The College of Southern Maryland welcomes vocalist Jennifer Cooper to perform at the Ward Virts Concert Series at 3 p.m., March 11 at the Prince Frederick Campus, Room 119. The performance is the fourth of six in the concert series, which is held at CSMs Prince Frederick Campus, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick.
Cooper is a Southern Maryland native with an impressive resume in the genres of opera and popular music. She earned a bachelors degree in music from University of Maryland Baltimore College and a masters degree in music from Arizona State University before performing worldwide. She is a respected voice technician, teacher and master class facilitator.
After taking a hiatus from live music, Cooper rediscovered herself in the jazz and popular genres, forming GrooveSpan in the summer of 2010 to complement her other musical projects, including the cabaret Velvet Nights, Sentimental Journey, the World War Two-era tribute and Only Yesterday, a Carpenters tribute.
Cooper has been a frequent performer at CSM music events including solos with the CSM Latin Ensemble and the Faculty Music Showcase as well as performances of her solo projects at the La Plata and Leonardtown campuses. Her stylistic versatility and elevated standard of quality place her in high demand as she performs frequently around the mid-Atlantic region. Visit www.go-diva.webs.com for information on her performances.
Cooper will be joined by Michael Santana on piano and Carl Reichelt on guitar.
The Ward Virts Concert Series is presented by Edward and Patricia Mehosky, St. Clair and Mary Tweedie, Gerry Van De Velde and Rene Cunningham, and CSM. The centerpiece of the concert series is a world-class Boesendorfer Grand Piano, which was gifted to CSM by the Ward Virts Piano Project (WVPP) for the enjoyment the Southern Maryland community.
The WVPP was formed by friends and classmates of pianist Ward Virts, whose sudden death in 1993 inspired them to purchase this hand-made piano and dedicate the piano in Virts memory. Inspired by Virts life and spirit, his friends and classmates conceived the project in order to bring the love of life, beauty and music that Virts embodied to a new generation of Southern Maryland students, performers and appreciative audiences.
Admission is free and seating is open but limited. Contact 443-550-6011, rfleming@csmd.edu or www.csmd.edu/Arts.