'Breakthrough' Screening & Lecture Recital by Quinton Morris

Dr. Morris presents a lecture recital and the original film Breakthrough on the 18th century violinist and composer Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

In celebration of the 270th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Boulogne (better known as the Chevalier de Saint-Georges), Morris tells a modernized story of the celebrated athlete, concert violinist and composer through his performance of Saint-Georges’s Sonata No. 3 in G minor and his acting debut as the historical violinist in a new film capturing key aspects of musician’s life.

Saint-Georges meets Queen Marie-Antoinette, who invites him to Versailles to perform with her at her estate. He composes the G minor sonata along with two other sonatas that they perform together in the celebrated venue. Morris presents Saint-Georges’s debonair personality through the violinist’s high-profile career, his romantic relationships with various women, and the numerous social setbacks he faced as an African-French musician.

This collaborative, innovative project is an introduction to Saint-Georges, a musician of African origin who against all odds, rose to become one of the most prolific and forgotten figures of the 18th century.

About Quinton Morris

Quinton Morris, DMA, Associate Professor, Violin, at Seattle University is a multifaceted teacher and performer. He is the inaugural Artist-Scholar-in-Residence at Classical KING, where he hosts Unmute The Voices, a radio show and video series celebrating the music and performances of BIPOC composers and performers with dedicated space for BIPOC artistry. He is the executive director and founder of Key to Change, a non-profit violin and viola studio serving South King County that focuses on creating opportunities for young musicians of color and those from underserved, lower socio-economic backgrounds. He recently graduated from the business management program at Harvard Extension School and received the Pathfinder Award from the Puget Sound Association of Phi Beta Kappa and the Outstanding Studio Teacher Award by the Washington State Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. He holds a doctorate in violin performance from the University of Texas at Austin and is a voting member of the Recording Academy (The Grammys). He has performed recitals and given master classes around the world including venues at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Louvre Museum. He is also a former co-chair of the Seattle Arts Commission and resides in Seattle.