CIGNA Presents Philadelphia Orchestra's Free MLK Concert

CIGNA presents The Philadelphia Orchestra's free Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert on Monday, January 17, 2011, at 3:00 PM. The concert will be held at Philadelphia's Martin Luther King High School, which is hosting the concert for the sixth consecutive year. See listing below for complete ticket information.

Guest conductor Thomas Wilkins once again leads the Orchestra, joined by narrator Charlotte Blake Alston and the School District of Philadelphia's All City Choir (Dorina Morrow, director), in a program that celebrates the life and work of DR. Martin Luther King Jr. Combining the traditions of African-American culture and Western classical music, the concert pays tribute to Dr. King's vision of a society free of prejudice and racial divisions, and his belief in the power of music to help create positive change. In addition to the musical portion of the program, specially selected students from local Philadelphia high schools will share their personal reflections on the life and work of Dr. King throughout the evening.

"In the year since I began my tenure at The Philadelphia Orchestra, on MLK Day, I have witnessed firsthand the powerful impact the Orchestra can have in the city's diverse communities, connecting people of various backgrounds through the joy of music," said Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore. "With this special concert, we strive to honor Dr. King's legacy and his inspiring vision for a society free of prejudice and racial divisions. This free community concert would not be possible without CIGNA, which has supported this concert since its inception, and which is dedicated to strengthening communities large and small throughout the Philadelphia region. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Representative Dwight Evans and his staff for their leadership, vision, and support. Finally, our deep appreciation goes to our partners at Foundations Inc. and at MLK High School, where we have presented this concert since 2006."

This year marks the sixth time in the 21-year history of the Tribute Concert series that funding from CIGNA has enabled members of the community to enjoy this event free of charge. Reflecting on the significance of this, CIGNA Foundation Executive Director GiAnna Jackson said, "By making sure access to this event is based on people's desire to be a part of the experience and not on their ability to pay, we are helping guarantee that the concert audience is truly representative of our entire community. We at CIGNA believe that this is the best way to honor Dr. King and his ideals of fairness and justice."

"West Oak Lane continues to lift up the memory and commemorate the spirit of the Rev. DR. Martin Luther King Jr. in a very special way. The internationally acclaimed Philadelphia Orchestra always finds a way to touch our souls with an inspiring musical tribute to Dr. King. The community, city, and entire region look forward all year to coming together for this signature event at Martin Luther King High School."

Martin Luther King High School's partnership with Foundations, Inc., is dedicated to transitioning the School into a high-performing, competitive school. Foundations, Inc., CEO Rhonda Lauer states, "All of us at Martin Luther King High School and Foundations are so proud to be in partnership with The Philadelphia Orchestra and State Representative Dwight Evans as we host this wonderful concert for a sixth year now. The real honor is to be able to watch our students, their families, and the entire community embrace these events with such appreciation and sense of infectious pride touches everyone."

The 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert opens with an excerpt from Morton Gould's Spirituals for Orchestra, followed by the fourth movement of the Symphony No. 3 by Florence Price, the first black woman to win widespread recognition as a symphonic composer. Charlotte Blake Alston then returns for what has now become a tradition of the Tribute Concert-a reading from the writings of Martin Luther King Jr. over a performance of Barber's elegiac Adagio for Strings. The first half of the program concludes with the fourth movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.
After intermission the School District of Philadelphia's All City Choir, directed by Dorina Morrow, joins the Orchestra to perform "Hallelujah," from Beethoven's Christ on the Mount of Olives and Gwyneth Walker's "How Can I Keep from Singing?" The Choir performs an unaccompanied selection, "Judgment Day," before the concert closes with John Rosamond Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and Samuel Ward's "America, the Beautiful."

The Orchestra continues to honor outstanding high school seniors who, through their superior academic and personal achievements, exemplify the ideals of Dr. King. Teachers and administrators from selected schools in the Philadelphia region nominate students based on their academic and personal achievements, and their commitment to the betterment of their community through volunteer service and related activities. Finalists are invited to interview with a panel assembled by The Philadelphia Orchestra Association and made up of Orchestra musicians, staff members, and members of the Orchestra's community partners. Two of the finalists have been invited to participate in the Orchestra's Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert, while the remaining finalists will be recognized during the concert.

