The Inspiring Story of Antonio Underwood Pursuing Classical Music in America as a Black Man

Diversity, be it racial, cultural, or gender, diversity remains a significant issue in America even today. This would leave a musical connoisseur wondering: why is classical music so full of white folks? Composers of color have always had a much harder time getting the opportunity to learn and perform music. Very few talents have been recognized and gained the fame they deserved within their lifetime. One such musician, Antonio Underwood, has been lucky to build a legacy as an expert classical artist, composer, and educator, without much of the support. 

Hailing from New Jersey, Antonio developed a keen interest in classical music that stemmed from the Southern gospel environment he spent his early childhood in. The early influences of his parents and family singing in choirs. He always knew his heart’s desire, which led him to be placed in some of the best music schools. 

An alumnus of Yale, he was the first African-American to become a George Lucas Scholar in the Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program at the University of Southern California. In addition to that, Antonio is one of the first African-Americans to receive the Yale School of Music Alumni Prize for outstanding contributions to the Yale community. Yale University also presented him African-American Cultural Center Award for his contribution to the African-American community. He was unanimously selected as the Delegate of the School of Music this past year.

Historically, composers and musicians of color have had a really hard time getting their talent showcased in the USA, especially in classical music. Antonio empowers and helps young minds from African-American communities to pick up an instrument and play. As an educator, he teaches Pre-Kindergarten through 12th-grade classroom instruction at international schools. He has experience training other educators and providing information on teaching methodology, curriculum, and commonly faced issues in music. 

He firmly believes that all kids’ success depends heavily on who mentors them and facilitates them to prosper, and that is the sole reason he took up teaching classical music. The hope of building a diverse musical environment also led him to create Tone East Music LLC, a trademark multi-faceted music and education production company.

Antonio is currently working hard to raise funds to develop more workshops and camps in Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. He initiated Jazz and history workshops in 2016 during his time there as a Fulbright scholar. As he describes it, the goal is “to continue exchanging knowledge of jazz music with the context of cultural, historical, and socio-political aspects of life in the African American community that created this art form.”

Whether it is within the USA or beyond borders, Antonio’s passion for developing and exchanging the knowledge of classical music while belonging to a marginalized black community is truly noteworthy. Lack of diversity is undoubtedly a grave problem in the world of classical music, but Antonio has struggled for three decades to bridge the gap and reclaim the power and honor of Jazz as a black man.