19th LET FREEDOM SING CONCERT inspires on MLK holiday MON., JAN. 19 CONCERT at Kelly-Strayhorn

Collage by Kiearra Williams

In its 19th year, the LET FREEDOM SING Concert celebrates unity and diversity on the Martin Luther King holiday weekend by presenting inspirational vocal music to raise funds to support the arts and fight hunger in the region. Let Freedom Sing returns to the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty on Monday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 pm

Tickets are “Pay What Moves You” $2 to $50 benefiting the East End Cooperative Ministries Food Pantry, the Afro-American Music Institute, and the Let Freedom Sing concerts. Tickets are available at the Kelly Strayhorn website.

Attendees are also encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the EEMC Pantry.

The live concert will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Links to the stream will be live at Let Freedom Sing: http://www.letfreedomsing.net/

Courtesy of Let Freedom Sing

The concert features The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh and the Rodman Street Baptist Church Choir; and the program concludes with a performance by the intergenerational MLK Festival Choir, directed by Dr. Herbert Jones and Alton Mitchell

Acclaimed operatic soprano Zuly Inirio is featured as a soloist

Ki Ki B. Jones, WAMO 107.3 FM, joins the event as emcee.

A jazz trio backs up the singers for the evening. Details on all artists are at: http://www.letfreedomsing.net/featured-artists.htmlEvent sponsors are: The Afro-American Music Institute; UPMC; The Unitarian Universalists Social Justice Endowment; and AARP.

“Dr. King fought for justice and human dignity with love and determination,” says concert producer Kris Rust, a music minister in the Unitarian Universalist Churches of Greater Pittsburgh and LFS co-founder with Dr. Jones.

“We tap into that spirit when we come together and sing this incredible music, remembering the progress made by Dr. King, but also facing our current struggles for equity and justice,” Rust continues. “For more than 19 years, these annual concerts have been uniting us in love and fueling our determination to face injustices in our communities and in our world.”

ABOUT LET FREEDOM SING

Since 2008 the annual Let Freedom Sing concerts have aimed to break through divisions along geographic, demographic, and economic lines as choirs and artists from city and suburb converge to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy. Through its engagement of singers of all ages, races, and ethnicities, the MLK Festival Choir cultivates participation from diverse singers and choirs.

Attendees and supporters may donate onsite on the night of the concert, or online at http://www.letfreedomsing.net/

For details or questions, e-mail letfreedomsingpittsburgh@gmail.com or call 412-352-8488

Details and livestream links: Let Freedom Singwww.letfreedomsing.net and Facebook.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Aryana Kapree is a singer-songwriter, rapper, dancer and stage actor using songwriting, performance, dance and theater to further her creative pursuits. Aryana has performed at 91.3 FM WYEP’s Summer Music Festival, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, and is a two-time GRAMMY Museum GRAMMY Camp attendee.  Aryana is currently a professional ensemble member with Alumni Theater Company and a Saturday Light Brigade - Mind The Gap Fellow.

ARYSE supports immigrant and refugee youth in accessing the resources they need to feel confident, engaged, and celebrated. Through advocacy and out-of-school-time programming that focuses on building skills and a sense of community, ARYSE affirms youth’s identities and works alongside them to achieve their vision for their futures. Visit arysepgh.org to learn more.

Hill Dance Academy Theatre (HDAT), a Pittsburgh Cultural Treasure celebrated 20 years in 2025 as Black dance arts education nonprofit organization located in the Historic Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA., HDAT was founded in 2005 by Ayisha Morgan-Lee, Ed.D. to provide children, youth, and teens, ages 3 to 18, access and opportunity to dance. HDAT trains students in various styles of concert dance, fitness and nutrition, and leadership skills. HDAT’s mission is to provide professional-level training in Black Dance traditions, history, culture, and aesthetics that engages and empowers students to pursue careers in Black dance. www.5678hdat.org

Rev. Dr. Michael Diaz is the Senior Pastor of East Liberty Presbyterian Church—the Cathedral of Hope in Pittsburgh. Ordained in Metropolitan Community Churches and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), he brings more than seventeen years of pastoral leadership dedicated to building creative, inclusive, and transformative communities of faith. Dr. Diaz also serves on the Anti-Racism Transformation Team of the Pittsburgh Presbytery. As a lifelong percussionist, he believes in the power of the arts to help restore joy and strengthen the soul for the work of justice.

Pastor Deryck Tines and the Lemington Gospel Chorale Pastor Deryck Tines is a gifted pianist and gospel artist, influenced by James Cleveland, Edwin and Walter Hawkins, and Andre Crouch. He is the founding director of the Lemington Gospel Chorale, a regional choir performing traditional gospel throughout Greater Pittsburgh and beyond. His live-recorded debut project We Shall Overcome Someday is available on major platforms. Tines is active across Western Pennsylvania, co-leading Free Holiness Churches and performing at concerts, festivals, and special events. Visit derycktines.com to learn more.

Pittsburgh-based multidisciplinary artist Morgan Overton (b.1993) transforms history, identity, and memory into commanding visual narratives, centering the Black American experience through portraiture, abstraction, archival collage, and symbolism. Her work explores ancestral memory, collective liberation, and intergenerational connection. She curated Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh and leads workshops on democracy and human rights. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the U.S. Capitol Russell Senate Building, Spectrum Miami Art Fair, and the London Art Biennale (2025). Learn more at morganovertonart.com.

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Allies for Health + Wellbeing is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that empowers individuals and communities through high-quality integrated medical care and supportive human services. We provide inclusive, holistic care that recognizes each client’s full lived experience, removing financial barriers and stigma to ensure access to the care they need. With nearly 40 years of experience, we build trusting relationships through inclusive primary care, HIV, hepatitis C, and STI testing and care, and gender-affirming services. ARYSE See bio above. Healthy Start Inc. supports women, children, fathers, families, and communities through comprehensive community-based programming, systems coordination, advocacy, research, and training. Our programming spans Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties. We are part of a network of more than 100 community-based Healthy Start projects across the United States. Our goal is to make sure all families have access to affordable, quality care to improve maternal and child health outcomes and quality of life. healthystartpittsburgh.org. KSci-Art Initiative is a mobile therapeutic art and empowerment program that brings creativity and healing directly to communities. Through engaging workshops, hands-on crafts, and meaningful conversations, KSci-Art uses the power of art to promote confidence, connection, and emotional wellness for youth, women, and families. From birthday parties to ladies’ nights, pop-ups in parks to partnerships with schools and teen programs, KSci-Art transforms everyday spaces into safe, creative, and joyful places for expression. The mission of True T is celebrating queer people of color through creative art, community health, and social activism. Mrs. Tracey Bryant leads True T‘s Unique Jewelry Workshop at KST’s MLK Day! Join us for a hands-on journey, turning raw materials into one-of-a-kind craft jewelry under Mrs. Bryant’s expert guidance. Participants will create stunning masterpieces onsite, ensuring a unique and personalized experience. Don’t miss this chance to unleash your creativity and take home a bespoke work of art. truetpgh.com @truetpgh

ABOUT KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER

Named after 20th century entertainment legends Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn, both natives of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) is a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people. We welcome our home to all who uplift Black, Indigenous, people of color, and queer voices. KST is an institutional arts anchor in Pittsburgh’s East End that has served the community for more than two decades. Since launching KST Presents programming in ’08, KST has been Black-led, fostering radical imagination for Black and queer arts, culture, and community in Pittsburgh by cultivating BIPOC and/or queer artists, entrepreneurs, and arts administrators, developing their careers, and shifting narratives around Black possibility.