The Amistad Center for Art & Culture will host the 2024 Harmonies & Healing Concert with The Hartford Symphony Orchestra (HSO) on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at 7 p.m. at the Rehoboth Church of God, 1170 Blue Hills Avenue, in Bloomfield, Conn. Admission is free.
The concert marks the 95th Anniversary of the first gallery showing of Black art in the City of Hartford and features the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Voices of Hartford with Miles Wilson-Toliver, and the Rehoboth Church of God Choir. Marking its 80th season in 2023-2024, the HSO is Connecticut’s premier musical organization and widely recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras. (www.hartfordsymphony.org)
Rehoboth Church of God is a multi-generational, multi-racial church serving in various capacities in Greater Hartford and the surrounding communities for more than 55 years. The mission is soul winning, and the equipping of men and women to serve in the kingdom of God. The church is connected to 120 affiliated congregations in the Connecticut region, has a 1400 seat capacity and hosts various ministries and events. (www.rehobothcog.org)
This event partnership, venue, and theme aim to pair and parallel the traditional musical and theological means of healing with conventional health care. Featured artists are:
- John Charles Thomas, Acting Principal Trumpet, Hartford Symphony Orchestra – A professor at The Hartt School and recording artist, Thomas has performed frequently with the New York Philharmonic, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Vienna Symphony and was a member of the Grammy Award® winning Chestnut Brass Company. He has appeared in Europe, Asia, Canada and the U.S. as soloist and chamber musician, and represented the U.S. State Department on tours in Central America.
Wayne J. du Maine, Guest Conductor -A native of St. Louis, MO, Wayne J. du Maine has been performing successfully in the New York City area for over thirty years. As a trumpeter, Wayne has performed and recorded with such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He currently holds the principal chair with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the American Composers Orchestra. Mr. du Maine has also led the Hartford Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, and Westchester Philharmonic as conductor of educational concerts. As a trumpet soloist, he has performed numerous concerti with the Concord Orchestra as well as orchestras from Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Springfield (MA), and Mid Coast (ME).
- The Voices of Hartford- Founded in June of 2021 by Artistic Director Miles Wilson-Toliver and the Hartford-based professional choral ensemble Voce, Voices of Hartford works closely with leadership in the communities it serves to ensure that its programming addresses the needs of young people living and working in Hartford’s neighborhoods. Bass-Baritone Miles Wilson-Toliver is an award-winning Opera singer, Arts advocate, and voice instructor. His Operatic debut (A Gathering of Sons 2017) won a New York Film Festival Award for “Best Opera Dealing with Social Justice.” (www.voicesofhartford.org)
- Rehoboth Church of God & Friends Community Choir – This choir is a collaboration of the Rehoboth Church Choir and singers from the area church community. This special event ensemble will perform in a joint concert to honor the works of African American composers and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This community choir will be conducted by Dr. Felicia Barber, who is an Associate Professor of Choral Conducting at Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale School of Music.
About The Amistad Center for Art & Culture
Founded in 1987, The Amistad Center for Art & Culture (TAC) is housed in the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, the oldest continuously operating public art museum in America. The Amistad Center uniquely inspires, entertains, and educates diverse audiences through a robust array of art, cultural and educational experiences for all members of the Greater Hartford community and New England region. Our multidisciplinary collection of more than 7,000 works of fine art, photography, historical artifacts, memorabilia, and rare books documents the African American experience from the earliest era of enslavement to contemporary creative achievements. We curate unique cultural experiences that encourage rich one-of-a-kind cross-cultural conversations. Through our efforts to honor and celebrate the history and contributions of all people of African descent in America, we seek to inspire the next generation of artists, art enthusiasts and cultural visionaries.
About the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Founded in 1842 with a vision for infusing art into the American experience, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is home to a collection of nearly 50,000 works of art spanning 5,000 years and encompassing European art from antiquity through contemporary as well as American art from the 1600s to today. The Wadsworth Atheneum’s five connected buildings— representing architectural styles including Gothic Revival, modern International Style, and 1960s Brutalism—are located at 600 Main Street in Hartford, Conn.
