By Jeff Murphy,
April 14, 2023
Dr. Yun-Ju Pan, a percussion artist, performs at the University of Central Missouri
in April.
A concert by solo percussion artist Dr. Yun-Ju Pan is planned for 7 p.m. Monday, April
17 in Hart Recital Hall. This free event is part of the University of Central Missouri
OVATION Performance Series, and one of a variety of music and dance events that are
planned in April.
The concert will include virtuosic works for solo marimba and vibraphone. Dr. Pan
is currently on the faculty at the University of North Alabama. She has won international
mallet percussion competitions in Australia, Taiwan, and the United States. In addition
to performing at UCM, she will also be a guest artist for the Missouri Day of Percussion
on Saturday, April 15 at Battle High School in Columbia, Missouri. During the Day
of Percussion, she will present a marimba masterclass, which is open to the public
and begins at 2:50 p.m. She also will perform on the evening concert at 5 p.m.
This program featuring Dr. Pan is made possible by the Missouri Arts Council, the
College of Arts Humanities, and Social Sciences, and the UCM Speaker Series Grant.
Admission is free, and no tickets are required.
The OVATION Performance Series continues on Thursday, April 20 with a free concert,
no tickets required, by Ghanaian Ewe musicians Agbeko Desouza and Koffie Fugah of the Africana Fefeworwor Dance Ensemble at 7 p.m. in the Elliott Student Union
Auditorium. This performance will be of Ewe drumming and dance from Ghana. Desouza
and Fugah will perform alone and supported by UCM students. Desouza is the current
director of Africana Fefeworwor Dance Ensemble in Ghana. Fugah is the director of
Kadodo Music in New Zealand. No tickets are required for this event, as well.
In addition to performing at UCM, Desouza and Fugah also are guest artists for the
Missouri Day of Percussion in Columbia. While participating in that event, they will
give a masterclass open to the public beginning at 1 p.m., and will perform on the
evening concert at 5 p.m.. Returning to UCM on Wednesday, April 19, they will conduct
a West African Dance Class at 10 a.m. in Morrow Room 167.
This program is made possible by the Missouri Arts Council; College of Arts, Humanities,
and Social Sciences; and the African Performing Arts Fund.