Honor's Recital - Featuring Select Music Majors

Frostburg State University’s Department of Music will present soprano Catherine Owens in her Senior Recital, “In Bloom,” on Sunday, April 13, at 7:00 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. She will be accompanied by pianist Dr. Joseph Yungen; guest artists include Tom Harrison (piano), Peter B. Lewis (bass), Daniel Hicks (drums), and the FSU Chorale, conducted by Dr. Scott Reiker. The concert is free and open to the public. This event will also be livestreamed; click the red 'Join Stream' button on this page.Owens will perform “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves, “Qual vita é questa mai…Che fiero momento” by Christoph Willibald Gluck, “Chanson d’amour” by Gabriel Faure, “Violon” by Francis Poulenc, “Extase” by Henri Duparc, “Als Luise die Briefe” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “4 Lieder, Op. 27” by Richard Strauss, “Autumn Leaves” by Joseph Kosma and Johnny Mercer, and “A Sunday Kind of Love” by Barbara Bell, Anita Leonard, Stan Rhodes and Louis Prima. Owens will also perform 2 works that she composed, “Easier For You” and “Possibilities”.Owens studies under Dr. Chun-Ting Chao at FSU. She made the Dean’s List last fall, received the Margaret G. Guild Vocal Music Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year, and currently has a choral assistantship. Owens is a member of the FSU NAfME (National Association for Music Education) and is the secretary of the FSU chapter of ACDA (American Choral Directors Association). She anticipates graduating in May 2025 with a bachelor of science in music with a minor in jazz. Her career goal is to teach high school choir. Owens was homeschooled and graduated in 2020.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.FSU is committed to making all its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodation through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-3035 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

BENEFIT CONCERT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMCome out for a night of pop/rock, jazz, and bluegrass music. The FSU chapter of NAfME (National Association for Music Education) is hosting a BENEFIT CONCERT on Tuesday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. to raise funds for the music program at Mt. Savage Middle School (located just outside of Frostburg, in Mt. Savage, MD). The concert will be held in the PAC Pealer Recital Hall and is free and open to the public, with donations being accepted. The concert will also be livestreamed; click the red 'Join Stream' button on this page to view the live performance.The musicians are presenting a wide range of musical selections, from works by Billie Joel and Camille to Freddie Hubbard and Backbone Bluegrass. FSU music group Xenharmonics will open the program with Billy Joel's "Vienna", performed by Brian Mejai-Ramos (vocals), Finley Ridenour (piano), and Stephen Hess (trumpet). The program continues with Camille's "Le Festin" performed by Joe Rubens III (piano), Nicholas Manwell (bass), Lucas Lusby (clarinet), Max Partlow (saxopone), and Sam White (drum set); followed by Jimmy Roberts/Joe DiPietro's "Single Man Drought" performed by Jelynna Horsey and Bella McConnell (vocals) with Joseph Yungen accompanying on piano.Five Guys Jazz Quintet is performing 2 works on the concert, "Stella by Starlight" by Victor Young, with Finley Ridenour on vocals, and "Little Sunflower" by Freddie Hubbard. Five Guys members are Max Partlow (saxophone), Sam White (trumpet), Doug Holtz (sousaphone), Riley House (piano), and Daniel Hicks (drumset).Closing out the concert will be 2 works by Backbone Bluegrass, "Worried Man Blues" and "Red River Valley", performed by Chassady Redhead (fiddle), Nick Mellen (guitar), Morgan Tichnell (banjo), and Peter Lewis (bass).Join us for this variety show and help raise funds to improve music opportunities for local students.For more information contact Max Partlow, mcpartlow0@frostburg.edu.

