Music Institute of Chicago presents its 23rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Concert featuring performances by professional and student musicians and an examination of Dr. King's visionary message. The free concert takes place Sunday, January 18 at 3 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.
This year’s concert focuses on music and its learners through the lens of Dr. King's words. The program showcases performances by the Music Institute’s students, faculty, and Chicago-area artistic partners. The keynote speaker, composer and educator Dr. Jonathan Bailey Holland, is dean of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. His opera The Bridge examines Dr. King’s journey to Selma and premieres in 2026.
Music Institute of Chicago 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Concert, photo by Mike Grittani.
The Music Institute also welcomes:
• Heariing in Color, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to sharing music that has been historically excluded from musical spaces; the Music Institute has commissioned a world premiere choral work by Abisola Toukourou through the Hearing in Color Young Composer Residency, performed by Hearing in Color's Chroma Vocal Ensemble
• Evanston Children's Choir, a dynamic platform for “diversity in harmony,” which creates a transformative experience for young choir members from all walks of life
• Dance Center Evanston, Evanston’s premier dance training center for more than 30 years, premiering a new work
• Reach Teach Play, the Ravinia Festival's outreach programs serving more than 50,000 people in under-resourced Chicago-area communities and schools
• Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, an initiative that identifies and develops gifted orchestral students from underrepresented backgrounds toward careers as professional musicians
• Evanston Art Center, which fosters appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach, offering a visual art display curated by Evanston-based artist Fran Joy
• Students from Evanston District 65 presenting oratorical declamation of Dr. King's words
Violist David Roche performing at the Music Institute's 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Concert, photo by Mike Grittani.
The 23rd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr.
Community Celebration Concert takes place
Sunday, January 18 at 3 p.m.
at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.
This concert is free and open to the public.
All programming is subject to change.
For information, visit musicinst.org/events/23rd-annual-martin-luther-king-jr-community-celebration-concert.
Music Institute of Chicago
The Music Institute of Chicago leads people toward a lifelong engagement with music through unparalleled teaching, exceptional performances, and valuable service initiatives that educate, inspire, and build strong, healthy communities. Since its founding in 1931, the Music Institute’s commitment to innovation, access, and excellence has served as an important community resource, helping to ensure music is available to everyone. Each year, the Music Institute provides personalized music instruction to more than 1,500 students, regardless of age, level of experience, or financial means, across Community Music School locations in Chicago, Downers Grove, Evanston, Lake Forest, and Winnetka, as well as online. The Music Institute also offers scholarship opportunities to students in its Community School and the Academy, a nationally recognized pre-college conservatory program for gifted high school pianists and string players. The Music Institute welcomes more than 15,000 visitors annually for performances, masterclasses, and special events at Nichols Concert Hall.
The Music Institute of Chicago is grateful for the support of these annual institutional supporters: Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, John and Pauline Fife, Paul Galvin Memorial Foundation, The Grainger Foundation, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, The Irving Harris Foundation, ITW, The Julian Family Foundation, The Kiphart Family Foundation, William Harris Lee & Co., The Negaunee Foundation, Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Family Foundation, Sargent Family Foundation, Dr. Scholl Foundation, Shure, and The Wallace Foundation. The Music Institute also acknowledges the generous support of the Evanston Arts Council, a city agency supported by the City of Evanston; the Farny R. Wurlitzer Fund from the DeKalb County Community Foundation; the Highland Park Community Foundation; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity; and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For information, visit musicinst.org.