49th Annual Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music Performances Kick Off with Stephenson Memorial Concert by Jerron Paxton

Multi-instrumental musical wizard Jerron Paxton will present a Stephenson Memorial Concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, as part of the 49th Annual Berea

Jerron Paxton

Jerron Paxton will present a Stephenson Memorial Concert on Thursday, Oct. 13.

College Celebration of Traditional Music (CTM). Continue reading 49th Annual Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music Performances Kick Off with Stephenson Memorial Concert by Jerron Paxton

Dr. Kathy Bullock and Friends Uncovering the Songs of Slavery and Emancipation

Dr. Kathy Bullock and Friends will perform the “Songs of Slavery and Emancipation,” a powerful collection of songs originally written and sung by abolitionists and enslaved people in hopes of freedom on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 3 p.m. in Berea College’s Phelps Stokes Chapel. The performance is part of the Stephenson Concert Series. Dr. Bullock, the former chairperson of the College’s Music Department, is one of three music directors on the project.

Continue reading Dr. Kathy Bullock and Friends Uncovering the Songs of Slavery and Emancipation

Red Molly to Perform at Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial Concert

Red Molly group portrait

(Photo: Whitney Kidder)

Red Molly, a group known for American music ranging from blues and folk, to country and bluegrass, will perform at Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial concert on Thursday, April 11, at 8 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Chapel.

Continue reading Red Molly to Perform at Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial Concert

Dervish to Perform at Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial Concert

Dervish

(Photo: Colin Gillen)

Dervish, acclaimed as one of the biggest names in Irish music internationally, will perform at Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial concert on Thursday Mar. 14 at 8 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Chapel.

Described as “an icon of Irish music” by the BBC and “the most soulful Irish traditional folk band playing today,” by Irish journalist and broadcaster Stuart Bailie, Dervish has played at festivals from Rio to Glastonbury. They come to Berea just in time to set the mood for St. Patrick’s Day.

Continue reading Dervish to Perform at Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial Concert

Farah Siraj to Perform at Stephenson Memorial Concert

Farah Siraj

Farah Siraj
(Photo: Ann Blake)

Farah Siraj will perform World Peace Music, a fusion of flamenco, jazz, Bossa nova, pop and Middle Eastern music at Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial concert on Thursday Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Chapel. Continue reading Farah Siraj to Perform at Stephenson Memorial Concert

Omer Quartet Brings Invigorating Classical Music to Berea College Stephenson Memorial Concert

Omer Quartet holding their instruments
The Omer Quartet will perform classical music Thursday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Chapel, at the Berea College Stephenson Memorial Concert Series.

The Omer Quartet is distinctive among today’s young string quartets. The quartet, which took first prize in the 2017 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, consists of Mason Yu and Erica Tursi (violinists), Jinsun Hong (viola) and Alex Cox (cello). Continue reading Omer Quartet Brings Invigorating Classical Music to Berea College Stephenson Memorial Concert

Brian Owens to Sing The Soul of Ferguson

Brian OwensSoul singer Brian Owens will perform “The Soul of Ferguson” at the Berea College convocation on Thursday, March 15 at 8 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Chapel. This event is a part of the Stephenson Memorial Concert Series.

Owens performs soulful, jazzy pieces while conjuring up the spirits of such Motown legends as Marvin Gaye and the Temptations. Growing up as a preacher’s kid in Ferguson, Missouri, Owens was no stranger to the beauty of music. His songs encapsulate his shared love of soul music and humanity. Owens uses his music to engage in conversation with his listeners, build community and share a powerful message about his hometown of Ferguson. Continue reading Brian Owens to Sing The Soul of Ferguson

