For nearly three decades, the Chicago Sinfonietta has paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a special concert to honor his life’s work.
“We like to perform this concert and try to illuminate the theme that (is) consistent with the way Dr. King led his life and how he tried to champion for social justice,” Executive Director Jim Hirsch said. “For us it’s not only an opportunity to remember, but also celebrate his legacy. And to bring people together under the arts as a way to celebrate the things that are similar between us, and to really think about what his life meant and remember some of those important things that he did.”
The 29th annual tribute concert, conducted by Maestro Mei-Ann Chen, will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, and at 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville. In addition, the Sinfonietta will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Symphony Center in Chicago.
“It’s our attempt to have a very optimistic look at where things are,” Hirsch said. “That’s why this concert actually has really incredibly talented young people who partner with us from the very first note of the concert all the way to end of the concert.”
The program opens with “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The piece will feature musicians from the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, The People’s Music School and Merit School of Music who will play “side by side” with the Sinfonietta.
“These young musicians sit right next to our musicians, and they perform the piece together,” Hirsch said. “There’s close to 20 young musicians on stage with our people.”
The piece will deliver this first optimistic message of the concert, Hirsch said. “We’ve got these wonderful young people who will carry on this legacy.”
While the Sinfonietta resets the stage, E’mon Lauren, Chicago Youth Poet Laureate, will perform an original piece of poetry.
“She is affiliated with the Young Chicago Authors, which is a fantastic youth poetry organization,” Hirsch said.
The first half of the concert will conclude with Antonio Vivaldi’s violin work “Concerto for 4 Violins” along with “Cello Opus 3 No. 10 B Minor Opus.” The works will feature soloists Maria Arrua, Teddy Wiggins, Tomer Marcus and Tara Lynn Ramsey.
“All four soloists come to us by way of the Civic Orchestra, which is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s training orchestra,” he said. “These are some of the finest musicians anywhere in the country.”
During intermission there will be activities in the lobby for audience members.
“We kind of explore a lot of the themes of Dr. King’s life: peace, social justice,” Hirsch said. “And we’re going to be inviting people to explore what they personally believe in and what they stand for.”
The audience engagement activities are part of every Sinfonietta concert.
“Our goal is to give audience members a deeper understanding of what the themes of the concert are and give them very much a hands-on personal experience to participate in,” Hirsch said. “We think it creates a much more robust concert experience.”
After intermission, two short works by Antonin Dvorak will be performed. Guest conductor Kalena Bovell will conduct “Slavonic Dances Opus 46 No. 2” and “Slavonic Dances Opus 72 No. 7.”
Bovell is in her second year of the Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion program, Hirsch said.
“We find the most talented and promising musicians, conductors and administrators, and we do very, very high-level professional development activities for them,” he said. “Kalena will actually be making her public conducting debut with the Chicago Sinfonietta in Chicago during these concerts.”
The final piece to be performed is the fourth and final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9.”
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“It is based on the melody ‘Ode to Joy,’ which is one of the most uplifting and beautiful melodies ever written,” Hirsch said.
The movement employs a choir and four soloists, and will feature the Roosevelt University Conservatory Choir, led by Cheryl Hill Frazes, and vocal soloists Nicholas Davis, Jared Esqurerra, Kimberly Gunderson and Louise Rogan.
The concert will then conclude the way it does every year.
“By inviting the audience to stand, hold hands and join with us as we sing ‘We Shall Overcome,'” Hirsch said. “It’s a Sinfonietta tradition.”
Tickets to the annual tribute typically sell out before the event, Hirsch said.
“I would recommend that people get tickets in advance, because it’s very unlikely that there will be any tickets left at the door the day of the show,” he said.
The concert, he said, is very family-friendly, appropriate for those age 7 and above.
“The concert’s pretty fast-moving, and they’ll see a lot of young people on stage,” Hirsch said.
Along with paying tribute to King, the concert is the Sinfonietta’s attempt to remind people to take action, he said.
“If we’re going to create the society that we want and the kind of country that we want, people need to be activists. That doesn’t necessarily mean liberal or conservative or this or that, but be involved in shaping our communities. Stand up for what you believe in and do something,” Hirsch said.
“That’s also what we really hope to do, is just remind the audience and all participants that this is our country and we need to be active in shaping it the way we think is the right way.”
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Chicago Sinfonietta’s Annual Tribute to Dr. King
When: Jan. 14 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; Jan. 15 at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville
Tickets: $29-$58 for Skokie performance; $48-$60 for Naperville performance
Information: 312-284-1554 or www.chicagosinfonietta.org