Charlotte Blake Alston

Charlotte Blake Alston is a nationally acclaimed storyteller, narrator, instrumentalist, librettist, and singer who has performed in venues throughout North America and abroad for over 30 years. She is committed to the preservation of African and African American oral storytelling traditions. Her stories include folktales, historical stories, and songs that highlight the richness of those traditions. Her presentation style is engaging and often participatory. She sometimes incorporates traditional instruments such as thumb piano, djembe, or the 21-string kora. Her wide range of talents includes collaborations with other arts institutions. This year marks her 31st consecutive season serving as host and narrator on family concerts for The Philadelphia Orchestra; her 28th as Host of Sound All Around, the orchestra’s preschool concert series. She has hosted family and school concerts at Carnegie Hall for 20 years and has performed for Lincoln Center Institute, and the Juilliard School digital learning platform. She has appeared in such venues as the Smithsonian Institution, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Storytelling Festival, and the National Festival of Black Storytelling. charlotteblakealston.com

TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDa1giUw9EA&t=20s

News Story on Longwood Gardens Installation: https://6abc.com/timely-nature-black-history-month-america/10286645/

Narrations at: https://globalhealthmedia.org/