‘From Ordinary Things’ is a rare musical collaboration celebrating virtuosity through the 21st century

A rare collaboration between three powerhouse artists anchors an evening celebrating lyricism across centuries, featuring works by Ravel, Nina Simone, and a Center for the Arts co-commissioned composition by Tania León inspired by the poetry of Kevin Young.

An evening of music that speaks across generations, “From Ordinary Things” comes to Blacksburg on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m.

A Grammy-winning classical singer and artist whose commanding operatic voice has conquered every genre from Baroque to contemporary, Julia Bullock has handpicked selections she loves for this rich evening of music for voice, piano, and cello. She’s joined by cellist Seth Parker Woods, a three-time Grammy nominee who has garnered a reputation for his versatile and inventive musicality, earning him global acclaim and the 2022 Chamber Music America Michael Jaffee Visionary Award. Conor Hanick, a pianist praised for his precision and articulation of classic and contemporary fare, rounds out the trio. 

Together, the musicians move fluidly across eras and traditions, from the quiet sensuality of Ravel to the expressive force of George Walker’s “Sonata for Cello and Piano.” Simone’s “Four Women” brings storytelling into sharp focus and León’s new work, “Young Songs,” sets to music the poems “Errata” and “Bling Bling Blues” by Kevin Young. León describes the work as a response to the vivid imagery and musicality embedded in Young’s poems, written for artists she has admired for years.

About the artists

Julia Bullock, soprano

One of Musical America’s 2021 Artists of the Year, Bullock combines versatile artistry with a commanding stage presence, headlining productions and concerts at preeminent arts institutions around the world.

An innovative curator in high demand, she has served as collaborative partner of Esa-Pekka Salonen and 2019-20 artist-in-residence at the San Francisco Symphony, 2020-22 artist-in-residence of London’s Guildhall School, and 2018-19 artist-in-residence at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Bullock’s opera debuts include San Francisco Opera in the world premiere of “Girls of the Golden West;” Santa Fe Opera in “Doctor Atomic;” Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Dutch National Opera in “The Rake’s Progress;” the English National Opera, Teatro Real, and Bolshoi Theatre in the title role of “The Indian Queen;” and Dutch National Opera, Bregenzer Festspiele, and Park Avenue Armory in the premiere of Michel van der Aa’s “Upload.”

In concert, she has collaborated with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, London’s Philharmonia, and London Symphony Orchestra.

Bullock’s solo album debut, “Walking in the Dark,” was featured in the New York Times’ “Best Classical Music Tracks of 2022” and named one of the “Ten Best Classical Albums of 2022” by NPR. Her growing discography also includes Grammy-nominated accounts of “West Side Story” and “Doctor Atomic,” as well as the soundtrack of Amazon Prime Video’s 2021 “The Underground Railroad,” composed by Nicholas Britell. 

Seth Parker Woods, cello

Woods has established his reputation as a versatile artist and innovator across multiple genres. Recent and upcoming performance highlights include the world premiere of Nathalie Joachim’s cello concerto “Had to Be” at Spoleto Festival USA, followed by its New York premiere in Woods’ debut with the New York Philharmonic, and his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in the world premiere of a new cello concerto by Julia Adolphe. Woods' autobiographical tour-de-force, “Difficult Grace,” toured around the U.S. before being released as an album that was nominated for the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

He performed with Hilary Hahn at Konzerthaus Dortmund in Germany and toured a new version of John Adams’ “El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered” with American Modern Opera Company. A core member of the music collective Wild Up, Woods was nominated for 2023 and 2025 Grammy Awards with the group for its releases of the music of Julius Eastman.

Woods has served on the faculty of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California since 2022 and was appointed to the Robert Mann Chair in 2024. Each summer he also serves as artist faculty for the Music Academy of the West.

Conor Hanick, piano

Hanick is regarded as one of his generation’s most inquisitive interpreters of music, new and old.

The pianist has recently worked with conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Ludovic Morlot, Alan Gilbert, and David Robertson; collaborated with the San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and Juilliard Orchestra; and been presented by the Gilmore Festival, New York Philharmonic, Elbphilharmonie, De Singel, Centre Pompidou, Cal Performances, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Park Avenue Armory, and the Ojai Festival, where he served as the festival’s artistic director in 2022 with the American Modern Opera Company.

A leading champion of today’s music, Hanick has premiered over 200 pieces and collaborated with composers including Pierre Boulez, Kaija Saariaho, Steve Reich, Nico Muhly, Caroline Shaw, Tyshawn Sorey, Anthony Cheung, and Samuel Carl Adams, whose piano concerto, “No Such Spring,” he premiered in 2023 with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony. 

This season Hanick presents solo and chamber recitals in the U.S. and Europe, including concerts at the Wallis, Cal Performances, Segerstrom Center, Stanford Live, Guild Hall, and Musikverein. He is the director of solo piano at the Music Academy of the West and serves on the faculty of the Juilliard School, Mannes College, and the CUNY Graduate Center. 

This performance is supported in part by a gift from Skip Skinner and Jan Zentmeyer. Additional funding is provided by the Don and Carolyn Rude Fund for Excellence.

Related events

While visiting Virginia Tech, the artists will engage the next generation of artists and enthusiasts in several hands-on experiences. Bullock will collaborate with School of Performing Arts vocalists during a public work session, while Hanick shares insights with Virginia Tech students in two music classes and Woods visits the community music enrichment program VT String Project.

Tickets

Tickets are $20-$55 for general audience and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Center for the Arts box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.

Venue and parking information

The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jonathan Boulter at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email jboulter@vt.edu during regular business hours.