The OLLU Music Program will host a series of concerts in April as part of its Community Music Hour Recitals. All recitals are free and open to the public.

Recital #1
Who: Holgen Gjoni on cello and John Noel Roberts on piano
What: “An Easter Meditation”
When: Wednesday, April 5, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Where: Annunciation Chapel (located in Regan Hall)

About the Artists:
Holgen Gjoni, cello (guest artist)
Hailed for his “seriousness and depth of an authentic concert soloist,” Holgen Gjoni has been steadily gaining a reputation as one of the most sought-after cellists of his generation and has performed as a soloist and recitalist throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has been praised internationally by critics for his “technique, beauty of sound and emotional projection,” “tempestuous musical sensibility, marked by an ineffable luminosity of expression,” “an elite musician,” while the legendary Yo-Yo Ma writes of him as “a cellist of great talent.” Holgen Gjoni holds degrees from New England Conservatory, the Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory and National University of Music in Bucharest, having studied with Paul Katz (cellist of the Cleveland String Quartet), Bonnie Hampton (disciple of Pablo Casals and Zara Nelsova), Andrew Mark and Marin Cazacu.

John Noel Roberts, piano (OLLU faculty)
A committed pianist and teacher, John Noel Roberts has been appointed to music faculties both nationally and internationally. Formerly Artist in Residence and Head of music at the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music of the Edith Cowan University, Roberts has also served on the music faculties at Furman University, South Carolina; the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mercer University, Georgia; Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas; and Concordia College, Minnesota. Roberts presently serves on the adjunct piano faculty at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Roberts has appeared as guest soloist with ensembles as the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Penang Festival Orchestra, Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Philharmonia Orchestra, Lima Ohio Symphony Orchestra, and the Macon Symphony Orchestra. Recently, he has performed on Friends of Alec Wilder Society concerts in New York City and has presented solo and collaborative recitals in Minnesota and Texas.

Recital #2
Who: The Graeme Francis Trio
What: “Pop Gets Jazzed” 
When: Wednesday, April 12, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Where: Thiry Auditorium

About the Performance:
Graeme Francis, drums (guest artist)
Chris Villanueva, piano (guest artist)
Utah Hamrick, bass (guest artist)

We all experience pop music in some form or another on a daily basis – it is ubiquitous, and it often gets stuck in our heads, for better or for worse. Over the past century “popular” music has come to mean a lot of different things to different people, but it is worth noting that in the early 20th century, pop music often meant jazz. And from jazz, we get the dominant popular music formula of “singer plus a band”, the infectious pulse that makes us dance, and it even forms the basis for those face-melting guitar solos we so enjoy! This lecture-recital is a welcoming multimedia experience, featuring interactive discussions and exciting live performances of music from across the popular music spectrum. Featuring music that reflects pop music’s gradual shift from early jazz, to rock and roll, to 80’s synth-pop, to current hip hop and R&B, audience members will enjoy a fun, relaxed learning atmosphere that encourages participants of all ages to explore the many similarities between these musical genres.

University Choir Spring Concert
Who: University Choir
What: Spring Concert
When: Friday, April 21, 7 p.m.
Where: Annunciation Chapel (in Regan Hall)

https://youtube.com/live/9pijHQokmgM

Music Student and Faculty Recital
Who: Music Students and Faculty
What: Recital
When: Friday, April 28, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Where: Griffith Center for the Arts, Room 200