Sons of Serendip’s Kendall Ramseur Goes Solo
Latest project from the CFA alum—a cellist and composer—is a concerto celebrating America’s democracy
Kendall Ramseur (CFA’12), a cellist, composer, and former member of the musical quartet Sons of Serendip, at his home on August 4, 2026. His latest piece, A Nation Becoming: The Democracy Concerto, cowritten with the artist BLKBOK, will have its world premiere on August 28. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi
Sons of Serendip’s Kendall Ramseur Goes Solo
Latest project from the CFA alum—a cellist and composer—is a concerto celebrating America’s democracy
This article was originally published in Bostonia on August 13, 2026. By John O’Rourke
EXCERPT
It’s the moment cellist and composer Kendall Ramseur has been anticipating for months. On Thursday, his latest work, co-written with the pianist and composer BLKBOK (Charles Wilson III), will have its world premiere before an audience of 2,500 just outside Washington, D.C. A Nation Becoming: The Democracy Concerto is one of the most ambitious to date for Ramseur (CFA’12), who shot to fame as a cofounder of the musical quartet Sons of Serendip 12 years ago, when the band won an audition to appear on America’s Got Talent and advanced to the finals. They went on to release several albums and tour widely, appearing with the Boston Pops, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Wicked singer and actor Cynthia Erivo.
Ramseur left the group in 2022 and has pursued a solo career since then, composing scores for podcasts, large-scale concert works and multidisciplinary collaborations that blend music, film, and storytelling.
The Democracy Concerto, comprising three movements for full orchestra and a 50-member choir, draws on many musical influences, from Johann Sebastian Bach and Mozart to early American composers and more contemporary artists, such as jazz greats Thelonious Monk and Louis Armstrong and gospel singers Richard Smallwood and Smokie Norful.
“There’s classical and baroque in the first movement,” Ramseur says. “The second movement introduces some jazz elements, and the third movement introduces more classical influences, along with contemporary gospel and soul.
Ramseur and BLKBOK began work on the concerto in November 2025, writing the score for piano and cello, with Ramseur later creating the orchestration for other instruments in his studio in Woburn, Mass. It took the duo seven months to finish the concerto. Earlier this summer, they traveled to Washington, D.C. for a series of workshops where they refined it, rehearsing with a 40-piece orchestra and a small choir.
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Exploring the idea of democracy
A Nation Becoming: The Democracy Concerto was commissioned by the nonprofit research institute PolicyLink. Ramseur and BLKBOK were introduced to the organization’s CEO, Michael McAfee, when they were guests at the 2024 Hatch Summit, an annual gathering of innovative thinkers, artists, and changemakers from around the globe.
McAfee says he was immediately impressed by Ramseur’s musical talent and his “remarkable ability to connect people emotionally across differences.
“When I witnessed the emotional power of Kendall’s music, I knew his gifts could help advance our Governing for All agenda—our long-term effort to redesign America’s democracy and economy so they truly serve everyone,” he says.
“The concerto is about people. It’s about belonging, it’s about stories and hope. It’s about our shared humanity. Our hope is that the concerto will invite people to listen differently to one another and to reflect on who we are, who we’ve been, and who we can still become.
Growing up with music
Ramseur grew up in Charlotte, N.C., surrounded by music. “My dad was always playing Motown. He loved to act like he was DJing in the front room. And I would wake up to my mom singing songs of worship.” After his father purchased an upright piano for him, Ramseur began creating his own melodies. At the age of 10, he heard a teacher play the cello and was smitten.
“It was almost as if it had its own soul,” he recalls.
After graduating from the University of the North Carolina School of the Arts, he began searching for a master’s program. A former professor urged him to contact Marc Johnson, a renowned cellist and professor of music at BU’s College of Fine Arts School of Music, who died in 2014. Ramseur traveled to Boston for a lesson with Johnson and was struck by his talent and his humility.
“I also shared with Marc that I was a composer, and asked if he’d be open to me bringing original pieces and working on those,” says Ramseur. “He was so open and excited by the idea. He wasn’t just interested in developing a classical musician, he was interested in developing a whole musician.” Based on that first meeting, Ramseur decided to study for a master’s in cello performance at CFA.