Harris Theater Presents The World Premiere of “Emancipation” by Adrian Dunn
| The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance will present Emancipation by Adrian Dunn with the The Adrian Dunn Singers and Rize Orchestra on the Harris Theater Mainstage on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.. Emancipation is the second installment in the trilogy cycle composed by Adrian Dunn exploring Black life in America, through genres created by Black Americans. The program will be performed by The Adrian Dunn Singers and Rize Orchestra, all-Black professional ensembles founded by Dunn and dedicated to transforming classical music and the music industry at large. This performance of Emancipation marks the first time that an all-Black professional orchestra has played at the Harris Theater. This historic moment will be filmed and recorded for a live album. In Dunn’s words: “As a classically trained musician, there were things in my childhood that I was forced to discard about my musical upbringing and identity. Emancipation is me going back and getting all of those things and bringing them to the concert stage. My inspiration for this piece includes Black sacred texts of Maya Angelou, Kanye West, Tupac, Marlon Riggs, James Baldwin, and Audre Lorde, to name a few.” What does it mean to be Black and free in America in the 21st century? Emancipation seeks the answers to that question through an exploration of love, loss, queerness, Black liberation, and the human experience. Following the stage premiere of Emancipation, Dunn will lead The Adrian Dunn Singers in a one-hour matinee performance for children and families on Saturday, April 30 at 2 p.m., featuring excerpts from Emancipation and Redemption, the first installment of the trilogy. Tickets and information about the Family Series performance are available at harristheaterchicago.org/adrian-dunn singers. Tickets start at $10. |
