Heartfelt Bluegrass, Folk and Country“In his crafty way, O’Brien writes songs whose music invites us in warmly, wrapping us comfortably in sound before unveiling the lyrics that often reveal our shortcomings or sometimes celebrate the bonds we share with others.” (Folk Alley)The FSU Appalachian Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary with an uplifting performance from multiple Grammy Award-winning bluegrass legend Tim O’Brien and vocalist and mandolin player Jan Fabricius. Since 2015, this husband-and-wife team have performed together nationally and internationally, both as a duo and as part of the Tim O’Brien Band. Their heartfelt music reveals the power of their deep collaboration, and they light up the stage with the warmth of acoustic roots that is both original and traditional.A Wheeling, W.Va., native now based in Nashville, O’Brien first emerged as a singer, instrumentalist and songwriter with the iconic bluegrass group Hot Rize. He has since released numerable rootsy classics and written songs for legendary artists like Garth Brooks and The Chicks, collaborated with legends like Steve Earle, Mark Knopfler, Dan Auerbach, Sturgill Simpson and Steve Martin, and appeared at festivals including Western Maryland’s own DelFest. Raised in Kansas, Fabricius performed from an early age. Although her music with O’Brien started informally around their home, she soon found herself singing and playing mandolin with him both in the recording studio and on stage, resulting in a musical partnership that serves as a beautiful narrative of their life together.Following the show, Chuck Dicken, WFWM-FM station director, will host a lively and interactive conversation with the artists and audience members.The performance of Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius is presented by CES in partnership with Folklore and Folklife Programming at FSU.CES is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and receives financial support from the Allegany Arts Council and the City of Frostburg.

Fine Musicians from the U.S. Armed ForcesSince 1922, the “Pershing’s Own” musical institution has maintained a tradition of excellence as the premier musical organization of the U.S. Army. Known for their inspirational and exceptional musicianship, these ensembles perform at significant national and international events and promote global goodwill while showcasing the talent of their trained soldiers.The Brass Quintet, founded in 1972, and the Woodwind Quintet, founded in 1996, are frequently called upon in support of high-level military and civilian events at the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and beyond.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.

The Frostburg State University Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Peter B. Lewis, is proud to present its program, “Dust Bunnies” on Wednesday, October 8, at 7:30pm in the Pealer Recital Hall of the Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. The recital is free and open to the public. It will also be livestreamed, click the 'JOIN STREAM' button on this page to join the livestream.A familiar phrase when cleaning around the house, a dust bunny is simply a collection of “stuff”, to that end, the orchestra will be performing a collection of music that does encompass a lot of “stuff”. Beginning with the Second Viennese School, “Six Little Pieces for Piano, Op. 19” by Arnold Schoenberg creates a curious tapestry of sonorities. Originally written for solo piano, the work has been skillfully arranged by music education major, Chassady Redhead.Marc O’Connor, most known for his fiddle playing and collaborations with people like Alison Kraus, Bela Fleck, and Yoyo Ma, has crafted an Appalachian inspired, “String Quartet no. 3 (Old Time)”. The FSU Orchestra will be performing the third movement from this thrilling composition.Rounding out the program are two compositions, one by Brian Balmages entitled, “Phantom Tangos” which merges stylistic nuances of traditional tango music and contemporary compositional techniques, creating a unique blending of musical influences. And finally, a tongue in cheek, lighthearted composition by John Mackey entitled, “Under the Rug”. This work brings the title of the concert program into the light as the music depicts the story of a 1950’s house maker who does battle against the army of dust bunnies around the house. Her weapon of choice, the vacuum of course! Just think, the setting of “Leave it to Beaver” with the humor of “Bugs Bunny” and company.

