Melinda Bargreen | 2 OCT 2024
Ask any successful musician, and you’re likely to find a music-loving relative who helped to open their ears and spur their ambitions. That’s the case with the flutist Adam W. Sadberry, whose musical parents played recordings showing him how “beautiful sounds can be so transfixing,” as he puts it.
Sadberry, one of The Washington Post’s “23 for ’23 Artists to Watch,” will be heard in an October 27 recital at Atlanta’s celebrated Spivey Hall with pianist Dr. Nathan Cheung. The program includes a 2023 work based on the life story of Sadberry’s late grandfather L. Alex Wilson—a civil-rights journalist and unsung civil-rights hero who has inspired his grandson. That work, ___not running, (The Life of L. Alex Wilson) by Dameun Strange, highlights the story of Wilson’s bravery in covering the murder of Emmett Till in 1955 and the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 (where Wilson was seriously injured after being attacked by a mob, sustaining injuries that contributed to his early death at age 51). Sadberry brought ___not running to New York City’s Merkin Hall for his debut last year.
The wide-ranging program also extends to two arrangements by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004): “This Little Light o’ Mine” and “Amazing Grace.” Those two pieces, Sadberry says, are “sweet arrangements I found in 2021; they remind us of hope.”
Among the other selections is “Mother and Child,” by William Grant Still—a 1943 composition that was one of Still’s own favorites. It was inspired by the works of three contemporary Black artists.
From childhood, Sadberry has been drawn to the sound of the flute.
“When it was time to choose an instrument, in the fifth grade, I instantly knew I wanted the flute,” Sadberry remembers. “The flutists were in front of the orchestra having a great time, and the sound was so beautiful.” Now concentrating on his solo career, Sadberry no longer plays regularly in orchestras, but his affection for the flute extends to the piccolo and alto flute. He would like to acquire a shakuhachi (a traditional Japanese bamboo flute) and a baroque flute (for playing earlier repertoire). “I also want to play the bandoneon (a Spanish variant of the accordion)—I’d like to play a harmonic instrument.”
He is the principal flutist of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and he has held positions with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and the Des Moines Metro Opera. As guest principal flute, Sadberry has appeared with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and as a section member with the Minnesota Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Albany Symphony, and the Sphinx Symphony.
A winner of Concert Artists Guild’s 2021 Victor Elmaleh Competition, Sadberry is finely attuned to the details of his instrument: “I want to find the right sound for everything. It’s so important how you shape the embouchure, how you hold the body—and the Alexander technique is very helpful. I keep very aware of the body/spirit connection.”
He also is attuned to the importance of a first-rate partner at the piano. Dr. Nathan Cheung, from the San Francisco Bay Area, is a versatile pianist/educator who also composes and improvises and has performed in Europe, Asia, and throughout the USA.
“Nathan and I have a long history together, ever since 2016. Playing with him is a blessing. He has a killer ear!” Sadberry observes.
Advocacy and education have been important aspects of Sadberry’s performing career. He is the 2024 Spotlight Artist for “Music for Autism,” having performed four times for them in recent years. At the University of Minnesota, he was the flute instructor for a semester (Spring 2023). His academic residencies include the Eastman School of Music, Lawrence University, Northern Michigan University, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Wesleyan College (GA), and the DuPage Symphony.
Sadberry’s residencies have featured such lectures as “Striving to Be an Artist’s Artist,” “Using Your Identity to Create a Relevant Voice in Music,” and “Musical Journalism: Continuing a Legacy through the Flute.” Sadberry also teaches flutists (aged 10 and older) advises them on their musical development.
“I’m definitely planning on expanding all the things I am doing,” Sadberry explained in a recent telephone interview, “and working on opening doors to all genres. I am developing my first album—not strictly classical, but as much original music as I can generate as a composer, flutist, and singer. I’m also active as a teacher and would like to devote more time to private lessons. My mission is to help classically trained musicians develop a sense of justice, joy, and compassion so they can expand their lives and break through structures that hold them back. I want to enable musicians to take steps toward change.”
Sadberry considers perfectionism to be “the biggest barrier for classical musicians. We need to leave the doors open for experimentation, not just perfectionism.”
Instead, he says, “The goal should be: What do you want to do? What is your drive, your motivation?” Sadberry cites one of his clients, whom he calls “a wonderful clarinetist and woodworker,” who has chosen to make sustainable instruments and share his research with others.
All along, Sadberry says, “The inspiration at the front of my mind is Alex (his late grandfather). “He was a martyr. When I read his writings, I perceive the heart of a hero. He was so courageous: he never allowed his fears to get in the way. His sense of justice led him to report on so many cases. When he went to Mississippi, he knew they could all be killed. He instilled in me a sense of drive dedication, and perseverance.”
Sadberry sees his own future as “doing more touring and recording,” but he also would like to express his creative side.
“I’ve gathered a lot of life experience, and I have a desire to write music.” ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Adam W. Sadberry: adamsadberry.com
- Spivey Hall: spiveyhall.org
Read more by Melinda Bargreen.
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