Communiqué
James Pickens, Jr. hosts “The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert with The Cleveland Orchestra” – Feb. 10 at 10 pm
< < Back to james-pickens-jr-hosts-the-martin-luther-king-jr-celebration-concert-with-the-cleveland-orchestra-jan-14-at-10-pm![Wide shot of large orchestra and choir](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MLK-Celebration-Stage-2.jpg)
Franz Welser-Mˆst, conductor
James Pickens Jr., narrator
Ryan Speedo Green, bass-baritone
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus
William Henry Caldwell, director
Photo by Roger Mastroianni
Hosted by actor James Pickens, Jr., THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CELEBRATION CONCERT WITH THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA honors the life and legacy of the civil rights icon. Conducted by music director Franz Welser-Möst, the Cleveland Orchestra performs classical selections by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Verdi as well as traditional hymns and spirituals, including “Down by the Riverside,” “Precious Lord,” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
James Pickens, Jr. is a Cleveland native who is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Richard Webber on Grey’s Anatomy. The concert also featured guest soloist Ryan Speedo Green, called “a show stopper” by The New York Times, and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Chorus — an all-Cleveland community volunteer chorus — directed by William Henry Caldwell.