39th Annual MLK Concert

The Cleveland Orchestra commemorated the life, leadership and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK), Jr. with the 39th Annual MLK Celebration Concert at Severance Hall.

This year’s concert was led by Assistant Conductor Vinay Parameswaran and featured acclaimed tenor Lawrence Brownlee and the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus, assembled and directed by William Henry Caldwell. The program included classical selections by Beethoven, Copland, Sibelius, and from William Grant Still’s Afro-American Symphony, as well as traditional hymns and spirituals such as “We Shall Overcome” and “Hold On.”

In addition to the concert, the MLK Community Service Awards were presented by Jeffery Weaver, Chair of The Cleveland Orchestra Community Engagement Committee to citizens in the community who are making a difference and positively impacting Cleveland with the spirit of Dr. King’s teachings. Mayor Frank G. Jackson offered congratulations to award recipients.