Please join us for a special musical performance by cellist Joshua Roman, with reflections on Long COVID and chronic illness, sponsored by Arts and Humanities Initiative at HMS and Countway Library.

Immunity is an intimate musical exploration of cellist Joshua Roman’s experience with Long COVID, blending performance and storytelling into a deeply personal journey. Featuring music by J.S. Bach, George Crumb, Caroline Shaw, and Roman himself, the program moves through struggle, uncertainty, and renewal, ultimately embracing vulnerability as a path to connection and healing. Since its debut, Immunity has expanded beyond the concert hall into residencies, workshops, and advocacy efforts, bridging music, science, and community engagement.

A light dinner will be served during the event.

About Joshua Roman

Joshua Roman is a cello soloist and composer, hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (New York Times), as well as his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts" and “blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom… that goes straight to the heart" (San Francisco Chronicle). His genre-bending programs have grown out of an “enthusiasm for musical evolution that is as contagious as his love for the classics" (Seattle Times), and he has collaborated with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, DJ Spooky, Tony-winner/MacArthur Genius Bill T. Jones, Grammy Award-winning East African vocalist Somi, and Tony Award-nominated actor Anna Deavere Smith. Roman will also be performing as part of the Celebrity Series with Tessa Lark and Edgar Meyer on Friday, May 9th.