Led by Music Director Aram Demirjian, the concert features a powerful program of music rooted in the Black American musical tradition and closely associated with the Civil Rights Movement. Selections include “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “We Shall Overcome,” blues favorites such as “St. Louis Blues,” and beloved spirituals and hymns including “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me,” “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord,” and “Amazing Grace.”

“This concert is an opportunity for our community to come together in remembrance and celebration of Dr. King’s life, values, and vision,” said Demirjian. “The music on this program reflects the strength, resilience, and hope that defined the Civil Rights Movement and continues to inspire us today.”

Featured musical guests include baritone Michael Rodgers, vocalist Senetra Weaver, and drummer Obayana Ajanaku, who will join the orchestra for this moving tribute. The program will also include reflections from Reverend Reneé Kesler, President of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center and Historian of African American History for the City of Knoxville, offering historical and narrative context that deepens the concert’s exploration of Dr. King’s legacy.

“I am honored to join the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in this sacred tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said Kesler. “The music of the Civil Rights Movement was a testament of faith, sung in the face of struggle, lifted in hope, and anchored in the promise that justice would yet roll down. That same faith still calls us to remember, to bear witness, and to walk forward together, reminding us that justice work is holy work.”

This concert is presented in partnership with the Bijou Theatre and Beck Cultural Exchange Center, and sponsored by the Boyd Foundation. The pencil drawing of Martin Luther King is by W. James Taylor. Used with permission.