Opera Singer Laquita Mitchell Set for Atlanta Music Festival

The 2013 Atlanta Music Festival: African American Concert Music and American Culture returns to the city Sept. 18-21 with a series of performances, panel discussions and programs designed to explore the dynamic character of American music and arts through the lens of African American concert music.

Organized by Emory University, Atlanta's First Congregational Church and Meridian Herald, the 2013 Atlanta Music Festival culminates in a concert with New York City Opera star Laquita Mitchell, Atlanta tenor Timothy B. Miller, the Morehouse College Glee Club, the First Congregational Chancel Choir, the Vega String Quartet and Meridian Chorale at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at Emory.

The AMF has significant historical roots in its namesake city as part of an effort by First Congregational Church a century ago to unite all Atlantans through music with what was then known as the "Atlanta Colored Music Festival." The festival took shape in 1910, when African American minister Henry Hugh Proctor put forward a then-daring idea: racial harmony through appreciation of music.

All events prior to the concert are free. Concert tickets are $25; $5 students via Arts at Emory Box Office, http://arts.emory.edu/box-office, 404-727-5050. For student tickets, call the box office.

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