Two Detroit music institutions are touting new exhibits exploring special chapters in their own stories.
At Orchestra Hall, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has launched a celebration of an in-house program that began nearly half a century ago. Meanwhile, down the road at the Motown Museum, officials are readying an installation that looks back on Motown’s psychedelic soul era.
Here’s a rundown:
∎ As its name suggests, “50 Years of Classical Roots” surveys the DSO’s Classical Roots platform, which took flight in 1978 to spotlight Black contributions to classical music.
Guests explore the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s new exhibit, “50 Years of Classical Roots.”
The new immersive exhibit rolled out with a March 6 gala at the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, where guests got a first look at the installation’s collection of oral histories, photos and artifacts.
The exhibit will remain in place through 2028, when Classical Roots marks 50 years since its inaugural concert at Bethel AME Church under the watch of then-resident conductor Paul Freeman and choral director Brazeal Dennard.
The program moved to Orchestra Hall in 1981 and has remained a staple of the DSO’s annual calendar, including a spot in the upcoming season: In March 2027, the orchestra will highlight pieces by Valerie Coleman and the late Florence Price.
“50 Years of Classical Roots” is on the third floor of the William Davidson Atrium at the Max, 3711 Woodward, and is accessible during all DSO concerts and events.
∎ In the late 1960s, at the hands of musical visionaries such as the Temptations and late producer Norman Whitfield, Motown helped develop an adventurous new take on R&B.
“Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythm and Time,” curated by the Motown Museum, will spotlight that fruitful 1967-1975 period with guided tours featuring artifacts, wardrobe pieces, vinyl records and multimedia components.
A poster for the Motown Museum’s new exhibit, “Psychedelic Soul,” opening in April 2026.
The exhibit is the first to be installed in the new Esther Gordy Edwards Centre for Excellence, two blocks down West Grand Boulevard from the main Motown Museum campus, which is temporarily closed amid construction of the 40,000-square-foot Motown Experience expansion structure behind Hitsville, U.S.A.
“Psychedelic Soul” will run from April 17 through Sept. 27 and will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays at the Gordy center, 2550 W. Grand Blvd.
Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DSO, Motown Museum exhibits explore 2 chapters of Detroit music history
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