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Humanities Concert Series

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Jefferson Humanities & Health

1020 Locust Street
Jefferson Alumni Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Join us at noon several times throughout the year to enjoy live music featuring local Philadelphia artists and members of the Jefferson community. Lunch is provided while supplies last and all concerts are eligible for Asano Humanities & Health Certificate attendance credit.

The Humanities Concert Series is made possible through a generous gift from Deborah L. August, MD, MPH and Robert H. Rosenwasser, MD, FACS, FAHA.

2024-2025 Concerts

The Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia

Tuesday, March 25, 12-1PM

Eakins Lounge, Jefferson Alumni Hall

Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia, now in its 151st season under Artistic Director & Conductor Dominick DiOrio, stands as one of America's most enduring musical institutions. Originally founded in 1874 as an eight-part male chorus by William Wallace Gilchrist, Mendelssohn Chorus now includes over 150 voices of diverse age, background, gender, and profession. Since its inception the chorus has balanced tradition with innovation, presenting beloved classics while championing new works. The chorus's commitment to excellence has garnered prestigious accolades, including ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, a GRAMMY nomination, and a Pulitzer Prize in Music for Julia Wolfe's Anthracite Fields, commissioned by the chorus in 2014. Beyond performances, the Mendelssohn Chorus serves as an incubator for emerging talent through its section leader and apprenticeship programs, and recently launched Joyful Abundance, a commissioning program for emerging composers and poets. Centering its mission to foster artistry, beauty and belonging, the chorus is dedicated to enriching Philadelphia's cultural tapestry by illuminating our shared human experiences. 

Under the direction of Assistant Conductor Ariel Alvarado, a select ensemble from the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia will present highlights from their recent concert "Never One Thing," featuring a diverse program spanning classical works to contemporary spirituals.

Sydelle Ross, MD, D.ABA

Thursday, February 13, 12-1PM

Eakins Lounge, Jefferson Alumni Hall

Sydelle Ross, MD, D.ABA is an anesthesiologist and pain specialist who currently practices hospice and palliative medicine. As a classical and jazz vocalist, she  incorporates music into her medical practice to provide comfort to patients and their loved ones in the context of  serious illness.  Dr. Ross also harnesses the power of music to mitigate the effects of burnout syndrome and promote resilience among healthcare workers.  

Dr. Ross has shared her work at the intersection of the arts and health at various conferences in the US and abroad.  Her work has also been featured in the acclaimed publication entitled Artists Remaking Medicine-The Practice of Imagination and the Power to Create a Better Healthcare Future. 

Dr. Ross serves on various arts in health committees and organizations, including the Music & Medicine Committee of the American Medical Women’s Association, and the International Association of Music and Medicine. 

 

Jaffna World / eastern fusion music ensemble

Wednesday, November 20, 12-1PM

Eakins Lounge, Jefferson Alumni Hall

Jaffna is an acoustic, ethnic fusion ensemble consisting of Roger Mgrdichian (oud), Raji Malik (guitar), Branavan Ganesan (tabla) and Joseph Tayoun (dumbek). The Philadelphia-based group combines instrumentation and influences from the Middle East, India, and anywhere else that inspires them with original music both exotic and familiar. With roots in the eclectic 1990s world music scene centered around Philadelphia’s Middle East Restaurant, the group maintains its distinct style with compositions and performances that stretch the boundaries of their respective cultures.

Jaffna’s musicians have created a musical universe with oud, guitar, tabla, and dumbek, where they can all play together, eat, argue, and still stay good friends. Along with the strong Middle East and Indian flavors come unmistakable flamenco, rock, Balkan, and jazz influences, the result of jamming in and around the vibrant Philadelphia music scene for years.

Jaffna has produced 2 CDs of original music, Acoustic Allies and Mandala, and its members maintain a high level of activity in many world music projects such as  Barakka, One, Hindugrass, Arehm, Atzilut, and the Mid-East Ensemble.

The Tango Therapy Project Presents El Sesenta Dúo with Damian & Sarah Tango

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 12-1 PM

Atrium, Jefferson Alumni Hall

There is a robust body of scientific research demonstrating tango’s unique benefits for people with Parkinson's Disease (PD), as well as older individuals and people affected by other motor and neurological disorders, and mental and physical conditions. Join us for a demonstration by The Tango Therapy Project with musicians El Sesenta Dúo and dancers Damian Lobato and Sarah Chung on the benefits of adapted tango for people with Parkinson's.

