Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert: Legacy in Harmony

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert: Legacy in Harmony

Wednesday, January 16, 2026. 6:00 pm

RISD Auditorium

7 Canal Walk, Providence, RI 02903

You are invited to an evening honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through music, reflection, and community. Of music’s power, Dr, King wrote, “When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through [their] instrument.” RISD is pleased to welcome the groundbreaking Marian Anderson String Quartet in concert as the centerpiece of RISD’s 2026 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Series. Come and experience this moving night of music in honor of Dr. King’s legacy and aimed at inspiring artists, designers, and justice-seekers to continue advancing causes of democracy for all.

Tickets are free and open to the RISD community and general public. This event will begin promptly at 6pm, any unclaimed seats by 5:45pm may be given to someone waiting.

Any questions about access or to request any reasonable accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event please contact Alicia Luzón (she/ella) via email at aluzon@risd.edu. If you need specific language interpretation (Spanish, Portuguese or Portuguese Creole) email us no later than Tuesday January 13th. These services will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. For general questions, please email sei@risd.edu

About RISD’s 2026 MLK Performers

The Marian Anderson String Quartet

Founded in 1989 and named after the legendary contralto, the Marian Anderson String Quartet won the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Competition in 1991, becoming the first African-American ensemble in history to win a classical music competition. The Quartet’s artistic endeavors have taken them to Alice Tully Hall, the Corcoran Gallery, the Library of Congress, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Kilbourn Hall, and the Chateau Cantanac-Brown in Bordeaux, France. The Quartet’s distinguished history includes performances ranging from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center with residencies/speaking engagements spanning from The National Gallery of Art and TedxBlinnCollege to Brown University's Heimark inaugural artists-in-residence at the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice. As recipients of the prestigious Guarneri String Quartet Award and Residency from Chamber Music America (CMA), the Quartet utilized its award toward outreach and engagement with inner-city youth. Driven by their belief in the power of education, the Quartet performs in venues ranging from museums to soup kitchens and churches to prisons.