Javier & Janai - December 6th, 2018

Radio One Chicago

Javier Orman is a violinist, composer, producer and teacher originally from Uruguay and based in Chicago. He received his Master’s degree in Music from the University of Michigan and Bachelor’s in Music and Mathematics from the College of Charleston with full academic scholarships. Over the last 6 years, he has been writing, recording and performing with his violin-and-guitar duo KOZM, described as “the most rock ’n’ roll pair of classically trained musicians working today” by 21st Century Musician. He enjoys collaborating with great artists from all genres, including hip-hop singer/producer Skylar Grey, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik and Classical crossover pianist Christopher O’Riley (NPR’s From the Top). Javier also produces electronic music as solo artist MLTFTR, inspired by literary and visual aesthetics of urban dystopias and retrowave musicians such as Com Truise, Tokimonsta and Home. Javier has been teaching violin for 12 years in a variety of traditions including Classical, Rock and American Fiddle. He has guest-lectured and offered master-classes at the University of Wisconsin, College of William & Mary, Sphinx Performance Academy, Montecito Music Festival and others. In 2009, he founded Kidzymphony, a children’s orchestra program in Charleston, South Carolina, modeled after Venezuela’s El Sistema. When Javier’s not performing or teaching, he enjoys arranging and recording strings for artists and producers such as Blänk, Essen Hiort and Cubeatz, as well as composing for video-games. A former winner in 2012 of Placido Domingo’s prestigious Operalia competition and of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, American soprano, Janai Brugger, begins the 2015-16 season as Michaela Carmen at Washington National Opera, and sings the role again later in the season at Lyric Opera of Kansas. Identified by Opera News as one of their top 25 “brilliant young artists” (October 2015 issue), Janai joins the Metropolitan Opera for their Rising Stars concert series and makes several US concert appearances during the season, along with various recital performances. She makes her debut as Norina Don Pasquale at Palm Beach Opera, and returns to Los Angeles Opera to revive the role of Musetta La Boheme which she sings under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. Radio One Chicago airs live every Thursday night on WLUW-FM from 6p to 8p cst.