Petersburg native to serve as moderator at Colour of Music Festival in Charleston

WASHINGTON - Oct. 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Petersburg native Patrick D. McCoy has been selected to serve as moderator of the Community Symposium Series at the Colour of Music Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.  The festival is in its second year and probably one of the few (if any) that feature all African American musicans performing classical repertoire. Founded by Lee Pringle, the festival is a celebration of Black Classical Musicians.  At the festival, McCoy will engage symposium audiences in thoughtful discussions with esteemed presenters about various points of interests in the classical music field.  The festival runs from October 22-26, featuring organ, voice, piano and chamber music recitals.  Conductor Marlon Daniel, serves as the festival's music director and was interviewed by McCoy just a few years ago.  The culmination of the symposium series moderated by McCoy will be the keynote address:  "Black Classical Music Administrators" given by Wayne S. Brown, President and CEO of the Michigan Opera Theatre and formerly Director of Opera at the National Endowment for the Arts.

After enjoying teaching music in the public schools both in Virgnia and Maryland, in 2009, McCoy turned his attention to writing seriously,  His arts column, DC Performing Arts on Examiner.com led to the opportunity to write about arts and culture for other outlets, including CBS Washington and The Afro American Newspaper.  He also host an online radio show on BlogTalk radio, on which he interviews noted and emerging performers.

On the cusp of two years as the performing arts columnist for Washington Life Magazine, Patrick interviewed the newly minted president of The Kennedy Center, Deborah F. Rutter for the September 2014 issue.  Emerging as an important voice in the arts, Earlier this year, McCoy led a Blacks in Classical Music Symposium under the auspices of the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts, moderating a panel of diverse classical musicians.  In addition to covering the arts in the Washington, D. C. area, he serves as organist/choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church.

For more information about the Colour of Music Festival, visit www.colourofmusic.org.