FREE Courtroom Concert: Music of David Evan Thomas

Music of David Evan Thomas, featuring Rod Kelly Hines, baritone; Joni Griffith, soprano; Casey Rafn, piano

Rod Kelly Hines is a classically trained baritone and versatile artist who enjoys performing in a variety of genres. He feels most at home in choral ensembles, enjoying the spectrum of artistry that he is able to explore within a vast range of musical styles. From 2018-2021 he was a member of the Brooklyn-based ensemble Choral Chameleon, under the direction of Vince Peterson. In 2019 he became an inaugural member of EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble, directed by Dr. Eugene Rogers. He received a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA, where he performed roles such as: Papageno in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), Peter in Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck), and Masetto in Don Giovanni (Mozart). He was also a featured soloist in the opera Silent Night by Kevin Puts, presented by The Atlanta Opera in their 2017-18 season.

When not on her bicycle, Joni Griffith can be found performing as an actor, instrumentalist, and vocalist. An Iowa native, Joni first came to Minneapolis to complete her Bachelors in Vocal Performance from the University of Minnesota where she immersed herself in the vibrant performance scene of the Twin Cities, performing everywhere from bars to vineyards. She is a central member of Minneapolis theater company Mixed Precipitation as well as an associate artist with Combustible Company and The Birth Play Project.

Equally at home on the violin as with her voice, Joni enjoys performing as a theatrical vocalist, composer, voice over artist, and gigging musician. She sings, plays violin and musical saw with local ensembles, as well as with touring bands and musicians.

She is the vocalist and creator of Minneapolis-based jazz trio Joni Jane and the Midnight Sugar, with Willow Waters on guitar, and Drew Kellum on bass.

As a composer, Joni has written original music for Combustible Company’s production of A Midsummer Nights Dream, and composed original music for their productions of Monster Heart and The Tempest. She has co-created several performance art pieces, blending music, physical theatre, text, and imagery – including Crone House, an immersive, site-specific piece exploring the archetype of the crone and the maiden in modern society, and Driftwomen which toured to Duluth and Indiana.

In the spring of 2019, she completed a solo bicycle ride across the United States of America, spanning almost 4,000 miles in three months. Many of her adventures can be found on her Youtube channel – a place where she seeks to fuse her love of music with her passion for cycling in a fun and educational manner.

She is constantly exploring and learning new musical techniques and genres, including recording dreamy indie pop music in her bedroom, but she specializes in classical voice and golden age musical theatre.

Minneapolis-based pianist Casey Rafn enjoys a varied career both in the US and abroad. As a collaborative pianist, he has performed at venues in Latin America, Canada, New York City, and across the US. He is a member of the saxophone-piano trio {Trés}, which is currently nominated for a Grammy for their work with jazz saxophonist Miguel Zenon. He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, and can often be found as a chamber musician with members of that orchestra, as well as members of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and also faculty from the University of Minnesota. Apart from his collaborative work, he enjoys solo playing, having taken top prizes at the International Liszt-Garrison Competition in Baltimore, as well as appearing as a soloist with Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra. He has held positions at the University of Minnesota School of Music, SPCPA, and Lundstrum Performing Arts in North Minneapolis.