On Monday, February 23, at 6 pm in the EJS Ministerial Complex Theater, the U.S.-based ensemble will take the stage for a performance that is both a homecoming and a call to action \u2014 inviting the nation to celebrate UL\u2019s Diamond Jubilee and support the planned UL Performing Arts Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cComing back during this milestone celebration is our way of giving back,\u201d said Charles W. Russell, president of ULAC. \u201cThe University shaped our minds and our character. It gave many of us our first platform to discover our voices and build confidence that carried into our professional lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russell added, \u201cStanding together again during the 75th Founder\u2019s Day is our expression of gratitude \u2014 an offering of time, talent and heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Night of Music and Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The benefit concert will feature ULAC and the current UL Chorus in a combined ensemble. They will perform mostly a cappella, with accompaniment on select pieces spanning gospel, traditional and classical genres. The evening promises music that reflects excellence, heritage and unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonathan NB Davies, deputy director of the UL Chorus, said performing with ULAC members \u201cwho paved the way is an incredible honor. It symbolizes continuity, legacy and the passing of the torch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis joint performance is more than fundraising \u2014 it\u2019s a statement,\u201d Davies said. \u201cWe want to show that the arts are the heartbeat of UL, fostering creativity, unity and expression. The Performing Arts Center will be a hub for innovation, collaboration and cultural enrichment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Building for the Next 75 Years<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The fundraising goal for the concert is US$500,000. Proceeds will support construction of the University of Liberia Performing Arts Center, envisioned as a hub for artistic expression, cultural preservation and student development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan described the event as a \u201cvisionary benefit concert.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is an investment in the next 75 years of UL,\u201d Dr. Maparyan said. \u201cWhen we ultimately build the Performing Arts Center that ULAC and the UL Alumni Association in the Americas are working toward with UL, we plan to create something state-of-the-art that will endure \u2014 a building that will still be with us 75 years from now, enshrining the importance of music, dance and drama for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ULAC comprises 50 graduates, mostly based in the United States, who sang in the UL Chorus as students and now continue to represent the University with distinction abroad. The nonprofit ensemble began in 2009 to give back to their alma mater through annual fundraising concerts. The chorus has performed across the United States, including at Yale University and Johns Hopkins University. In 2012, ULAC made its Liberian debut, performing at the second inauguration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Russell said this second ULAC homecoming is especially meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s our alma mater\u2019s 75th Anniversary Founder\u2019s Day celebration,\u201d he said. \u201cSeventy-five years represent generations of students whose lives, including ours, were shaped by their sojourn through this great institution. To lend our voices to such a historic moment is both humbling and deeply personal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the fundraising effort flows naturally from that gratitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe know firsthand how transformative the arts can be,\u201d Russell said. \u201cA dedicated space for performance means opportunities for students to grow creatively, develop discipline and find confidence that extends far beyond the stage. We want future generations to have a place where their gifts can be nurtured and celebrated. This will help transform the University from being only a place of instruction into a place of artistic creativity and expression.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joi<\/strong>n th<\/strong>e<\/strong> celebr<\/strong>ation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n UL kicked off its 75th anniversary celebration on Feb. 15 \u2014 Founder\u2019s Day \u2014 and ULAC and UL Chorus members have lent their voices to the ongoing commemorations. Dr. Maparyan expressed gratitude for the combined ensemble\u2019s participation, calling it \u201ca tremendous gift and also a pleasure because I get to hear them sing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n About 30 ULAC members are in Liberia for\u00a0the\u00a0anniversary celebrations, and they’ll be joined by 60 members of the UL Chorus. Russell said the\u00a0benefit concert\u00a0will send a message that \u201cgiving back does not require perfection \u2014 it requires commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe arts belong to all of us,\u201d he said. \u201cAs the University marks 75 years, this concert is both a tribute to the past and an investment in the future \u2014 a reminder that when people from different walks of life come together in harmony, something meaningful happens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ULAC is granting free admission to UL students with any proof of enrollment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the public, tickets are US$20 for regular admission, US$50 for patrons\u00a0and US$100 for special patrons.\u00a0Tickets will\u00a0be\u00a0available at the\u00a0venue.\u00a0For more\u00a0information, call\u00a0Felecia J.W. Dorbor\u00a0at\u00a0077 656 4836.\u00a0Tickets can also be purchased via\u00a0Mobile Money\u00a0payments:\u00a0Lone Star\u00a0\u2013\u00a0088 689 0356\u00a0to\u00a0Boakai\u00a0K. Robertson\u00a0and\u00a0Orange\u00a0\u2013077 881 6692\u00a0to Irene Horace.\u00a0Doors open\u00a0at 5\u00a0pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Landmark Performance to Support Planned Performing Arts Center MONROVIA, Liberia (Feb. 22, 2026) \u2013 For the first time since 2012, the renowned University of Liberia Alumni Chorus (ULAC) is returning home to perform on Liberian soil \u2014 uniting with the current UL Chorus for a landmark, intergenerational concert […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"iawp_total_views":173,"footnotes":""},"categories":[275,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-75th-anniversary","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/9b1e2fba-86ba-4f2f-9fd6-930de5f82dc3.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"Sumo Charles D","author_link":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/author\/5c1969f41eff7aa5\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25373"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25381,"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25373\/revisions\/25381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/7134975b-7f09-460b-9024-195bd1155335-1024x640.jpeg\")
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