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DSO
"Classical
Roots"
celebration
coming
March 7
DETROIT
- The
Detroit
Symphony
Orchestra’s
Classical
Roots
Concert
Series
continues
to be
one of
the
“Grand
Celebrations”
in
Midtown
Detroit.
This
exciting
event
has been
a
celebrated
tradition
at
Orchestra
Hall for
37
years.
The
DSO's
annual
Classical
Roots
concert
series
was
established
to
increase
awareness
of the
extraordinary
contributions
of
African-American
classical
composers
and
musicians.
This
year,
once
again
the
series
will be
led by
Resident
Conductor
Thomas
Wilkins
who will
conduct
the DSO
in works
by some
of the
most
distinguished
African-American
composers.
“The
Classical
Roots
Celebration
may only
happen
once a
year,
but the
spirit
behind
it is
something
we want
to work
toward
recognizing
year-round,”
said
Celebration
Co-Chair
Ellen
Hill
Zeringue.
“Kicking
off
festivities
in
February
during
Black
History
Month is
a great
way to
make
strides
toward
that
goal.”
The
Detroit
Symphony
Orchestra’s
(DSO)
15th
Annual
Classical
Roots
Celebration
will
honor
two well
respected
community
icons
who have
played
very
important
roles
within
the DSO
family,
and the
city of
Detroit
since
the era
of the
Civil
Rights
Movement:
DSO
violinist
Joseph
Striplin
and the
Honorable
Damon J.
Keith.
The
concerts
will
take
place on
Friday,
March 6
at 10:45
a.m. and
Saturday,
March 7
at 8
p.m. The
black
tie
celebration
is
presented
in
conjunction
with the
Saturday
performance
only.
The
Classical
Roots
Celebration
is
presented
by
JPMorgan
Chase.
Black
History
Month
presents
a
wonderful
opportunity
for
everyone
to learn
new
things,
expand
our
knowledge
and
grow.
The
Classical
Roots
weekend
offers
all of
the
above.
You will
hear
music by
George
Walker,
the
famous
Composer.
George
Walker
became
the
first
black
composer
to
receive
the
Pulitzer
Prize
for
Music in
1996.
Walker’s
Violin
Concerto
will be
performed
by his
son
Gregory
Walker.
Thomas
Wilkins,
Music
Director
of the
Omaha
Symphony
and
Principal
Conductor
of the
Hollywood
Bowl
Orchestra,
will
lead the
DSO in a
program
that
also
features
excerpts
from
Duke
Ellington’s
Black,
Brown
and
Beige
Suite,
Adolphus
Hailstork’s
Symphony
No. 1
and a
selection
of
spirituals
sung by
the
Brazeal
Dennard
Choir.
And, the
2015
Classical
Roots
Celebration
honorees
both
bring a
wealth
of
history
to the
program.
Joseph
Striplin
became
the
first
African
American
musician
to join
the DSO
in 1972.
A unique
position
that
dates
from the
Civil
Rights
Movement
to
today.
His
position
offers
an
opportunity
to share
how
African
Americans’
role in
classical
music
has
changed
in the
last 40
years
and what
progress
still
needs to
be made.
Today,
Striplin
is still
just one
of three
African
American
musicians
on the
DSO
roster.
He began
musical
studies
in the
Detroit
Public
Schools.
A
student
of
former
DSO
violinist
Jack
Boesen,
Striplin
is a
graduate
of Cass
Technical
High
School
and
Wayne
State
University.
In 1968,
he
performed
as a
soloist
with the
DSO in a
Detroit
Discovery
concert
and
served
as an
extra
musician
with the
Orchestra.
Striplin
was also
the
conductor
for the
DOS’s
“Music
Connection”
Community
Concert
the
first of
its kind
held at
Hartford
Memorial
Baptist
Church
last
year.
The
concert
was a
collaboration
with the
DSO and
Detroit
Public
Schools.
It was
an
opportunity
to
expose
more
Detroit
Public
School
students
to
Classical
Music;
an
overwhelming
number
of DPS
students
are
unable
to get
to the
DSO, so
the DSO
came to
the
community.
