Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s League of United Latin American Citizens was honored with the National Membership Award and the title of the Young Women of the Year for the state of Texas while attending the 2023 LULAC National Convention and Exposition from Aug. 1-5 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The LULAC National Convention draws approximately 15,000 participants each year, including leaders in government, business and the Latino community. The nationwide organization was founded to advance opportunities for all Hispanic nationality groups.

“This award was earned in part because of the council’s dedication and commitment to addressing social injustice and raising awareness for Latinos and other people of color with their work within the SFA campus community,” said Ja’von Long, assistant director in SFA’s Office of Multicultural Affairs.

SFA’s chapter of LULAC had not attended the national convention since 2019, when they won the honor of National Council of the Year. This year, they raised funds and applied for scholarships from the national convention to send members to the event. While several members applied, two members — Launa Castañeda, LULAC president, and Ivy Cortez, vice president of civil rights — received full scholarships, covering lodging and transportation.

“I honestly was not sure what to expect as the other conventions our members have attended had different areas of focus, and the national convention is a mix of not only educational panels but a time to prep for LULAC’s goals for the next year,” said Cortez, senior English major with a concentration in secondary education from Galena Park. “As for the award, that was a complete surprise. There was some miscommunication about which ones we might be eligible for, so I was pleasantly shocked when we won the National Membership Award. It was an honor to accept it on behalf of our council.”

According to Castañeda, senior political science major from Garland, LULAC has grown drastically from when she was first president, growing from only nine members a year ago to 50 members today.

The organization is committed to bettering the community. Members volunteer to help Nacogdoches High School students learn English, assist at the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter, and advocate for improved accommodations for SFA custodial staff members.

They also participate in community service events, such as SFA’s Big Event and MLK Day of Service. Additionally, LULAC will host their Collegiate LULAC Conference from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom on the SFA campus. The conference theme is “Empowerment and Individuality!”

“The National Membership Award shows that all our hard work is paying off and is a testament to what we accomplish at SFA and the impact we have within our community and nationally,” Castañeda said. “We would not be where we are now without our members and their dedication to this organization, and I am so proud of that fact.”

To learn more about SFA LULAC, visit their Instagram @sfalulac or email them at pineywoodslulac@gmail.com.

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 36 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By Parastoo Nikravesh, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

Dr. Jonathan Tsay will present a solo piano recital pairing selections from the standard repertoire with pieces written by Taiwanese composers who wrote their works in the early to mid-20th century when he performs at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

Tsay, assistant professor of piano at the University of Memphis, is a collaborative pianist, chamber musician, producer and arts administrator who recently discovered the library of works by Taiwanese composers from this era.

“The works not only reveal the sophistication and craftsmanship of classical music works originating from East Asia during this time period,” he said, “but they also provide a fascinating look into the turbulent history of Taiwan from pre-WWII Japanese occupation through its emergence into modern day influence and controversy on the world stage.”

Among the works to be performed is Jiang Wen-Ye’s “Formosan Dance,” which won an award at the art competition at the Berlin Summer Olympics. “This piece is representative of Jiang’s compositional style that blends elements of East Asian traditional music with modernist European classical techniques,” Tsay said.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Dumka, Op. 59, subtitled “scène rustique Russe,” is an introspective piece characterized by its contrasting sections, shifting between sorrowful, introspective moments and bursts of vibrant, folk-inspired melodies.

“A Sketch of the Rainy Harbor” by Ma Shui-Long (a Neo-Impressionist evocation of his hometown of Keelung) is in four short movements, “Rain,” “Harbor Views on Rainy Nights,” “The Girl who Collects Seashells” and “At the Temple Gate.”

Prior to his appointment at The University of Memphis, Tsay served numerous roles in the music community including head of collaborative piano at Conservatory Music in the Mountains, head of piano at the Chloé Trevor Music Academy, presenter and artist for Cliburn in the Classroom (which serves over 50k under-served second through fourth graders in the DFW area per year) and artistic director of Ensemble75, a chamber music series based in the North Texas area. Tsay also served as principal keyboard for the Las Colinas Symphony, Arlington Symphony and Garland Symphony.

His performances have been broadcast on classical radio stations and are featured in the companion CD to “Brahms – A Listener’s Guide: Unlocking the Masters Series.” His album, “Harmonic Allusions,” was named in the “Top 5 Albums of 2017” by TheaterJones, and his YouTube collaboration with Chloé Trevor performing “Danse Macabre” has garnered more than 1.3 million views.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit sfasu.edu/boxoffice, For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.

Faculty members of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will be the featured performers during the annual Pi Kappa Lambda Music Faculty Showcase at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The concert highlights the talents of the diverse School of Music performing faculty, according to Dr. Jamie Weaver, associate professor of music history at SFA and president of Pi Kappa Lambda honor society. Proceeds from the concert fund scholarships for deserving SFA music majors selected by the society.

“We look forward each year to this concert that features performances by our exceptionally talented faculty,” Weaver said. “In addition to their teaching expertise, our music faculty members also have very active performing careers and are sought-after clinicians across the nation.”

This year’s program features performances by vocalists Debbie Berry, soprano; Richard Berry, tenor; Tod Fish, tenor; Nita Hudson, mezzo-soprano; Scott LaGraff, baritone; Kimberly LaGraff, mezzo-soprano; and Chris Turner, baritone.

Pianists include Mario Ajero, Mary Cooper, Minhae Lee, Ben Morris and Tracy Cole. Other featured instrumentalists include Jennifer Dalmas, violin; Bob Eason, soprano saxophone; Larry Greer, guitar; Cody Hunter, bassoon; Samantha Inman, flute; Brad Meyer, percussion; Melissa Nabb, viola; Evgeni Raychev, cello; JD Salas, bass; Deb Scott, trombone; Jenna Sehmann, oboe; James Vilseck, percussion; and Jake Walburn, trumpet.

The recital is a joint presentation of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Cole Concert Hall is located in the Wright Music Building at 2210 Alumni Drive.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students. To purchase tickets, visit sfasu.edu/boxoffice, or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Maggie Hinchliffe, staff pianist at Stephen F. Austin State University, will present a recital with guest performer Michael Alampi, flute, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, at First Baptist Church, Nacogdoches.

“Works by Women for Piano and Flute” will feature selections by women composers, including Anna Bon, Augusta Holmès, Valerie Coleman, Amanda Harberg and Samantha Fernando. The program was presented on a summer tour in upstate New York and Long Island. Following a Texas tour, the program will be presented in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Hinchliffe is a pianist with a focus in the collaborative arts. Before coming to SFA, she was the pianist for Boulder Opera Company in Boulder, Colorado, and played for productions of “Il Trovatore,” “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “La Bohème” and “L’enfant et les sortilèges.” She has performed with vocal partners in the U.S., Austria and Germany. An advocate for new music and interdisciplinary art, Hinchliffe has premiered operas, art songs and other works with piano, and she has commissioned composers and poets through her podcast “How It’s Musically Made,” and written poems for musical commissions.

Michael Alampi is a multifaceted musician based in New York City. He holds a private teaching studio and freelances on Broadway and for studio recordings, orchestras and concert tours that come through the area. He has appeared in concerts and recitals at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Discovery Times Square, United Palace Theater and more.

The free concert is a presentation of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts and the SFA School of Music. First Baptist Church is located at 411 North St. For more information, contact the School of Music at (936) 468-4602.