A Time to Break Silence: Manousakis and Olivier pay tribute to Martin Luther King

There is one piece on our upcoming concert that we still haven't introduced on our blog. That piece is Manolis Manousakis's A Time to Break Silence: Speaking Truth to Power, for solo bassoon and video. The idea for the piece, which references a famous speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., came from SFCMP bassoonist Rufus Olivier, who will also perform the piece.

Olivier's performance on SFCMP's April 26 concert at Herbst Theatre will be the World Premiere of this new work.

Read below for Manousakis's program note and a bio of Rufus Olivier, edited by SFCMP program note writer Beth E. Levy.


The composer writes: “If only he had lived.... This composition draws its inspiration from the life and tragic death of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most prominent leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement, and the youngest person to accept the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a peacemaker, a promoter of non-violence, and an advocate for the equal treatment of all races.

“As with many major public figures, a nation-wide one minute of silence in memory of the deceased was observed. In several parts of the country, however, more often than not, this minute was not honored. In some schools it was the headmasters who didn’t allow it, elsewhere it was white pupils; racism and the oppression of black people were widespread in the late ‘60s.

“Forty years later, King’s fight for an equal society is as relevant as ever, with evidence showing that there is still a considerable racial gap in our society. Social issues abound in the domains of security, human rights and education. The scarcity of black political leaders of King’s or Malcolm X’s stature is evident and this has an obvious effect on the everyday lives of hundreds of thousands of people especially the poor–Hurricane Katrina’s effects on New Orleans is one sad example.

“The notion of ‘silence’ in the composition’s title is twofold: On one hand there’s the silence not honored in memoriam of King. On the other hand, it’s the silence instead of an answer that people receive from their political leaders when burning questions are asked. Why did people die in New Orleans? What turns everyday people into rioters? Why doesn’t social welfare work? What underlies police brutality cases? King himself had delivered a speech entitled ‘Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.’ His speech could not be more up to date.”


Rufus Olivier is the principal bassoonist with the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet, and former bassoonist with the San Francisco Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He is a founding member of the Anchor Chamber Players, the Midsummer Mozart Orchestra, and the Stanford Wind Quintet. He has been guest soloist with numerous orchestras throughout the United States, Japan, and France, and has premiered many new works for the bassoon. A member of the music faculties of Stanford University and San Francisco State University, he is also known for his many movie and TV soundtracks including the Grammy-winning soundtrack Elmo in Grouchland. In 1993, Olivier received the Seal of The City and County of San Francisco, as a recognition of “Exemplary Accomplishment on the Occasion of Black History Month.” In 2005 he won the Award of Merit from the United States Postal Service and was featured in a cover story for the magazine International Musician, published by the American Federation of Musicians. Olivier joined the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players in 1991.