Guest conductor Thomas Wilkins is resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony, music director of the Omaha Symphony, and principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. He made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut conducting the Marian Anderson Award Concert in 2003 and has returned to conduct this concert regularly since 2005. Mr. Wilkins has led the Orchestra's Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute concerts in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.
The School District of Philadelphia's All City Choir, under the direction of Dorina C. Morrow of The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, represents students from 12 high schools in the School District of Philadelphia. The All City Choir performs annually in the All Philadelphia High School Music Festival.

The Philadelphia Orchestra's Martin Luther King Jr. Concert, first presented in 1991, reflects the beliefs and convictions of the famed civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., combining the traditions of African-American culture and Western classical music. The concert pays tribute to Dr. King's religious beliefs, his vision of a society free of prejudice and racial divisions, and his belief in the power of music to effect change. CIGNA has sponsored this event since its inception. Taking the Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert into the community reflects the Orchestra's commitment to reaching new and diverse audiences. Since its Centennial in 2000, the Orchestra has performed free Neighborhood Concerts throughout the Philadelphia region, bringing the gift of music into the communities where people live in an attempt to break down the barriers that may separate it from many people in the community.

Foundations, Inc., is nationally recognized for the services it offers to afterschool programs, schools, districts, and other educational and community organizations. Foundations provides technical expertise to clients dedicated to improving educational achievement during school and afterschool hours. Foundations' Neighborhood School Network is comprised of four School District of Philadelphia schools: Fulton Elementary, Kinsey Elementary, Pastorius Elementary, and Martin Luther King High School, all located in Northwest Philadelphia.

CIGNA (NYSE: CI) is a global health service and financial company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being, and sense of security. CIGNA Corporation's operating subsidiaries in the United States provide an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident, and disability insurance. CIGNA offers products and services in over 27 countries and jurisdictions and has approximately 60 million customer relationships throughout the world. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com. To sign up for e-mail alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on to http://newsroom.cigna.com/rss. Also, follow us on Twitter at @cigna, visit CIGNA's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/cigna and listen to CIGNA's podcast series with healthy tips and information at http://www.cigna.com/podcasts or by searching "CIGNA" in iTunes.
CIGNA Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from CIGNA Corporation and its subsidiaries. The CIGNA Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their communities, with a special focus on those communities where CIGNA employees live and work.

The Philadelphia Orchestra is among the world's leading orchestras. Renowned for its artistic excellence since its founding in 1900, the Orchestra has excited audiences with thousands of concerts in Philadelphia and around the world.

With only seven music directors throughout more than a century of unswerving orchestral distinction, the artistic heritage of The Philadelphia Orchestra is attributed to extraordinary musicianship under the leadership and innovation of Fritz Scheel (1900-07), Carl Pohlig (1907-12), Leopold Stokowski (1912-41), Eugene Ormandy (1936-80), Riccardo Muti (1980-92), Wolfgang Sawallisch (1993-2003), and Christoph Eschenbach (2003-08). After 30 years of a celebrated association with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Charles Dutoit continues the tradition as chief conductor.

Since Mr. Dutoit's debut with the Orchestra in July 1980 he has led hundreds of concerts in Philadelphia, at Carnegie Hall, and on tour, as artistic director of the Orchestra's summer concerts at the Mann Center, artistic director and principal conductor of the Orchestra's summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and now as chief conductor. With the 2012-13 season, the Orchestra honors Mr. Dutoit by bestowing upon him the title conductor laureate.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin assumed the title of music director designate in June 2010, immediately joining the Orchestra's leadership team. He takes up the baton as The Philadelphia Orchestra's next music director in 2012.

The Philadelphia Orchestra annually touches the lives of countless music lovers worldwide, through concerts, presentations, and recordings. Each year the Orchestra presents a subscription season at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, education and community partnership programs, and annual appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center; it also regularly tours throughout the world. Its summer schedule includes performances at the Mann Center, free Neighborhood Concerts throughout Greater Philadelphia, and residencies at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra, please visit www.philorch.org.