Nkeiru Okoye’s When the Caged Bird Sings is a large‑scale contemporary concert work that follows the journey of Cerise, whose story weaves together personal and collective aspects of Black experience. Through movements such as ‘The Beatitudes’ and ‘Sometimes Life Gets Ugly,’ the piece explores adversity, resilience, and transformation with a musical language rooted in classical and operatic traditions and enriched with African American folk‑music influences and minimalist processes. Scored for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra, the work blends elements of oratorio, opera, and communal expression to create an expansive, emotionally resonant narrative inspired in part by themes found in the life and writings of Maya Angelou.