CES: Cherish the Ladies in "Celtic Christmas"

FSU’s Department of Music Presents Chamber String Orchestra ConcertFrostburg State University’s Department of Music will present its Chamber String Orchestra, conducted by Peter B. Lewis, in its recital on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. The concert will also feature pianist Dr. Joseph Yungen in “Piano Concerto No.27 in B-flat Major, K. 595” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This event is free and open to the public. The concert will be livestreamed; click the “Join Stream” button on this page a few minutes before the recital is scheduled to begin, or any time during the recital, to view the live performance.String orchestra personnel for the various sections are as follows: violin 1 – Chassady Redhead, Leah Boggs and Sophia Zhang; violin 2 – Sydney Hector, Taylor Bryan, Janet Fogle and Kate Fogle; viola – Evie Shanholtz and Kathryn Schram; cello – Rebecca O’Rourke and Emily Xu; bass – Lewis; flute – Courtney Sechler and Ny’Lah Green; bassoon – Joe McDaniel and Dr. Brent Weber; French horn – Daniel Coughenour and Sam White; and timpani – Jacob Deaver.The program will include the finale from “Symphony No.9 in E Minor, Op. 95, ‘From the New World’” by Antonín Dvořák, arranged by Evie Shanholtz; “Introit for Strings, Op. 96” by Vincent Persichetti; Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 27”; and “Hoe Down” by Aaron Copland.It was during the American chapter in his life from 1892 to 1895 that Dvořák composed his “Symphony No. 9,” and Dvořák stated that the symphony’s American provenance would be obvious “to anyone who ‘had a nose.’” The finale provides a summation of the entire composition, for in addition to its own ideas, it also recalls themes from preceding movements. These recollections tie the symphony’s disparate episodes into a coherent unity and provide, in the final minutes of the piece, a comprehensive and exciting conclusion.An introit is a piece or music or song that is typically performed at the beginning of a worship service, and Persichetti’s “Introit for Strings” (1965) is set in a very hymn-like manner while allowing the listener to experience Persichetti’s unique compositional language. The music floats, creating a sonic tapestry that colors the air with a masterful blending of 12-tone serialism and traditional harmonic techniques.“Piano Concerto No. 27” (1791) was not only Mozart’s last piano concerto but also the last piece he performed in public. Some have said that this work was Mozart’s farewell, but such attribution relies heavily on hindsight. It is very possible that Mozart was entering a new phase and style, which would be cut short. Some of those new elements exist in this piece. In the first movement, “Allegro,” the harmonic explorations and deftness forecast new musical horizons. The second movement, “Larghetto,” moves into radiant melancholy. The last movement, “Allegro,” is a rondo that includes two cadenzas. Its main theme is friendly, free, happy and endlessly beguiling.Aaron Copland's ballet “Rodeo” (1942) is a celebration of the American West. The ballet’s scenario takes place at Burnt Ranch, where a Cowgirl finds herself competing with visiting city girls for the attention of the local cowboys, especially the Head Wrangler. “Hoe Down” begins with dynamism and verve, signaling the Cowgirl’s rebirth; she has suddenly put aside her cowpoke duds and reappeared as the prettiest girl in the room. Copland borrows two square dance tunes to aid in this romp, a fanciful and uplifting take on the American square dance. There is a typical Hollywood Western ending, too, as the girl gets the right guy for her, not the aloof and snooty Head Wrangler, but Another Cowboy who has shown her respect, kindness and honor.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.

FSU’s Department of Music Presents Dr. Mackenzie Jacob LaMont in Faculty Artist Series Concert, “listen”Frostburg State University’s Department of Music will present percussionist Dr. Mackenzie Jacob LaMont in a Faculty Artist Series concert, titled “listen,” on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. This event is free and open to the public. Due to the unique nature of the performance, it will not be livestreamed.LaMont is an active composer, performer (percussion), music educator and music industry/audio recording specialist. His recent compositions have been focused on the environment as well as political and philosophical issues, with the sound world inhabiting a space somewhere between minimalism and post-progressive rock (with dashes of polystylism here and there). LaMont has a doctorate in music composition with a cognate in percussion from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music where he studied composition with Michael Fiday, Joel Hoffman and Douglas Knehans, and percussion with James Culley and Allen Otte. He holds prior degrees in composition, percussion performance and music technology/recording, and previously studied composition and percussion at the University of Indianapolis with John Berners and Paul Berns, respectively. He is an assistant professor at FSU, where he teaches percussion lessons and ensemble, composition lessons and courses, and various courses within the music industry track.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.

