Everything Nac

The Trombone Choir at Stephen F. Austin State University will present a concert of varied music from the last five centuries when the student ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Comprised of 28 trombone students, the choir is directed by Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone.

The concert will include arrangements of “Panis Angelicus” (O Lord Most Holy) by Cesar Franck and “Contrapunctus 14” by J.S. Bach. Also on the program is an arrangement of excerpts from Hector Berlioz’s opera “The Damnation of Faust.” From “Five Jewish Songs of Joy,” the group will perform “A Wicked Wicked Man” by S.E. Goldfarb.

Also on the program are a few contemporary pieces, including “Great Lake Octet” by Eric Ewazen, which will be performed by eight of the student trombonists.

Dr. Daniel Chapa, low brass professor, will join the group to conduct a select group of players performing “Londonderry Air” arranged by James Christiansen and Mark McDunn.

The concert is a presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Cole Concert Hall is located in the Tom and Peggy Wright Music Building, 2210 Alumni Drive.

Concert tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present “Canetti-menagerie: a surreal soirée,” a program of works by Joseph Klein, at 6 p.m. Monday, April 22, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The program (played continuously without pauses) consists of group improvisations and solo performances of works by American composer Klein, which are based on Elias Canetti’s 1974 book “Der Ohrenzeuge: Fünfzig Charaktere (Earwitness: Fifty Characters),” a collection of 50 surreal character studies. The performance is designed as a multimedia event, which includes theatrical lighting and staging, readings from the Canetti texts, and projections of visual interpretations of the various Canetti characters.

“Canetti was a versatile writer whose body of work reflects his rich and varied interests in philosophy, psychology, sociology and literary criticism, taking the form of novels, memoirs, essays, plays and non-fiction writings,” explains Klein.

The concert features performances by Elizabeth McNutt, piccolo; Kimberly Cole Luevano, basset horn; Kyle Stec, alto saxophone; Andrew May, violin; Madeleine Shapiro, violoncello; with Klein as narrator. Klein is currently Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of North Texas College of Music where he has served as chair of composition studies since 1999.

Works to be performed include “Canetti-menagerie,” “Die Müde” (“The Tired Woman”), “Die Schadhafte” (“The Defective”), “Der Hinterbringer” (“The Tattletale”), “Die Tischtuchtolle” (“The Tablecloth Lunatic”), “Der Tückenfänger” (“The Wile-catcher”) and concluding with another full ensemble performance of “Canetti-menagerie.”

Born in Los Angeles in 1962, Klein is a composer of solo, chamber, and large ensemble works, including instrumental, vocal, electroacoustic, and intermedia compositions. His music reflects an ongoing interest in processes drawn from such sources as fractal geometry, chaos and systems theory, often inspired by natural phenomena. His works frequently incorporate theatrical elements. Literature is another important influence.

Kimberly Cole Luevano has established herself as a formidable soloist and chamber musician known for poignant interpretations and inventive programming. She has performed, adjudicated, taught on four continents and has recorded on several labels. She joined the University of North Texas faculty in 2011.

Andrew May is best known for innovative and subtle chamber music, some of which involves computer-based agents interacting with human performers. May has performed internationally as a violinist and conductor, specializing in adventurous new music and avant-garde improvisation. He teaches composition at UNT.

Flutist Elizabeth McNutt is a recitalist who primarily performs contemporary music. She has premiered more than 200 works and performed in Europe, Asia and throughout the U.S. She teaches flute and directs the new music ensemble Nova at UNT.

Guest artist Madeleine Shapiro presently directs ModernWorks and performs as a solo recitalist throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America. In addition to her recital work, Shapiro has had residencies at numerous institutions presenting master classes and workshops.

Kyle Stec is an educator and performer currently serving as saxophone instructor for the Flower Mound and Marcus high school clusters in the North Texas area. As a soloist, he has been named National Second Prize Winner of the Music Teacher National Association Young Artist Woodwind Competition and winner of the UNT Concerto Competition.

Concert tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The Music Preparatory Division in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will begin its spring recital schedule with a performance by piano students of Lydia Lim at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, in the Music Recital Hall on the SFA campus.

Piano and cello students of SFA music major instructors, piano students of Dr. Mario Ajero and saxophone students of Nicholas Bissen will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 5, in the Music Recital Hall in the Wright Music Building on campus.

String students of Alba Madrid, Dr. Jennifer Dalmas and Dr. Evgeni Raychev will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, May 10, in the Music Recital Hall.

Piano students of Mary Cooper will perform at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building.

The Piney Woods Youth Orchestra, directed by Raychev, will perform at 7 p.m. Monday, May 13, in Cole Concert Hall.

The SFA Young Violinists and Suzuki violin students of Brenda Josephsen, will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, May 17, in the Music Recital Hall, followed by a performance of harp students of Susanna Campbell at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall.

The final concert of the spring for the Music Preparatory Division will be presented by piano students of Linda Parr. They will perform at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 18, in Cole Concert Hall.

All recitals are free and open to the public. The recital schedule is posted on the SFA Music Prep Facebook page.

For a complete listing of classes and types of instruction available through the Music Preparatory Division, visit www.music.sfasu.edu/prep or contact Director Pat Barnett at (936) 468-1291.