FSU Chamber String Orchestra Recital

Frostburg State University’s Department of Music will present its Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Mackenzie Jacob LaMont, in its spring performance on Friday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center.Percussion Ensemble students include Gavin Baker, Bryce Campbell, Jacob Deaver, Daniel Hicks, Jacob Hunt, Jacob Hutzell, Bella McConnell, Bernard Pitts and Joe Rubens III. They will be joined by guest performers Reiss Mikula, Covy Wohlmuth, Tom Harrison, Peter B. Lewis, Dr. Brent Weber and Dr. Joseph Yungen.The concert will feature six pieces that include the drum set – some in a more traditional manner and some adapted for a particular piece. The “traditional” drum set pieces include “Sinister Minister” by Bela Fleck, “Frankenstein” by Edgar Winter and “Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest” by Stanley Whitaker. The less traditional uses will include “Sacrificial Rite” by David R. Gillingham, “Breakdown” by Bradley Slayter and the “Concerto for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble” by Ney Rosauro featuring Bryce Campbell on marimba.Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for seniors, members of the military and FSU faculty and staff; and free for students and children. Tickets are available at the University box office in the Lane Center Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by phone at 301-687-3137 or online at https://frostburgtix.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=2043. Tickets will also be available at the door on the evening of the concert.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109 or online at www.frostburg.edu/concerts.

PETER B. LEWIS TO PRESENT FACULTY ARTIST SERIES RECITALFSU Department of Music Faculty Artist Series presents Peter B. Lewis, string bass, in recital on Sunday, April 6, at 3:00 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 red “Join Stream” button on this page to view the live performance.PETER B. LEWIS is the Director of Bands at Frostburg State University and conducts the Marching Bobcats, Chamber Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble, as well as teaches coursework in conducting and music education. Previously, he served as the Assistant Director of Bands at the SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music. He holds dual bachelor's degrees in performance (percussion) and music education from Kent State University where he studied conducting with Wayne Gorder, and dual Masters of Music degrees in research in music education and wind conducting from UMass Amherst where he studied with Malcolm W. Rowell, Jr. He has additional study in conducting with Shanti Simon, Mark Davis Scatterday, Courtney Snyder, Craig Kirkhhoff, Michael Haithcock, Emily Thrienen, Col. Jason Fettig, and H. Robert Reynolds.He is the founder of the chamber wind ensemble, Bay State Winds, and served as their artistic director and conductor from 2016 until 2022. As a champion of new music for winds and percussion he commissioned several new works for chamber winds including compositions by composers Robert Spittal (Winsome Variations - 2020) which premiered in Boston, and Jake Gunnar-Walsh (Tower of the Winds - 2018).During his tenure as a public high school music educator, his ensembles performed at Boston Symphony Hall (2014), Chicago Symphony Center (2014, 2018), and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (2015). His ensembles also had the privilege to work with composers/conductors John Mackey, Frank Ticheli, Brian Balmages, Robert Spittal, Anthony Maiello, Malcolm W. Rowell, Jr., and Lt. Col. Arnold Gabriel.Peter has had the distinct privilege to share the stage with performers such as jazz piano legend Hank Jones, Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan, and Nexus Percussion Ensemble founding member Bob Becker. Many of his students have enjoyed successful careers in music including Sean Rosati, guitarist for pop music stars Ava Max and Doja Cat.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.

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.

