Holiday Concert

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.

A Heartfelt Journey of Friendship from Bengal to BroadwayPack your trunk for a jumbo journey with Jenny the elephant! Watch in wonder as this puppet pachyderm grows from tot to teen to towering adult in an unforgettable tale of enduring friendship.Inspired by true events, this moving story of love, belonging and what it means to be “home” comes to life through large-scale “Warhorse”-style puppetry – including a baby elephant, a young adult elephant, a fully grown adult elephant and a tiger – original music, authentic dance and magical illusion. During its fall 2023 presentation by New York’s legendary New Victory Theater, The New York Times named it a Critic’s Pick, stating, “This alluring spectacle ... which aims to dazzle audiences age 8 and older, makes powerful statements about the rights of both animals and human beings.”Founded in 2001 and based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Cahoots NI creates theatrical magic with a distinctive, innovative style that combines magic and illusion, large-scale puppetry, physical theatre and original music and choreography. Their bold, original productions are designed to inspire a sense of wonder, unlock imaginations and nurture a love of the arts in children.Immediately after the performance, Chuck Dicken, station director of FSU’s National Public Radio affiliate station WFWM-FM joins the artists for a lively conversation with audience members. Meet the artists of Northern Ireland’s Cahoots NI and hear behind-the-scenes tales about the creation of The Vanishing Elephant.The Vanishing Elephant is supported by Culture Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and presented in partnership with Belfast International Arts Festival with support from British Council NI.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.

New Orleans-Style Street Beats, Jazz and BluesExperience the rollicking excitement of blues, funk, jazz, shuffles and New Orleans-style street beats with charismatic jazz trumpeter, vocalist and composer Jumaane Smith, whose original compositions and spirited renditions of nostalgic standards like “When You’re Smiling,” “St. James Infirmary” and “You’re Nobody Until Somebody Loves You” will fill the historic Palace Theatre to create an intimate evening of exhilarating entertainment.Mentored by the legendary Wynton Marsalis during his years as a Juilliard scholarship student, Smith subsequently toured and recorded with Michael Bublé for nearly two decades, was a member of Harry Connick Jr.’s house band and worked with musical legends like Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Christian McBride, Kamasi Washington, Alicia Keys and Jon Batiste. He has performed on five Grammy-winning records, in two Emmy Award-nominated TV performances, at the Grammy Awards with Stevie Wonder, in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and at world-class music venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Vail Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl and Joe’s Pub.Immediately after the performance, Chuck Dicken, station director of FSU’s National Public Radio affiliate station WFWM-FM joins the artists for a lively conversation with audience members. Discover details about Jumanne Smith’s career as a professional musician, composer and bandleader and his work with legends like Wynton Marsalis, Michael Bublé and Harry Connick, Jr.This engagement of Jumaane Smith is made possible through the Jazz Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.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.