Everything Nac

Volha Minich, Stephen F. Austin State University human anatomy and physiology lecturer, explains the effects of radioactivity to several high school students in the “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” session during STEM Day 2016.

More than 230 high school students from 12 Texas school districts attended the annual SFA science, technology, engineering and mathematics event on Friday, Feb. 26, hosted by the STEM Research and Learning Center on the SFA campus.

Sponsored this year by Lockheed Martin, the event has brought more than 1,300 students during the past five years to the university to spend a day engaging in hands-on, inquiry-based science and mathematics in a cooperative learning environment. An SFA faculty member led each session with support from university undergraduate and graduate students.

Scott Thompson, an engineer with Lockheed Martin’s Lufkin operations facility, volunteered as a judge for the afternoon activity of designing, building and testing catapults.

“Students investigated photosynthesis, chemistry transformations in culinary arts, and mathematical patterns in nature and the military,” said Dr. Jana Redfield, assistant director of the STEM Research and Learning Center in the SFA College of Sciences and Mathematics. “They also worked on creating computer games and much more.”

Dr. Chris Turner, assistant professor of voice at Stephen F. Austin State University, will present a faculty recital at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, in the Music Recital Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

Turner, a baritone, will perform the music of George Friedrich Handel, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Henri Duparc and Aaron Copland.

A native of Pascagoula, Mississippi, Turner received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in church music and vocal performance, double majoring at the undergraduate level, from Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. He served as minister of music at several prominent churches for 20-plus years, including First Baptist, Natchez, Mississippi, and First Baptist, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While in Baton Rouge, he began doctoral studies at Louisiana State University under the guidance of Robert Grayson, formerly a tenor at the New York City opera, graduating with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice performance and a minor in vocal pedagogy. Turner did post-doctoral study in vocal pedagogy at the Eastman School of Music.

Among his performance experience in opera and musical theater is the role of Count Almaviva in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro,” the music of which is featured in this recital program. He will also perform portions of Handel’s “Messiah.”

The recital is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Admission is free. For more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The A Cappella Choir at Stephen F. Austin State University will present “A Fauré Feast” when the ensemble performs a concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Featuring the music of French composer Gabriel Fauré, the program will also showcase as soloists SFA music faculty members Debbie Berry, soprano; Jennifer Dalmas, violin; Charlotte Davis, soprano; Scott LaGraff, baritone; Ron Petti, piano; and Evgeni Raychev, cello. An orchestra comprised of university faculty and graduate students will accompany the performance.

Fauré’s works to be performed include Requiem in d, “Cantique de Jean Racine,” “Tarantelle” and “Élégie.”

A Cappella Choir Director Dr. Tim King, Regents Professor and director of choral activities at SFA, described Fauré (1845-1924) as “the foremost composer of his generation.” His greatest and most well-known choral work, Requiem in d, has several editions and orchestrations.

“The original orchestration, which will be presented on the concert, is scored for viola, cello, bass, organ and brass,” King explained. “Interestingly, it is without violins except for a beautiful violin solo in the ‘Sanctus.'”

Fauré wrote of the work, “Everything I managed to entertain by way of religious illusion I put into my Requiem, which moreover is dominated from beginning to end by a very human feeling of faith in eternal rest.”

“I am indebted to my SFA School of Music colleagues who are willing to give of their time and talent to present this glorious work,” King said.

The concert is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and the School of Music.

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 exhibition “Kent Rush: Photo-Syntax” will close Thursday, March 10, in Griffith Gallery on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University with a talk by the artist, followed by a reception.

Rush will give a gallery talk at the closing reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Griffith Gallery, which is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

Black and white photographs, drawings and prints are featured in the exhibition, which was curated by Neal Cox, faculty member in the SFA School of Art. Rush’s work has been exhibited extensively in the United States in solo, two- and three-person shows and group and competitive shows. Internationally, he has also shown in London, Brazil, Peru, Mexico and France.

His exhibition at SFA opened Jan. 20.

For more information, call (936) 468-1131.