MUSIC ON THE DECK: Members of the American Symphony Orchestra will perform on the Morris Museum’s Upper Parking Deck on Saturday, October 17.

A string quartet featuring members of the American Symphony Orchestra will perform a program of works by Black composers as part of the Morris Museum’s outdoor Lot of Strings Music Festival on October 17 at 6 p.m. The quartet is composed of concertmaster Cyrus Beroukhim, violinist Phillip Payton, principal viola William Frampton, and cellist Alberto Parrini.

Phillip Payton curated this program to celebrate the significant contributions to classical music by Black composers. The music ranges from traditional gospel and folk arranged for string quartet by Florence Price, the first Black woman to have a piece played by a major orchestra, to works by contemporary Jessie Montgomery and Trevor Weston. The program will include Three Spirituals for String Quartet by Adolphus Hailstork, Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint for String Quartet by Florence Price, String Quartet No. 1, Calvary by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Lyric Quartette by William Grant Still, Juba for String Quartet by Trevor Weston, and Jessie Montgomery’s Voodoo Dolls for String Quartet.

The Morris Museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown. The cost is $50 for each 8’ x 8’ block, which accommodates two patrons. Audience members are welcome to arrive as early as 4:30 p.m. to enjoy the evening sun and witness the sunset over the Morris Hills. To purchase tickets call (973) 971-3706 or visit morrismuseum.org.