{"id":132905,"date":"2026-08-18T10:45:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T14:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&p=132905"},"modified":"2026-08-18T10:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T14:46:09","slug":"kendall-ramseur-democracy-concerto","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/news\/articles\/2026\/kendall-ramseur-democracy-concerto\/","title":{"rendered":"Sons of Serendip\u2019s Kendall Ramseur Goes Solo"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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Kendall Ramseur (CFA\u201912), a cellist, composer, and former member of\u00a0the musical quartet Sons of Serendip, at his home on August 4, 2026. His latest piece,\u00a0A Nation Becoming: The Democracy Concerto<\/em>, cowritten with the artist BLKBOK,\u00a0will have its world premiere on August 28. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSons of Serendip\u2019s Kendall Ramseur Goes Solo\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Latest project from the CFA alum\u2014a cellist and composer\u2014is a concerto celebrating America\u2019s democracy<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n
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August 18, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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This article was originally published in Bostonia<\/a><\/em> on August 13, 2026. By John O’Rourke<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EXCERPT<\/h4>

It\u2019s the moment cellist and composer Kendall Ramseur<\/strong> 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<\/em> is one of the most ambitious to date for Ramseur (CFA\u201912), who shot to fame as a cofounder of the musical quartet Sons of Serendip<\/a> 12 years ago, when the band won an audition to appear on America\u2019s Got Talent<\/em> 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 <\/em>singer and actor Cynthia Erivo. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ramseur (left) and BLKBOK during a workshop of A Nation Becoming: The Democracy Concerto at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C., June 23, 2026. Photo by TEAMTRI.<\/em>
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Ramseur<\/a> 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Democracy Concerto<\/em>, comprising three movements for full orchestra and a 50-member choir, <\/em>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s classical and baroque in the first movement,\u201d Ramseur says. \u201cThe second movement introduces some jazz elements, and the third movement introduces more classical influences, along with contemporary gospel and soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploring the idea of democracy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A Nation Becoming: The Democracy Concerto <\/em>was commissioned by the nonprofit research institute PolicyLink<\/a>. Ramseur and BLKBOK were introduced to the organization\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McAfee says he was immediately impressed by Ramseur\u2019s musical talent and his \u201cremarkable ability to connect people emotionally across differences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I witnessed the emotional power of Kendall\u2019s music, I knew his gifts could help advance our Governing for All agenda\u2014our long-term effort to redesign America\u2019s democracy and economy so they truly serve everyone,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The concerto is about people. It\u2019s about belonging, it\u2019s about stories and hope. It\u2019s 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\u2019ve been, and who we can still become.<\/div>