LAKELAND, Fla. (Jan. 16, 2006) — The Larry Willis Trio joins Arthur Pranno and the Florida Southern Symphony for a concert of jazz and orchestral music, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Branscomb Auditorium, as part of Florida Southern College’s Festival of Fine Arts Series. A pre-concert lecture will be held in Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall at 6:45 p.m.

The Larry Willis Trio features internationally acclaimed composer and pianist Larry Willis, the pianist in the legendary Nat Adderley Quintet. Willis has played or recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Art Blakey, Shirley Horn and almost every great jazz musician of the modern era. A three-time Grammy nominee with the Fort Apache Band, Willis’ versatility ranges from rock to Brazilian music and from arranging for string quartets to composing large scale orchestral suites.

After a trio performance in the first half of the evening, the trio will be joined by Pranno, FSC professor and symphony conductor, and the Florida Southern Symphony. Their performance of Willis arrangements will include a concerto for jazz trio and orchestra, an arrangement of “Ethiopia” for piano and string orchestra, and a version of Ravel’s “Pavane for a Dead Princess” for piano and orchestra. 

Tickets are $25. FSC students are admitted free. Non-FSC students pay half price. For ticket information, please contact the Branscomb Auditorium box office at (863) 680-4296. 

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.