“Masters of the Americas” – A free piano concert, will bring the renowned talent of Jensina Oliver to Harton Theater Thursday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Please join us for a wonderful evening of piano masterpieces, including works by Joplin, Gershwin, Piazolla, and Ginastera. From the ragtime of Joplin and sultry jazz of Gershwin, to the cabaret tangos of Piazolla and driving rhythms of Ginastera, Oliver, will impress you with her expressive and passionate performances.
Oliver has appeared as soloist and chamber musician in the United States, China, Canada, Europe, and Israel. Her performances with orchestra include appearances with the Hubei Provincial Orchestra of Wuhan, China, the Orchestra of Southern Utah, Utah Philharmonia, Intermountain Chamber Orchestra, University of Washington Symphony, and University of Utah Symphony Orchestra.
Oliver was a national finalist in the MTNA Chamber Music Competition, was a resident artist at the Banff Chamber Music Festival, and has won several solo and concerto competitions throughout the United States. This year’s solo and chamber music concert engagements take Oliver throughout Washington, Utah, and Arkansas, as well as to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas and the National Theater of San Jose, Costa Rica.
Critics have praised Oliver as “highly talented”, with a “steely-fingered” technique and a flair for “panache and drama.” (Salt Lake Tribune) “Her command of dynamic phrasing infused each note with elegant intensity in slower passages; in virtuosic sections, she played with assuredness and authority.”
Oliver’s first CD, “Jensina Oliver Byington performs Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff” was released in 2009 and is available for purchase on CDBaby.com as well as after this concert in the lobby (CD price is $10).
Oliver currently resides in Seattle, Washington where she is a well-known performer and teacher. She and her husband Nathan Christian (Magnolia native) have two kids and three dogs, and while they love living in the Pacific Northwest, they treasure their time in Arkansas.