Renowned pianist to play Methodist Church

Rosalia

Pianist John Nilsen will be at Rosalia United Methodist Church on Saturday, Aug. 21, at 4 p.m. Donations (minimum $5 suggested) will be accepted and Nilsen will have his CD’s for sale following his performance.

Nilsen was born in Seattle, in 1956. The Nilsen family moved to Portland, Ore., in 1960 and Nilsen began studying classical piano from his mother at age six. Continuing his musical education, he began playing guitar at age fourteen. John moved to Ashland, Ore., in 1974 to attend Southern Oregon College (Southern Oregon University). Nilsen graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, and was honored by the institution in 1995 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, a prestigious award of Southern Oregon University graduates. Nilsen founded the Magic Wing recording label in 1987. The label has a catalog of fourteen successful titles, all having international distribution.

One of the Northwest’s largest selling musical artists, Nilsen has released seventeen recordings, most on his independent record company, Magic Wing. John has also had recordings released in Germany, Taiwan, Canada, Philippines, Great Britain and Singapore bringing reported sales to well over 800,000 copies sold.

Famed guitarist Guthrie Thomas is credited with launching Nilsen’s music career twenty-seven years ago. Thomas knew then what we know now, that Nilsen was a player and a talent. He invited Nilsen to record on his Eagle Records label in LA and there a career was born

As his father once told him, all things in balance, rehearse hard, play hard. Nilsen does just that. With 240 annual performances including national tours of the United States, Europe and Japan, he has a devout following of listeners and with his increasing international distribution, his popularity continues to grow.

Nilsen has appeared with such luminaries as Jose Feliciano, Jesse Colin Young, Kenny G, Alex De Grassi and David Foster. His recordings are featured on more than forty musical collections and samplers throughout the globe, including a Rhino Records Sampler.

Nilsen said he enjoys playing at the Rosalia Methodist Church because of the acoustics and his father was a Methodist Minister.

Order forms for the Rosalia-Malden-Thornton Community Calendar were mailed out last week so everyone has an opportunity to purchase a calendar and include their family birthdays and anniversaries. The Community Calendar is a long-time tradition sponsored by the Rosalia Chamber of Commerce and this year the proceeds from the sale of the advertisements and the calendar are going to the Rosalia Music Boosters to help raise enough money to send the music students on a musical education trip in the spring of 2012.

Along with birthdays and anniversaries, the calendar makes a handy business registry of those local and area businesses that support the calendar by purchasing an advertisement. The calendar also displays school sporting events, local government and organization meetings, holidays and other local events of interest. If you have a meeting schedule that you want listed, please put that on your order form.

The price of the Community Calendar is still only $6. You can mail your order, with payment enclosed, to the address on the form or drop it off with Mike Day at the Texaco Station or with Tanya Charles in Rosalia. The calendars will be ready for pick up before the end of August.