For press inquiries, please contact [email protected]

MLK: A Celebration in Song with Mickey Guyton and the Nashville Symphony

Made Free to Attend Through Generous Sponsorship from Spencer Fane

 Concert to take place on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 7:30 PM

Pre-concert reception to take place at 6:15 PM 

NASHVILLE, TN – January 3, 2025 The Nashville Symphony is excited to announce that its 31st annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day celebration concert, MLK: A Celebration in Song, will now be free to the public thanks to a generous sponsorship from Spencer Fane. Reservations are required. Tickets and more information are available now at nashvillesymphony.org/mlk.

“This concert embodies our mission to inspire and engage the diverse and growing Nashville community with live orchestral music experiences,” said Nashville Symphony President and CEO Alan D. Valentine. “We are deeply grateful to Spencer Fane for making it possible to open our doors and welcome the community to this meaningful celebration of Dr. King’s legacy.”

Led by conductor Jonathan Taylor Rush, MLK: A Celebration in Song will feature the world-class Nashville Symphony, the powerful voices of the Celebration Chorus, Celebration Youth Chorus, and W. Crimm Singers, and four-time GRAMMY®-nominated artist and country music trailblazer Mickey Guyton. The evening promises a moving blend of classical, contemporary, and spiritual music that celebrates Dr. King’s enduring message of hope, equality, and justice.

“Partnering with the Nashville Symphony to ensure that this powerful tribute to Dr. King is accessible to everyone is important to us and aligns with our mission to positively impact the communities we serve,” said Stacey Garrett Koju, Partner at Spencer Fane. “We are honored to continue our tradition of supporting an event that amplifies Dr. King’s timeless message for equality.”

Before the concert, Spencer Fane invites ticketholders to a complimentary pre-concert reception from
6:15 -7:15 p.m.

Tickets are also available for a VIP Experience with Mickey Guyton, featuring an exclusive Q&A session and a photo opportunity with the artist. Proceeds from the VIP Experience directly support the Nashville Symphony’s 300+ annual music education and community programs across Middle Tennessee. VIP Experience tickets are $100.

For more information and to reserve tickets, visit nashvillesymphony.org/mlk.

 

PROGRAM INFORMATION

MLK: A Celebration in Song with Mickey Guyton and the Nashville Symphony

7:30 p.m. Sunday, January 19

Schermerhorn Symphony Center

 

PERFORMERS

Nashville Symphony

Jonathan Taylor Rush, conductor

Mickey Guyton 

Celebration Chorus - Odessa Settles, chorus master 

Celebration Youth Chorus - Margaret Campbelle-Holman & Dr. Nita Smith, Co-Directors and Allen Christian,
Assistant Director

W. Crimm Singers

 

PROGRAM

William Grant Still, Festival Overture

George Walker, Lyric for Strings  

Margaret Bonds, Montgomery Variations, Prayer Meeting

Carlos Simon, Elegy: A Cry from the Grave

Omar Thomas, Of Our New Day Begun

Johnson, Lift Every Voice and Sing

Boyd, United We Are!

Richard Smallwood, Total Praise

Mickey Guyton, Black Like Me

Mickey Guyton, Better Than You Left Me

Kurt Carr, For Every Mountain

Roberta Martin, Even Me

William Runyan, Great Is Thy Faithfulness

 Uzee Brown, Jr., We Shall Overcome

 

More information on this concert here.

About the Nashville Symphony

Led by Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero, the Nashville Symphony inspires and engages a diverse and growing community with extraordinary live orchestral music experiences. Since its founding in 1946, the Nashville Symphony has been celebrated for its dedication to contemporary American orchestral music, innovative programming across multiple genres, and a prolific recording schedule that has produced 14 GRAMMY® Awards and 27 nominations. The Nashville Symphony reaches more than 400,000 students and adults across Middle Tennessee annually through its 20 free and low-cost education and community programs. Learn more about educational programs and initiatives at nashvillesymphony.org/education.

The Nashville Symphony is a nonprofit organization supported by individuals, corporations, and foundations. For more information about the Nashville Symphony or to donate, please visit nashvillesymphony.org.

WITH SUPPORT FROM:

Tennessee Arts Commission logo