John MortensenJohn Mortensen

Classical and jazz pianist John Mortensen will perform at Hope College on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts.

The public is invited to both events.  Admission is free.

Mortensen, who also appeared at Hope last fall, enjoys an unusually broad career as a performer and teacher of classical and jazz piano. His concerts often begin with masterpieces of the classical repertoire before venturing into jazz improvisation or his original compositions. He appears frequently as a concert artist and masterclass teacher at colleges and universities nationwide.

He performs and teaches Irish and American roots music, playing mandolin, Irish flute, Irish button accordion, Uilleann pipes and Irish whistle. He created America’s only college-level traditional Irish music session class.

Mortensen is committed to educating young musicians for the 21st century and places special emphasis on developing courses that bring improvisation back to the standard college music curriculum.

The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts is located at 221 Columbia Ave., between Ninth and 10th streets.