The duo is cellist Olivia Diercks and violinist Karla Colahan, aptly named The OK Factor.

“This will be an exciting event, featuring lovely music,” said Orpheum director Bob Untiedt.

Despite their youth, the Minneapolis natives have six years of writing, performing and regional touring.

“Celebrating the holiday season, the classically-oriented OK Factor will create a warm space during the winter,” Untiedt said. “We look forward to their performance as Marshalltown is one of several Iowa stops.”

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The OK Factor comprising of cellist Olivia Hahn Diercks, left, and violinist Karla Coleman will be performing 7-9 p.m. Friday at the local Orpheum Theater, 220 E. Main St.

They have appeared as opening acts for Charlie Parr, The High Kings, and Swedish quintet Jaerv, as well as composers-in-residence for digital music library Black Label Music. The duo has produced four studio albums of their original pieces and arrangements: Water Street (’14), That’s Enough of That (’16), Have Yourself an OK Christmas (’17), and Love, The OK Factor, Lullabies & Love Songs, released in January 2019.

The OK Factor has been in residence with Minnesota Public Radio’s Class Notes Artists program (’16), at The Grand Theater in Wausau, Wisc. (’17), College of Saint Benedict (’17) and Luther College, Deborah (’18), sharing their intimate performances, outreach activities, and educational workshops with those communities.

Playful and unexpected, new-classical duo The OK Factor writes and performs folk-inspired music influenced by multiple genres and styles, with an artistry that reveals their classical training.

Diercks and Colahan were finalists for the McKnight Fellowships for Musicians in 2018.

The duo opens up a busy calendar of December event at the Orpheum, which re-opened earlier this fall after nearly 18 months of repairs resulting from more than $1 million dollars in damage caused by the July 19, 2018 tornado.

Tickets for the OK Factor’s performance are $12.50 .

For more information contact the Orpheum at 641-844-5920.

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Contact Mike Donahey

at 641-753-6611 or

mdonahey@timesrepublican.com