Dr. Antoine White/Courtesy photo
COUNTY NEWS RELEASE
The staff at Mesa Public Library is pleased to present Dr. Richard Antoine White live at Fuller Lodge on Thursday, Aug. 11. This free public program will open with a performance by the Los Alamos Jazz Project youth ensemble at 6 p.m. on the lawn in front of Fuller Lodge, followed by a presentation and short performance by Dr. White at 7p.m. and a book signing just before 8 p. p.m.
Dr. White’s presentation, R.A.W. Tuba: The Power of Overcoming, Resilience, and Determination, will focus on his own deeply personal and inspiring story about overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve unprecedented success in his field. As Principal Tubist for the New Mexico Philharmonic and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, he has spent two decades performing on the world’s classical music stages and was recently featured on NPR’s Fresh Air, Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show, and PBS NewsHour after the publication of his autobiography I’m Possible: A Story of Survival, a Tuba, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream. He is the subject of the powerful documentary film R.A.W. Tuba which won national acclaim. Dr. White is a tenured professor of tuba/euphonium in the Department of Music at the University of New Mexico. In 2021, he was honored with UNM’s distinguished Research and Creative Works Leadership Award.
Ryan Finn, Band Director for Los Alamos Public Schools and Jazz Director for Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, was instrumental (pun intended) in organizing a student music ensemble for this special program. He regularly shares Dr. White’s documentary with his students as part of his curriculum. As a result, many students are eager for the opportunity to see Dr. White in person in Los Alamos.
This event is free to the public and is made possible by Friends of Los Alamos County Libraries. Fuller Lodge is located at 2132 Central Avenue in Los Alamos. For more information, please go to the event calendar at LosAlamosLibrary.org. Please direct questions to Mesa Public Library’s Program Specialist, Jessica Jenkins, at jessica.jenkins@lacnm.us or (505) 662-8257.
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