About: Okorie “OkCello” Johnson is an American cellist-songwriter whose artistry integrates cello performance, live-sound-looping, improvisation, and storytelling – all culminating in original compositions that blend classical music with seemingly juxtaposing genres including jazz, EDM, reggae, and funk.

His music is inspired by the exploration of African Diasporic melodies and narratives and their intersection with people’s perceptions and assumptions about the classical and European nature of the cello.  His work with improvisation, furthermore, attempts to embody the phenomenon of wordless prayer.

Okorie describes his circuitous route to this unusual solo cello career as follows: “After years of putting my cello down and picking it back up, after years of deciding that the cello wasn’t financially practical, after years of thinking that my other voices were my native ones, I realized that the cello was the oldest, the most central and the most sacred part of me. I resolved never, ever, to deny it again.”

Date & Time: Friday, May 26, 2023. Doors open at 6:00 PM and the concert starts at 7:00 PM.

Ticket Price: All tickets are general admission. $20 in advance until 3:00 PM on the day of event. $25 at the door. Children 12 years and below are free when accompanied by an adult.

Ticket Info: Reserve tickets in advance online or by calling the Barns of Rose Hill Box Office at 540-955-2004 (Noon to 3:00 PM – Tuesday through Saturday). When our Box Office is closed, please leave a message. All ticket sales are final; no exceptions