Edition No. 88
Arts and Culture
Kisma Jordan’s OperaSOUL seamlessly blends operatic vocals with soul-pop music!
Community and Family
The War Memorial to commemorate the 21st anniversary of September 11, 2001.
Experience OperaSOUL at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Sosnick Courtyard
OperaSOUL seamlessly blends operatic vocals with soul-pop music
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra adds a new take on opera through its upcoming concert OperaSOUL. The concert will feature classically-trained opera singer Kisma Jordan this Saturday, Aug. 27 at the DSO’s Sosnick Courtyard. Guests will experience the world-class music concert that blends operatic vocals with styles of pop, rhythm & blues, jazz, and gospel, to expand the scope of classical voice and its audience.
The organic practice of singing opera with other music styles creates a platform that celebrates gifted, professionally trained singers who demonstrate a great deal of vocal versatility. As an innovator in the musical world, Jordan strives to increase the diversity of classical music and opera by challenging the biased system that has deeply entrenched the industry for centuries. Her work with OperaSOUL pushes the boundaries of contemporary art by presenting artistic expression in unconventional ways.
In 2017, Jordan introduced OperaSOUL at TedX Detroit, in recognition of the phenomenal success of her OperaSOUL project, the Knight Foundation awarded her the 2017 Knight Arts Challenge grant. This grant has enabled her to pave new ways to build equity and accessibility for the opera and classical music industries. With a dedication to integrated racial representation in art, Jordan believes that opera, in particular, is an ideal medium for essential discussions around race and inclusion.
To learn more about OperaSOUL or to purchase tickets, visit the button below.
Fun Fact: The War Memorial’s Vice President of Community Engagement and Programming Leah Celebi will be performing in the OperaSOUL concert this Saturday! Celebi is a noted violist and a member of the critically acclaimed jazz ensemble Musique Noire. She has also performed behind nationally renowned performers such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Three Mo' Tenors, Marcus Belgrave and many more!
As the 21st anniversary of 9/11 approaches, The War Memorial again will remember those tragically killed in the attacks
Sept. 11 at 4 p.m., the community is invited to gather at the lakefront back lawn of the historic Alger House for a service of remembrance. This will be a moment where people of all religions, cultures, and walks of life can come together in solemn remembrance of and solidarity against the hatred that fueled those tragic events in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and indeed the entire United States and world.
Moments of silence will be observed for the two — 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m. — intentional World Trade Center airplane crashes. The attacks resulted in nearly 3,000 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and substantial long-term health consequences.
The service is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required and can be made at the button below.
Inspired Thoughts is a collection of highly curated content that embraces the spirit and purpose of The War Memorial: arts and culture, community enrichment, leadership, and patriotism.
Derived from the notion that learning from others is the key to success, Inspired Thoughts is meant to shine a light on those making a difference in the world around them. This collection features artists, poets, writers, architects, and every thought leader in-between. Inspired Thoughts is the strongest reflection of what The War Memorial stands for, and what we aim to be.
The content featured on Inspired Thoughts is curated by War Memorial leadership — we also look forward to featuring special guest curators in the near future. If you are interested in providing content for Inspired Thoughts, please email our Communications team at dmurphy@warmemorial.org.