Spectrum

Spectrum unites the artistry and synergy of three stellar, multifaceted musicians: vocalist Angela Brown, saxophonist Jared Thompson, and pianist Joshua Thompson. The trio formed organically through serendipitous live classical and jazz performances and podcast collaborations. Their set lists include music of Duke Ellington, Scott Joplin, Margaret Bonds, Florence Price, Roy Hargrove, Natalie Cole, Joe Zawinul, Negro Spirituals, and Jared Thompson. Spectrum serves up an amalgamation of swag and vibe in a show that satisfies the ear and soul.

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Musical Director of Spectrum Jared Thompson is a saxophonist, composer, and arranger. His modern jazz quintet Premium Blend is featured in two national, award-winning documentaries Go Get Your Horn, and Chatterbox: A Love Letter. They have produced five studio albums including 38th & Postmodernismthat was commission by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation for Indy Jazz Fest 2020 and served as the soundtrack for the docu-concert 38th & Postmodernism. The docu-concert addressed the myriad of social tensions at the forefront of America’s mind throughout 2020 and was featured at the Heartland International Film Festival under the Indy Shorts category in 2021. Their most recent album, Virtue, was made possible by a generous grant from Mapfund.org based out of NYC.

Jared is currently finishing Classical Scratch, a three-part composition for tenor saxophone, piano and DJ that integrates classical, jazz, and hip-hop music to celebrate the contributions of Black artists over the past 300-plus years. The presentation includes lighting effects and projected images of influential artists. The work is commissioned by the Center for the Performing Arts’ New Works initiative in Carmel, Indiana.

Jared has been a featured artist at SXSW, performs with and writes for the hip-hop band Clint Breeze and The Groove, and was commissioned by Classical Music Indy to compose a piece for their City Sounds initiative honoring cultural locations in Indianapolis. He wrote “A Break in the Clouds” for Indianapolis’ City Market, drawing on fond childhood memories of visits there with his grandmother.

A noted performer on the Midwest USA and Indianapolis jazz scene, Jared’s main goal is to present the evolution of jazz music from its zenith of popularity during the Blue Note Records years to today.

Joshua Thompsonis a pianist, social musicologist, teaching artist and producer. He is recognized on a national scale for his expertise on classical composers of African descent and his complete devotion to the elevation of the Black Arts aesthetic. Deftly merging his music and advocacy paths, Joshua creates profound performances, presentations, and curriculum for national cultural arts organizations, concert and lecture series, social agencies, and universities. 

Joshua is known on stage as Sock Joplin. His acclaimed, signature show, Black Keys, takes audiences on a musical odyssey of the Black classical arts from the dawn of time through the present. Exceptional Black composers over three centuries are highlighted through the lens of music, dance, and narration. 

Joshua regularly collaborates with leading performing artists and composers including legendary bassist John Clayton, Smithsonian Fellow and composer Dr. William “Bill” Banfield, touring pianist Ric’key Pageot, Pulitzer Prize winner and composer Anthony Davis, renowned clarinetist Anthony McGill, Guggenheim Fellow and composer Nkeiru Okoye, and international operatic soprano Angela Brown. 

Joshua is the creator and co-host of the award-winning podcast Melanated Moments in Classical Music, produced by Classical Music Indy with over 50 episodes that are enjoyed by a global audience in over 150 countries and is frequently used as curriculum in undergraduate and graduate studies across the nation. He is the appointed Creative Partner in Residence with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra for the 2022-24 seasons.

Angela Brown’s multi-genre singing career has been lauded on the front page of The New York Times, CNN, CBS, in Oprah Magazine, and Reader's Digest. She has graced the leading opera and symphonic stages on six continents including Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, National Opera of Paris, Vienna State Opera, Capetown (South Africa) Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Edmonton Opera, Calgary Philharmonic, Shanghai World Expo, Moscow Performing Arts Center, The Metropolitan Opera, Bilbao Opera, Teatro La Fenice, Hamburg Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and more. She has been presented in solo recitals throughout the United States, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, China, and Africa.

Angela’s vocal artistry is featured on the two-time Grammy Award® winning recording Ask Your Mama by Laura Karpman. Her voice is the inspiration for new works including A Woman’s Life by composer Richard Danielpour with poetry of Dr. Maya Angelou that she premiered with Pittsburgh Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra and recorded for the Naxos label with Nashville Symphony Orchestra. The roles of Addie Parker in Daniel Schnyder’s Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Cilla in Richard Danielpour’s Margaret Garner, and, most recently, Cerise’s Mother in Nkeiru Okoye’s When the Caged Bird Sings were written for, premiered by, and reprised many times by Angela.

Drawing on the impact of her signature show, Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View©1997, Angela founded Morning Brown, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to programming with multicultural role models to inspire and encourage the next generation of singers. She is the co-host of Melanated Moments in Classical Music, an award-winning podcast from Classical Music Indy with an audience in over 100 countries. She is featured in two PBS documentaries on the life of Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands from American Masters and Voice of Freedom from American Experience.