Thursday, January 10, 2013

Chicago Modern Orchestra Project (CMOP) kicks off 2013 with two Martin Luther King, Jr. concerts titled “Rituals, Rights and Passages”



Martin Luther King through Concert
Chicago Modern Orchestra Project (CMOP) kicks-off 2013 with two MLK concerts titled “Rituals, Rights and Passages”


(CHICAGO, January 10, 2013) Chicago Modern Orchestra (CMOP) and its founder and Artistic Director, Renee Baker, are excited to announce the first 2013 concerts of the 2012-13 season. The first two concerts, named “Rituals, Rights and Passages”, will honor the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King and his message. These concerts will perform the program “Dream, Live & Hope,” The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. The program will feature selections from
“Awakening: A Jazz Messiah.” These programs will be performed with guest artists Chicago Community Chorus, Dr. Keith Hampton, director and Steward Wilson Gospel Singers with repertoire to include: Tillis Spiritual Fantasy, Baker
Subtle Hues of Blackbirds Symphonic Poem, Ono Wood Piece, Perkinson Walking All Over God’s City, Batiz Weep Dark Blue with a special tribute to Dr. Paul Freeman, founder of Chicago Sinfonietta.

Chicago Modern Orchestra Project (CMOP) MLK Concerts

Thursday, January 24, 2013, 7pm
South Shore Cultural Center
7059 S. South Shore Drive
Chicago, IL

Sunday, January 27, 2013, 3pm
Dominican University
7900 West Division Street
River Forest, IL

The South Shore Cultural Center performance is free, and tickets for the Dominican University performance can be purchased at www.chicagomodernorchestraproject.org/events-2/. Additional information about these concerts and the CMOP 2012-13 season may be found at www.chicagomodernorchestraproject.org.  CMOP artistic director, Renee Baker states, “Chicago Modern Orchestra Project celebrates Dr. King’s larger than life vision that draws fully from the deep well of America's potential for freedom, opportunity, and justice.

His vision of America is captured in his message of hope and possibility for a future anchored in dignity, sensitivity, and mutual respect; a message that challenges each of us to recognize that America's true strength lies in its diversity of talents. This concert in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is one that captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream – Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All.” She goes on to say, “Let this concert remind us all that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deepersense of duty within each of us — a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy.”

(Photo: Chicago Modern Orchestra Project-CMOP)
(Photo: Renee Baker)

About Chicago Modern Orchestra Project
Chicago Modern Orchestra Project (CMOP) is an orchestra group founded and directed by Renee Baker. CMOP is the country’s most ethnically diverse contemporary music ensemble and is rapidly being recognized as a national leader, as such. CMOP is dedicated to commissioning, performing and recording contemporary creative and classical music of many new composers. The mission of the orchestra is to excite and encourage new audiences with their own brand of “out-of-the-box” programming. CMOP’s mission and commitment is to seek out original scores from all genres of music, with an emphasis on living composers that perhaps would not appeal to most symphonies.

About Renee Baker
Renee Baker is a composer, conductor, violinist and violist, and the founder of Chicago Modern Orchestra Project. Ms. Baker has been at the extreme forefront of creative and avant-garde music while developing CMOP since 1991. Utilizing some of the finest musicians that cross the classical world as well as jazz greats,
she has crafted a group of the best traditionalists and married them to dedicated improvisors. Her skills as a conductor and musician coordinator have been used by some of the finest musical organizations in Chicago including Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Strings. Baker’s musical affiliations have include Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Orchestra, David Boykin Expanse, Orbert Davis w/Strings Attached, Doug Carn, Karl Siegfried’s Galaxy String Quartet, Great Black Music Ensemble (AACM), Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, and Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Ms. Baker has been the Artistic Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta Chamber Ensemble as well as Mantra Blue Free Orchestra, and is known as the principal violist of the internationally acclaimed Chicago Sinfonietta.

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