• Health & Wellness

    Mayo Clinic Announces Five Performances in April for the Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The public is invited to enjoy five Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program concerts in April. Performances will be on Mondays from 12:10 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The schedule is:

playing piano

April 2: Horacio Nuguid will perform a classical piano concert in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium, subway level, Charlton Building, 10 Third Ave. N.W. Nuguid, founder and artistic director of the Rochester Chamber Music Society, has been a soloist with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and has performed with many regional symphonies, including those in St. Cloud and Austin. He has also played in Manila, Philippines, and Lucerne, Switzerland. Originally from Manila, Nuguid earned a doctoral degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is a music teacher and serves as a clinician at the Young Artist World Piano Festival at Bethel University in St. Paul.

April 9: Claudia Schmidt will perform a folk/jazz concert in Hage Atrium, subway level, Siebens Medical Education Building, 100 Second Ave. SW. Schmidt's musical abilities transcend multiple genres and her performances include a creative mix of music, poetry, storytelling, laughter and drama. In her latest album, "Promising Sky," she reaches new levels of artistry as a composer and performer. A Michigan native, Schmidt has performed across the U.S. and Europe, and has been featured on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion." She has recorded 14 albums, most containing original songs. She also plays a 12-string guitar and the mountain dulcimer.

April 16: Singer/songwriter Sally Barris will perform an Americana concert in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium. Based in Nashville, but born and raised in Minnesota, Barris has performed folk, Celtic, and mainstream country music. Her compositions have been sung by Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride and Lee Ann Womack, and her vocals have been compared to artists such as Nanci Griffith, Alison Krauss and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Barris' songs have been featured in the films "An Unfinished Life" and "Country Strong." Her latest album, "Restless Soul," showcases her ethereal soprano voice. Barris' other albums include "Reluctant Daughter" and "Little Voice."

April 23: The Honors Choirs of Southeastern Minnesota will perform a choral concert in Hage Atrium. The Honors Choirs is a nonprofit organization of four auditioned youth choirs for singers in grades three through 12. Honors Choirs is in its 20th season. Its mission is to promote the highest standard of excellence in the preparation and performance of choral music, while seeking to provide artistic challenge and growth opportunities for youth throughout the region and enjoyment for the community at large. This year, the choirs include more than 200 singers from 27 communities and 58 schools throughout southeastern Minnesota.

April 30: Leon Joseph Littlebird will present a Native American flute concert in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium. Littlebird's music reflects the rich history of Blackhawk County, Colo., and his indigenous Navajo roots in northern New Mexico. His style combines ancient flute music with captivating rhythms that weave a tapestry of unforgettable sound. Littlebird's CDs include "Calling the Spirits," a collection of traditional flute songs and new compositions, and "Talking to the Ancestors," the story of a boy who receives his first flute.

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.

Media Contact: Rebecca Eisenman, 507-284-5005 (days), newsbureau@mayo.edu

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