Na’Zir McFadden will lead the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in free community concerts honoring Juneteenth.
Orchestras nationwide are presenting concerts and events to mark Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of African Americans who were enslaved in Texas until 1865, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Here are just some of the Juneteenth concerts at orchestras.
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will give two free community concerts in celebration of Juneteenth. DSO Assistant Conductor and Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador Na’Zir McFadden leads the orchestra in a program featuring music by African American composers. The performances take place on June 18 at Woodhaven High School in Brownstown Township and on June 19 at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. Before each concert, the DSO will offer a variety of hands-on activities for families.
On June 19, the Minnesota Orchestra will give a Juneteenth concert featuring music written and performed by Black artists. Concertgoers are invited to explore a curated vendor space in the Orchestra Hall lobby, featuring ten African American-owned businesses. The Minnesota Orchestra has posted a Juneteenth playlist on its YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDq146_Stx-M4Ss4TLuv2WUu2k0uJ-T_B.
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra in Massachusetts will present its third annual Juneteenth Freedom Day concert on June 19. Conductor Kevin Scott will lead the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Kevin Sharpe and the Extended Family Choir, and the Springfield Symphony Chorus in works by, among others, J. Rosamund Johnson & J. Weldon Johnson, Ozie Cargile, and Michael Abels. Prior to the concert, the orchestra will host a flag-raising ceremony, and concertgoers are invited to visit a showcase of the offerings of local vendors.
On June 20, Boston Modern Orchestra Project will continue its “As Told By: History, Race, and Justice on the Opera Stage” initiative with a performance of Ulysses Kay’s Frederick Douglass, which explores the challenges faced by the legendary civil right leader. This will be the New England premiere of Kay’s work, and will take place at Jordan Hall in Boston. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish, with a suggested minimum donation of $15 per ticket.
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will give a concert on June 19 in partnership with Mosaic Templars’ “Juneteenth in Da Rock” celebration. This event honors the legacy of African American emancipation and will feature music by Black jazz composers. The free concert will be held on the lawn of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s new Stella Boyle Smith Music Center in Little Rock.
