Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University will host a conference on the War of 1812 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, in the Wyatt Room of Ralph W. Steen Library.

The conference marks the 200th anniversary of the 32-month military conflict between the United States and the British Empire. Session topics are transnational perspectives, military conflicts, participants, causes, and the politics and aftermath of the war.

The conference is sponsored by the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, the Department of History, the East Texas Historical Association and Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society. Planning for the conference has been managed entirely by SFA students enrolled in History 210, The Craft of History, which teaches students skills necessary to become historians.

Lunch will be served in President’s Suite B of the Baker Pattillo Student Center with Dr. Gene Allen Smith, professor of history at Texas Christian University, providing the keynote address titled “The Causes of the War of 1812.” Other discussion topics planned for the conference include the Indian Removal Act of 1830; the Battle of New Orleans; women and the War of 1812; the life of a British soldier; and naval influence during the conflict.

The conference is free and open to the public. For more information about the War of 1812 conference, call Dr. Dana Cooper at (936) 468-2224 or visit sfasu.edu/history.

Two faculty members in the College of Fine Arts will be honored during the 24th annual Stephen F. Austin State University Gala on Saturday, Dec. 8, in the Grand Ballroom of the Baker Pattillo Student Center.

The faculty achievement awards presented during the ceremony recognize innovation and excellence in teaching and research. Fred J. Allen is the recipient of the 2012 Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching, and Dr. Nathan Nabb has earned the Faculty Achievement Award for Research.

Allen is professor of music and director of bands in the SFA School of Music where he directly impacts nearly 300 students involved in the university’s music and band programs each year.

He has served the College of Fine Arts for almost two decades, teaching classes and overseeing four concert bands, the athletic bands and multiple chamber groups. Many of the performance groups have been recognized at the regional, state and national levels. Allen has guest conducted All-Region and All-State bands throughout Texas and the United States, as well as in Korea, Taiwan and Australia, directly contributing to the musical development of thousands of young music students and their local school directors.

“On campus, every student who meets Professor Allen is immediately imbued with his passion for music,” Dr. A.C. “Buddy” Himes, dean of the college, said in his recommendation of Allen. “Hence, students are not only attracted to his program but also remain loyal through and beyond graduation.

“I often overhear others make reference to the retention rate in fine arts and music. Without knowing it, in many ways, these people are talking about Fred Allen – both his teaching and in the examples he sets for other faculty members who have the good fortune to be able to work with him.”

Allen is a member of American Bandmasters Association, College Band Directors National Association, Phi Beta Mu Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Texas Music Educators Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda. In addition, he recently was recognized with the 2012 Meritorious Achievement Award from the Texas Bandmasters Association. Allen earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Abilene Christian University and a Master of Music from Texas A&M University at Commerce.

Nabb is an associate professor of music/saxophone in the SFA School of Music. A regular saxophonist with the St. Louis and Houston symphonies, he has given featured solo performances and concerts in both national and international venues.

Nabb has toured Asia and Europe as a solo and chamber musician. He is recognized internationally as a champion of new solo and chamber music for the saxophone and is committed to increasing the body of literature available for the instrument. Nabb has led master classes at a number of prestigious universities, coaching both soloists and saxophone quartets. His creative projects include recordings “LigAlien,” “Oasis Quartet,” “Tangled Loops” and his recent solo work, “Distances.”

“Dr. Nabb is a testament to artistic creativity and an inspiration to both his students and faculty colleagues here at SFA,” said Dr. Scott Harris, interim director of the School of Music. “This is his third year at SFA, and in that short time, he has quickly earned the highest respect and admiration of his faculty peers and the School of Music and College of Fine Arts administration.”

Fellow SFA professor of music Dr. Deb Scott added, “he is the most high-profile performer on our faculty, and his reputation could easily compete with professors at the most prestigious music conservatories in the country.”

Nabb earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Illinois and both a Master and Doctor of Music from Northwestern University. In 2010, he joined the faculty of the SFA College of Fine Arts where he directs the saxophone chamber ensemble, teaches saxophone studio class and provides private saxophone instruction to graduate and undergraduate music majors.

The Gala cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a candlelight dinner at 7 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by Signed Sealed Delivered of Dallas. The eight-piece band performs a mixture of pop, rock, jazz, swing and country music.

