Rose Ensemble explores the ‘Land of Three Faiths’ for Thiel College’s Con Spirito concert

Posted October 29, 2019 Print

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- The Rose Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 in Thiel College’s David Johnson Memorial Chapel as part of the College’s Con Spirito Chamber Music Series.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Jordan Sramek, The Rose Ensemble is based in St. Paul, Minn. and enjoys a full schedule of performing, recording, and outreach. The Ensemble’s tour includes performances of its “Land of Three Faiths” program in Iowa, Illinois and central and eastern Pa. The program presents music largely from Hispano-Arabic traditions, and strives to represent equally the Abrahamic traditions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Through virtuosic artistry and scholarly research, the group produces imaginative and inspiring musical performances and educational programs that strive to connect each individual to compelling stories of human culture and spirituality from around the world. Each season, the group illuminates centuries of rarely heard repertoire, bringing to modern audiences research from the world’s manuscript libraries and fresh perspectives on music, history, languages, politics and religion. With 11 commercial recordings and a diverse selection of concert programs, The Rose Ensemble has thrilled audiences across the U.S. and Europe with repertoire spanning 1,000 years and 25 languages, including new research in European, Middle Eastern and American traditions.

Read more about The Rose Ensemble.

Recent appearances include Trinity Wall Street Series (New York City), Early Music Now (Milwaukee), the Musical Instrument Museum (Phoenix), Cornell University, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the National Gallery (Washington, D.C.). The group represented the United States in Barcelona at the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in 2017. The Rose Ensemble is the recipient of the 2018 Laurette Goldberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in Early Music Outreach.

In 2007, the tradition of musical excellence started when LaVonne H’16 and the late Glen R. Johnson H’88, in honor of their late daughter, created the series to bring top musical talent to Thiel College and the region. Con Spirito is just one of the offerings at Thiel that connects the college to the regional arts community. The series has hosted free concerts that are open to the public on the Thiel campus in Greenville since 2007. Additional performances for the 2019-2020 academic year include the New Orford String Quartet on Monday, March 9.