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.

The Department of Music, Theatre, & Dance presents the Vocal Studios Recital on Thursday, October 30, at 7:30pm in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU's Pealer Performing Arts Center. The recital is free and open to the public. If you cannot attend in-person, the recital will also be livestreamed; click the ‘JOIN STREAM' button on this page to view the live performance.

Dr. Brent Weber Will Perform in Faculty Artist Series ConcertFSU’s Department of Music, Theatre, & Dance presents saxophonist Dr. Brent Weber, accompanied by pianist Dr. Joseph Yungen, in a Faculty Artist Series recital on Friday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public; it will also be livestreamed, click the ‘JOIN STREAM' button on this page to view the live performance.The recital will include important works from the history of the saxophone, including: Paul Creston's “Sonata op. 19,” Jacques Ibert's “Concertino da Camera,” Ida Gotkovsky's “Brilliance”, and Heitor Villa-Lobos' “Fantasia for Soprano Saxophone and Piano.”“Sonata for E-flat Alto Saxophone and Piano, Op. 19” by Italian American composer Paul Creston is one of the most well-known pieces composed for the saxophone. In 1939, Creston completed this three-movement work following a classical sonata form paired with modern harmonies. It is notable that Creston included English expressive markings and movement titles (i.e. "with vigor", "increasing", etc.) rather than the typical Italian counterparts in the score. The listener can pick up on a jazz influence as Creston was a fan of the new art form arising in America.Known as the first major concerto for the saxophone, “Concertino da Camera” was composed for alto saxophone accompanied by eleven instruments - wind quintet, string quartet, bass and trumpet. Weber and Yungen will present the version arranged for piano by the French composer, Jacques Ibert. The three-movement work features a post-Romantic affect and some ragtime influence. Written for saxophone pioneer and virtuoso, Sigurd Rascher, the work also contains passages incorporating the highest range, or altissimo register of the saxophone.Of Russian extraction, French-born Ida Gotkovsky is the only living composer on the program. She studied with Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatory of Music, and many elements of his compositional style can be found in “Brilliance for Alto Saxophone and Piano.” Moments of humor, lyrical beauty and sheer force make each of the four movements very special.Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos was said to discover the saxophone in the streets of Rio de Janeiro as a child. This led him to develop a love for woodwinds as he played the clarinet and saxophone through his musical journey. “Fantasia for Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra” was composed in 1948 and published in 1963 with a piano reduction for the orchestra. French saxophonist and counterpart to Sigurd Racher, Marcel Mule commissioned the work with the goal for there to be a major concerto for the soprano saxophone. “Fantasia” delivers with three masterful movements incorporating a neoclassical aesthetic paired with jazz and Brazilian rhythms.Saxophonist Brent Weber is experienced in multiple genres of music from classical to jazz, rock ’n’ roll and beyond, and advocates versatility. His work with the contemporary jazz group Jake Mowrer Quartet featured him performing and recording throughout Northern Georgia. As a concert saxophonist, Weber is active with the North American Saxophone Alliance. He presented the European premiere of Todd Barton’s “Diastems II” at the World Saxophone Congress XIV in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and, as winner of the UGA Concerto Competition, he performed Ingolf Dahl’s “Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Ensemble.” He was part of the 2012 Naxos release, “Street Song.” Formerly an assistant professor at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu, China, Weber is department chair and assistant professor of saxophone in FSU’s Department of Music, Theatre, & Dance where, in addition to maintaining the saxophone and bassoon studios, he also coordinates the Jazz Studies program.Pianist Joseph Yungen is a musician who happens to play the piano. He has established an international reputation for his consistent excellence as soloist and collaborator in a wide variety of music, including chamber music, art song, opera, new music, as well as choral and orchestral music. Known for his insatiable curiosity, Joseph is constantly expanding his musical knowledge, most recently by playing harpsichord and organ, studying piano technology, and exploring unconventional tunings and unequal temperaments. He has served as faculty at Music Academy of the West, the New Jersey Young Artist Piano Competition, and Frostburg State University. Joseph studied with Jonathan Feldman at The Juilliard School, where he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He received Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance & Literature and in Accompanying & Chamber Music from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Jean Barr and Douglas Humpherys, and the Bachelor of Arts degree in Piano Performance at Southern Oregon University under the instruction of Alexander Tutunov.

New Orleans Jazz, Blues and Ragtime“Musically, Tuba Skinny mine a rich seam of traditional jazz and blues from the '20s and '30s. And, while it's evident the band treasures the sense of history evoked by these vintage tunes, the players' natural exuberance makes the music feel irresistibly alive.” (Sydney Morning Herald)Tuba Skinny brings a joyful, rambunctious performance of music that encompasses the influences of Depression-era blues, jug band, spirituals, string band music, ragtime and New Orleans R&B. For over a decade, Tuba Skinny has toured the world and amassed a devoted and diverse following of music lovers.Featuring Shaye Cohn on cornet, Barnabus Jones on trombone, Todd Burdick on tuba, Craig Flory on clarinet, Gregory Sherman on guitar/vocals, Max Bien-Kahn on banjo, Robin Rapuzzi on washboard and Erika Lewis on vocals/bass drum, the band interprets traditional jazz and creatively incorporates many musical influences. The result is a true reflection of Americana, encompassing the full genealogy of popular American music from an early 20th century perspective.Following the show, Chuck Dicken, WFWM-FM station director, will lead a lively and interactive conversation between audience members and Tuba Skinny, who will discuss how their distinct style reflects the spirit of Americana.The engagement of Tuba Skinny 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 the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and receives financial support from the Allegany Arts Council and the City of Frostburg.