In Wednesday’s (8/14) Los Angeles Times, Celine Wright writes, “It’s likely few people are familiar with one aspect of the Rev. Martin Luther King’s life—his appreciation of and background in classical music. The ‘Symphony of Brotherhood’ concert Sunday at downtown’s Zipper Concert Hall aims to highlight this and also celebrate a landmark of the civil rights leader’s lifetime. This month marks the 50th anniversary of King’s timeless and powerful ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, which took place Aug. 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. During the speech, King said, ‘With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.’ … As a child, King took piano lessons from his mother, Alberta, a trained pianist, and later went on to sing in the choir at the church where his father, Martin Luther King Sr., was the pastor. … King’s future wife, Coretta Scott, was studying music at the New England Conservatory in Boston when they met.” In addition to spirituals and works by William Grant Still, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Gaetano Donizetti, the concert will include the world premiere of Joo Poong Kim’s Candlelight for soprano, featuring Juliana Gondek and pianist Phoenix Park-Kim.
Posted August 14, 2013
