The community is invited to College of the Ozarks on Thursday, Nov. 12, as they host as Guest Voice Recital, featuring the talents of Jill Phillips.
The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Newman Recital Hall and will feature pieces composed by Luke Carlson, Jake Herrie and Victor Marquex-Barrios, with piano accompaniments by Ruoyang Xiang; and pieces sung by guest voice artist Jill Phillips. The compositions pair poetry and music to explore a variety of personal experiences, historical events and reflections on the human condition, according to a press release from College of the Ozarks.
Phillips is an assistant professor of music in voice at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO, where she teaches applied voice lessons, directs the spring opera production, and teaches courses such as vocal pedagogy and lyric diction. For the past three summers, she has taught on the voice faculty at the nationally known Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival.
Phillips shared here excitement for being a part of the performance of these original pieces; of which two out of the three pieces performed will be making their debut during the performance.
“The process of preparing these pieces has been rewarding,” Phillips said in the release. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Luke Carlson, Victor Márquez-Barrios, and Ruoyang Xiang. I look forward to performing these works again at College of the Ozarks.”
Carlson is an associate professor of music at College of the Ozarks. He is the recipient of the Aspen Music Festival’s Jacob Druckman Prize, a MacDowell Fellowship, a Copland House Fellowship, and two nominations from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Marquez-Barrios, a Venezuelan composer and guitarist, has an extended catalog of works that includes compositions for a variety of solo instruments, numerous chamber ensembles, mixed choir, electronics, symphonic band, and symphony orchestra. He teaches music theory and composition as part of the faculty at Truman State University.
Pianist Ruoyang Xiang, a native of Anqing (Anhui, China), is a versatile soloist, chamber musician, and educator who currently serves as the Coordinator of Collaborative Piano at Truman State University. She has earned top prizes in numerous prestigious competitions, including the 2026 NOLA Chamberfest Competition, the 2025 Plowman Chamber Music Competition, the 2024 MTNA National Chamber Music Competition, the 2022 NSAL Instrumental Music Competition, and the Wideman International Piano Competition.
The concert is free and open to the public; however, seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional information on College of the Ozarks can be found here.
