“What makes this piece so interesting is that Langston Hughes wrote notes about the music he imagined would accompany his words in the margins of the poem,” said Jim Hirsch, Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Sinfonietta. “Laura Karpman used these notes and created a one-hundred-five-minute work in twelve movements that encompasses different musical genres, spoken word, special effects, and the voice of Hughes himself. Ask Your Mama features brilliant, world-class soloists including jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, Broadway star De’Adre Aziza, soprano Janai Brugger, and spoken word artists from Young Chicago Authors. This multi-media work has only been performed three times before and never outside of New York and Los Angeles. It is truly a one-of-a-kind symphonic experience that will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Day in a moving and entertaining fashion.”
Read the full preview of the Chicago Sinfonietta’s annual Martin Luther King tribute concert from the Daily Herald’s Natalia Dagenhart here.