Frostburg State University Department of Music presents its Evening of Jazz!, featuring FSU Jazz Orchestra, directed by Dr. Brent Weber, on Friday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for seniors, military and FSU faculty and staff; and free for students and children. Tickets are available online at tickets.frostburg.edu or at the University Box Office, Lane University Center 203 from Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the door the evening of the concert. This event will not be livestreamed.Special guests will include the FSU Vocal Jazz Quartet and Dr. Donny Albrecht on trumpet.The program will include “The Chicken” by Jaco Pastorius, arranged by Kris Berg; “Green Piece” by Maria Schneider; “On a Clear Day” by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner, arranged by Darmon Meader; “Quintessence” by Hank Levy; “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Josef Zawinul, arranged by Phil Wilson; “Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson and Harvey Mason, arranged by Jay Chattaway; “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” by Charles Mingus, arranged by Andrew Homzy; “Good Day Sunshine” by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, arranged by John Daversa; “Eleanor Rigby” by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, arranged by Eric Richards; and “Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey” by Jason Marshall.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit www.frostburg.edu or facebook.com/frostburgstateuniversity. Follow FSU on X @frostburgstate.FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-3035 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

FSU Department of Music presents the FSU Piano Ensemble and Studio Recital, featuring piano majors studying under Dr. Jay DeWire, as well as marimba, violin and vocalist guest artists, in a program with a variety of works including duets and solos, and an 8-hands work by Beethoven/Rosler.The recital is Saturday, April 19, 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. This event will also be livestreamed; click the red 'Join Stream' button on this page to view the live performance.The following pianists will be performing: Sam Wade, Jack Maust, Taylor Bryan, Riley House, Ava Niland, Leah Boggs, Gavin Baker, Riley Hayes, Jacob Hunt, and Erica Records. Guest Artists include vocalists Mackenzie Taylor, Jelynna Horsey, and Erica Records; Jacob Hunt on marimba, and Leah Boggs on violin.The program opens with the 8-hands work, "Coriolan, Op. 62" by Beethoven/Rosler, performed by Cayla Gavin, Riley House, Ava Niland, and Sam White. Solo piano works on the program include Schubert's "Moments Musicaux, D.780" (I. Moderato) performed by Taylor Bryan, and "4 Impromptus, D.899" (II. Allegro) performed by Cayla Gavin; Bach's "French Suite #3 in B minor, BWV 814" (III. Sarabande, IV. Gavotte) performed by Sam Wade; Liszt's "Liebesträume, S.541" (III. O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst) performed by Jack Maust; Beethoven's "Piano Sonata, Op. 27 No. 1" (I. Andante) performed by Ava Niland; and Rachmaninoff's "10 Preludes, Op. 23" (V. Alla marcia) performed by Riley House.There are 2 piano duets, Brahms' "16 Waltzes, Op. 39" (II. (E Major), III. (G# minor)) by Jack Maust and Taylor Bryan; and Moszkowski's "5 Spanish Dances, Op. 12" (II. Moderato) by Sam Wade and Dr. Jay DeWire. Other works on the program include Fauré's "Clair de lune" by mezzo-soprano Mackenzie Taylor with pianist Taylor Bryan; and multiple works by Schubert, including "Einsamkeit" by marimbist Gavin Baker with pianist Leah Boggs; "Der greise Kopf" by marimbist Jacob Hunt with pianist Erica Records, and by soprano Erica Records with pianist Jacob Hunt; and "Wasserflut" by soprano Jelynna Horsey with pianist Riley Hayes, and by violinist Leah Boggs with pianist Gavin Baker.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.FSU is committed to making all its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodation through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-3035 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

Frostburg State University’s Department of Music will present pianist Cayla Gavin in her Senior Recital on Sunday, April 20, at 3:00 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. The recital 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.Gavin will perform “Nocturne in A-flat Major, Op.32, No.2” by Chopin; “Prelude and Fugue VII in E-flat Major, BWV 852” by Bach; “Sonata in D Major, Op.28, Pastoral” by Beethoven; “Impromptus in E-flat Major, Op.90, No.2” and “Six Moments in musicaux, D.780: Op.94” (II. Andantino in A-flat Major) by Franz Schubert; and “Three visions” (I. Dark Horsemen, II. Summerland, III. Radiant Pinnacle) by William Grant Still.Gavin studies piano under Dr. Jay DeWire at FSU and anticipates graduating in May 2025 with a Bachelor’s in Music - Piano Performance, and a minor in Jazz Studies. Her career goal is to teach music at the college level, be an accompanist for a variety of groups, and teach piano lessons. Gavin graduated from Suitland High School, Forestville, MD, in 2019. She is the daughter of Christina Gavin of Capitol Heights, MD.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.FSU is committed to making all its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodation through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-3035 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

