The 3 pm concert to feature the Orchestra, Avery Sharpe Quintet, Springfield Symphony Chorus and Extended Family Choir;
pre-concert events start at 12:30pm; performance to include memorial for Rosemary Tracy Woods and Ruby Maddox
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) will present its fourth annual Juneteenth Freedom Concert, free for the community, on Friday, June 19, 2026, this year in a new format and location at Tower Square in Downtown Springfield, with events taking place from 12-6pm.
The concert at 3pm will be conducted by Kevin Sharpe and will feature the Springfield Symphony Orchestra; the Springfield Symphony Chorus, directed by Nikki Stoia; the Avery Sharpe Quintet, led by jazz legend Avery Sharpe; and the Extended Family Choir, directed by Kevin Sharpe. The Juneteenth Freedom Concert is organized in partnership with White Lion Brewing Company and 6 Brick’s.
A free community event, there will be several activities leading up to the concert at Center Court in Tower Square starting at 12:30pm, with a performance by the Springfield Prep Dance Team; the first-ever Juneteenth Innovation Panel; and a memorial for the late Rosemary “Tracy” Woods, founding director of “Art for the Soul Gallery,” and the late Ruby Maddox, co-founder of Gardening the Community and Direct Your Purpose. Small business vendors will also have tables set up in Tower Square throughout the afternoon.
The SSO will host a Juneteenth Kick-Off Party the evening before the celebration, on Thursday, June 18, with partner White Lion Brewing at 5:30 pm, featuring live music. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will support Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestras programming.
According to Heather Caisse-Roberts, President and CEO of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, “This important celebration of Juneteenth is coming together in spite of funding cuts, and we thank the partners who stepped forward to make this a reality, particularly White Lion Brewing, 6 Brick’s, Avery and Kevin Sharpe, the Springfield Symphony Chorus and the Extended Family Choir. The arts are part of the heartbeat of the city, where people gather, celebrate, reflect, heal, and reconnect with one another.
“There is so much talent, culture, and possibility in Springfield, and moments like this remind us exactly why continuing to invest in that future is so important,” Caisse-Roberts said.
The June 19 concert program will feature Lift Every Voice and Sing; traditional spirituals such as Wade in the Water and Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around; Antebellum (Avery Sharpe); Better (Hezekiah Walker, Arr. Avery Sharpe); among other pieces. Members of the string section of the SSO will perform as part of the program.
Avery Sharpe’s Quintet will feature Sharpe on bass along with trumpet, saxophone, drums and keyboard. Sharpe, who resides in Western Massachusetts, attended Springfield schools and is a UMass graduate, he has played bass all over the world, including alongside jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Wynton Marsales, among others. Sharpe has recorded 15 albums and also performed with McCoy Tyner’s group for 20-plus years.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States, commemorating the historic day in 1865 when the last remaining enslaved African Americans were informed of their freedom— two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Recognized as a federal holiday since 2021, Juneteenth is both a celebration and a call to remember the ongoing work toward equity and justice.
The Juneteenth Freedom Concert is designed as a “thank you” to and “celebration of” the community. Organizations and individuals wishing to
contribute or become an event sponsor should contact Nikai Fondon at
nfondon@springfieldsymphony.org. ■
