Program: Alicia Olatuja

Alicia Olatuja at UC San Diego

Thursday, May 12, 2016, at 8 pm The Loft

ArtPower presents

ALICIA OLATUJA

Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Loft Alicia Olatuja, vocals Josh Nelson, piano Peter Sprague, guitar Ben Williams, bass Christian Euman, drums

“Olatuja possesses a special instrument: a full-bodied tone, precise pitch, and personal engagement at the lowest whisper or highest wail.”—DownBeat magazine Praised by the New York Times as “a singer with a strong and luscious tone and an amiably regal presence on stage”, Alicia Olatuja has been astounding audiences with her exquisite vocals, artistic versatility and captivating demeanor. She first came into the national spotlight in 2013, whilst performing as the featured soloist with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at President Barack Obama’s Second Inauguration. Shortly thereafter, she assembled her own jazz based ensemble and recorded her first solo album, Timeless (2014).

Originally from St. Louis, MO, Olatuja grew up immersed in a wide range of musical styles, including gospel, soul, jazz, and classical. These influences have informed her artistic journey, and she later graduated with a master’s degree in classical voice/opera from the Manhattan School of Music. After appearing in numerous operatic and musical theater productions, she started to perform more regularly in gospel and jazz concerts and worked with such esteemed artists as Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans, and Christian McBride.

In 2014, she came to the attention of the acclaimed composer/arranger/pianist Billy Childs and was brought on to be part of the touring incarnation of “Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro” alongside vocalist Becca Stevens. The project has begun an extensive nationwide tour for the 2015–16 season in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, Denver, Tallahassee, New York, and Boston.

Her voice has also entranced the legendary Hammond B3 organist Dr. Lonnie Smith and has recently performed with him at multiple events including the Charlie Parker Festival and the BRIC JazzFest.

Over the last year Olatuja and her band have been steadily in demand. They have performed at the Jazz Standard, Vermont Jazz Center, Sioux Falls JazzFest, Rockport Jazz Festival, Markham Jazz Festival, Monty Alexander Jazz Fest, and the Harlem Stage Gatehouse, to name just a few.

ABOUT ARTPOWER

ArtPower at UC San Diego builds creative experiences in music, dance, film, exhibition and food for our collective pleasure and inspiration. We engage diverse audiences through vibrant, challenging, multi-disciplinary performances by emerging and renowned international artists. Through extensive partnerships, ArtPower provides exciting opportunities for research, participation, and creation of new work, igniting powerful dialogue between artists, students, scholars and the community.

ARTPOWER MISSION

1. To create co-curricular opportunities in the performing arts and film that foster learning and self-discovery, as well as personal and professional skill development.

2. To supplement and enhance the academic investigation of our students through collaborative explorations in the performing arts and film.

3. To add to the artistic and cultural life of the La Jolla and San Diego communities.

ARTPOWER DONORS 2015–16 VISIONARY ($50,000+)

Joan and Irwin Jacobs Fund of the Jewish

Community Foundation

CATALYST ($20,000–49,999)

Jon and Bobbie Gilbert George Clement Perkins Endowment The Weil Family Foundation

CREATOR ($10,000–19,999)

Epstein Family Foundation Sam B. Ersan Michael and Susanna Flaster Elaine Galinson and Herbert Solomon

of the Galinson Family Foundation Eric Lasley and Judith Bachner New England Foundation for the Arts

PERFORMER ($5,000–9,999)

Amnon and Lee Ben-Yehuda Joan Jordan Bernstein Hamburger Chamber Music Series

Endowment Fund

ADVOCATE ($2,500–4,999)

Ann Spira Cambell Ronald and Wynnona Goldman Mehran and Susan Goulian Renita Greenberg Alexa Kirkwood Hirsch Charles and Marilyn Perrin Edith High Sanchez and Paul Sanchez Lee and Judith Talner

GUARDIAN ($1,000–2,499)