'STORIES OF INSPIRATION' - FACULTY ARTIST SERIES RECITALFSU Department of Music Faculty Artist Series presents Peter B. Lewis (string bass), joined by Music colleagues (both faculty and student) in recital titled 'Stories of Inspiration' on Sunday, April 20, at 7:00 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.The program will open with Peter performing solo bass works, including: "Glimmer" by Shruthi Rajesekar; "Come Together" by Lennon/McCartney, arranged by Brian Bromberg and Peter Lewis; and "Caritas" by Michael J. Burritt. Also in the first half of the program he will be joined by Dr. Mackenzie Jacob LaMont on marimba to perform "Catching Shadows" by Ivan Trevino.Jazz is in the line up for the final half of the program as Peter is joined by jazz musicians Dr. Brent Weber (bari sax), Max Partlow (tenor sax), Gabe Hicks (alto sax), Patrick Godfrey and Sam White (trumpets), Tom Harrison (piano), Mackenzie Jacob LaMont (drums), and Mack Taylor (vocals) to perform "The Chicken" by Pee Wee Ellis; "My Foolish Heart" by Victor Young; and "What is Hip?" by Castillo, Kupka, Garabaldi (Tower of Power)."Glimmer": glimmer is the possibility revealed in a sliver of light. Drawing from the rich Carnatic raga Kalyani, this piece is the experience of glimpsing infinity within even the smallest of movements."Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon/McCartney. The song is the opening track on the band's 1969 studio album Abbey Road. Lennon later referred to "Come Together" as "one of my favourite Beatles tracks. It's funky, it's bluesy, and I'm singing it pretty well.""Caritas" by Michael Burritt is a 3-movement piece that employs a traditional harmonic language throughout. The 1st movement, Mystic, employs rapid double lateral and sequential sticking patterns that create a blurred effect while maintaining a strong rhythmic pulse. The 2nd movement, Solemn, is a chorale that employs one-handed, traditional, and double lateral rolls. The 3rd movement, Majestic, is a dance-like conclusion that has rapid arpeggiated figures in the left hand as well as octaves and sequential sticking patterns. In Spanish, “Caritas” means “little faces”, and in the spirit of the Spanish translation, the composition is dedicated to Michael Burritt’s children."Catching Shadows": award-winning composer Ivan Trevino's music has quickly become some of the most popular in the percussion repertoire. He has a unique voice that blends rock, alternative, metal, and other popular styles into classical percussion."The Chicken" is an instrumental funk tune composed by Pee Wee Ellis that was the B-side to James Brown's 1969 single "The Popcorn". The tune gained greater exposure with versions by jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius. Since then it has become a jazz funk standard, and has appeared on albums by Maceo Parker, The Buddy Rich Big Band, and Breakestra."My Foolish Heart", first published in 1949 but not gaining notoriety until 1962, has become a standard in the jazz repertoire. Lewis writes: "I really have never learned the lyrics, but for me, it is one of the most beautifully crafted melodies in the entire jazz canon. There is nothing overly complicated about the melody, it just has the right "je ne sais quoi"."What is Hip?" from the album Tower of Power by the Oakland-based band of the same name, was written by band members Emilio Castillo and "Doc" Kupka. In a Songfacts interview Castillo said: "I would give most of the credit for that concept lyrically to Doc. He said he wanted write a song about being hip.... 'What I mean is being hip is so short lived. You can be hip by wearing your hair a certain way today and then in three months that style's gone and you're as unhip as you could possibly be. I want to write a song about that.' It's saying what's hip today might become passé." The group's drummer, Garabaldi, helped out with the rhythms. Castillo continued, "It was his idea to get Rocco to play those sixteenth notes on the bass.... He said 'We're going to push it one sixteenth in front of the one every time.' ...and that sort of prevailing thing throughout the tune is what made that song drive."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).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.Dr. Mackenzie Jacob LaMont biography: https://www.frostburg.edu/academics/colleges-and-departments/music/faculty.php#LaMont.For more information, contact FSU’s Department of Music at 301-687-4109.