I write music that remembers.
That resists.
That resonates.
I write what dances, sings,
and stirs the spirit.
Featured Works
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Discover additional performances, interviews, and recordings on my YouTube channel.
About
Nkeiru Okoye is a composer, librettist, and narrative architect whose music doesn't just speak—it testifies. A Guggenheim Fellow and winner of The American Prize, her work bridges classical tradition with the vitality of African American musical traditions and global influences, creating music that is emotionally immediate, dramatically compelling, and deeply human. From the sweeping choral drama of When the Caged Bird Sings and the opera Harriet Tubman to the orchestral energy of Voices Shouting Out and the piano suite African Sketches, her compositions invite audiences into stories that resonate long after the final note. Her music has been commissioned and performed by BBC Radio 3, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Juilliard, Houston Grand Opera, Opera North UK, and the United States Army Field Band. She is recorded on NAXOS, MSR Classics, Albany Records, and Pentatone, and published by Theodore Presser.
Events
2025-2026 Season
3/6/2026
DRUMS CALLING
Maria Radutu, Piano
All About Eve
digital release
6/13/2026
DRUMS CALLING
Maria Radutu, Piano
Geras Klingt Festival, Austria
6/13/2026
DRUMS CALLING
Maria Radutu, Piano
Geras Klingt Festival, Austria
08/01/2026
DRUMS CALLING
Maria Radutu, Piano
Klassik im Burghof - Klagenfurt Austria
PianoBox - The Female Composers