Killian to perform in faculty recital
FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 16, 2008
Huntington, Ind.-Huntington University lyric soprano, Joni Killian, will perform a recital, "Songs of Night and Day," at 7:30 p.m. on March 27 at the Zurcher Auditorium in the Merillat Centre for the Arts. Killian is an adjunct professor in the Department of Music at Huntington University where she teaches applied voice, aural skills, class voice, opera workshop and diction. She also serves as the director of the Women's Chorale. A native of Columbia City, Ind., Killian received a Bachelor of Arts degree in choral music education from Anderson University and a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from Arizona State University. While attending Arizona State University, Killian received such honors as the Fine Arts Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, Concert of Soloists winner, winner of the San Francisco Merola Auditions in Arizona, first place in the Arizona NATS competition for Graduate Women and Most Promising Singer Award.
Her opera roles include Baby Doe in "The Ballad of Baby Doe," Celidora in "Loco del Cairo," and she has performed such musical theatre roles as Maria in "Westside Story" and Hodel in "Fiddler on the Roof." She was the soprano soloist in the Arizona premiere of James DeMars' "An American Requiem" with the Phoenix Symphony and also has performed Mahler's "Symphony No. 4" with this prestigious orchestra.
She made her Canadian debut with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and Orchestra as soprano soloist in Mozart's "Requiem." She has performed the soprano solos in such works as the Brahms "Requiem," Handel's "Messiah," the Faure "Requiem," Respighi's "Laud to the Nativity," Vivaldi "Gloria" and Jean Belmont's "Electa."
She taught on the faculties of Arizona State University, Arizona College of the Bible and Grand Canyon University before becoming the full-time worship pastor at Huntington First Church of the Nazarene in Huntington, Ind. She has been a featured soloist with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and continues to sing professionally. She currently directs the concert choir of the children's choirs of Huntington County along with as her responsibilities at Huntington University, as well as being a licensed foster parent.
Killian's recital will feature Vivaldi's "Laudamus te" from Gloria as a duet with Huntington University Junior Abigail Allwein. Samuel Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" and Hugo Wolf's "Uber Nacht" and "Morgenstimmung," as well as art songs and arias by Mozart, Puccini, Liszt and Charpentier.
The public is invited, and there is no charge for admission to the recital.
