Mark S. Doss will make his Lincoln Center debut in the concert “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson’s 125th Birthday.”

Paying homage to the legendary civil rights activist, professional athlete, actor, and bass-baritone Paul Robeson, Doss will sing Spirituals and works by William Grant Still. He will also perform selections from “The Emperor Jones,” “Show Boat,” “Eugene Onegin,” and “Andrea Chénier. Members of the New York Philharmonic will also provide music.

As a musician, Robeson is known for his recordings of Spirituals and his performances in the London premiere of  “Show Boat” and “Othello” on Broadway. In April of this year, Scott Davenport Richards and David Cote’s new opera “Robeson” will be workshopped at Cincinnati Opera. 

Doss said in an official press release, “this concert allows me – as well as many others – the
opportunity to appreciate what Paul Robeson accomplished not long after the Reconstruction period in the United States.”

The event (which is sold-out) will be hosted by multidisciplinary artist Helga Davis as a documentary-style event at the Kenneth C. Griffin Sidewalk Studio in David Geffen Hall on April 1. The following day “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson’s 125th Birthday” will be presented again at the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in New York City. No registration is required to attend the performance.