NORFOLK, Va. - An ODU professor's composition was performed at Wednesday's inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Adolphus Hailstork's, Eminent Scholar and professor emeritus of music at Old Dominion University, fanfare on "Amazing Grace" was performed as the second piece of the inaugural prelude.
According to a website on African heritage in classical music, this marks just the second time that music by a contemporary African American composer has been selected to be part of the repertoire performed at a presidential inauguration.
The composition was performed by "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band.
Hailstork came to Old Dominion in 2000. He retired Jan. 1.
ODU says he is working on a requiem cantata for George Floyd, "A Knee on the Neck." He expects to complete it in April.
The University maintains the Adolphus Hailstork Collection in the special collections area of the F. Ludwig Diehn Composers Room in the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center.
