“Pure magic.”
“We had a fantastic engagement with The OK Factor. Not only will they win your audiences over with their amazing musicianship, but they can also do outstanding residency work in your community. They have a very bright future ahead of them!”
“They clearly have influences in Americana and Irish/Gaelic fiddle styles, but with the virtuosity of classical performers...They are great advocates for the potential of folk-inspired music.”
“A lot of musicians are thinking about their creativity and what they want to say. But (The OK Factor) takes (their) audience into consideration - I’ve never heard an artist speak in that way.”
“Balm for the soul.”
BIOGRAPHY
Olivia Diercks and Karla Colahan - cellist and violinist of the new-classical crossover duo, The OK Factor - have one word to describe their musical connection: lucky. The almost telepathic way they respond to one another is palpable to the audiences they capture during performances, as is their spontaneity and joy. Organic and genuine, their original compositions and arrangements feel both comfortingly familiar and uniquely fresh, and have been described as "genre-bending" (Julie Amacher, MPR) and "pure magic" (Wausau Pilot & Review).
In their 10+ years of writing, performing, and touring, The OK Factor has honed the ways they impact communities outside the concert hall. Residency work has become a deep passion - sharing intimate performances, conducting outreach activities, and leading workshops for students through their education initiative, ATLAS. Olivia and Karla are also sought-after collaborators and composers-in-residence, having worked with many regional, national, and international artists, and various digital music libraries.
The OK Factor’s distinct compositional and performance style, and dedication to educational outreach, awarded them a Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Education Grant for the 2024 school year, and an Artist Fellowship for Scandinavian Folk Arts and Cultural Traditions through the American Scandinavian Foundation in 2020. The duo has produced five studio albums of their original pieces and arrangements: Water Street ('14), That's Enough of That ('16), Have Yourself an OK Christmas ('17), Season’s Greetings (‘20), and OKX (‘23).
SHORTENED BIO
Playful and unexpected, new-classical crossover duo The OK Factor writes and performs folk-inspired music influenced by multiple genres, with an artistry that reveals their classical training. Cellist Olivia Diercks and violinist Karla Colahan find great joy in defying expectations and delivering an experience outside of what audiences anticipate from a cello and violin combo. Organic and genuine, their original compositions feel both comfortingly familiar and uniquely fresh, and have been described as "genre-bending" (Julie Amacher, MPR) and "pure magic" (Wausau Pilot & Review). The ease with which they write and perform and their passion for educational outreach has caught the attention of the Minnesota music community in which they live and work, as recipients of a 2024 Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Education Grant, and a 2020 Scandinavian Folk Arts and Cultural Traditions Fellowship through the American Scandinavian Foundation. Olivia and Karla invite audiences to explore music and cultivate a curiosity about its role in their lives.
BLURB
Playful and unexpected, new-classical crossover duo The OK Factor writes and performs folk-inspired music influenced by multiple genres and styles, with an artistry that reveals their classical training. Cellist Olivia Diercks and violinist Karla Colahan find great joy in defying expectations and delivering an experience outside of what audiences anticipate from a cello and violin combo. Their passion for performing and educational outreach has continued to bring them success in communities across the Midwest and abroad, inviting audiences to explore music and cultivate a curiosity about its role in their lives.
PRESS ARTICLES
Classical Minnesota Public Radio 2016