SFA donors to be honored at the Gala include Rick Campbell, Cecil Richey Jr., and Jim, Tom, John and Bob Kingham.

Tickets are $175 for orchestra seating and $125 for ballroom seating. Proceeds from the Gala help build a permanent endowment created by the SFASU Foundation to honor faculty achievement.

For more information about the Gala or to purchase tickets, call (936) 468-5406.

Percussion students of Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Music will present their annual holiday concert, “Percussion in the Pines,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

The performance will feature both the SFA Percussion Ensemble and the Steel Band, known as the Jacks of Steel, performing a collection of carols, popular tunes and contemporary holiday arrangements for percussion.

“The concert will be a great way for all ages to help celebrate the upcoming holiday season as well as the end of a fantastic fall semester,” said Brad Meyer, SFA’s director of percussion studies.

Along with the holiday arrangements, the Jacks of Steel will perform several fiery steel pan band arrangements to “help the audience members warm up from the chilly, winter weather,” Meyer said.

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

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 486-6407.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music and the Cole Performing Arts Series will present the Alazan Piano Trio performing “Poets and Prophets” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

“Poets and Prophets” is the title of the featured work that will be presented, according to Ron Petti, associate professor and director of accompanying in the School of Music.

“It is a piano trio written by composer and virtuoso violinist Mark O’Conner, which is written as a tribute to Johnny Cash,” Petti said.

O’Connor writes, “Johnny was a boyhood hero of mine. I used to sing his songs when I was 8, 9 and 10, and played the guitar like him.” As an adult, O’Connor knew Cash and worked with him. Cash appeared on O’Connor’s album “Heroes,” bringing back the story of the Devil coming down to Georgia to “challenge young Johnny for the golden fiddle,” O’Connor wrote.

Poets and Prophets “infuses many different musical styles, including a strong influence of country fiddle music,” Petti said. “You will most certainly feel like you are at a hoedown.”

Members of the trio are Jennifer Dalmas, violin; her husband, Evgeni Raychev, cello; and Petti, piano. The trio, all SFA music faculty members, has been playing together for several years and specializes in works by American composers.

Also on the program are Piano Trio No. 1 by Gerald Mark Shapiro and Trio Variante by Harold Schiffman.

“Shapiro’s trio has its roots in jazz, and contains a heart-touching third movement written for his then 7-year-old daughter, Emily,” Petti said.

Shapiro is chairman of the music department at Brown University, and Schiffman is an active composer.

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 486-6407.

Students enrolled in private and group lessons offered by the Music Preparatory Division of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will perform a series of end-of-the-semester recitals during the first two weeks of December.

SFA student teachers’ students and Dr. Mario Ajero’s piano students will kick off the performances at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, in Cole Concert Hall.

During the following week, harp students of Emily Mitchell will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, and piano students of Linda Parr will perform at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. The recitals are in the Music Recital Hall in the Wright Music Building.

Violin and viola students of Melissa Nabb will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 followed by a performance by the Piney Woods Youth Orchestra, with Dr. Evgeni Raychev conducting, at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, in Cole Concert Hall and a performance of the string students of Raychev, Dr. Jennifer Dalmas and Carlos Gaviria at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11. Each recital is in Cole Concert Hall.

A full slate of events, including a fundraiser, will be featured throughout the day Saturday, Dec. 15. Violin and viola students of Brenda Josephen will perform at 1 p.m., and students of Dr. Ping-Ting Lan will perform at 4 p.m. Both recitals are in Cole Concert Hall. Activities will shift at 5 p.m. to Westminster Presbyterian Church for a spaghetti supper and silent auction. The Piney Woods Chorale will present a holiday concert, ”A Festival of Carols,” under the direction of Nicole Stewart and her assistant, Shelby Tillery. Money raised at the event will help fund the Piney Woods Chorale’s trip to and performance at Disney World in June.

The recitals conclude on Sunday, Dec. 16, with the piano students of Mary Cooper performing at 2 p.m., and the piano students of Missy Leppert and Yuki Kumamoto performing at 4 p.m. Both recitals are in Cole Concert Hall.

All of the recitals are open to the public.

Registrations for spring classes offered through the Music Preparatory Division are being accepted. For a complete listing of classes and types of instruction available, visit www.music.sfasu.edu/prep or contact Pat Barnet, the division’s director, at pbarnett@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1291.