Samba Soul take the stage at Urbana's Night Market

Vivian Felicio and Samba Soul
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Vivian Felicio performs with Samba Soul at Urbana's first Night Market at the Square at Lincoln Square Mall Thursday evening. Playing select classical Brazilian and contemporary songs from Elis Regina, Joao Gilberto, and other popular Brazilian musical artists, the five-member band entertained over a thousand shoppers and area residents, enjoying the mild weather and outdoor market. In addition to Felicio, the band includes George Turner on guitar, bass player Armand Beaudoin, saxophone player Chip McNeil, and the talented Ricardo Flores on drums. Night Markets will be held every Thursday for the next five weeks. The market will include live music, food trucks, and vendors offering food and artwork. Next week's entertainment features Panc8s.


Unity's All Out A Cappella show Feb. 16

Members of Unity High School's Surreal Sound perform at the 2023 All A Capella show. The annual music booster fundraiser is back.
Photo: UnityPhotos/Jamie Price

TOLONO - The Unity Music Boosters are organizing an All Out A Cappella fundraiser on February 16th at the high school auditorium. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and will showcase performances from eight a cappella groups. The funds raised from the event will be used to support music programs in the Unit 7 school district. These programs include music trips, scholarships, costumes, risers, instrument repair and more. Your participation in this event will help to ensure the continued success of these programs.

Members of No Comment perform at the 2022 All A Capella show. The ensemble returns to this year's line-up on February 16.
Photo: UnityPhotos/Jamie Price

In addition to UHS' very own Surreal Sound and Unity West's 5th Grade Choir, two groups from Illinois State University and four ensembles from the University of Illinois are slated to perform.

Acafellaz, a tenor-bass Capella group now in its 25th year, and the coed Clef Hangers, both from ISU, will once again lend their award-winning vocal talents at the annual fundraiser.

Concertgoers will also hear select tunes from No Comment, No Strings Attached, the Rip Chords, and the male counterparts, the Xtension Chords. The four groups from the Illinois campus are high-level competitive performers.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at https://unitymusicboosters.seatyourself.biz. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students/senior citizens.


Vibrant Urbana soprano set to preform in April

URBANA -- Earlier this week, vocal soloist Elena Negruta revealed dates for three upcoming appearances in Urbana. A seasoned performer, Negruta was born in the Republic of Moldova. At the age of 14, she won first place at the Golden Stork International Youth Talent Festival in Nikolayev located in the now war-torn country of Ukraine.

Soloist Elena Negruta
Photo by Clark Brooks
After immigrating to the United States, she transitioned to classical music and completed her Masters in Vocal Performance at the University of Illinois School of Music. Negruta is known for her ability to captivating renditions and versatile repertoire in baroque, musical theatre, and modern opera.

The soloist's first performance in April will be at Cello Festival 2022. Hosted by Urbana's First United Methodist Church, she will perform this Saturday, April 2, at 3:30pm.

Two weeks later, Negruta returns to the stage at Smith Memorial Hall on the University of Illinois campus as a featured vocal soloist at a Doctoral recital with music director, vocal coach, and pianist Cheryl Forest Morganson. The concert starts at 7:30p and admission is free to the public on April 18.

The last of the three appearances slated for this month is a benefit concert for Ukraine on April 26 in the south lobby of the Music Building at 114 West Nevada in Urbana. The event starts at 7pm.

Below, in a video released in December 2020, the soprano sings Youkali, a piece from the musical "Marie Galante" written by German-American composer Kurt Weill.



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