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The McGee Business Building, Room 133, was almost at full capacity as dozens of Stephen F. Austin State University Rusche College of Business students listened to Citizens National Bank President and CEO Brad Tidwell and his executive team discuss the current and future state of the banking industry during a recent Evening with Executives event.

The executive team included David Alford, chairman of the board of Citizens National Bank; Michael Moores, executive vice president and chief lending officer; Woodie Tipps, executive vice president and chief retail officer; Jon Moore, senior vice president and regional manager; and Rep. Trent Ashby, senior vice president market chairman.

Citizens National Bank began in Henderson, Texas, in 1930 and now has 29 branches and $1.7 billion in assets across East and Central Texas. During the evening, Tidwell discussed the history of the banking industry, consolidation trends, the effects of technology and more.

He told the crowd that the industry is changing and stressed the need for young talent and those who can think differently about the industry.

“During the past five years the banking industry has seen more change than in the 50-year period between 1930 and 1980,” Tidwell said.

Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the Rusche College of Business, said the event was an opportunity for students to gain insight into the industry from an elite team of leaders.

“Having the opportunity to hear about the banking industry firsthand from such an accomplished team of executives was a truly special experience for our students,” Bisping said.

Kerry Bennett, SFA adjunct professor in the Department of Economics and Finance, helped coordinate this event.

“The executive team made it clear that the banking industry faces a talent gap and needs a new generation of bankers able to adapt to an ever-evolving landscape,” Bennett said.

The college’s Student Success Passport Program sponsored this event.

The Hachidori Duo at Stephen F. Austin State University will present “Songs and Dances” when the ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

The Hachidori Duo includes husband-and-wife musicians Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, associate professor of violin and viola in the SFA School of Music, and Dr. Evgeni Raychev, cello instructor. Their recital is a feature of the School of Music’s Cole Performing Arts Series.

The program features works by J.S. Bach, Rebecca Clarke, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály.

“We chose the title ‘Songs and Dances’ because we are including wonderful examples of each in our program,” Dalmas said. “Our recital will open with some lovely transcriptions of arias from Bach’s ‘Magnificat’ for violin and cello, arranged by Norman Nelson, father of SFA School of Music faculty member Kirsten Nelson. A number of Bartók’s Rumanian dances will also be included.”

The largest scale and final piece on the program will be Kodály’s Duo, Op. 7 for Violin and Cello.

“Composed in 1914, this work completely explores the full range of both the sonorities and the technical possibilities on the violin and cello,” Dalmas said. “Much like Bartók, Kodály skillfully blends the Hungarian folk music of his native land with the formal musical structures of Western tradition.”

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 College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present a guest flute and guitar recital featuring Julee Kim Walker and Alejandro Montiel at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Walker, who is assistant professor of flute at Texas A&M University-Commerce, and Montiel, who leads two full-time guitar studios at both Sam Houston State University and Lone Star College-Montgomery, will present their 2016 fall recital tour program, “Dance, Dance, Revolution.”

“I am very excited to be hosting Julee Kim Walker and Alejandro Montiel,” said Dr. Christina Guenther, professor of flute at SFA. “They are presenting a really exciting program of works for flute and guitar by masters ranging from Bach to Piazzolla, which I think will appeal to all audience members.”

Among the program pieces are Partita in A Minor by J.S. Bach, Saudade No. 3 by Roland Dyens, Serenade, Op. 127 by Mauro Giuliani and other works by Astor Piazzolla and Jacques Ibert.

Walker is an active performer and pedagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex where she is director of the annual Texas Summer Flute Symposium held in Commerce. She performs regularly with the Sherman Symphony, South Arkansas Symphony, Abilene Philharmonic, Lyric Stage (Irving), and has also performed with the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony and Shreveport Symphony orchestras. She has appeared as soloist with the American Wind Symphony, Texas A&M University-Commerce Wind Ensemble and Banda Sinfônica de Cubatão
in Brazil. She is also a member of Metroplex Flutes and FlutAria! trio.

Described by Soundboard Magazine as a “flawless musician, filled to the brim with polished technique,” guitarist Montiel enjoys a performing career that has taken him throughout the United States, Central America and Europe. He is also a sought-after chamber musician throughout Texas and has been featured on multiple recordings, including the Texas Guitar Quartet’s critically acclaimed debut album “RED.”

Walker will also present a flute master class earlier in the day from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall. Guenther will be involved in a guest artist exchange and will be traveling to Texas A&M-Commerce in October to present a concert and master class.

The concert is part of the Cole Performing Arts Series. 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. Cole Concert Hall is located in the Tom and Peggy Wright Music Building, 2210 Alumni Drive.