The Cleveland Orchestra’s 40th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert on Sunday, January 12 will be led by Assistant Conductor Vinay Parameswaran
Tickets for the FREE concert will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning on Saturday, January 4, 2020, at 9:00 a.m.
Concert will feature the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus, assembled and directed by Dr. William Henry Caldwell
The Cleveland Orchestra and ideastream® expand access to great music with LIVE radio broadcast on 90.3 WCPN and WCLV 104.9 and video stream on clevelandorchestra.com, Facebook Live, and YouTube
FREE Community Open House at Severance Hall will be held on Monday, January 20
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Orchestra’s 40th annual free concert in celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. takes place at Severance Hall on Sunday, January 12, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. led by Assistant Conductor Vinay Parameswaran. A highlight of this annual concert is the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus, an all-volunteer community chorus directed by Dr. William Henry Caldwell.
This uplifting concert will include selections by prominent African American composers, such as Florence Price, Duke Ellington, and Adolphus Hailstork, as well as traditional hymns and spirituals, including “Deep River” and “We Shall Overcome.” The program concludes with James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — widely known as the “black national anthem.”
Dr. King visited Cleveland many times from 1956 to 1968, giving notable speeches at Glenville High School and local churches, mobilizing voter registration efforts and leading marches for civil rights. Robert F. Kennedy eulogized Dr. King in a speech to the City Club of Cleveland the day after the civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis. Vintage photos, video and audio recordings featuring King, Kennedy and other historical figures will be incorporated into the concert through a multimedia presentation.
Although the concert is free, tickets are required and available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning on Saturday, January 4, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., through the Severance Hall Ticket Office in person, by phone at 216-231-1111 or 800-686-1141, or online at clevelandorchestra.com. Due to the high demand, tickets to this concert go quickly. Typically, all tickets for this performance are distributed by noon on the day they are made available to the public. There’s a limit of four tickets per household.
For the 40th year, The Cleveland Orchestra continues its tradition of honoring Dr. King on a Sunday in January. Due to the Orchestra’s touring and performance schedule in 2020, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert will be held a week earlier than usual, anticipating musical and community celebrations scheduled from coast to coast. The Orchestra’s free Community Open House will take place on Monday, January 20 (MLK Day).
FREE Community Open House on January 20
Severance Hall will host a free Community Open House on Monday, January 20, 2020, from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., featuring performances by the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, and a special performance of 400: An Afrikan Epic by Dr. Mark Lomax, II. This composition tells the story of the Afrikan diaspora from pre-colonial Afrika, through the Ma’afa (1619 - present), and into an Afro-futuristic vision of what global Afrikan peoples could become in the next 400 years as a healthy, happy, and united community. Immediately following this performance is a discussion led by Joy Bostic, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University, on Dr. Lomax’s epic work.
ideastream Radio Broadcast and Cleveland Orchestra video stream
The longstanding relationship between The Cleveland Orchestra and ideastream continues, with audio of the January 12 concert to be broadcast live on 90.3 WCPN, WCLV Classical 104.9, and on ideastream.org. The Cleveland Orchestra will also stream live video of the concert on its Facebook page, YouTube channel, and on clevelandorchestra.com.
16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. 2020 Community Service Awards
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2020 Community Service Awards will be presented as part of the January 12 concert. Jeffery Weaver, Chair of The Cleveland Orchestra Community Engagement Committee, will announce the awards, which are presented by The Cleveland Orchestra in cooperation with the City of Cleveland to individuals who have made a positive impact on the city of Cleveland in the spirit of the teachings and example of Dr. King. The awardees will be announced at the concert.
Parking Information
Parking in the Case Western Reserve University Campus Center Garage (Lot 29, adjacent to Severance Hall) for the January 12 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert will be available for free, on a first-come, first-served basis. The parking rate for the Community Open House on January 20 will be $7 per vehicle. For more information about parking, please visit clevelandorchestra.com.
CALENDAR LISTING:
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert
Sunday, January 12, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.
Severance Hall
The Cleveland Orchestra
Vinay Parameswaran, conductor
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus
Dr. William Henry Caldwell, director
HAILSTORK Fanfare on Amazing Grace
TRADITIONAL (arr. FLOYD) We Shall Overcome
ELLINGTON “Spring” and “Vortex” from The River
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS “Antiphon” from Five Mystical Songs
TRADITIONAL (arr. De CORMIER) Deep River
BACH (arr. STOKOWSKI) Komm, süsser Tod
F. PRICE Movement No. 1 from Symphony No. 1
COPLAND “The Promise of Living” from The Tender Land
JOHNSON (arr. SMITH) Lift Every Voice and Sing
Live radio broadcast by ideastream on 90.3 WCPN and WCLV 104.9 and online at ideastream.org. Video stream provided by The Cleveland Orchestra on Facebook, YouTube, and clevelandorchestra.com.
This concert is free, but tickets are required. Tickets can be requested on January 4, 2020.
Sponsored by KeyBank and supported by a grant from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
2020 FREE COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE
Monday, January 20, 2020, from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Severance Hall
This day of family-friendly activities and performances is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.
12:15 p.m.
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra
Vinay Parameswaran, conductor
Moonhee Kim, violin
SNIDER Something for the Dark
PRICE Symphony No. 4
BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2
1:30 p.m.
Suite from 400: An Afrikan Epic
Dr. Mark Lomax, II, composer and performer
A composition telling the story of the Afrikan diaspora from pre-colonial Afrika, through the Ma’afa (1619-the present), and into an Afro-futuristic vision of what global Afrikan peoples could become in the next 400 years as a healthy, happy, and united community.
Presented in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)
2:45 p.m.
Responses to Lomax’s 400:An Afrikan Epic
Dr. Mark Lomax, II
Joy R. Bostic, PHD CWRU Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Africana
Studies; Founding Director for the African and African American Studies Program; and
Interim VP for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity
4:30 p.m.
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus
Daniel Singer, director
Adam Landry, assistant director
J. MCCURRY (arr. COPLAND) Zion’s Walls
A. LAURO Allá va un encobijado
E. DALEY In Remembrance
C.A. FONSECA Muié Rendêra
TRAD. (arr. MORGAN) Travelin’ Shoes
K. PEDERSON Can we Sing the Darkness to Light?
J. RUNESTAD Ner Ner
All performances take place in the Concert Hall.
Ongoing Family Activities
- “I Have a Dream” Wall in the Smith Lobby.
- Cuyahoga County Public Library Book Display in the Smith Lobby.
- Terry Macklin Sounds of Entertainment. – DJ and Line Dancing with “Crazy Legs” – takes place in the Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer between performances.
Sponsored by KeyBank and supported by a grant from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.
All programs, artists, and prices are subject to change.