Black Dandelions: An American Triptych

“Much like the dandelion’s ability to grow in diverse and harsh environments, the depth and stability of its taproots, and its unrelenting resilience, Black womxn both make home and hold the burden of the truths of this land wherever we go.”

Program Note

Black Dandelions: An American Triptych is a 20-minute full orchestra work that interrogates nuanced and contentious relationships between Blackness, land, American history, and the lived experiences of Black Womxn in the American South. Featuring a prelude and triptych, movements are designed to be modular and can be performed as a full set, individually, or as a subset. The piece opens with Against/Sharp, an orchestral expansion of a chamber work by the same name. This expansion serves as the prelude of the work, grounding it in the ethos of taking up space.

The prelude is followed by a triptych of Black women — the mother, the messenger, the flower — presented through the setting of poetry by Crystal Wilkinson (Lexington, KY), Jaki Shelton Green (Mebane, NC), and Ebony Stewart (Texas) in conversation with familiar Southern American and Appalachian themes. Through the stories of these woman, audiences are invited to see Black womanhood in its fullness and sit with the dualities of hurt, healing, care, and discardment these women must carry. Much like the dandelion’s ability to grow in diverse and harsh environments, the depth and stability of its taproots, and its unrelenting resilience, Black women both make home and hold the burden of the truths of this land wherever we go. Black Dandelions: An American Triptych was commissioned by the Lexington Philharmonic as a part of the 2025-2026 Saykaly Garbulinska Composer Residency with additional support from Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra.

Availability

Currently accepting co-commissioners for this consortium for the 2026/2027 season. To inquire about membership details, reach out to Dan Visconti at dan@viscontiarts.com.