Everything Nac

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts, School of Music and the Cole Performing Arts Series will present Jeff Loeffert and Jonathan Nichol in a guest saxophone recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Loeffort, assistant professor of saxophone at Oklahoma State University, and Nichol, assistant professor of saxophone at the University of Oklahoma, are active chamber musicians and members of the h2 Quartet, an award-winning, all-saxophone ensemble that performs throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia.

“This concert is a program of new solo and duo works for saxophone,” said Nathan Nabb, professor of saxophone at SFA. “The h2/4 duo is half of the h2 Quartet, and some of this program includes music they have commissioned, while other pieces are established standards in the saxophone solo and duo repertoire.”

According to the quartet’s website, h2 is dedicated to commissioning and performing compelling new works for saxophone quartet and operates as a non-profit organization. h2 has been featured on the nationally syndicated PBS show “Backstage Pass,” which offers viewers a first-hand look at the inner workings of a top-flight chamber ensemble through live in-studio performances and interviews with the ensemble members.

Among the works the duo will perform at SFA are “Tachycardia” and “Farfalle Cotte” by Marc Mellits.

“Mellits has become well-known for his duo writing for saxophone,” Nabb said. “‘Tachycardia’ is his newest work for the instrument, while ‘Farfalle Cotte’ is originally for two ocarinas, but is well-suited for the sax.”

Ryo Noda’s “Maï,” a standard in the contemporary saxophone world borrowing sounds and performance techniques from traditional Japanese flute playing, is also on the program, as are Barry Cockroft’s “Ku Ku” and “Rock Us,” both of which “borrow rhythms and tonality from American popular music, and are very catchy – a joy to hear,” Nabb said.

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.

SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in historic Nacogdoches.

A wide variety of hard-to-find, “Texas tough” plants will be available, including Texas natives, heirlooms, tropicals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and exclusive Greg Grant and SFA introductions. Most of the plants are extensively trialed in the gardens before being offered to the public, and most are produced by the SFA Gardens staff and volunteers.

This popular event benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden and educational programs hosted at the gardens. The educational programs at SFA Gardens reach more than 15,000 students ages 1 to 100 on a yearly basis.

The public is encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon. For more information, call (936) 468-4404 or visit sfagardens.sfasu.edu two weeks before the sale for a list of available plants.

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music have announced the SFA A Cappella Choir will travel to Italy next May for an 11-day performance tour that includes special invitations to sing at the Vatican and St. Mark’s Basilica.

“SFA has grand tradition in choral singing and vocal pedagogy, and our talented singers deserve a place on the world’s stage,” said Dr. Manny Brand, director of the SFA School of Music. “This performance tour will highlight to European audiences our students’ artistry and SFA’s musical excellence.”

Family, friends and music patrons are invited to accompany the 52-member A Cappella Choir and support faculty on the trip from May 22 through June 2, according to Tim King, director of choral activities at SFA.

“We take a triennial European trip to visit musically historic places that our music students read about in their studies,” King said. “Many past travelers have gone and continue to go with us. Perhaps it is the music, or the sights, or the energy of the students. Whatever the reason, we have many faithful travelers, and we want to include all who are interested.”

SFA has a strong history of providing valuable opportunities for students outside the classroom, and this trip is another illustration of the university’s commitment to student success.

“The A Cappella Choir’s upcoming trip to perform in Italy is an excellent example of how SFA continuously provides our students with educational and personal growth experiences that reach far beyond our campus,” said Dr. Baker Pattillo, university president. “This truly will be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for these students and faculty, and those who are lucky enough to be on hand at the Vatican, St. Mark’s Basilica and the other famed Italian venues for the choir’s performances are in for a special treat, as well.”

The tour is traditionally for 10 days, but, this year, an additional day in Rome was added, King said. This year’s trip also has an added bonus of featuring requested performances in some of the world’s most historically significant locations.

“This year, the tour has received a special invitation to sing for Sunday mass in the Vatican, and also at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, as well as at concert venues in Marostica, Santa Croce Basilica in Florence, which is the final resting place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini,” King said. “We will also perform at All Saints Church in Rome.”

Those who travel with the choir may follow the itinerary or include anything they would like to see or do, King said. “There is flexibility in the trip.”

A deposit of $1,000 will secure a place in the entourage with checks payable to SFASU. The cost of the trip is about $4,100. Deposits should be sent to King. The trip is coordinated through American Classic Tours and Music Festivals and is limited to 120 passengers. It includes round-trip airfare, accommodations in the Venice area, Florence and Rome, several group dinners, guided excursions, transportation and 24-hour travel support, among other amenities. An organizational meeting with Rick Dillard with American Classic Tours is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Cole Concert Hall where he will outline the tour in detail and answer questions.

For those who are unable to make the trip but would like to support the students, donations are needed, King said.

“Some students are able to fund their own trip, while others need help,” he said. “All donations are tax deductible and are funneled through the SFA Office of Development.”

For additional information, contact King at tking@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1181.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will present the student-directed “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in the Downstage Theatre on the SFA campus.

Senior Katy Rutherford of Richmond directs the one-act play by Celeste Raspanti. It focuses on the childhood of Raja Englanderova as she fights for survival in a concentration camp. According to Rutherford, the audience and Raja venture through her memories together, digging into the past and meeting extraordinary characters.

“Slowly, Raja gains a sense of identity and begins the fight for self-preservation,” she said. “Through Raja’s eyes, the audience is given a portrayal of the brutality and beauty mankind is capable of.”

The cast includes Palestine junior Greg Albright as the Loudspeaker; Frisco freshman Rani Solomon as Raja Englanderova; Katy senior Lauren Bowler as Irene Synkova; Plano sophomore Cecily Maucieri as Child I; Dallas junior Celeste Galey as Child II; Brenham senior Bianca Stein as Child III; Houston freshman Tevia Dominguez-Loeser as Child IV; and Richmond sophomore Keenan Chiasson as Honza Kosek.

The technical staff includes Pedro Dominguez, McAllen sophomore, scenic designer; T.J. Davis, Beaumont sophomore, costume designer; Daniel Miller, Sugar Land senior, lighting designer; Devin Bruton, Nacogdoches sophomore, sound designer; Caitlin Parker, Groves sophomore, projections; Shelby Gilliland, Frisco junior, props manager; and Eric Gibson, Fairfield senior, hair/makeup designer.

Rutherford is a theatre major with a minor in education. While at SFA, she has directed “Now We’re Really Getting Somewhere,” “Taming of the Shrew,” “English Made Simple” and scenes from “Medea.” As an actor, she has appeared in Mainstage productions of “Southern Belle Primer,” “Stage Door,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Three Sisters.” She has performed in the student-directed “W;t,” “Miracle at Blaise” and “The Second Beam.” She is a member of Alpha Psi Omega and Sigma Phi Lambda and is a representative on the Student Production Advisory Committee. She will serve as assistant director for the upcoming SFA production of the musical “Spamalot” and plans a career as a theatre educator.

Tickets are $4. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu. “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” is recommended for mature audiences (teens or older).