Founded in 1992, Astral Artists plays a vital role in the discovery and development of gifted classical musicians. Astral Artists selects these musicians from a nationwide pool of applicants at competitive annual auditions, who then are provided with invaluable career development guidance, numerous performance opportunities, and auditions with major presenters and conductors. In 2013 Astral Artists presented Inspired by the Spiritual with its resident artists in performance with mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson, the Richard Allen Singers, the Lloyd Mallory Singers, and the Clayton White Singers. They performed a concert of newly commissioned works by three noted African-American composers: Alvin Singleton, David Sanford, and Evelyn Simpson Curenton.
