Dr. Dale Olsen began teaching in the School of Music at the Florida State University in 1973 and retired in 2008 as Distinguished Research Professor of Ethnomusicology in the College of Music, where he is now Professor Emeritus.

THOMASVILLE — Arts for the Community at Thomas University (ACTU) will present a “World Flutelore” Friday at Noon concert and presentation featuring Dr. Dale Olsen and his wide collection of flutes from around the world, as well as guitarist Carlos Odria and fellow flutist Karl Barton. The concert is free and will be at noon on Friday in Balfour Chapel on the Thomas University Main Campus. The presentation will feature music, folktales, myths and other stories of magical flute power.

Olsen began teaching in the School of Music at the Florida State University in 1973 and retired in 2008 as Distinguished Research Professor of Ethnomusicology in the College of Music, where he is now Professor Emeritus. He has lived, worked and conducted research in South America as a National Endowment for the Humanities scholar and a Fulbright scholar. He has also received grants and other funds to conduct research in Italy, China, Korea, Tonga (South Pacific), Japan, Ireland, Vietnam, Thailand and Panama.

Olsen stated, “I recently finished cataloging and photographing all of my flutes and other aerophones, and I have over 300 wind instruments in my personal collection. I hope to find a museum home for them before too long. I play most of them and use some of them to demonstrate several flutes that I write about in my latest book titled ‘World Flutelore: Folktales, Myths, and Other Stories of Magical Flute Power.’”

Odria is a faculty member at Darton State College in Albany. He directs the guitar program there and teaches courses on world music and music appreciation. Odria holds the Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from FSU. His virtuosity extends across many domains and is grounded in his musical upbringing in his native Lima, Peru.

Barton, the series coordinator, stated, “I was fortunate to have Dr. Olsen as my major research professor at FSU, and his love of the flute in its many forms made him an ideal mentor to me. While his academic credentials are impressive, the nature of his new book makes it accessible to everyone, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday afternoon.”

A complimentary lunch will follow the one-hour performance. For additional information, email actu@thomasu.edu or call 229-227-6964.