The killing of Eric Garner by a police officer using a chokehold last year sparked protests around the country and led rappers to hold memorial concerts in Staten Island, where he was killed, and as far away as Oakland, Calif. A concert being held Friday night to mark the first anniversary of his death will have a similar message but a different sound: it will be orchestral.
The concert, called “The Dream Unfinished: A Symphonic Benefit for Civil Rights,” will feature a racially diverse roster of musicians performing music by William Grant Still, the pioneering African-American composer; Leonard Bernstein, the conductor and composer who took public stances on civil rights; and Jessie Montgomery, a violinist and composer who will introduce a new work that night. It will be held at the Salvation Army at 120 West 14th Street. ...