Tyrone Birkett is a saxophonist, composer, and speaker partnering art and social action. As the musical director of the band Tyrone Birkett Emancipation, he has created Postmodern Spirituals. A re-imagining of the Negro Spiritual placed in a contemporary context, it is an artistic form purposed to bring the hope and resilience of the freedom song into the 21st century. This project has been presented around the country and has supported work by cultural leaders such as MacArthur Fellow, actress, playwright, and professor Anna Deavere Smith and author Nikki Giovanni.
Performances of his work have been presented at the Apollo Theater, WNYC/Greene Space, Drew University, Schomburg Center for Black Culture, Blue Note Jazz Club, and the Riverside Theater at Riverside Church, Carnegie Mellon University, Storm King Arts Center.
