PORTSMOUTH — The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts at Shawnee State University will offer a free performance by the Tuvan throat singing group, Alash, at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Throat singing originated from Tuva, a small country between Siberia and Mongolia, and until recently, this remarkable technique, which allows the human voice to produce multiple pitches simultaneously, was virtually unknown. The fascinating sound produced by the singers has captured popular imagination.

“We are honored that Southern Ohio Performing Arts Association and Shawnee State were selected as one of the four communities in Ohio to participate in this project by Alash,” said Joe Patti, VRCFA Director.

Because of an effort by the Ohio Arts Council’s International Music and Performing Arts in Communities Tour (IMPACT), the performance is being offered at no cost to residents.

IMPACT is a program of the Ohio Arts Council and is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from the Crane Group and General Mills Foundation.

Additional information on the concert, including sample videos, may be found on the SOPAA (www.sopaa.org) and VRCFA (www.vrcfa.com) webpages and by calling the McKinley Box Office at 740-351-3600.