The Olga Vocal Ensemble promises a fresh take on ancient music, mixing humor, drama, medieval drinking songs and a “crazy mix of a cappella music from around the world” during its Oklahoma premiere 8 p.m. Feb. 4 at Oklahoma City University.
The quintet — comprised of Dutch, Icelandic and Russian singers — will perform at OCU’s Petree Recital Hall, 2501 N. Blackwelder. Saturday’s event will be the third stop on Olga’s first North American tour, featured on the Bass School of Music’s Distinguished Artists Series.
“Our program represents the things we love about our home countries, as well as the things we find fascinating about places strange to us,” Olga said in its artist statement.
Tickets are $15 adults, $5 students, free with Bass School ID. Reserve tickets online at okcu.edu/tickets or call 405-208-5227.
The program will open with traditional music, beginning in Iceland and heading east to Sweden, followed by a trip to Mongolia, returning via Russia to Estonia, Ireland and Finland. The second half kicks off with drinking songs, “and once the party is rolling along, we set the mood with some 20th century oldies.”
Olga was founded in 2012 at the Utrecht Conservatory in the Netherlands, where its members studied with Icelandic tenor Jon Porsteinsson.
OCU’s Distinguished Artists Series concludes at 8 p.m. Feb. 11 with the Russian violin-piano duo Grigory Kalinovsky and Tatiana Goncharova performing on the Petree stage.
