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Open Heart, Chicago Sinfonietta’s annual MLK tribute concert
Start your year with music that opens hearts and honors those who serve. Open Heart, Chicago Sinfonietta’s annual MLK tribute concert, returns with a program rooted in legacy, joy, and justice.
This year, we honor Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, the Black Chicago surgeon who performed the world’s first successful open–heart surgery in 1893 — just months before Dvořák premiered his New World Symphony. His story reminds us that opening hearts is both a medical miracle and a social mission.
The evening includes the world premiere of The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Kathryn Bostic, based on the Hulu film and novel by longtime Sinfonietta cellist Edward Kelsey Moore — a joyful celebration of friendship and resilience.
Also featured: Joel Thompson’s breathe/burn: an elegy for Breonna Taylor, performed by acclaimed cellist Jeffrey Zeigler.
The program concludes with Dvořák’s From the New World, a powerful symphonic vision of unity and longing.
Begin 2026 with purpose. “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. [...] You only need a heart full of grace.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tickets start at $30
Jan 18 / Wentz Hall (Naperville) | Jan 19 / The Auditorium (Chicago Loop)
Get your tickets at chicagosinfonietta.org/open-heart.
Watch a Trailer at chicagosinfonietta.org/open-heart.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3416270-0
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3416270-2
