Free Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Announced At Nichols Concert Hall This January

The Music Institute of Chicago presents a free musical celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sunday, January 14 at 3 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston. The performance also will be available via livestream.

This annual tribute to the historic American leader features performances by Music Institute award-winning alumna violinist Hannah White; a newly commissioned work from Nyandeng Juag through the Hearing in Color Young Composer Residency; young performers from Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and Ravinia's Reach Teach Play program; and a performance by the Music Institute of Chicago Chorale conducted by Daniel Wallenberg. Dr. Marcus Campbell, superintendent of Evanston Township High School District 202, will speak at the event.

At the Music Institute's 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, voice faculty Angela DeVenuto, pianist and Artist-in-Residence Marta Aznavoorian, and cellist Mara McClain performed the world premiere of Ephraim Champion's "A Stone of Hope (Martin's Song)," commissioned by the Music Institute through the Hearing in Color Young Composer Residency. Photo by Mike Grittani.

Nichols Concert Hall Presents 2023–24 season continues in 2024:

February 24: Imani Winds “Black and Brown, a celebration of composers of color”

March 6: Curtis on Tour featuring Music Institute alumnus violinist Benjamin Beilman

March 23: Titus Underwood “Lift Every Voice and Sing”

April 27: Time for Three

For concert updates, visit nicholsconcerthall.org.

The 21st annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration takes place Sunday, January 14 at 3 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston. Admission is FREE and open to the public. To attend in person, ticket reservations are required at musicinst.org/events/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-celebration-free.

The free livestream is available at the same link and on the Music Institute's YouTube channel. All programming is subject to change.  

Noted architect Solon S. Beman designed the architecturally and acoustically magnificent First Church of Christ, Scientist, located at 1490 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, in 1912. In 2003, the building was sensitively restored to become Nichols Concert Hall, a state-of-the-art, 550-seat performance space and music education destination, easily accessible to numerous restaurants, on-street and metered parking, and the Davis Street CTA and Metra stations. The converted building, featuring a fully restored, 1914 E. M. Skinner pipe organ, received the Richard H. Driehaus Award for best adaptive use by the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois. Each year Nichols Concert Hall reaches approximately 15,000 people and hosts a world-class chamber music series, workshops and master classes, student recitals, and special events.
 
The Music Institute of Chicago leads people toward a lifelong engagement with music through unparalleled teaching, exceptional performances, and valuable service initiatives that educate, inspire, and build strong, healthy communities. Since its founding in 1931, the Music Institute's commitment to innovation, access, and excellence has served as an important community resource and helps to ensure music is available to everyone. Each year, the Music Institute provides personalized music instruction to more than 1,500 students, regardless of age, level of experience, or financial means, across eight Community Music School locations in Chicago, Downers Grove, Evanston, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, and Winnetka, as well as online. In addition, the Music Institute brings music education, arts curriculum integration, professional development, and music performance and engagement opportunities to thousands in the Chicago area; offers scholarship opportunities to students in its Community School and its Academy, a nationally recognized training center for highly gifted pre-college pianists and string players; and welcomes more than 15,000 visitors annually for performances, master classes, and special events at Nichols Concert Hall. 

The Music Institute of Chicago is grateful for the support of these annual institutional supporters: Thomas W. Dower Foundation, The Florian Fund at The Chicago Community Trust, Paul Galvin Memorial Foundation, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, The Irving Harris Foundation, ITW, The Neguanee Foundation, John D. & Alexandra C. Nichols Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Sargent Family Foundation, Shure, and many others. We acknowledge the generous support of the Highland Park Community Foundation and the Evanston Arts Council, a city agency supported by the City of Evanston; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

All programming is subject to change. For information, visit musicinst.org.