Martin Luther King Day Celebration Planned In Evanston

EVANSTON, IL — A celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. next week will feature music, dance and art from Evanston community members.

Presented by the city and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, the event is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave.

It will feature remarks by Mayor Daniel Biss and Claire McFarland of the Evanston Reparations Committee, according to a release from organizers.

Scheduled performances include:

• The world premiere of a “A Stone of Hope (Martin’s Song)” by Ephraim Champion, performed by Music Institute faculty Marta Aznavoorian, piano; Mara McClain, cello; and Angela DeVenuto, soprano. This work was commissioned by The Music Institute through the Hearing in Color Young Composer Residency, of which Champion is the 2022–23 composer.

• Music Institute alumnae and sisters Caitlin Adamson, viola, and Jada Adamson-Tate, piano (a past recipient of the Music Institute’s William Warfield Memorial Scholarship) performing Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s African Dances, Op. 58

• A young violinist from Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative offering William Grant Still’s “Mother and Child”

• A program from Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play featuring flutist Kaylee Johnson

• A performance from the Evanston Dance Ensemble, including dance, music, and spoken word

• T.E. & Company (Tricia Edwards) of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ

• A visual art exhibition curated by artist Fran Joy, the 2019 recipient of the Evanston Mayor’s Artist of the Year Award, and coordinated by the in the Nichols Concert Hall lobby coordinated by the Evanston Art Center will be presented in the lobby of the Nichols Concert Hall.

More information about other 2023 MLK Day events in Evanston, including events at Evanston Public Library, the Evanston History Center and Northwestern University is available from the city’s website.