John Lewis News

Legendary French violinist Jean Luc Ponty and his band will be continuing their “Atlantic Years” tour in the US beginning August 2018! Jean Luc Ponty is a pioneer and undisputed master of the violin in the arena of jazz and rock. He is widely regarded as an innovator who has applied his unique visionary spin that has expanded the vocabulary of modern music.

Summer at The Nash is in full swing as the live concert venue and education center kicks off its programs.  Students will be learning new techniques from top instructors each week at The Nash Summer Workshops while bright young emerging artists arrive to showcase their incredible talents for The Nash Emerging Artist Series (Formerly Catch A Rising Star) kicking off June 29 with piano/bass player Ellis Green. 

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights today announced that the organization will present four youth activist groups with the internationally-recognized Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award on June 5, 2018 at The Kennedy Caucus Room on Capitol Hill.

At a recent Los Angles Master Chorale event, a technician asked the group's Director of the Marketing if the Master Chorale was the same organization that went into schools and taught kids how to write and sing songs. When it was affirmed that it was, he exclaimed: "I was one of those kids!" His fond memory of the Voices Within program 12 years after he participated illustrates the lasting impact the program has had on thousands of students since it was launched in 2001. This year's spring series of Voices Within concerts will take place at Hooper Avenue Elementary in South Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 25 and at Sheridan Street Elementary in Boyle Heights on Thursday, April 26, creating new memories for this season's 110 participants.

On March 16, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy declared his candidacy for President of the United States in the U.S. Senate Caucus Room, the exact location where his late brother John F. Kennedy had proclaimed his candidacy in 1960. Today, which marks 50 years to that day, Netflix announced that acclaimed director Dawn Porter's (Gideon's Army, Spies of Mississippi, Trapped) new original documentary series Bobby Kennedy For President will launch globally on April 27, 2018.

Richmond County Orchestra (RCO) is celebrating Motown music with a Side-By-Side production with Curtis High School band members on Sunday, April 22 at 3 p.m. at the Music Hall at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden.

On Friday, April 27, global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL is honored to partner with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to celebrate the opening of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL with a livestream of the Concert for Peace and Justice. The show will feature performances from The Roots, Usher, Common, Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes, and Kirk Franklin, plus very special guests. Beginning at 7:30 PM CTaudiences world-wide will be able to watch as history happens on TIDAL.com/EJI. While the livestream will be available to members and non-members alike, new TIDAL customers will be eligible for a free three-month trial.

Rock super group Roadcase Royale's Nancy Wilson, one of the founding members of legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Heart, and Liv Warfield, former Prince's New Power Generation band member/R&B singer, join rock icon Slash, renowned pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, the L.A. All-Star Band led by Music Director Martin Guigui, and others to headline an extraordinary 'Concert For Conservation' at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association BEASTLY BALL on Saturday, May 19, 2018, 5:30 pm, at the L.A. Zoo, a leader in the preservation of some of the world's most critically endangered species and their habitats. Showcasing the enormous impact the Zoo has on animal conservation both locally and internationally, this year's signature fundraiser takes place on the heels of national Endangered Species Day to underscore the Zoo's commitment to saving animals from extinction. The Ball honors animal expert/conservationist Jack Hanna and features a rare after-hours stroll through the Zoo with special animal experiences, including animal feedings, keeper chats and up close interactions; the debut of a conservation mural by artist/Beautify Earth Co-Founder Ruben Rojas; bountiful fare from some of L.A.'s most popular restaurants; a mobile-bidding silent auction and more. Guests are invited to dress in 'safari casual' attire. Honorary Chair Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, is joined by Honorary Committee members Slash, Lance Bass, Jackie Chan, Heather Mycoskie and Pauley Perrette. Beastly Ball Chair is GLAZA Trustee Tyler Kelley. Considered the 'wildest' party in town, the Ball has been lauded as 'one of the best parties in Los Angeles' (KCBS/KCAL TV News) and 'one the most important fund-raisers' (Los Angeles Times).

After their sold out performance in February, Trans Voices Cabaret returns to The Duplex with an even bigger cast of transgender and non-binary performers on Saturday, April 5th, 2018 at 9:30pm with direction by Donnie Cianciotto and musical direction by special guest Anessa Marie.

On March 16, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy declared his candidacy for President of the United States in the U.S. Senate Caucus Room, the exact location where his late brother John F. Kennedy had proclaimed his candidacy in 1960. Today, which marks 50 years to that day, Netflix announced that acclaimed director Dawn Porter's (Gideon's Army, Spies of Mississippi, Trapped) new original documentary series Bobby Kennedy For President will launch globally on April 27, 2018.

KING IN THE WILDERNESS An Intimate Account of the Final Years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, NBC News announced the world premiere of HOPE & FURY: MLK, THE MOVEMENT AND THE MEDIA, a new documentary film that examines how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and leaders of the civil rights movement used the power of print and visual media, especially television, to awaken America to the shame and injustice of racial inequality. From executive producer and NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack, the two-hour network event will premiere on NBC on March 24th at 8:00 pm ET and on MSNBC on March 25th at 9:00 pm ET.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s leadership during the bus boycotts, the sit-ins and the historic Selma-to-Montgomery marches is now legendary. Much of what happened afterward, during the last three years of his life, is rarely discussed, but it was a time when Dr. King said his dream “turned into a nightmare.” From the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to his assassination in 1968, King remained unshakably committed to nonviolence in the face of an increasingly unstable country.

Paramount Network Presents 'I Am MLK Jr.,' A Documentary Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Paramount Network and award-winning filmmaker Derik Murray have joined forces for a new, original documentary on the life and legacy of our country's legendary statesman, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Premiering, Wednesday, April 4 (9:00-10:30pm ET/PT), “I Am MLK Jr.” on the 50th Anniversary of his tragic assassination, tells the story and celebrates the life of this American icon from an engaging contemporary perspective structured around seminal events of the Civil Rights Movement.

Carnegie Hall's The '60s: The Years that Changed America, a citywide festival from January 14-March 24, 2018, concludes this month with a vast array of events presented at Carnegie Hall and at more than 35 leading partner cultural institutions throughout New York City. This special exploration of the '60s invites audiences to explore this turbulent decade through the lens of arts and culture, including music's role as a meaningful vehicle to inspire social change.

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $25 million in grants as part of the NEA's first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $35,000 to the Monterey Jazz Festival in support of the Monterey Jazz Festival's 2018 Commission Piece, to be composed and performed by Oscar Hernandez and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Dixon Place (Ellie Covan, Founder and Artistic Director) is pleased to present the world premiere of SPEED QUEEN, written and performed by Pulitzer Prize-nominee Phoebe Legere, and directed by Lissa Moira at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street). The production will preview on March 7, 2018 with press opening on March 9, and performances on March 15, 16, 17, 23 and 24. All performances are at 7:30 PM.

 Innovator, music pioneer, composer and pianist Chick Corea pairs with the incomparable king of American jazz orchestras, Jazz at Lincoln Center Or chestra in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for a powerhouse concert on March 25, 2018. Since embarking on a solo career in 1966, Corea has been at the forefront of jazz, both as a renowned pianist forging new ground as an innovative electric ke yboardist with his acoustic jazz bands Return to Forever, the Elektric Band, and now, the electro / acoustic Vigil.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts will present a selection of 50 photographs from the archives of The Tennessean and The Nashville Banner that document an important period in Nashville's struggle for racial equality. The black-and-white photographs will be on display from March 30 through October 14, 2018 in the always free Conte Community Arts Gallery.