OKCello

OKCello is the musical world of Okorie Johnson: a cellist, composer, looper, improviser, and storyteller who turns one cello into a full emotional landscape. His music moves through classical, hip-hop, jazz, funk, reggae, Afrobeat, soul, and improvisation – sometimes in the same breath.

At the Lantern Series, OKCello brings a concert experience that is intimate, joyful, surprising, and deeply human. It is the kind of night where you may laugh, reflect, move, participate, and leave feeling like you were part of something created in the moment.

Bring a chair. Bring a friend. Bring someone who thinks they “don’t know enough about cello.” They are exactly who this concert is for.

Who is this for?

• The music lover who wants something fresh, soulful, and genre-defying.
• The date-night couple looking for a beautiful outdoor evening that feels more memorable than dinner and a movie.
• The classical listener who loves the cello but is ready to hear it stretched into new colors, rhythms, and possibilities.
• The jazz, soul, hip-hop, and world music fan who loves artists who build sound in real time and follow the music wherever it leads.
• The storyteller who wants a concert that is about more than songs — a night with humor, heart, memory, and meaning.
• The curious first-timer who does not need to know a thing about cello, looping, or improvisation to enjoy the show.
• The Woodstock Arts regular who loves the Lantern Series because it brings remarkable artists into a relaxed, welcoming outdoor setting.

This is not your typical cello concert.

When many people hear “cello,” they picture a quiet recital hall.

OKCello’s performances are something else entirely.

Using his cello, a looper, rhythm, improvisation, and storytelling, Okorie Johnson builds songs layer by layer in front of the audience. A bass line becomes a groove. A melody becomes a memory. A story becomes a song. A room full of strangers becomes part of the performance.

His main show has been described by audiences around the world as one of the best concerts they have attended, blending instrumental songwriting, live looping, artful storytelling, and unexpected audience participation.

Think: the soulfulness of Bill Withers, the playfulness of Bobby McFerrin, the imagination of a jazz improviser, and the immediacy of a singer-songwriter – all centered around one cello.