Mission

Black Pearl's mission is to take the audience beyond spectatorship to participation in the musical experience by combining artistic excellence with cultural diversity and innovative community engagement.

What We Do

Based in Philadelphia, the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra was established as a model for the 21st-century American orchestra. Described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "first-class on every level," Black Pearl's musicians have been trained at leading music conservatories around the globe including the Curtis Institute, the Juilliard School, and the Peabody Institute among others. Founded by award-winning Artistic Director Jeri Lynne Johnson, Black Pearl's mission is to take the audience beyond spectatorship to participation in the musical experience by combining artistic excellence with cultural diversity and innovative community engagement. Black Pearl's concert programming connects countries, cultures and communities in exciting ways. In recognition of its world-class performance quality, Black Pearl has received numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. And Maestro Johnson's innovative projects have made Black Pearl the only organization in the country to have been awarded three prestigious Knight Arts Challenge grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Through its groundbreaking engagement programs and collaborative partnerships with the city's most prominent education and cultural institutions, Black Pearl has become a nationally-recognized leader in building audiences for classical music by enchanting newcomers and aficionados alike. Black Pearl is proof that when the arts deeply engage a community, that community will enthusiastically participate in the arts!