The Tango Therapy Project (TTP) was launched in 2023 with the mission to provide therapeutic benefit, improve quality of life, spark joy, and promote social connection through Argentine tango. Based in Philadelphia and NY, El Sesenta Dúo (Shinjoo Cho, bandoneón, and Alejo de los Reyes, guitar) brings to life the intimate conversations of the urban Buenos Aires and sprawling Argentina. Sarah Chung is an Argentine Tango dancer, teacher, and performer based in Philadelphia, PA whose dancing is characterized by a strong sense of the music and a playful connection with her partner. Born and raised in Argentina, Damian Lobato left his profession as a dentist in 2000 to devote himself to dancing professionally and since then has been teaching and performing in Argentina, Central America, Europe and the United States.  

2023-2024 Concerts

Dalí Quartet

Tuesday, September 19, 2023, 12-1PM

Eakins Lounge, Jefferson Alumni Hall

The Dalí Quartet is acclaimed for bringing Latin American quartet repertoire to an equal standing alongside the Classical and Romantic canon. Tours of its Classical Roots, Latin Soul programming have reached enthusiastic audiences across the U.S., Canada and South America. Its fresh approach has been sought out by distinguished series in New York, Toronto, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, San Juan and countless communities beyond. 

In addition to works of the masters from Haydn to Brahms and Amaya to Piazzolla, the group's adventurous and entertaining programming includes new works for quartet with percussionist Orlando Cotto, and quintets both Latin and Classical with the renowned clarinetist Ricardo Morales, principal clarinetist of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and with acclaimed pianist Vanessa Perez. The Dalí Quartet has an ongoing collaboration with the Van Cliburn Competition’s gold-medal winning pianist Olga Kern, with whom they have toured from coast to coast and recorded the piano quintets of Brahms and Shostakovich released on the Delos label. 

Trained by world-renowned artists, members of the Dalí Quartet are from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the US, and have degrees from esteemed institutions including the New England Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, Juilliard, Indiana University Bloomington, and the Simón Bolivar Conservatory in Caracas, Venezuela. The quartet is based in Philadelphia, PA.

The quartet serves as faculty at West Chester University Wells School of Music as the Quartet in Residence, and is an Iris Collective Resident Ensemble.

 

Giovana Robinson Band

Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 12-1PM

Eakins Lounge, Jefferson Alumni Hall

Giovana Robinson left her native country of Panama fifteen years ago in pursuit of the opportunity to live an artistic and creative life as a musician. Her music reflects that journey, built upon her Panamanian roots, and blended with influences of Jazz, Afro-Peruvian, Latin Pop, and world music styles. As the co-founder of the Latin music group Rhythms & Roots, she has performed with outstanding musicians in Philadelphia and New York, including guitarist/arranger Enrique López, bassist Jorge Bringas, percussionist Marvin Diz, as well as Nestor Villar and Francois Zayas. In 2005, Giovana was selected as a vocalist to perform with the Philadelphia Music Project’s Latin Orchestra, led by Salsa legend Johnny Pacheco and Cuban composer/pianist Elio Villafranca. Her debut album Introducing Giovana is a musical diary of sacrifice, growth, and perseverance told through original songs and new arrangements of classics and folkloric music from her homeland of Panama. 

Ji Su Jung

Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 12-1PM

Conrady Lobby, Hamilton Building

The first percussionist to ever receive the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, Ji Su Jung has a distinctive musical voice that is instantly recognizable for its depth and lyricism. She has performed concertos with such leading orchestras and conductors as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with Marin Alsop, the Houston Symphony with Daniel Hege, the Aspen Festival Orchestra with Michael Stern, the Colorado Symphony and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra with Peter Oundjian, and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic with JoAnn Falletta. Highlights of Jung’s 2023-24 season include concerto appearances with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Sarasota Orchestra, and the Wyoming Symphony. 

Jung’s recording of the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts’s Marimba Concerto, performed with the Baltimore Symphony and Marin Alsop, was released on the Naxos label in February 2023. Pizzicato said of the recording that “Jung elicits wide spectrums from the work with superior technical execution.” Jung has performed solo recitals in such venues as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. She frequently performs with The Percussion Collective, an all-star collection of young percussionists, of which she is a core member. 

Recognized internationally as a pedagogue, Jung serves on the faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Jung holds a bachelor’s degree from the Peabody Institute and a master’s degree and an artist diploma from the Yale School of Music. Jung is a musical ambassador for Adams Percussion, Pearl/Adams, and Vic Firth percussion companies.

Jefferson Chamber Orchestra

Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 12-1PM

Conrady Lobby, Hamilton Building

The Jefferson Chamber Orchestra enables all members of the Jefferson community to play chamber music for both public and private audiences. The Chamber Orchestra has performed for weddings, cocktail parties, receptions, and private parties, including the SKMC White Coat Ceremony and Alumni Weekend. The group performs together at least four times each year at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and as part of the Dean's Concert Series. The Orchestra has been in existence for more than 10 years. 

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