For the first time ever, a black woman, Solange Knowles, wrote a musical score for the New York City Ballet.

I'm thrilled to announce that I've written an original score for a Gianna Reisen choreography for the New York City Ballet. The City Ballet Orchestra and a soloist from my ensemble will perform the score, she wrote.

The untitled score will make its debut at the upcoming Fall Fashion Gala of the New York City Ballet on September 28. A dance and design-themed evening is planned for the 10th anniversary celebration. Solange’s musical art will soundtrack a world debut by Reisen in combination with costumes by Alejandro Gómez Palomo for Palomo Spain. Other performances and first showings will happen.

She’ll have encore presentations of the score at subsequent fall shows at Lincoln Center, including Oct. 1, 8, 11, and 16. The musical arrangement will return on May 2, 2023, with four other previews that month.

Solange is familiar with scores. In November 2020, she was selected to score the “You Love Me” advertisement for Beats by Dr. Dre. The two-minute ad was narrated by Tobe Nwigwe and starred Naomi Osaka, Lil Baby, Bubba Wallace, and Janaya Khan. It has amassed over 22 million views since its premiere.