Saint Paul, Minnesota (January 27, 2026) – The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is excited to present the “Music for Martin” concert from the Grammy Award®-winning musical ensemble Sounds of Blackness on February 20, 2026. The joyful multimedia concert honors Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the people keeping his legacy alive today, featuring powerhouse vocals and band, and brilliant arrangements of gospel, spirituals, blues, and other music that fueled the Civil Rights movement.
Commissioned by the Ordway, Sounds of Blackness’ “Music for Martin” premiered in January 1988. Since then, the award-winning Minnesota ensemble has performed the popular concert at the Ordway many times.
“This show is truly a celebration, full of joy, justice, and empowerment,” said Ordway Vice President of Programming and Community Impact Tanya Gertz. “Sounds of Blackness was one of the first artists to perform at the Ordway. We are honored to welcome them back as they celebrate their 55th anniversary this year, just as the Ordway wraps up its own 40th anniversary celebrations.”
The February 20 performance will take place during Black History Month on the 70th anniversary of when four civil rights activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were arrested for organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama. On February 20, 1956, Dr. King led the pivotal protest spurred by Rosa Park’s refusal to give up her seat against the unequal treatment of Black passengers on segregated public vehicles, attracting national attention to the growing civil rights movement.
Sounds of Blackness is a Twin Cities-based group that performs a range of musical genres, including jazz, blues, spirituals, rock & roll, R&B, gospel, hip hop, and soul. The ensemble has performed across five continents for kings and queens, ambassadors, presidents, and more, and have performed for worldwide benefit concerts and recordings that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various noble causes. Sounds of Blackness has won many awards including Image, Soul Train, International Time For Peace, Stellar, and three Grammy Awards®.
The concert will take place in the Ordway’s Music Theater, which has new, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. More information is available here.
Tickets for this performance start at $29 (including fees), and are available online now or by phone at 651.224.4222. To purchase tickets for groups of 10 or more, call 651.282.3111 or email groups@ordway.org.
This concert is part of the Ordway Presents series, which includes a diverse line-up of music, dance and more. Other upcoming series shows include Classic Albums Live: Eagles’ Greatest Hits (March 21) and Syncopated Ladies Live! (March 27). View the full 2025-2026 season line-up here.
Special thanks to the Minnesota State Arts Board for their major support of the Ordway.