Local church hosts piano concert Thursday

Published 9:40 am Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Pianist and recording artist John Nilsen will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday in the sanctuary at Crawford Street United Methodist Church, 900 Crawford St.

“We are excited Nilsen will be performing at Crawford Street,” the Rev. Cary Stockett, the minister of the church, said, adding he is a very talented musician.

Although Nilsen has performed in Europe, Asia and all 50 U.S. States, this will be his first time to perform in Vicksburg.

The musician said he had performed in southern and northern regions of the state and decided to come to Vicksburg so he could check out the central portion of Mississippi.

“I have played many times in Mississippi, and just thought I would come to the middle and see a little bit more of the state,” he said.

Born in Seattle, Wash., Nilsen began studying classical piano at age 6. In 1974, he moved to Ashland, Ore., to attend Southern Oregon College (Southern Oregon University), where he graduated in 1979.

His career began in 1983 when Eagle Records in Los Angeles, Calif., released a collection of his original piano solos, “Sea of Inspiration.”

However, after many changes, not only in his life, but also in the music industry, Nilsen said he felt the time was right for him to start his own record label, and in 1987, he founded Magic Wing.

Since its founding, the label has had a catalog of nineteen successful titles, each with international distribution, and Magic Wing has had fifteen other CDs licensed in countries including Germany, Great Britain, The Philippines, Canada, Taiwan and Singapore bringing reported total record sales to well over one million copies sold.

During Thursday night’s concert, Nilsen said his performance would consist of a variety of music genres including folk, jazz, classical and “boogie woogie.”

“I will also be performing my arrangements of traditional hymns and some of my own songs,” he said.

Stockett said, the concert is free, but a love offering will be taken during the event.

A nursery will be provided for those with young children and following the hour-long program Nilsen will have CD’s for sale.

For more information, call 601-636-5612.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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