FSU’s Department of Music Presents Brass Ensemble and Wind Ensemble in Joint ConcertFrostburg State University’s Department of Music will present its Brass Ensemble in “The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli” and its Brass Ensemble in concert on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center.Directed by Dr. Donny Albrecht, the Brass Ensemble consists of Daniel Coughenour on the horn; Alex Frye on trombone; Patrick Godfrey, Martin Harden and Morgan Tichnell on trumpets; Jacob Hunt on percussion; Douglas Holtz on the tuba; and Zachary Inglish on bass trombone.Featuring classic repertoire for symphonic brass ensemble, the program will include the following selection by Giovanni Gabrieli: “Canzon Seconda a Quattro,” arranged by Raymond Horton; “Canzon per Sonare,” arranged by Michael Rondeau; “Canzon VI” from “Sonata e Canzoni,” arranged by Mike Magatagan; and “Sacre Symphonia,” arranged by Serban Nichifor. In addition, the ensemble will play “Triumphal March” by Giuseppe Verdi, arranged by Clair W. Johnson, and “Fanfare for the Common Man” by Arron Copland.Giovanni Gabrieli (1554-1612) was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms.The canzonas originated as arrangements of chansons – a type of French polyphonic songs. Gradually the canzonas became independent of their chanson models, and those published by Giovanni were all original compositions. These pieces were played during the epistle and post-Communion of a church service. “Canzon Secunda a Quattro” (“Second Song for 4”) is one of four canzoni by Gabrieli in the 1608 anthology “Canzoni per sonare” (“Songs to Play”). The anthology helped pave the way for the Baroque concerto style.After 1587 Giovanni’s principal publications were the two immense “Sacrae symphoniae” of 1597 and 1615 (printed posthumously), both of which contained purely instrumental music for church use or massive choral and instrumental motets for the liturgy. He usually conceived the music for separated choirs but showed an increasing tendency to specify which instruments were to be used and which choirs were to consist of soloists and full choir, as well as to distinguish the musical style of each, thus initiating a completely new approach to the creation of musical color and orchestration.Many composers have written a triumphal march, with maybe the best known one being by Italian composer Verdi for his 1871 grand opera, “Aida,” where, in the second act, Radames leads the Egyptian army on its return following their victory over the Ethiopians.Copland composed “Fanfare for the Common Man” in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. It was inspired in part by a speech made earlier that year by then American Vice President Henry A. Wallace, in which Wallace proclaimed the dawning of the “Century of the Common Man.”The Wind Ensemble, conducted by Peter B. Lewis, will perform “Give Us This Day” by David Maslanka, “X” by Daniel Montoya, “William Byrd Suite” by Gordon Jacob, “March” from “Symphonic Metamorphosis” by Paul Hindemith and “Bugler’s Holiday” by Leroy Anderson.“Give Us This Day” (2005) is in two movements, moderately slow and very fast. The music feels symphonic, hence the subtitle, “Short Symphony.” The first movement is deeply searching in character, while the second is highly energized. The words, “give us this day,” from the Lord’s Prayer, touch the idea of being immediately and vividly alive in the moment, the reason why music making can be so vital and compelling.A playful and spirited romp, Montoya’s “X” (2013) is an essay in abstraction. It is, from a fundamental perspective, absolute music. Freely exploring the notion of the influence of others’ music on his own, Montoya summons forth the voice of nine other composers besides himself (totaling 10, numerically represented by the Roman “X”) with hidden references woven into the tapestry of sound.Jacob’s “William Byrd Suite” is one of 400 pieces completed by the prolific composer. It was composed in 1923 to honor the 300th anniversary of Byrd’s death (c. 1623). A pupil of Thomas Tallis, Byrd excelled at writing secular and sacred polyphonic choral and keyboard music in the 16th and 17th centuries.“Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber” is an orchestral work written by German composer Hindemith in 1943. The fourth movement, the march finale, is from Weber’s Op. 60 duets, much expanded. The horn calls implicit in Weber’s trio section are made explicit in Hindemith’s version, and become the basis of the requisite big finish.For “Bugler's Holiday” (1954) composer Anderson, who worked in military intelligence during WWII and the Korean War, said he wanted to imagine what three military buglers would do on their day off. “You’ll hear some bugle calls that may sound familiar,” he said, “but you’ll probably realize that they are not played regulation and they wouldn’t get away with it on post.”Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for seniors, members of the military, and FSU faculty and staff; and free for students and children. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.frostburg.edu. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.

