"When the Caged Bird Sings" by Nkeiru Okoye is a 'musical celebration' whose compositional style, while rooted in the African American church, also incorporates minimalism and improvisation elements. With the message that adversity can be transformed into triumph, the work celebrates the transformative power of African American women, partly echoing the experiences of writer and activist Maya Angelou. The work functions as a communal ritual that, like an oratorio, opera, or play, brings together soloists, choir, and orchestra to honor and celebrate hope and possibility. Award-winning director Rita Coburn also produced Maya Angelou's Oprah radio program and was co-director of the acclaimed Peabody Award-winning film Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise (2016). When soprano Angela Brown made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in "Aida," she received international acclaim, with the New York Times declaring: "At last, an Aida." Christie Dashiell's debut solo album "Time All Mine" (2016) charted on Billboard's jazz and contemporary jazz albums lists, as well as in the Jazz Times Top 50 Writer's Ballots, Critics' Poll. Tenor Issachah Savage has sung roles in "Tannhäuser," "Otello," "Aida," "Rienzi," and other operas at leading opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera.