American Wild Ensemble: Missouri Music at 200: August 5

Thursday, August 5, 7:00 PM

Wildcat Glades Park

401 Riviera Drive, Joplin, MO, 64804

This performance will take place at the picnic pavilion and lawn directly overlooking Shoal Creek.

Please park in the lower lot, directly adjacent to picnic pavilion and lawn.

Please bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to enjoy this outdoor performance.

Free advance reservations are encouraged but not required.

Make your free reservation here!

The American Wild Ensemble presents “Missouri Music at 200,” a program of contemporary classical chamber music inspired by the 2021 Missouri statehood bicentennial. The ensemble will perform new works written by living composers connected to Missouri, each inspired by different people, places, events, and cultural traditions of the state’s history. Join us for an evening of celebration and reflection on this historic milestone.

“Missouri Music at 200” is a part of Missouri 2021, an initiative of the State Historical Society of Missouri and its Center for Missouri Studies, and is supported in part by Missouri State University in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council and with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A selection of new works written by composers connected to Missouri, inspired by people, places, events, and cultural traditions from the state’s history:

Stefan Freund: Wild Revival

Barbara Harbach: Following the Sacred Sun

Marcus Lewis: Missouri By and By

Michael Murray: Bond Hall

Christopher Stark: Shy Bricks

Ingrid Stölzel: Where the Sun of Freedom Shines

The Music in the American Wild initiative began in 2016 with a commissioning project inspired by and performance tour of American national parks, in honor of the National Park Service centennial. Since those initial tours performing in unconventional venues, from caves to mountaintops, the American Wild Ensemble has continued to celebrate American places, historic figures, and events by commissioning new works and performing them in site-inspired and site-specific locations. Since 2016 AWE has commissioned over 30 new works for 2-7 performers, with the support of organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, and Mid-America Arts Alliance, for performances in both traditional and nontraditional venues across the country. Collaborative projects have taken the group from the lava fields of Hawaii’s Big Island, to Washington’s ancient Hoh Rainforest, to the site of the first suffragette convention in New York’s Seneca Falls. The ensemble emphasizes audience engagement through the project development and performance process, aiming to offer a cohesive experience that connects listeners to the spaces around them through music designed with those spaces in mind.

Ensemble directors Emlyn Johnson (flute) and Daniel Ketter (cello) are both on faculty in the music department at Missouri State University. Emlyn is also the current Interim Executive Director of Pro Musica.

www.musicintheamericanwild.com

This event is MO ArtSafe certified. Click here to learn more about our safety protocols.

• Pro Music encourages any unvaccinated patrons to wear a mask throughout the event.
• All guests will follow any seating or distancing guidance conveyed by ushers or staff, such as designated seating areas and pathways for entering, exiting, etc.
• If you do not feel well and/or exhibit symptoms matching those for COVID-19, you agree to remain at home.
• All guests agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Pro Musica from and against any and all costs, expenses, damages, claims, lawsuits, judgments, losses, and/or liabilities (including attorney fees) arising directly or indirectly from, or related to, any and all claims due to bodily injury, death, loss of use, monetary loss, or any other injury from or related to the event generally, as well as in regards to any circumstances related to COVID-19.

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Emlyn Johnson

Emlyn currently serves as Creative Director of Pro Musica. Emlyn’s background as a classically trained flutist, educator, and presenter eventually led her to Missouri, where she taught in the music department at Missouri State University and was the Executive Director for Pro Musica from 2021 – 2023. She is the co-director of the American Wild Ensemble and performs regularly around the state and beyond, and is an adjunct instructor of Flute at UMKC Conservatory in Kansas City, MO. Emlyn holds a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music and holds additional degrees from Eastman and the University of Michigan. She is responsible for creative and artistic aspects of Pro Musica and guides the selection process of concerts, reporting to the Board of Directors

Joani Zibert

Joani serves as the incoming Executive Director of Pro Musica, bringing more than 17 years of executive leadership experience across nonprofit governance, arts education innovation, K-12 and postsecondary education development, public and private funding strategy, legal compliance, and organizational growth. A nationally recognized school founder and non-profit executive, she has secured millions in public and private funding, built high-performing organizations from the ground up, and guided boards through periods of transformation, scale, and long-term sustainability at the local, state, and national levels.

Joani is the founder and former Board President of Doral Academy of Nevada, where she led the creation and expansion of an arts-integrated school system now serving over 5,000 students, transforming community frustration over the loss of arts education into an award-winning model of creative excellence.

Originally from the 4-States area, with Slovenian grandparents, she has worked nationally gaining a professional background that includes serving in varying roles including President of nonprofits, Director of Operations, Director of Law & Policy, Director of Grants, Director of Marketing, and senior executive advisor roles. Joani is known for aligning missions with measurable impact while bridging vision, governance, and execution. Her work is rooted in the belief that the arts are not an accessory to education or community life, but a catalyst for connection, economic vitality, and generational change.

As Executive Director of Pro Musica, Joani brings a bold, forward-focused approach centered on organizational excellence, financial sustainability, expanded community engagement, and the elevation of Pro Musica’s role as a cultural cornerstone. She leads with clarity, courage, and collaboration while committed to honoring Pro Musica’s legacy as we build the next chapter with strength and momentum.