Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Orchestra of the Pines will present “Musical Portraits” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in Cole Concert Hall of the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

Among the highlights of the concert is a performance of Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” arranged by Maurice Ravel. Other program features include a solo performance by Dr. Chris Ayer, SFA professor of clarinet, and the orchestra performing “Gates of the Arctic,” written by Dr. Stephen Lias, SFA’s composer-in-residence.

Lias composed “Gates of the Arctic” while serving as artist-in-residence at Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska in 2012, according to Dr. Gene H. Moon, director of orchestras at SFA.

“It is a picturesque work that recounts Lias’ travels through the park, including sightings of animals and beautiful landscapes,” Moon said, adding that Lias’ photographic images that accompany the music will be shown during the performance. “The interplay between photos and music creates a carefully crafted tapestry, interwoven in musical mastery.”

As guest soloist, Ayer will perform a concerto for clarinet and orchestra written by Swedish composer Daniel Nelson. Moon described Ayer as “skillful in finding new musical gems in the clarinet repertory.”

“And he has found a masterpiece in Nelson’s work,” Moon said. “The concerto is built upon driving rhythmic patterns with a minimalistic quality that evokes intrigue at each turn of the page. A unique feature used in the middle movement calls for our woodwind players to play pitch-specific crystal water glasses toward the conclusion of the movement.”

The final work in the concert, Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” is considered to be one of the most well-known works in the classical orchestra repertory, according to Moon. Victor Hartmann was an artist whom Mussorgsky considered a close friend. Upon Hartmann’s death, Mussorgsky paid homage to his friend by creating a set of piano pieces based on Hartmann’s paintings, Moon said.

“It was Ravel, the master orchestrator, who would later take Mussorgsky’s work and set it for the orchestra,” he said. “Mussorgsky’s original composition for piano was already a masterpiece that conveyed musical representation of Hartmann’s artistic renderings. It was Ravel who took that colorful palate and gave it life through the orchestra.”

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

Stephen F. Austin State University’s environmental science program was named as one of the nation’s top 50 programs by environmentalscience.org, an organization that serves as an advocate for environmental science education and careers.

According to the organization’s website, the rankings were determined through an analysis of published surveys, student, school and career data, as well as data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and National Center for Education Statistics.

“I think the thing that we strive for is to make sure that our students receive the training that will lead them to a career in environmental science,” said Dr. Kenneth Farrish, director of SFA’s Division of Environmental Science. “Our philosophy is to produce graduates who are problem solvers.”

Farrish also believes the collaborative nature of SFA’s environmental science program is advantageous to students. Students enrolled in SFA’s environmental science program complete an intensive curriculum comprised of fundamental science classes from SFA’s College of Science and Mathematics, as well as applied sciences from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.

SFA also offers a Master of Science in environmental science. Through this program, students may pursue a focus of occupational and environmental health through a partnership with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler.

According to Farrish, the job placement rate in the environmental science field for SFA’s environmental science alumni is near 100 percent. Furthermore, the division’s faculty members regularly communicate with alumni and industry leaders to determine ways in which to strengthen the program.

For more information about SFA’s environmental science program, visit environmental.sfasu.edu.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture will host its annual Farm and Forestry Day from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 25, at the Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center.

The family friendly event aims to expose the community to the outdoors and agriculture by providing free, exploratory opportunities, including hayrides, face painting, outdoor cooking and nature-based activities through Nacogdoches Naturally, an outdoor adventure program of SFA Gardens.

“We just want to give the community an opportunity to see farm animals and also expose them to what goes on at the farm,” said Dr. Erin Brown, SFA associate professor of animal science.

SFA’s Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center is located on County Road 123, off U.S. Highway 259 North in Nacogdoches.

For more information, contact Brown at (936) 468-3705.