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Beyond The Baton: A Conductor's Journey

By Jennifer Robinson / Web Producer
Published March 22, 2022 at 3:08 PM PDT
Omaha (Nebraska) Symphony Music Director Laureate Thomas Wilkins with his baton. Jan. 20, 2011.
Bill Sitzmann, minorwhite studio. Courtesy: Omaha Symphony
Omaha (Nebraska) Symphony Music Director Laureate Thomas Wilkins with his baton. Jan. 20, 2011.

Friday, March 25, 2022 at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 27 at 3:30 p.m. on KPBS 2 / PBS Video App

Born to a single mother on welfare, Thomas Wilkins grew up to become one of the few remarkable African American conductors leading a major orchestra - the celebrated Omaha Symphony.

Omaha Symphony Music Director Laureate Thomas Wilkins on stage at the Holland Performing Arts Center
Bill Sitzmann, minorwhite studio. Courtesy: Omaha Symphony

"Beyond The Baton: A Conductor's Journey" is a hour-long film that documents Wilkins' experience as a Black conductor and his larger impact on the musical world.

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Beyond the Baton: A Conductor's Journey

Presented by Nebraska Public Media. Distributed by American Public Television.

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Jennifer Robinson
Jen is a web producer at KPBS, responsible for program promotion, online membership-related activities, and is the editor of the KPBS community calendar. Jen has worked at KPBS since 2000. She is originally from Las Vegas and attended UNLV.
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