with a few songs from “Songs of Separation,” by Mississippi-native, William Grant Still, who was the first African-American composer in the U.S. to have an opera performed by a symphony, the New York City Opera.
“It’s all music by Black composers,” she said proudly. “You’re going to hear beautiful songs and stories about resilience and joy.”
Slack, 50, has built her career on world stages from Carnegie Hall to the Dallas Opera, from Chicago to Washington, D.C. Yet, it’s only in recent years that she’s had to embrace the cultural weight of being a Black woman in classical music.
“It wasn’t until I was already deep into my career that I realized my Blackness was affecting how the industry saw me,” she reflected. “Early on, I was often the only one in the room. As my voice matured, suddenly I was being cast only in ‘Black’ roles. I thought — what happened here?” Slack recalled.
Rather than retreat, she chose defiance through excellence.
“A friend once told me, ‘Stop complaining and do something about it.’ So, I decided that whatever stage I’m on, I’ll be excellent. Every single time. That became my pushback,” she said.
Her commitment to that excellence inspired her African Queens project, a celebration of the stories and strength of Black women, told through new compositions by contemporary Black composers. “It’s about taking control, reclaiming agency and putting our stories center stage,” she said.
Though Slack is now one of opera’s most powerful voices, growing up in Philadelphia and being raised on soul music shaped Slack’s resolve and sound.
“Stevie Wonder is one of my biggest inspirations; his soundscape is brilliant,” she said.
“Chaka Khan, Earth, Wind & Fire — that was my foundation. And I’m a hip-hop head. It’s all storytelling, just like opera.”
Slack credits her teachers in elementary and middle school for exposing her to and pushing her to pursue a career in opera. But she remembers the moment when it really happened for her.
“When I saw Denise Graves perform “Carmen” in Philadelphia, I thought, ‘Wow! That could be me,’” she said. “Representation matters because when you see it, you believe it’s possible.”
Slack is excited to add “the fantastic city of Memphis” to that prestigious list of places where she’s shared her voice, power and passion with audiences.
“I’m so excited to finally get to Memphis, a place with such a rich musical history, from blues to Three-6-Mafia” she said. “I’m coming in early so I can visit the National Civil Rights Museum. It’s important to me to connect with the places that shaped our country.”
The next two concerts in Iris Collective’s “On Stage” series will feature Vijay Gupta (January 2026) and the return of Awadagin Pratt (April 2026).
Tickets and more information are available at www.iriscollective.org
