via Clarke University
At 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 7th, Adam O’Dell will be conducting a lecture in the Jansen Music Hall at Clarke University. The lecture itself is a part of the Mackin-Mailander Alumni Lecture series, entitled “Writing Home, Wherever It May Be.”
The lecture itself surrounds O’Dell’s emotional journey through music and how his connection to Iowa has shifted and changed as he’s moved from place to place since his graduation in 2015.
“Pieces of music serve as snapshots of the composers’ lives; where they lived, who they knew, what they experienced, and how they responded to these influences,” O’Dell stated in a press release. “For even the most vagabond composers, the concept of ‘home’ permeates the soul of their work, whether that home is found in people, places, or ideas.”
O’Dell has a number of talents, all of which he has explored in different branches of his career. Whether he be composing, teaching, or performing, O’Dell is fervent in his exploration of different styles, combining genres such as jazz, folk, theatre, and more to create story-like pieces that capture audience’s attention.
Some of the more prominent achievements of O’Dell’s include his international commissions and his work with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. More recent commissions include the Altered Sound Duo, the Oklahoma State University Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble 135, Just Duet, Third Inversion Reed Trio, hornist Andrew Pelletier, and the Julien Chamber Choir. O’Dell’s work has also reached international audiences, having been performed in the likes of the UK, the Czech Republic, Russia, and more.
The lecture itself is free to the public and to Clarke students.