Cultural Attaché’s Icons 2025 series continues with composer Kathryn Bostic.
Composer, vocalist, and pianist Bostic is known for her expansive work across film, theater, and concert music. A recipient of multiple commissions from orchestras and arts organizations, she has scored films such as Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am and Clemency, and her concert works often explore identity, history, and the power of artistic truth.
We spoke on November 6th, just before the world premiere of Drag, a new work with a libretto by playwright Lorene Cary and soprano Karen Slack as soloist. The work celebrates the remarkable life and art of Gladys Bentley—a larger-than-life Harlem Renaissance performer who defied gender norms and expectations with her tuxedoed swagger, bawdy humor, and unapologetic self-expression.
Kathryn Bostic brings her signature lyricism and deep emotional insight to Bentley’s story. Drag is both a portrait and an act of reclamation—an exploration of an artist who “was light years ahead of most people,” as Bostic says. With Drag, she and her collaborators bring Bentley’s voice roaring back to life for audiences in 2025.
This interview was posted on November 6th.
To read the print version of my interview with Kathryn Bostic, please go HERE.
Photo: Kathryn Bostic in the Cultural Attaché Interview