Category: Artist Spotlight

We had the pleasure of sitting down with the members of Malandrino; Jon Rozman, Ross Thompson, Phil Pilcher, David Timmcke, Amy Nickel, and Tito Cevallos. Malandrino formed around the summer of 2016 after a trip by Rozman to Rio. Rozman fell in love with Bossa Nova and teamed up with Thompson while still playing for the Screw City Swingers.

The members discussed the differences between playing jazz and Bossa Nova, their combined love for the Bossa Nova genre, and why it’s special to them. They also discuss some of their favorite Bossa Nova artists and why the artists are legends in the world of Samba and Bossa Nova.

After a fascinating talk about musicianship and playing different types of music and instruments, we were treated to a mini concert by the group. Some of their songs will be peppered throughout the Artist Spotlight program featuring Malandrino airing on January 15th at 7:00 AM and re-broadcast on January 16th at 6:00 PM. They will also be performing at the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center on January 23rd at 3:00 pm.

LADAMA is a band made up of four women from four different countries.  Lara Klaus is from Recife, Brazil, Daniela Serna is from Bogota, Colombia, Maria Fernanda Gonzales is from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and Sara Lucas is based in New York City in the United States.  They began working together when they met as part of the OneBeat Program.  Their debut record – LADAMA – went to number one on the iTunes and Amazon Latin Music charts.

The members of LADAMA spoke with Bob Francis for the Artist Spotlight program.  They discussed their music, along with their goals to empower women and young people around the world through music-based workshops.  The LADAMA episode will air Saturday, August 1 at 7:00 am with a rebroadcast on Sunday evening, August 2 at 6:00 pm.

LADAMA performed on the Main Stage of the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center on Friday night, November 22, 2019 at 7:30 pm.  The concert was recorded in full for an upcoming episode of Performance.

Interested in staying up to date on featured musicians on Artist Spotlight? Fill out this form to stay in touch.

Harpist Faye Seeman and steelpan virtuoso Liam Teague make up the Pangelic Duo. They sat down with Bob Francis to talk about their unique musical partnership for the Artist Spotlight program.

Artist Spotlight features an interview with a musician or group and includes a deep-dive into their music. The Pangelic Duo episode of Artist Spotlight will air Saturday, May 9, at 7:00 am with a rebroadcast on Sunday evening, May 10 at 6:00 pm.

The Pangelic Duo will perform on the Main Stage of the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center on Friday night, May 15, at 7:30 pm. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets for the show.

Interested in staying up to date on featured musicians on Artist Spotlight? Fill out this form to stay in touch.

The work of American composer Samuel Barber will be featured in an upcoming performance – A Shining Night of Barber – on the Main Stage at the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center.

The organizer of the concert – MPAC Board Member Rulee Stallmann – sat down with Louise Brass to discuss what it takes to put a concert of diverse local musicians together. Their chat will be featured in an upcoming episode of Artist Spotlight.

The episode will air on Saturday, October 26, at 7:00 am and be rebroadcast on Sunday evening, October 27, at 6:00 pm.

A Shining Night of Barber is Friday night, November 1, at 7:30 pm. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Want to know who will be featured on Artist Spotlight? Fill out this form to get the latest updates.

The members of the Rockford Wind Quintet stopped by the WBOM studios to talk with Bob Francis about their music and their upcoming show at Emerson House. The conversation will be aired on the Artist Spotlight program on Saturday, October 5th at 7:00 am and rebroadcast on Sunday, October 6th at 6:00 pm.

The Rockford Wind Quintet will be playing Emerson House on Monday, October 7th at 5:30 pm. For more information about the show and order tickets, click here.

Interested in staying up to date on featured musicians on Artist Spotlight? Fill out this form to stay in touch.

Drummer Joel Baer stopped by the WBOM studios to talk with Pamela Scott about his music and his upcoming show at the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center. The interview – along with selections of his music – will be featured on Artist Spotlight on Saturday, September 21 at 7:00 am with a rebroadcast on Sunday, September 22 at 6:00 pm.

Joel Baer – along with sixteen of his favorite musicians – will be playing at the Starr Center on Sunday, September 29th. Click here for more information and tickets for the show.

Interested in staying up to date on featured musicians on Artist Spotlight? Fill out this form to stay in touch.