Joyce Axelrod and Joseph Fisch Bjorn Bjerede and Josephine A. Kiernan Maureen and C. Peter Brown Nelson and Janice Byrne Carol and Jeffrey Chang Alain Cohen and Denise Warren Ruth Covell Martha and Edward Dennis Wayne and Elizabeth Dernetz Dr. Diane Everett-Barbolla Drs. Edwin and Wita Gardiner Norman J. Goldberg and Fusako Yokotobi Pat Jacoby Liz Lancaster and Eli Shefter Marvin and Reinette Levine Ruth Stern and Mort Levy Barbara and Robert Nemiroff Hans Paar and Kim Signoret-Paar Clayton and Susan Peimer

Anne Marie Pleska and Luc Cayet Elaine and Jerry Schneider Robert and Lauren Resnik Arthur and Molli Wagner Zelda Waxenberg

SUPPORTER ($500–999)

Janice Alper and Charles Kantor Ginger and Ken Baldwin Douglas Bradley Sam and Teresa Buss Bill Coltellaro and Eric Cohen Bill Michalsky Phyllis and Ed Mirsky Nessa O’Shaughnessy Anne Otterson Edward and Arlene Pelavin Sharon Perkowski Samuel Popkin and Susan Shirk Joseph W. Watson

CONTRIBUTOR ($250–499)

K. Andrew Achterkirchen Connie and George Beardsley William and Wendy Brody Patti and Brian Carlos Jeffrey C. Donahue and Gail Donahue Meg and Allan Goldstein Carol Hinrichs Barry and Helen Lebowitz Robert and Arleen Lettas Athina Markou and Mark Geyer Joani Nelson Rod and Barbara Orth Carol Plantamura and Felix Prael Gary and Brenda Ratcliff Doug and Eva Richman Jim and Kathleen Stiven Mr. and Mrs. Eli Strich Johanna Thompson Sylvia Wechter

SPARK ($100–249)

Shirley Babior and Judith Richards Paulyne Becerra Mary L. Beebe Geoffrey Clow Ed and Edie Drcar Carol Hobson Renee D. Johnson Cynthia Kroll Jane and Herbert Lazerow Carole Leland Elaine and Howard Maltz Kate Oesterreicher Ina Page Luc R. Pelletier

Stephen and Susan Shuchter Janet Smarr Ellen Speert and Paul Henry Jimmy Tran Carey G. Wall Shirley Weaver Anonymous, In honor of Jimmy Tran

ARTPOWER STAFF DONORS Molly Clark Carolena Deutsch-Garcia Jordan Peimer Jason Smith Joanna Szu Rebecca Webb

CORPORATE SPONSORS

GRANTING ORGANIZATIONS

MEDIA SPONSOR

POWERPLAYERS PowerPlayers are an exceptional group of donors that have made a three year commitment to support ArtPower. This multi-year support is crucial to ArtPower’s continued success and growth.

Joyce Axelrod Joan Bernstein Alain Cohen Martha Dennis Phyllis Epstein Elaine Galinson Bobbie Gilbert Norman Goldberg

Renita Greenberg Eric Lasley Kim Signoret-Paar Hans Paar Robert and Lauren Resnik Arthur and Molli Wagner Zelda Waxenberg Pat Weil A portion of funding for ArtPower is provided by the UC San Diego Student Services Fee Committee.

Donor list as of 05.02.2016

ARTPOWER STAFF

Molly Clark, Associate Director of Artistic

Planning & Education Carolena Deutsch-Garcia, Associate

Director of Development John Morgan, Box Office Manager Sean Nash, Ticketing Coordinator Jordan Peimer, Executive Director Jason Smith, Production Manager Joanna Szu, Associate Director of Marketing

and Communications Rebecca Webb, Film Curator

STUDENT STAFF

Grason Caldwell, Marketing Assistant Crystal K. Chan, Film Curatorial

Assistant Intern Minhtri Chu, Marketing Intern Riley Dewitt-Rickards, Production Assistant Austin Eamnarangkool, Marketing Intern Keita Funakawa, Film Curatorial Assistant Camille Latzke, Marketing Intern Aileen Liang, Marketing Assistant Joyce Liang, Marketing Intern Derrick Lieu, Marketing Intern Cliff Mann, Film Curatorial Assistant Connie Oh, Marketing Intern Kendra Quinlan, Marketing Intern Emily Small, Marketing Intern Maryanee Vargas, Marketing Intern Bryant Vu, Marketing Assistant Karen Wang, Production Assistant