Bakhari S. Nokuri (b. 2005) is an African-American composer, producer, and drummer based in Los Angeles. He is an awardee of ASCAP's Herb Alpert and Morton Gould Awards, and a winner of the National Young Composers Challenge.
“AFROSPIRE” On tour with the inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles
JULY 10TH, 2026
Composer Bakhari Nokuri's orchestral work Afrospire will be featured on the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA) 2026 "I, Too, Sing America" America 250 Tour. Adapted for full symphony orchestra, Afrospire will open performances throughout the multi-city tour, which celebrates America's 250th anniversary and showcases the nation's largest minority orchestra.
The tour begins on July 12 with ICYOLA's 2026 Season Finale at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles before traveling to Mount Rushmore Amphitheater in South Dakota on July 14. The orchestra will then perform at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. on July 17—marking the first orchestral performance in the museum's history—before concluding with performances in New York City on July 18–19 at Concord Baptist Church, Riverside Church, and Mother Zion AME Church.
The announcement follows a remarkable year for Afrospire, which has received performances by ensembles across the United States. What began as a single composition has rapidly become one of Nokuri's most frequently performed works, continuing to gain recognition from collegiate, community, and professional ensembles nationwide.
In another major milestone, Afrospire has also been programmed by Akron Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Christopher Wilkins as part of its 2026–27 season, marking Nokuri's professional orchestra debut. The piece has also been programmed for the U.S. Army Band's “Echoes of Eternity” concert on July 17th at 7:30pm.
