Paying tribute to the great African American popular music artists of the past, the brightest lights in blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and jazz, as well as today’s daring innovators, gather for a magical evening of music. Each presentation will parallel an event in the bountiful history of performances by African American artists at Carnegie Hall.

Sacred Ellington--comprising excerpts from Ellington’s magnificent Three Sacred Concerts--is Jessye Norman’s homage to this legendary figure. The concert, which features Jessye Norman with a jazz ensemble, string quartet, gospel choir, and a dancer, takes place at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, a special sanctuary of central importance in Duke Ellington’s life.

An all-day event of panel discussions, musical demonstrations, talks, and performance, which will present an overview of African American music from its origins to today's creative artists and the worldwide influences of these diverse forms of music. The Discovery Day will conclude with a new composition, commissioned especially for the occasion.

Ask Your Mama!, a collaboration between four-time Emmy Award–winning composer Laura Karpman and five-time Grammy winner Jessye Norman, is a multimedia presentation on a text by Langston Hughes, Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz. This evening-length work features soprano Jessye Norman and an illustrious group of colleagues.

Program to include:

La création du monde, Op. 81

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"

Grammy- and Tony Award–winner Dee Dee Bridgewater presents a breathtaking evening of jazz and more

A Child of Our Time

This performance of Sir Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time will feature select high school choirs chosen by competition with peer groups nationwide. The featured work uses the Spiritual in much the same way that J. S. Bach employed the chorale in his great choral compositions.

Jessye Norman will be joined on stage by distinguished figures for a wide-ranging conversation, exploring the historical, political, and musical issues associated with Spirituals and gospel music.

Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater team up to present a concert of Spirituals and gospel music. The program will trace the development of the Spiritual, from its African roots, through solo vocal performances and choral arrangements to excerpts from Michael Tippett's use of Spirituals in A Child of Our Time. Following intermission, choirs from around New York City will join forces for a joyous celebration of gospel music.

Renowned African American singers from the classical and musical theater worlds come together with new performers in paying tribute to icons who opened the doors for succeeding generations, hosted by Jessye Norman. Artists to be honored include Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson, and Roland Hayes, among many others.