What’s Happening at Pro Musica?

Now that our 2018-19 Season has concluded, our focus turns to the 2019-2o Season which launches in September.  The upcoming season is our 40th!  To celebrate this milestone, we are bringing some of the favorite ensembles from past seasons back to Joplin for a special “Encore Performance Season”.  In other words, we will be presenting the “crème de la crème” of Pro Musica’s past.   What a season to look forward to!

For this special celebratory season, our founding director identified three string quartets and one piano trio that stood out in her memory as being of exceptional quality as well as audience favorites.  In addition, we agreed that presenting a concert with a double string quartet would add an extra season highlight.  Shortly thereafter, we learned the Jupiter Quartet, who presented a world premier piece in Joplin in 2006, has a double-string quartet program with the Jasper Quartet.

Our “Encore Performance Season” is featuring more string quartets than past seasons reflecting the “favored status” that string quartets hold with our audiences.  While it was difficult to choose, we believe the Miro Quartet, Brentano Quartet, and the Tesla Quartet (with clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein) accurately represent the high-quality classical music programming presented by Pro Musica since 1981.

The Horszowski  Trio provided an outstanding and memorable performance in March 2014.  One audience member described it as “thrilling”.  When asked if they would like to return to Joplin, the trio’s response was a resounding “Yes!”  Professional musicians in the world of chamber music love to come to Joplin because our audiences are enthusiastic and appreciative.

While the addition of a jazz concert to Pro Musica’s seasons is fairly recent, the stand-out performance came from the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.  Their program for 219-20 honoring Dave Brubeck’s Centennial is a great fit and perfect capstone for our 40th Season Celebration.

Check out the Events section of this website and reserve those dates on your calendar.  You won’t want to miss a single concert!

Miro (string) QuartetLori Marble: Arts alive and well in Joplin

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.