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The Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band at Stephen F. Austin State University will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

A presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music, the concert will both celebrate the great tradition of American music and feature European folk tunes.

The Symphonic Band, under the direction of Dr. James Dreiling, will begin the performance with a four-movement suite by famed band composer Frank Ticheli entitled “Simple Gifts: Four Shaker Songs.”

“This piece exemplifies the beauty, elegance and simplicity of Shaker folk songs and dances,” said Dreiling, who joins the music faculty this spring as interim assistant director of bands.

“Evensong,” composed by William Harbison, is the ensemble’s second piece and brings a modern twist to the sacred music tradition. The term “evensong” refers to a service of evening prayers, psalms and canticles taking place in late afternoon or evening in the western Christian tradition.

The Symphonic Band will conclude its celebration of American music with one of the most popular marches by lesser-known composer Frederick Ellsworth Bigelow. “Our Director,” published in 1895, is only one of three works by Bigelow but has become standard march repertoire, according to Dreiling.

The Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Tamey Anglley, will open its portion of the concert with the Norwegian march “Valdres” by Johannes Hanssen, arranged by Glenn C. Bainum. The title has both geographic and musical connotations, according Anglley, who is serving as interim associate director of bands at SFA.

“Valdres is a beautiful region in Norway between Oslo and Bergen,” she said. “Hanssen quotes an old signature fanfare for the Valdres Battalion, as well as other melodies derived from a Hardanger fiddle tune and folk tunes. It was first performed in 1904 by the band of the second regiment of Norway, with the composer playing the baritone horn himself.”

The Wind Symphony will end the concert with Vincent Persichetti’s Symphony No. 6 for Band, Op. 69. This four-movement work is considered a standard work in the band repertoire, Anglley said.

“Persichetti became a champion for the band movement by composing music of distinct quality specifically for band,” Anglley said. Persichetti stated, “The concert band is a medium of expression distinct from, but not subordinate to, any other medium. You can get lots of things out of a band that you just can’t get out of an orchestra.” His Symphony No. 6 was completed during the winter of 1955-56 and was premiered at the Music Educators National Conference in 1956. The first public performance was by the Goldman Band in New York with Persichetti conducting.

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.

Tickets are still available for the radio theatre presentation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

Part of the SFA College of Fine Arts’ 2015-2016 University Series, this performance is presented by L.A. Theatre Works, the foremost radio theater company in the United States. For more than two decades, LATW, under the leadership of Producing Director Susan Albert Loewenberg, has delighted audiences with its unique live radio theater-style performances in more than 300 small towns and major cities across the nation.

This current tour of “Dracula” includes several actors with credits in the horror and suspense genre. The cast includes the well-known TV and film actor Nicholas Hormann as Dr. Van Helsing. Hormann has been seen in dozens of television hits including “The West Wing,” “Parks & Recreation,” “Modern Family” and “Desperate Housewives.”

Prior to the performance, Zach Hanks, SFA assistant professor of theatre, will present a 7 p.m. informative talk in Griffith Gallery about the show style. The gallery is located across the hall from Turner Auditorium, which is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

The audience is invited back to the gallery for a post-performance reception to meet the performers and to honor the event’s corporate sponsor, Lehmann Eye Center.

Single event ticket prices are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students/youth. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Three ribbon-cuttings held in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Nelson Rusche College of Business made history on Monday. According to President Baker Pattillo, it was the first time three ribbon-cuttings had been held in one day at the university.

The ceremony marked the official opening of three new features within the college – the Mattress Firm Commons, the Marleta Chadwick Student Financial Advisors suite and the Mark T. Layton Lobby.

Donors and representatives from each group were in attendance, and Pattillo credited each group with making the renovations possible.

“These renovations have been a dream for many people for many years,” Pattillo said. “Because of the generosity of some of our alumni and friends of the university, we were able to move forward with this project.”

The renovations on the first and second floors of the building began in summer 2015 and align with the college’s strategic focus, said Dr. Timothy Bisping, business dean.

“One of the wonderful things about SFA and the Nelson Rusche College of Business is that everything we do is about the success of our students,” Bisping said. “We have a new mission with a strategic focus within the college—Learn, Launch, Lead. We want our students to learn the material they need to be successful. We want to help them launch successful careers, and we want them to become leaders in their fields.”

The Mattress Firm Commons creates an environment that fosters collaboration and teamwork. Amanda Robbins, director of talent acquisition and retention for Mattress Firm, spoke on behalf of company CEO Steve Stagner, a 1991 SFA marketing graduate who was instrumental in creating the commons area.

“This building is very near and dear to my heart. I’ve spent many hours on this campus, not only as a student, but also here attracting and acquiring top talent,” said Robbins, who also is an SFA graduate. “SFA has really been one of the main pillars of success in our company.”

Robbins said that during her time as an employee, Mattress Firm has grown from 300 stores to 3,500 stores nationwide.

“SFA is one of the universities that helps us achieve that success and growth,” Robbins said. “The Mattress Firm Commons supports the learning environment and collaborative space we have at Mattress Firm. It’s very exciting to see and be a part of. We hope the building will foster a lot of learning and hopefully more Lumberjacks will join Mattress Firm.”

The Marleta Chadwick Student Financial Advisors suite honors the late Marleta Chadwick of Center and houses space for a student group dedicated to providing free financial advice and money management tips to SFA students and members of the Nacogdoches community. Marleta Chadwick’s children, David Chadwick, Carleta Sandeen and Martha Lou Scott, were in attendance.

“Mother was one who never wanted the limelight or spotlight. We walked into the lobby and the suite is exactly where mother would be—in the corner,” David Chadwick said. “There is no mistake of its simplicity, and there is no mistaking that Marleta Chadwick is in the building. We are so grateful that you acknowledged her, and for what you are doing to prepare for East Texas and our whole country for the future.”

The final ribbon-cutting of the day honored Mark T. Layton, who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1974 from SFA. A letterman on the Lumberjack football team, Layton is a licensed CPA and joined Deloitte, where he developed financial expertise with significant experience in corporate governance, risk management, regulatory compliance and financial reporting.

“Mark Layton served in many senior leadership roles at Deloitte, including his role as managing partner of Deloitte’s North Texas office,” said Jason Downing, Deloitte North Texas managing partner and also an SFA alumnus. “As a fellow SFA graduate, it gives me a great sense of pride to see Mark’s legacy celebrated in the university that prepared both of us for our business careers at Deloitte. We commemorate Mark’s retirement by dedicating the Mark T. Layton Lobby to the students who will walk these halls for generations to come.”

Layton led an initiative at Deloitte to recruit and hire SFA business graduates. Many of his friends and colleagues, in honor of his loyalty and dedication to his profession, made contributions that allowed the lobby to be named in his honor.

“When you walk into the Mark T. Layton Lobby and throughout these renovated areas, you see professionalism,” Bisping said. “When our students walk out as graduates, land their first job and walk into a professional environment, it will not be foreign to them.”

Bisping said the college will continue the renovation project on the third and fourth floors of the McGee Building. He described these areas as blank canvases that can be utilized to further the college’s mission.

For more information about the SFA Nelson Rusche College of Business, visit www.sfasu.edu/cob.