Central College hosts Ora Uzel for a residency Sept. 11-13 as part of the college’s Learning for Justice Series. Uzel, a 2003 Central graduate, will present piano music, lead several sessions with students and speak about her experiences as a transgender woman. Her improvisational piano performance is free and open to the public at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12 in Douwstra Auditorium, followed by a reception in the lobby.
After graduating from Central, Uzel completed a master’s degree in composition from DePaul University School of Music. As a pianist and composer, she specializes in late and post-Romantic and 20th-century compositional techniques to create improvisational meditations.
In 2007, Uzel also began performing with fire, using skills she learned from Pyrotechniq, a fire troupe in Chicago. Uzel was a founding member of the troupe Third Coast Fire in Michigan and now performs freelance at private events. She will present a fire performance at Central at 8 p.m. Sept. 11 on the lawn south of the Chapel.
While in residence, Uzel will also present “History, Her Story” at 11 a.m. Sept. 13 in Cox-Snow Recital Hall, sharing about her experiences as a transgender woman. Keenan Crow, deputy director for One Iowa, will also speak about trans advocacy and education.
Uzel’s residency is also sponsored by Central’s music department and Community-Based Learning. The Learning for Justice series is organized by student development leaders at Central. The next Learning for Justice event is Sept. 20 and includes a workshop by Jennifer Harvey, professor of religion at Drake University and author of “Dear White Christians: For Those Still Longing for Racial Reconciliation.”