News and Reviews


Edwin Campbell Robertson

BAMA Remembers Founding Member, Ed Robertson

Known and loved for his extraordinary musical gifts and his gentle good humor, Edwin C. Robertson died on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the age of 84, in Alpharetta, Georgia. Read more.

Ed Robertson was one of the founding members of the Birmingham Art Music Alliance and served as president and in other leadership roles. His music was often presented on BAMA programs, including a dedicated concert when he was named the Carnegie Foundation/Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Alabama Professor of the Year in 2004. His “Night Scenes” for scordatura cello was a winning entry in the Hultgren Cello Works Biennial competition. He mentored many young composers over 34 years of teaching, some of whom also became active members with the organization. There will be a memorial service on Saturday, November 4th, 11 AM, at University Baptist Church in Montevallo, AL.


Available now on double-CD or digital! Album art by Caroline Mangum.

BAMA Releases “Alabama String Quartets”

The Birmingham Art Music Alliance is pleased to present our very first commercial audio release! Performed by the Amernet String Quartet, “Alabama String Quartets” is a double-CD compilation of string quartets written by Birmingham Art Music Alliance composers. Available on CD or digital. Album art by Caroline Mangum.

Where to buy/stream:

ALABAMA STRING QUARTETS – Alabama, although better known for the jazz of Lionel Hampton or the country music of Hank Williams, has a vibrant culture of classical music. Professional training in classical music is offered by numerous institutions of higher learning. There are several major orchestras in the state, including the Alabama Symphony Orchestra whose history stretches back to 1921, and also opera companies, chamber ensembles, and dedicated presenters, such as the Birmingham Art Music Alliance. Birmingham Art Music Alliance (BAMA) is an autonomous non-profit organization with the two-fold mission of promoting music by Alabama composers and presenting concerts of recently created art music to communities in Birmingham and beyond. Members include local composers, professional performers, students, and enthusiasts who wish to preserve and maintain the long tradition of music as a living art form. The Birmingham Art Music Alliance is thrilled to present the extraordinary Amernet String Quartet in Alabama String Quartets, spotlighting chamber music s most ‘classical’ of sub-genres and its expression in the hands of living composers from the Deep South.


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