Chicago Sinfonietta presents Pulse, its Annual MLK Tribute Concert, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14 at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville and at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward,” said Martin Luther King, Jr. The Chicago Sinfonietta, one of the most diverse orchestras in the United States, follows the legacy of Dr. King. Every year, it organizes tribute concerts devoted to Martin Luther King Jr., and every year these concerts attract a great number of people who honor Dr. King and who love classical music.

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“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward,” said Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Chicago Sinfonietta, one of the most diverse orchestras in the United States, follows the legacy of Dr. King. Every year, it organizes tribute concerts devoted to Martin Luther King Jr., and every year these concerts attract a great number of people who honor Dr. King and who love classical music.

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Mei-Ann Chen and Blake-Anthony Johnson
Music Director and CEO, Chicago Sinfonietta
In 1987, conductor Paul Freeman had had enough. He had had enough of watching orchestras where there was a lack of diversity in the hiring and programming, of women and minority conductors and composers passed over for important work, and of orchestras playing only in venues accessible to a certain slice of society. So he formed the Chicago Sinfonietta, and set about righting those wrongs. Freeman retired in 2011 (he passed away in 2015), passing the baton to Mei-Ann Chen. Chen set the orchestral world alight, shattering glass ceilings. In 2020, Blake-Anthony Johnson came on board as CEO, and brought about the type of changes that others were talking about but were not putting into practice. This season, the orchestra begins a collaboration with The Auditorium Theatre, along with Naperville’s Wentz Concert Hall. (Aaron Hunt)

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“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without,” said Confucius, whose life and teachings studied human nature and expressed the ability of human effort to shape its own destiny. Chicago Sinfonietta, a nationally and internationally acclaimed cultural leader, prepared a new concert program called “DEPTH” that will explore the depths of human nature and experience through music.

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Chicago Sinfonietta president and CEO Blake-Anthony Johnson joins “Chicago Today” to preview upcoming season, discuss their recent move to a new venue and their commitment to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion through unique symphonic experiences.

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Chicago Sinfonietta (CS) is not just your typical orchestra; it’s a tenured powerhouse and a revered cultural influencer dedicated to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion through the magic of symphonic music. For over three decades, this remarkable ensemble has forged connections within the community, ensuring that classical music becomes a source of unity, inspiration, and a driving force for fairness and equity.

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The Board of the Chicago Sinfonietta has unanimously elected to extend Music Director Mei-Ann Chen’s contract through the 2028-29 season, for another four years. Maestra Chen has served the Chicago area as Music Director of the 36-year-old award-winning cultural leader and powerful champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging since 2011. During her tenure as the orchestra’s second Music Director, she has continually redefined orchestra programming and strongly positioned the organization at the forefront of bold, innovative initiatives that have helped to build bridges with all sectors of the community and industry attention to the organization.

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The GRAMMY Award-winning producer and composer Peter CottonTale has recently been named as the new Artist-in-Residence with the Chicago Sinfonietta for the 2023/24 season.

As part of his residency, CottonTale will act as emcee for three of the ensemble’s subscription concerts and will be actively involved in six of Sinfonietta’s free-to-the-public community program events.

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