These Richmond Symphony performances are tribute to gospel legend, Martin Luther King Jr.

RICHMOND, Va. --The Richmond Symphony is celebrating Martin Luther King holiday weekend with three concerts, two of which are paying tribute to award-winning gospel composer Richard Smallwood.

The symphony will perform the music of the gospel legend, known for hits like “I Love the Lord,” “Bless the Lord,” “Total Praise” and many more, in a tribute featuring acclaimed composer and conducted Dr. Henry Panion III, soloist Desiree Roots and a choir of some of the best gospel singers in Central Virginia.

Roots said she handpicked the singers for the concert.

“I wanted to bring these people along with me for the ride to have the experience of singing with the symphony as well as exposing the Richmond community to Symphony Gospel, which is what I've been calling it,” Roots explained.

The concerts are at the Dominion Energy Center’s Carpenter Theatre Friday, January 12 and Saturday Jan. 13 at 8 p.m.

For tickets and more information, click here.

The Richmond Symphony’s concert honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Dominion Energy Center’s Carpenter Theatre.

Dr. Henry Panion III will conduct the “Celebrate MLK” performance, which is for all ages, according to organizers.

Matt Wilshire, the Richmond Symphony's director of artistic planning and orchestra operations, hopes the audience will leave this weekend’s concerts feeling uplifted and wanting more.

“While we are a symphony orchestra, we play classical music a lot of the times, but we want to feature everything that this community has to offer in terms of talent," Wilshire said. "And if there are things that people want to see us do that we're not featuring, local artists, you should let us know because we'd love to be able to do that.”

Future symphony events include Steve Hackman’s Resurrection Mixtape, fuses Biggie and 2Pac with Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony, on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m.

Then in May, the Richmond Symphony’s Russell Wilson, will join the symphony as a soloist in a concert paying tribute to George Gershwin’s 100 year anniversary of Rhapsody in Blue. And in 2025, Loving v. Loving, from the “Loving” story.

For tickets and more information, click here.