Press ReleaseThe Unni Boksasp Ensemble, a musical group from Norway, will visit Marietta as part of Arts Midwest World Fest. Unni Boksasp is a warm and imaginative singer who draws you easily into the heart of Norway. Over the years, Unni has delved into the deep traditions found across her homeland, studying music and dance with renowned singers and folk arts departments in Norway and beyond. Her fresh arrangements of folk songs and original compositions have earned wide acclaim: she was a Norwegian national champion of traditional singing in 2010 and 2011 and won a Norwegian Grammy Award and Norwegian Folk Music Award for her 2010 album, Karamell. The purity of Unni’s voice, her ability to connect with an audience, and the vitality and joy of the entire ensemble ensures you are in for a treat. The Unni Boksasp Ensemble will perform a public concert at Peoples Bank Theatre on Saturday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Peoples Bank Theatre is in the midst of a two-year partnership with Minneapolis-based Arts Midwest. During the partnership, four different international ensembles will visit Marietta, spending a week each. The first ensemble, Manhu, visited last fall. “The first ensemble visit went well and we’re eager to have another group in town for a week, “ says Executive Director Hunt Brawley. “The groups not only perform a public concert but most of the week they are in the schools and other community locations sharing their culture and music through workshops. It’s not often smaller communities like ours have the chance to host international ensembles like The Unni Boksasp Ensemble at all—let alone for a full week,” continues Brawley. “We’re fortunate. This is a rare opportunity for us to enjoy an authentic slice of Norwegian music and culture right here in the Mid-Ohio Valley.”
Arts Midwest, one of six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, partners with program sponsors like The National Endowment for the Arts, The Hearst Foundations, 3M, and the Nordic Culture Fund to cover a substantial portion of the program cost so that communities throughout the Midwest can enjoy this rich arts experience. Peoples Bank Theatre in Marietta was selected as one of only nine Midwest venues to host the 2017–2019 Arts Midwest World Fest and is the only partner community chosen in Ohio.
“It’s a real honor to be part of this program,” says Brawley.
David Fraher, president & CEO of Arts Midwest notes, “Arts Midwest’s goal is to make meaningful and lasting impressions on the communities that host this program. We think week-long residencies can offer so much more than one-day visits. There are more opportunities to truly connect with each other whether through workshops in schools, concerts in the greater community, or through social gatherings. We want this to be a rich experience for the entire community.”
Arts Midwest World Fest presents international music ensembles in the nine-state region it serves with the goal of connecting small and mid-sized Midwestern communities to world cultures. Arts Midwest’s organization-wide mission is to “promote creativity, nurture cultural leadership, and engage people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives.”
A program of Arts Midwest, the 2017–2019 Arts Midwest World Fest cycle is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Hearst Foundations, 3M, the Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN program, the Kaufman Family Fund for Israeli Cultural Exchange, the Nordic Culture Fund, Music Norway, and the BNSF Railway Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Heritage Foundation Grants Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation for Manhu. Funding for Sofi & the Baladis is provided in part by contributions from the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest; Israel Lottery Council for Culture & Arts; and Music Port. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Arts Midwest is also generously supported by Illinois Arts Council Agency, Indiana Arts Commission, Iowa Arts Council, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Minnesota State Arts Board, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, South Dakota Arts Council, and Wisconsin Arts Board.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 9 at 10 a.m. and are available at the Peoples Bank Theatre box office, by calling 740-371-5152, and online at peoplesbanktheatre.com.