The Norman Philharmonic in Oklahoma has a tradition of celebrating music of the present in its Meet the Composer series, according to an article by The Norman Transcript.
On Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the ensemble premiered the orchestral version of UF Digital Worlds Institute Director James Oliverio's Drawn to the Light and Trumpet Concerto No. 1: World House, the latter inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.
The concerto was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts as a collaboration between Oliverio and the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection in Atlanta, GA.
“My initial inspiration in writing this concerto was Dr. King’s idea of the World House, our one common planet, the only place where people of all races can either learn to live together or ‘perish as fools,’” Oliverio told The Norman Transcript. “My motivation to continue presenting this work across America is to reinforce the concept of the ‘United’ States, to help remind us that we are much stronger, more productive and ultimately better off living together in harmony than in a divisive human condition.”
Adapted from Mack Burke's article in The Norman Transcript. Read the full story here.
