Jake RunestadThe Winona State University Lyceum Series will host Jake Runestad from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, April 24, at the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall.

Runestad, a 2009 WSU alumnus, is an award-winning composer known for his versatility and wide range of expressive capabilities with music. He was named a finalist for the American Prize in Composition in 2013 and has earned a reputation as one of the most creative and innovative composers of his generation.

Runestad has received commissions and performances from such leading ensembles as Seraphic Fire, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, VocalEssence, the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, the Drayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, Cantus (Minnesota), and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. His music has been performed around the world at prestigious concert spaces such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, and the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

Runestad’s visit is also part of WSU’s seventh annual Music Gala April 24-26. During his campus visit he will work with WSU students in the Jazz Ensemble, Choirs and Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

The event is free, and open to the public. For more information, contact Kathy Peterson.

About the WSU Lyceum Series

The Lyceum Series is the premier speaker series at Winona State University. Initiated in 1989, the series features internationally renowned speakers presenting on topics in the sciences, the arts, politics, literature, popular culture and more. The series hosts events that provide unique cultural enrichment and educational opportunities for the Winona and Rochester campus communities.