FSU’s Department of Music Presents Opera Theatre, “Let’s Sing Opera”Frostburg State University’s Department of Music will present its Opera Theatre production, “Let’s Sing Opera,” on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. Directed by Dr. Chun-Ting Chao, the performers will be joined by collaborative pianist Dr. Joseph Yungen. The concert is free and open to the public. This event will also be livestreamed; click the “Join Stream” button on this page a few minutes before the recital is scheduled to begin, or any time during the recital, to view the live performance.The program will include “Vedrai carino” (“You'll See, Dear One”) from “Don Giovanni” (1787), an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legend about a libertine. It is a dramma giocoso blending comedy, melodrama and supernatural elements. Riley Hayes will play Zerlina and Jelynna Horsey, Masetto. In addition, Molly Thompson, as Zerlina, and Mackenzie Taylor, as Masetto, will perform “Batti, batti, o bel Masetto” (“Beat, O Beat Me, Handsome Masetto”).“L’elisir d’amore” (“The Elixir of Love”) is a melodramma giocoso (comic melodrama, opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. The opera premiered in 1832. “Prendi, per me sei libero” (“Take It, I Have Freed You”) will be performed by Horsey (Adina) and Erica Bennett (Nemorino).“Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti, K. 588,” which translates as “Women Are Like That” or “The School for Lovers,” is an opera buffa in two acts by Mozart that was first performed in 1790. Kathryn Schram (Despina), Bennett (Dorabella) and Horsey (Fiordiligi) will perform “Una donna” from this opera.Taylor, as Prince Orlofsky, will perform “Chacun à son goût” from “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat,” sometimes called “The Revenge of the Bat”), an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II, which premiered in 1874.“Gianni Schicchi” is a comic opera in one act that Giacomo Puccini composed in 1917-18. The aria “O mio babbino caro” is one of Puccini’s best known, and one of the most popular arias in opera. For this piece, Bennett will play Lauretta and Horsey will play Gianni Schicchi, a 13th-century Italian knight, a Florentine historical figure mentioned by Dante in the “Inferno.”“Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492” (“The Marriage of Figaro”) is a commedia per musica (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Mozart. It tells how the servants Figaro and Susanna succeed in getting married, foiling the efforts of their philandering employer Count Almaviva to seduce Susanna and teaching him a lesson in fidelity. In the duet “Via resti servita, madama brillante” (“After You, Brilliant Madam”), Marcellina, played by Bennett, and Susanna, played by Hayes, exchange very politely delivered sarcastic insults. In the short duet “Sull’aria ... che soave zeffiretto” (On the Breeze ... What a Gentle Little Zephyr) Countess Almaviva (Thompson) dictates to Susanna (Horsey) the invitation to a tryst addressed to the countess’ husband in a plot to expose his infidelity.“Les contes d’Hoffmann” (“The Tales of Hoffmann”) is an opéra fantastique by Jacques Offenbach. It was Offenbach’s final work; he died in October 1880, four months before the premiere. Act 3 opens with the popular barcarolle “Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour” (“Beautiful Night, oh Night of Love”) sung by Taylor (Nicklausse) and Schram (Giulietta).“Die Zauberflöte, K. 620” (“The Magic Flute”) is an opera in two acts by Mozart that premiered in 1791. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form during the time it was written that included both singing and spoken dialogue. Horsey, Schram and Taylor (the three ladies) and Hayes (Tamino) will perform “Stirb, Ungeheuer, durch uns’re Macht!” (“Die, Monster, by Our Might!”).“Carmen” is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. It was first performed in1875, where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalized its first audiences. “Mêlons! – Coupons!” will be sung by Bennett (Carmen), Thompson (Frasquita) and Hayes (Mercedes).For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.

A Romantic Evening of Symphonic MasterworksFanny Mendelssohn Hensel | Overture in C Major Camille Saint-Saëns | Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor Florence Price | Symphony No. 3 in C MinorCelebrate Valentine’s Day with an exquisite concert of three classical masterworks, including Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s sparkling Overture in C; Florence Price’s soul-stirring Symphony No. 3, which honors the richness of African American musical heritage; and Camille Saint-Saens’ exuberant Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring Juilliard-educated soloist Chaeyoung Park.Prior to the performance, at 6:30 PM, ticket holders are invited to join MSO Music Director Elizabeth Schulze in the Recital Hal to discuss the works that will be performed during the evening’s concert. Gain insight on Romantic-era composers Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Camille Saint-Saëns and pioneering 20th-century composer Florence Price, who was the first African American woman to have been recognized as a symphonic composer and the first to compose for a major American orchestra.Since its founding in 1982, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra’s influence and reputation have reached far beyond Western Maryland. Under the baton of Elizabeth Schulze, who was declared by The Washington Post to be “a superb conductor,” MSO has become a first-class orchestra of exceptional artistic quality.The presentation of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra is supported by the Community Trust Foundation’s Iris and Peter Halmos Community Fund and by the FSU Foundation.CES is supported in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, and receives financial support from the Allegany Arts Council and the City of Frostburg.