FSU Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance presents “Groove Music”, a concert by the FSU Wind Ensemble, directed by Peter B. Lewis, on Sunday, October 12, at 3pm in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. Admission is $10 adult; $5 senior, military, FSU faculty & staff; and free for students & children. Tickets are available at the University Box Office, Lane University Center 203 (Hours: Monday-Friday 10 AM - 4 PM), phone 301-687-3137, or online at tickets.frostburg.edu. Tickets will also be available at the door the evening of the concert.The Wind Ensemble will be performing Duarte’s “Equus Alatus” that was inspired by the legend and mythology of Pegasus, Jonathan Newman’s brief bombshell “Blow It Up, Start Again” (described as “riotously funky”), Hazo’s “Arabesque” (kind of Arab-like) based in the mystical sounds of Middle Eastern music, Barker’s “Bamboo Shoots and City Streets” exploring the blend between tradition (represented through the sounds of traditional Japanese music forms) and urbanization (represented through the inclusion of elements of pop, rock, metal, and jazz), William Schuman’s “George Washington Bridge” intended to evoke several images of the bridge from different perspectives, and “Unfurl” by Michael Mikulka that is sincere and expressive, but also packed with band ballad tropes.“Equus Alatus” by Frank Duarte is inspired by the legend and mythology of Pegasus, and depicts the sensation of flying with Pegasus throughout the day, ascending and descending through a limitless sky filled with clouds, then at nighttime, the magical stallion triumphantly transforms into a constellation of stars, forming a beautiful celestial image of its immortality and awaiting its next rider.Samuel R. Hazo’s “Arabesque” is based in the mystical sounds of Middle Eastern music; the title means “kind of Arab-like”. It is composed in three parts each borrowing a few general ideas from Arab music. “Taqasim” (tah’-zeem), meant to sound like an Arabic taqasim or improvisation; “dabka” (dupp-keh), a traditional Arabic line dance performed at celebrations; and “chorale,” a recapitulation of previous mystical themes in the composition, interwoven with a grandeur of a sparkling ending.William Schuman set his “George Washington Bridge: An Impression for Band” in a bridge-like arch form, intended to evoke several images of the bridge from different perspectives, including a sense of the majesty and grace in the first and last sections, sprightly bits of counterpoint in the second and fourth sections that suggest the bustling traffic on the bridge’s two huge decks, and the serenity of the lyric middle section giving an impression of a more distant view of the Bridge set against the vast cityscape.Jonathan Newman’s brief bombshell “Blow It Up, Start Again”, a transcription of the 2011 work for orchestra, was described as “riotously funky” by the “Chicago Tribune”. The score bears this scant description: “If the system isn’t working anymore, then do what Guy Fawkes tried and go anarchist: blow it all up and start again.”Michael Mikulka writes that his original intent for “Unfurl” was as a parody of the standard 21st Century wind band ballad, but he got attached to the melody and felt it sounded too personal and emotional for a parody. Now “Unfurl” is sincere and expressive, but also packed with band ballad tropes.“Bamboo Shoots and City Streets” by Benjamin Barker is an exploration of the blend between tradition and urbanization, inspired by bamboo shoots he saw growing in the middle of the pavement while on a walk with a friend. Barker wondered what it would sound like to tell the story of the resilience and adaptability of these bamboo shoots as they continue to grow and adapt in an ever-urbanizing environment. Tradition is represented through the sounds of traditional Japanese music forms, while urbanization is represented through the inclusion of elements of pop, rock, metal, and jazz.

PIANIST MATTHEW PALUMBO IN GUEST ARTIST RECITALFrostburg State University’s Department of Music, Theatre, & Dance presents pianist Matthew Palumbo in a Guest Artist Series concert on Wednesday, October 15, at 7:30 pm in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public. If you cannot attend in-person, it will also be livestreamed, click the red 'Join Stream' button on this page to view the live performance.Mr. Palumbo will be performing Bach’s rhapsodic and adventurous “Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, BWV 903”; Beethoven’s early masterpiece, the “Sonata Op. 10, No. 3 in D major”; and Alexander Scriabin’s epic “Sonata Op. 23 “States of the Soul””.Accomplished pianist and teacher, Matthew J. Palumbo made his solo debut with the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra at age thirteen as the winner of the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival. He performed across the United States and Europe in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Benaroya Hall, Friedberg Hall, and in 2015 was the Maryland Artist representative for the Music Teachers National Association where he performed more locally in Strathmore, Goodwin, Griswald, Katzen, Peters, Linehan, numerous others, and appeared on concert series such as First and Franklin, Cathedral Concert Series, Sound and Serenity, An Die Musik, Prince George’s Artist Series, and others.Mr. Palumbo is in high demand as a teacher, judge, adjudicator, and master clinician throughout the Baltimore-D.C. Metro region. Most recently, he has been a judge for the E. R. Davis, Hartman, Doris Chase, and Gottlieb competitions, and is currently the chairperson for the MTAGB Collegiate Scholarship competition in coordination with Steinway and Sons. He’s an active board member of the Maryland State Music Teachers Association, an associate professor at College of Baltimore County, and was co-director and faculty at the Leon Fleisher Academy in 2022. His students have received numerous awards and have been accepted with highest scholarships to Peabody, University of Maryland, Towson, Howard, Susquehanna, and others, and performed in venues such as Weill Hall, and the Kennedy Center.