MSU honors Martin Luther King Jr. with concerts, museum exhibit, more

Bridgette M. Redman
·4 min read

Act I: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. through music and art

Few local Martin Luther King Jr. events are as enduring and popular as the Spirituals, Prayer and Protest Concert at Michigan State University each year.

A concert that consistently sells out (it is free, but tickets are required), the MSU College of Music puts together a commemorative jazz concert that celebrates the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. The 2023 concert will be at 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at Fairchild Theatre and is part of MSU’s 43rd annual MLK Celebration, themed this year, “Living Purpose, Promise, and Perseverance Now.”

This year, the concert features the MSU Jazz Orchestra II under the direction of Anthony Stanco and special guest conductor and trumpet soloist, Kris Johnson. Other parts of the concert will feature the music of Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, Booker Little, Curtis Mayfield, and Donny Hathaway. Guest vocalists are Ludgarde Fall, Tiffany Toriumi, and Rockelle Whitaker.

The event is sold out. You can sign up for the waiting list at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/7397864/jazzspiritualsprayer-and-protest-concert-east-lansing-fairchild-theatre.

Other MLK-related events on campus include:

  • A weeklong exhibit entitled “Voices from Black Bottom, Detroit Community History” at the MSU Museum. The free exhibition is a self-guided experience that includes a signature quilt and audio recordings of oral histories.

  • The 6th Annual Diversity Research Showcase from 1-5 p.m. Jan. 13. This event takes place at the MSU Union and shows important MSU undergraduate research on issues of diversity that advance inclusion.

  • A virtual ecumenical service honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and featuring artistic faith-based performances. The webinar takes place at 10 a.m Jan. 15. Registration is here: https://msu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_N6bn0Q5RS0ypKGE5JZSzRg

  • 2023 Springticipation from 5-8 p.m. Jan. 17 at the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. The event features a social justice-themed arts and cultural performance.

  • The MSU Libraries and WKAR Public Media will host the MLK Toward Freedom film series with films that share stories of overcoming systemic oppression.

Act II: Instrumental and vocal musicians provide variety of concerts

January is filled with a variety of musical concerts, especially in East Lansing where Wharton Center, the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and the MSU College of Music are hosting several events.

Several MSU artists and guests will gather at Cook Recital Hall at 3 p.m. Jan. 21 for a Lunar New Year Celebration Concert. Organized by violin and viola faculty member Yvonne Lam, the concert features works by composers of Asian descent to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Some of the works include Sarahal by Mari Kimura, Full Moon by Mari Takano, Homage to Anonymous Ancient Fiddlers by Texu Kim, The True Story of Ah Q by Chen Yi, And Then I Knew ‘Twas Wind by Toru Takemitsu and New Stories by Dorothy Chang.

Performing artists include Yvonne Lam, Sarah Plum, Mike Chen, Chen-Yu Huang, Ivo Shin, Mingzhe Wang, Joseph Lulloff, Yu-Lien The and Zhihua Tang. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and free for students.

For opera lovers, the place to be is the Fairchild Theatre at 3 p.m. Jan. 22 when the MSU Opera Theatre will present “Celebration of the Beautiful Voice.” This concert features senior and graduate students performing arias and scenes from such operas as Barbiere di Siviglia, Carmen, Cosi fan tutte, Die Fledermaus, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly, Romeo et Juliette and Wuthering Heights.

Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $12 for students.

On Jan. 26, cellist Alisa Weilerstein will arrive at Wharton Center’s Cobb Great Hall to perform Bach Cello Suites 1, 3 and 5, starting at 7:30 p.m.

The recent winner of BBC Music’s “Recording of the Year” award, she is considered one of the foremost cellists of this century. Weilerstein recently recorded all six of Bach’s Cello Suites in what became a best-selling album.

Tickets start at $23.

Encore!

  • The Chinese Undergraduate Student Association will host “2023 Year of the Rabbit Chinese New Year Gala” at the Pasant Theatre at 7 p.m. Jan. 14. The cultural celebration will include music and dance theater. Tickets are $16.49 and $23.49.

  • The first Act One series show of 2023 takes place at Wharton Center’s Pasant Stage at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Jan. 21. “The Ugly Duckling” will be performed by tutti frutti productions from Leeds, England. Tickets are $15.

  • The Ruhala Holistic Arts Center in East Lansing will be presenting “Songs for a New World” by Jason Robert Brown on Jan. 21 and the Ruhala Student Showcase on Jan. 22. Tickets to each show are $18.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State honors Martin Luther King Jr. with concerts, exhibit