Eureka-born composer Calvin Jones back in SD, will play concert Thursday in Watertown
After fleeing Ukraine almost seven months ago, Calvin Jones is back in the United States.
The Eureka-born pianist and composer and his wife, Inga, left Ukraine in February following Russia's invasion. The couple heard the bombs on the morning of Feb. 24, packed their belongings as quickly as they could and fled for the city of Ternopil before continuing on toward Romania.
During that time, Jones was working on getting Inga into the U.S. Her visa didn't get approved quickly, so the couple traveled between different European nations.
Concert at Goss Opera House will raise money for Ukrainian immigration effort
But during a recent phone call from Colorado, Jones said they are both now in the U.S. And they're going on tour. Jones will be playing concerts across the nation, including one in Watertown Thursday night.
More: Plan emerges to attract Ukrainians to South Dakota; refugees could help businesses
The concert, called Soul Music and Stories From the Ukraine War, begins at 7 p.m. at the Goss Opera House. The evening of piano music and stories will benefit the Freedom’s Haven for New Americans’ Workforce, an effort to assist Ukrainian refugees and other immigrants in relocating to South Dakota.
Tickets are $30 and are available online at thegossoperahouse.com/events/.
The workforce fundraising effort is led by Lake Area Technical College President Mike Cartney and others from Sioux Falls and Rapid City. A $50,000 matching donation has been made to Freedom’s Haven for New Americans’ Workforce, which aims to bring 5,000 to 10,000 Ukrainian refugees to the state.
Money raised will help pay for expenses involved with sponsoring the refugees, said Brad Johnson of Watertown. The effort will also help address the state's workforce development needs and help make South Dakota a more welcoming place for all immigrants, he said.
More concerts are also planned, said Johnson. One will be at Calvary Lutheran Church in Watertown on Nov. 4, with another in development for Sioux Falls for early November.
Jones has performed regularly with orchestras in Kyiv, where he was living when the war began, and St. Petersburg, Russia.
Jones has been composing since he was 10
He has been composing since he was 10. He began spending time in Ukraine in 2012 after traveling for music opportunities. He met Inga in 2013 and subsequently began spending more time in her hometown of Kyiv.
More: After fleeing Ukraine, Eureka-born composer Calvin Jones and wife Inga are safe
In late March, Jones released a rendition of "Shchedryk" ("Carol of the Bells"), a Ukrainian New Year's song originally composed by Mykola Leontovych in 1916. Proceeds from it also go toward helping Ukrainians.
Jones recently released a second single, “After The Conquest: A dedication to the Heroes of Ukraine,” from "Paramount: The Symphony Sessions," originally composed and arranged by Jones for the documentary “Little Town Of Bethlehem."
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Calvin Jones to return to South Dakota after fleeing Ukraine