SAXOPHONIST DR. BRENT WEBER TO PRESENT FACULTY ARTIST RECITALFSU Department of Music will present saxophonist Dr. Brent Weber in a Faculty Artist Series concert on Friday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. He will be accompanied by pianist Dr. Jay DeWire. The concert is free and open to the public. This event will also be livestreamed; click the red “Join Stream” button on this page to view the live performance.Saxophonist BRENT WEBER has enjoyed a diverse musical journey as performer and educator. After earning degrees in saxophone performance from Southern Oregon University (BA) and University of Georgia (MM) Dr. Weber joined the faculty as Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in the capitol of China’s Sichuan province, Chengdu. After two incredible years teaching and freelancing in Southwest China, Dr. Weber returned to the U.S. to pursue his Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Georgia. From 2009-2012 he had the opportunity to study with teachers Kenneth Fischer, Eugene Rousseau, Joseph Wytko, and Connie Frigo. These experiences have uniquely shaped Dr. Weber into the artist and pedagogue he is today.Experienced in multiple genres of music from classical to jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and beyond, Dr. Weber advocates versatility. His work with the contemporary jazz group Jake Mowrer Quartet, featured him performing and recording throughout Northern Georgia. As a concert saxophonist, he is active with the North American Saxophone Alliance performing in conferences in Minnesota, Louisiana, Florida, Oregon, and Georgia. In 2007 he presented the European premiere of Todd Barton’s Diastems II at the World Saxophone Congress XIV in Ljubljana, Slovenia. As winner of the UGA Concerto Competition in 2009, he performed Ingolf Dahl’s Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Ensemble. Most recently Dr. Weber was part of the 2012 Naxos release Street Song featuring the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. John Lynch.Dr. Weber is currently Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Saxophone in the Department of Music at Frostburg State University in Western Maryland where in addition to maintaining the saxophone and bassoon studios he also coordinates the jazz studies program.

U.S. Air Force 'Airmen of Note' to Perform as Part of FSU’s Ninth Annual Jazz FestivalThe JAZZ FESTIVAL provides an opportunity for high school students in the Mid-Atlantic region to spend the afternoon in clinics focused on jazz music. From 9 a.m. to noon there will be high school jazz ensemble clinics, and from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. there will be sectional clinics with members from the U.S. Air Force Airmen of Note. The classes are open to the public and will take place in the Pealer Performing Arts Center. For more information, contact Dr. Brent Weber at 301-687-4116 or jazz@frostburg.edu.As part of FSU Department of Music’s Ninth Annual Jazz Festival, the U.S. Air Force 'Airmen of Note' will perform on Saturday, April 12, at 4 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, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission and is on a first-come, first-served basis. 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: tickets.frostburg.edu. Tickets will also be available at the door the evening of the concert.Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., the Airmen of Note is one of six musical ensembles that form The U.S. Air Force Band. Created in 1950 to continue the tradition of Major Glenn Miller's Army Air Forces dance band, the current band consists of 18 active-duty musicians, including one vocalist. Through the years, the Airmen of Note has presented its own brand of big band jazz as well as more contemporary forms of jazz to audiences via annual tours across the United States, deployments around the world, and local performances throughout metropolitan Washington D.C. For smaller, more intimate venues, the Airmen of Note Combo and various individual musicians perform apart from the full band to support military and civilian ceremonial and diplomatic events.Their commitment to musical excellence has earned the foremost jazz artists’ respect worldwide, leading to many collaborative performances and recordings with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, and Doc Severinsen. In 1990, the Airmen of Note established the Jazz Heritage Series, featuring the “Note” in concert with legendary icons of jazz. The series broadcasts to millions over National Public Radio, independent jazz radio stations, satellite radio services, and the internet. Additionally, the “Note” produces and delivers recorded music to millions of fans worldwide through hundreds of media outlets. One of the group's holiday recordings, "Cool Yule," reached #2 on the JazzWeek jazz chart.As part of The U.S. Air Force Band, the Airmen of Note’s mission is to HONOR those who have served, INSPIRE American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and CONNECT with the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States. The excellence demonstrated by the Airmen of Note reflects the excellence displayed by all Airmen stationed worldwide, whose selfless service and sacrifices ensure the freedoms enjoyed by citizens of the United States of America.For more information on the U.S. Air Force 'Airmen of Note', visit https://www.music.af.mil/USAFBand/About-Us/Ensembles/Airmen-of-Note/.