Beyoncé’s violinist, Ezinma, a Lincoln native and Husker alumna, will be performing with Omaha’s Grammy-nominated Voices of Victory Gospel Choir for Meadowlark Music Festival’s 20th Anniversary Celebration at 7:30 p.m. April 2 in Kimball Recital Hall.
The concert is presented in partnership between Meadowlark Music Festival and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Glenn Korff School of Music. Tickets are $35 general admission, $25 for live streaming and $10 for students and are available on the Meadowlark Music Festival website.
While in Lincoln, on April 1 Ezinma will also present a workshop for all six Lincoln Public Schools high school orchestras.
Meredith “Ezinma” Ramsay (B.M. 2012) attended Lincoln Southwest High School and performed with the Lincoln Youth Symphony Orchestra, winning their concerto competition and the Meadowlark-Larsen Young Artist Competition. She attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln where she double majored in biochemistry (with an emphasis in pre-medicine) and violin performance.
In 2012, she won a scholarship to complete her master’s degree in violin performance at The New School in New York City. While in New York, Ezinma experimented and found her sound. In addition to performing at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Symphony Space, she took production classes, studied jazz violin, joined a few bands and pushed past the limits of the classical genre.
Ezinma catapulted into digital stardom when she began performing covers of viral trap hits on Instagram, including “Mask Off” by Future, “Gucci Gang” by Lil Pump and “Rockstar” by Post Malone. In 2016 she was approached by Beyoncé with an offer to be a part of her all-female band. Ezinma accompanied her at the end of her Formation World Tour, the release of “Lemonade,” and in 2018 was part of history when she performed alongside the famous singer at Coachella.
To name a few, Ezinma has worked with renowned artists including Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Joshua Bell, Yo Yo Ma and Clean Bandit. As a composer, Ezinma has scored national advertisements, documentaries, short films, and was even part of the “Black Panther” (2018) soundtrack. In 2019, Ezinma signed with Decca Records, US (Universal Music Group). Her new EP, “Classical Bae,” was just released.
For more on Ezinma, visit her personal website.
Joining Ezinma will be Omaha’s celebrated Voices of Victory Gospel Choir. Formed in 1951 as the Inspirational Choir, the Voices of Victory are longstanding participants in the Gospel Music Workshop of America and recipients of the Nebraska Governor’s Art Award. They have shared the stage with gospel icons Richard Smallwood and Ricky Dillard, as well as country stars Trace Adkins and Lyle Lovett. In 1978, when they were known as the Inspirational Choir, the Voices of Victory of the Salem Baptist Church of Omaha, Nebraska, made history when the Reverend James Cleveland recorded them for his James Cleveland Presents series. The resulting Savoy Records double album, “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired,” featuring singer and musician Keith Pringle and choir director Doretha Wade-Wilkerson, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1979. Curtis Burrell’s title track has since become a perennial in the gospel song lexicon.
Cleveland and the Salem Inspirational Choir went on to record two additional live, in-church albums for Savoy, “Victory Shall Be Mine” (1980) and “He’s Able” (1981). At one point in 1981, “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired” and “Victory Shall Be Mine” were on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart at the same time.
More than 20 years later, the Voices of Victory Mass Choir returned to live recording under the leadership of senior pastor Maurice Watson and minister of music Jay Terrell. Less than a month after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the choir recorded “They That Wait.” Captured live at Salem Baptist, “They That Wait” features “I Can’t Forget” and “Unconditional Love,” compositions written by celebrated gospel songwriter Pastor Rudolph Stanfield.
The Voices of Victory full choir now performs under the direction of music minister Ananias “Markey” Montague.
