Classical KUSC will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation by hosting a concert in the 485-seat performance hall of the AT&T Center Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 22.
Latonia Moore / Photo credit Dallas Kilponen
The Emancipation Proclamation Concert will feature 11 classical artists: soprano Latonia Moore, baritone Donnie Ray Albert, tenor George Shirley, violinist Sanford Allen, violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama, pianist Althea Waites, composer-pianist Richard Thompson, soprano Jammieca Mott, pianist Lukas Swidzinski, pianist Polli Chambers-Salazar and violinist Annelle Gregory. These artists, who represent a range of styles, have appeared on the stages of great opera houses and concert halls worldwide. Biographies of each artist can be found at https://musicuntold.com.
The concert will consist of solo and duo performances interspersed with spoken texts describing the journey from slavery to the election of President Barack Obama. Concertgoers will hear songs ranging from “Oh, Dem Golden Slippers” and “My Old Kentucky Home” to blues violin, Mozart and selections from Verdi’s Aida. The performance order will follow a historic timeline, starting with Mozart and ending with a composition by the living composer Richard Thompson.
Sanford Allen
The concert is being organized by John Malveaux, president of the Long Beach Central Arts Association, through the association’s affiliate, MusicUNTOLD. This year, Classical KUSC and the Colburn Foundation are partnering with MusicUNTOLD to support the Emancipation Proclamation concert.
AT&T Center is located at 1139 S. Hill St. in downtown Los Angeles. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., preceded by a lecture about the music and the Civil War era at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $60. Visit https://musicuntold.com.