The University of Iowa School of Music will present a free concert by Johnson County Landmark—performing the music of John Rapson, director of jazz studies in the UI School of Music—at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City.

The concert, celebrating Rapson’s 20th anniversary at the UI School of Music, will feature performances by special guests and alumni Nathan Bogert, Justin LeDuc, Brian Smith, and Dan Padley.

Johnson County Landmark will perform the following Rapson compositions: Street (2011); Paradox (1999); Mo’Town (2005); Weather, or Not (2005); Stompin’ (2005); Here My Go (2010); The Night Sky and Turquoise Sea (2013); and Saideira em Barão Geraldo (2006).

Rapson is a composer, pianist, trombonist, and recording artist for MoMu Records, Music and Arts, Sound Aspects, and Nine Winds whose work mixes ethnic and experimental elements with more conventional jazz forms. He has been professor of music at the University of Iowa since 1993, where he has collaborated on projects with Billy Higgins, Anthony Braxton, Kenny Wheeler, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Bennie Wallace, Rafael dos Santos, Matt Wilson, Anthony Cox, Mike Lee, Charlie Kohlhase, The Either/Orchestra, David Berkman, Rodrigo Ursaia, and Jimmy Greene.

Rapson has written jazz compositions for a variety of contexts, and recorded 21 albums, 10 of which are under his own leadership and feature his compositions. In 2002, he won first prize in the Julius Hemphill Competition sponsored by the Jazz Composers Alliance for Riff Bass Bridge Head, from the album Daydreams from the Prairie.

Rapson directs Johnson County Landmark, a jazz orchestra devoted to the performance of original compositions by jazz masters, past and present. Its programs have included the music of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Tadd Dameron, Thad Jones, and Charles Mingus, as well as current stars Maria Schneider and John Hollenbeck.

The School of Music is part of the Division of Performing Arts in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For accommodations at the concert contact the School of Music at 319-335-1603. For a UI arts calendar and details about upcoming events visit the new Arts Iowa website.