Joan Chambers Concert Series brings Nation, renowned a cappella duo, to Pitt-Greensburg

Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy TakachThe Joan Chambers Concert Series will open its 2024-2025 season at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg on Friday, Nov. 8, with a program that will feature two pioneers in the field of composing and entrepreneurship, Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy C. Takach, who perform as the a cappella duo Nation.

The performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center, will also include a special tribute to Dr. and Mrs. George Chambers whose financial support established the Joan Chambers Concert Series and expands the programming the series will offer in the future.

“The Joan Chambers Concert Series would not exist without the generosity of Dr. Chambers,” said Bartley of Pitt-Greensburg’s second president who died in July 2024. “He founded the concert series in memory of his wife, Joan, who died in 1994.” The series brings local, national, and international artists to the Pitt-Greensburg campus for high-caliber performances.

Joan was an ardent supporter and representative of Pitt-Greensburg in the community. She participated in book-discussion groups and attended cultural events. The Children’s Literature Collection in Pitt-Greensburg’s Millstein Library, another of Joan’s passions, was developed and named in her honor. 

Friday’s concert, Nation: Jocelyn Hagen and Tim Takach with guests Pitt-Greensburg Chorale, will build on the duo’s a cappella repertoire of classical and pop duos and provide an opportunity for the Pitt-Greensburg Chorale to showcase its art and craft. 

"Nation will perform a variety of music at our concert,” said Takach. “We will perform a mix of pop cover arrangements as an a cappella duo as well as some music that we’ve written for ourselves. You’ll hear everything from Gun N’ Roses' ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ to a lullaby we wrote for our goddaughter. It’s fun for us to perform some favorites and some surprises. You’ll never believe what can be done with just two voices.”

The performance caps a three-day campus residency with Hagen and Takach. Takach will work with the choir to further hone his new composition commissioned for the Pitt-Greensburg Chorale, and the two artists will participate in class sessions where they will work with students in Pitt-Greensburg Voice Studio as well as students who are interested in conducting and composing. 

“This is an amazing opportunity for our students and for the regional choral community,” said Chris Bartley, director of music at Pitt-Greensburg.  In particular, a voice masterclass with a question-and-answer format will be held Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 6:45 p.m. in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center. Bartley invites those interested in voice performance and the business of music to sit in on the class.

Bartley also notes that Hagen and Takach are probably best known for their popular multi-media production, “The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci” (Jocelyn Hagen), which includes synched video with small choir and orchestra, and “Helios” (Timothy Takach). Based in Minnesota, the couple are composers-in-residence for Tucson’s (AZ) True Concord Voices and Orchestra.