Berea College Welcomes Public to Stephenson Memorial Concert

Kiran Ahluwalia — Blending Tradition Indian and Pakistani Music

Phelps Stokes — 8:00 p.m., September 17, 2015

Berea College welcomes two-time Juno award winning singer-composer Kiran Ahluwalia. This will be the first convocation in the Stephenson Memorial Concert series of the academic year, Thursday, September 17, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Chapel. The program is free and open to the public. Continue reading Berea College Welcomes Public to Stephenson Memorial Concert

Joel Guzman and Sarah Fox Perform Texas Cantina Music

Final Stephenson Memorial Concert of the Season at Berea College

LIVE from AUSTIN, TEXAS!  Virtuoso accordionist, singer, and producer Joel Guzman and gifted bi-lingual singer-songwriter Sarah Fox are two-time Grammy Award winners who will push the boundaries of Tex-Mex music in their performance on Thursday, April 9, 2015, 8:00 p.m. at Phelps Stokes Chapel on the Berea College campus. Continue reading Joel Guzman and Sarah Fox Perform Texas Cantina Music

Convocation Features “Gender-Bending Strings”

La Guitara, a musical group comprised of Patty Larkin, a music sorceress and guitar-driven organizer, and guitarists Rory Block and Muriel Anderson, perform “Gender Bending Strings” during a Stephenson Memorial convocation in Phelps Stokes Auditorium on April 12 at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Continue reading Convocation Features “Gender-Bending Strings”

Petar Jankovic, Award Winning Classical Guitarist, Performs at Berea Convocation

International award-winning classical guitarist, Petar Jankovic, will perform at a Berea College convocation on March 8 at 8 p.m. With a multi-cultural string quartet comprised of brilliant women musicians performing Spanish and Latin American classical music, the performance will take place at Phelps Stokes Auditorium. Continue reading Petar Jankovic, Award Winning Classical Guitarist, Performs at Berea Convocation

World Class Musicians Perform at Berea College Convocation, February 9

The Poulenc Trio, three gifted world-class musicians who demonstrate powerful versatility through their mastery of traditional European instrumentation and their vibrant, contemporary melodies, will perform at a Berea College convocation on February 9 at 8 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Chapel. The trio will deliver their lively and expressive performance, “Virtuosos of Classical and Contemporary Chamber Music,” for this free campus community event. Continue reading World Class Musicians Perform at Berea College Convocation, February 9

Berea College hosts 38th annual Celebration of Traditional Music

The 38th annual Celebration of Traditional Music will take place at Berea College on October 13-16 and features internationally acclaimed musicians Caroline Herring, Darrell Scott and many others. Continue reading Berea College hosts 38th annual Celebration of Traditional Music

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

On September 15 at 8 p.m., the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra will perform a convocation in Phelps Stokes Auditorium.  The seven-piece ensemble, led by the renowned artistic and musical director Dr. David N. Baker, will feature an eclectic medley of historic jazz pieces during their program “Making the History of Jazz Come Alive.” This Stephenson Memorial Concert is free and open to the public. The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra (SJMO) was created in 1990 through Congressional funding to explore, present, promote and perpetuate the historical legacy of jazz as an American art form.  It is the goal of the SJMO to enrich the public’s understanding of the character and importance of this unique American treasure by presenting significant jazz masterworks in engaging musical performances, and stimulating educational activities that are based on scholarship and research. Continue reading Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

Stringing Students Together

La Catrina String Quartet“The music carried me away to dreamland, except I wasn’t dreaming. This was real music infiltrating my veins”, said Matt Jenkins, a junior art major about convocation on Thursday, February 17. La Catrina String Quartet made an interminable impression on Berea College students Thursday night in Phelps Stokes Auditorium. Continue reading Stringing Students Together

American Spiritual Ensemble performing Feb. 11 at Berea College

The American Spiritual Ensemble will perform at Berea College on Feb. 11. Composed of some of the finest singers in the United States, the vocalists have thrilled audiences around the world with their dynamic renditions of classic spirituals and Broadway numbers. Continue reading American Spiritual Ensemble performing Feb. 11 at Berea College