WESTPORT–An acclaimed baritone singer and pianist will perform the Connecticut premiere of 26 Ways of Looking at a Black Man on Oct. 2 at The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.

The 7 p.m. concert, featuring Grammy-nominated baritone Sidney Outlaw and pianist Piotr Kozlowski, is free and light refreshments will be served afterward, according to a press release from Beth Cliff, a communications and public relations volunteer for UUC at 10 Lyons Plains Road in Westport. Doors open at 6:40 p.m.

“This is an opportunity not simply to hear a world-class performer, but to gather around a deeply meaningful work that centers Black artistry, identity, and lived experience,” the press release says. “The public is invited to experience an evening of exceptional artistry, powerful storytelling, and community.”

Music for 26 Ways of Looking at a Black Man was composed by B.E. Boykin and poetry was written by Raymond Patterson. The poetry was published in 1969 and set to music in 2023. The work is designed to depict the lives of Black men and their depth, humanity and multiplicity.

26 Ways of Looking at a Black Man had its world premiere in May 2023 at the Oakland School for the Arts in Oakland, Calif., and featured Outlaw and pianist Warren Jones. The composition was featured on the album Black Pierrot, which featured Outlaw and Jones. It earned a Grammy nomination in November 2025 for “Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.”

Outlaw’s singing has received accolades from The Washington Post, The New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle. His recent highlights, according to the press release, include performances with Boston Baroque, Chattanooga Symphony, Toledo Opera and National Symphony, as well as appearances at New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall.

He currently holds voice faculty positions at the Manhattan School of Music, The Conservatory at Brooklyn College (CUNY) and Teachers College, Columbia University, where he is pursuing a PhD in Music Education, according to the press release.

Meanwhile, Kozlowski is described in the press release as “a versatile Polish pianist and educator with a strong focus on chamber and contemporary music.”

“A laureate of chamber music and solo piano competitions, Piotr has performed widely across Europe and North America,” the press release says. “He studied at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and completed his doctoral degree in piano performance at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, where he also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant…”

The press release says Kozlowski has premiered works by Jonathan Howard Katz and Donald Scott Stinson, and is a staff pianist at Manhattan School of Music. He particularly enjoys baroque, classical and 20th-century repertoires, according to the release.