Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine Announces Four October Performances

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Community members are invited to enjoy four concerts in October sponsored by Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine. Performances will be on Mondays from 12:10 to 1 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

The first two concerts, on Oct. 10 and Oct. 17, are part of the Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program. The schedule is:

Oct. 3: No concert, Mayo Clinic Heritage Days

Oct. 10: Kevin Steinman will perform an acoustic pop concert in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium, subway level, Rochester Methodist Hospital, Charlton Building, 10 Third Ave. NW. Steinman's latest album, "Pre-existing Condition," released in April, features a collection of "clear-stringed bittersweet folk" love songs, according to City Pages, the Twin Cities alternative weekly. His first album, "Things to Keep in Mind While Balancing," released in 2006, topped charts in New York City markets and was also featured on MTV's "The Real World" program. Steinman quit his "day" job in 1997 to devote himself to writing, singing and touring the country.

Oct. 17: The Rose Ensemble will perform for the annual Meditation & Memorial concert at 7:30 p.m. in Domitilla Chapel at Saint Marys Hospital, 1216 Second Street SW. This special evening concert commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Saint Marys Hospital Sponsorship Board. The Meditation & Memorial concert is offered each year as a time of peaceful contemplation and remembrance. The ensemble will perform selections of their program, "Il Poverello: Medieval & Renaissance Music for Saint Francis of Assisi." The Rose Ensemble strives to illuminate centuries of rarely heard repertoire, bringing to modern audiences research from the world's manuscript libraries and fresh perspectives on history, languages, politics, religion and world cultures and traditions.

The final two October concerts are part of the Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine Fuad Mansour Windows on the World music and dance series.

Oct. 24: The Sublime Journey Ensemble will perform classical Indian music in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium, subway level, Rochester Methodist Hospital, Charlton Building, 10 Third Ave. NW. Gaurav Majumdar, who plays the sitar, leads the ensemble in celebrating a confluence of Hindustani and Carnatic music. Other ensemble members include Nirmala Rajasekar on veena, a stringed instrument; Thanjavur Murugaboopathi on mridangam, a percussion instrument; and Vishal Nagar on a tabla drum. Majumdar, one of the first Indian musicians to perform at the Vatican, has performed across the globe and was a musician on the 2004 Grammy Award-nominated recording, "East Meets West (Shankar, Ravel, Falla, Bartok, Etc.)."

Oct. 31: Maqam, an Arabic music ensemble featuring cultural percussionist Mick LaBriola, will perform in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium, subway level, Rochester Methodist Hospital, Charlton Building, 10 Third Ave. NW. Maqam includes singer Salah Abdel Fattah on violin and oud, a lute-like instrument; David Stenshoel on violin; and Dawn Doering on a nay, an Arabic flute-like instrument. LaBriola plays tabla drum and riqq, which is similar to a tambourine. He has worked with dance companies, theatrical productions and performed workshops and residencies. LaBriola received his formal training in Arabic music at the National Conservatory of Music in Amman, Jordan, and learned to play the tabla at the Rhythm Riders Institute in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. He is also a performance artist and music educator.

Sponsored by Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine, the Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program is coordinated by Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester. The series is generously funded by Rosemary Willson in memory of her late husband, Meredith Willson, who wrote the Broadway musical "The Music Man." The gift is made in gratitude for the couple's care at Mayo Clinic. The Fuad Mansour Windows on the World music and dance series is offered as part of the annual Fuad Mansour Program which celebrates the life of Fuad Mansour, a Mayo employee who made major contributions to both Mayo Clinic and the Rochester community. Mansour died Jan. 26, 1997. The program's purpose is to promote peace, cultural diversity, youth-related education and mentorship activities. The annual series is also sponsored by Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine and funded through gifts from Mansour's friends and family.

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