Willie
McAllister
Detroit
Public
Schools
Director
of Fine
Arts
commented,
“The
success
of
Detroit
Public
schools
is
heavily
predicated
in the
arts.
Academics
only
deal
with
part of
the
student.
Educating
the
whole
person
is
important,
and
music is
vital to
the
student’s
creativity,
and it
also
teaches
discipline.
Studies
prove
that
students
involved
in music
score
37%
higher
on
standardized
tests,
and
colleges
are more
willing
to
accept
students
with a
music
background.
Music is
vital to
the
whole
child.”
The
Honorable
Damon J.
Keith
(past
Classical
Roots
Honorary
Chair)
was born
in
Detroit
on July
4th and
this
year
will
celebrate
his 93rd
Birthday.
He has
served
as a
judge on
the U.S.
Court of
Appeals
for the
Sixth
Circuit
since
1977.
Prior to
joining
the
Court of
Appeals,
Judge
Keith
served
on the
U.S.
District
Court
for the
Eastern
District
of
Michigan,
at the
Michigan
Civil
Rights
Commission
and as a
member
of the
U.S.
Army.
For
nearly
50
years,
Judge
Keith
has
persuasively
defended
the
Constitution,
helping
communities
enforce
their
civil
rights.
He
continues
to a
strong
voice in
the
community.
Dr.
Charles
G.
Adams,
Pastor
of
Hartford
Memorial
Baptist
Church
comments,
“Judge
Keith
has
strengthened
our
democracy,
expanded
our
rights
and
affirmed
our
people,
particularly
those
who
suffered
any form
of
exclusion
or
mistreatment.”
And,
last
week he
held his
38th
annual
Soul
Food
Luncheon
in his
chambers,
and if
you can
think of
any
community
leader
or
corporate
leader
they
were
there,
including
both
publishers
of
Detroit’s
two
major
daily
newspapers;
Paul
Anger,
Detroit
Free
Press
Publisher
and
Jonathan
Wolman,
Detroit
News
Editor &
Publisher.
They all
came out
to honor
this
Judicial
Giant.
You
don’t
want to
miss
this
extraordinary
evening.
Co-chairing
the 2015
Classical
Roots
Celebration
are
Jason
Tinsley
and
Ellen
Hill
Zeringue
with the
support
of more
than 30
other
Detroit-area
citizens
and
corporate
leaders.
“JPMorgan
Chase is
proud to
be the
presenting
sponsor
of
Classical
Roots
once
again,
and I am
both
humbled
and
excited
to serve
as this
year’s
co-chair,”
said
Jason
Tinsley.
“This
fantastic
event
has
celebrated
the
contributions
of
African
Americans
to
classical
music
for 37
years,
and with
Thomas
Wilkins
conducting
and
leading
a George
Walker
piece,
March
7th
promises
to be a
night we
won’t
soon
forget.”
The
Celebration
begins
at 5:30
p.m. at
the Max
M.
Fisher
Music
Center
with a
strolling
dinner
in The
Music
Box
featuring
performances
by the
DSO
Civic
Jazz
Ensemble,
followed
by the
“Classical
Roots”
concert
at 8
p.m. in
Orchestra
Hall.
Following
the
concert,
guests
are
invited
to a
dancing
and
dessert
afterglow
in the
Atrium
and The
Music
Box.
DSO’s
Classical
Roots
Concerts
tickets
range
from $15
to $50,
box
seats
are
limited
at $100.
Tickets
are
available
at the
Max M.
Fisher
Music
Center
box
office,
or call
(313)
576-5111;
or
online
at
dso.org.
For
group
tickets
contact
Chuck
Dyer at
(313)
576-5130
or cdyer@dso.org.
Classical
Roots
Celebration
tickets
include
the
reception
and
strolling
dinner,
the
Classical
Roots
performance
and the
post-concert
dancing
and
dessert,
start at
$175.
All
tickets
include
valet
parking.
Sponsorship
opportunities
ranging
from
$3,600-$10,000
are also
available.
For more
information
call
Karly
Sherwood
at
313-576-5100
or
ksherwood@dso.org.
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