Open Heart, Chicago Sinfonietta’s annual MLK tribute concert is January 18-19
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.
