Two back-to-back University Series performances at Stephen F. Austin State University will bring world-class professional brass and vocal ensembles to campus.
The College of Fine Arts presents the Seraph Brass Quintet on Tuesday, Jan. 24, followed by Olga Vocal Ensemble on Thursday, Feb. 2. Both performances are at 7:30 p.m. in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.
“Both of these groups will captivate audiences with their blend of classical and contemporary music,” said Scott Shattuck, associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and director of the University Series.
Seraph Brass presents a diverse body of work that includes original transcriptions, newly commissioned works and well-known classics. Members have performed with such acclaimed ensembles as the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The performance is sponsored in part by Cataract, Glaucoma and Retina Specialists of East Texas/Benchmark Optical and Medical Arts Surgery Center.
Olga combines enthusiasm, humor and drama with genuine vocal clarity in their a cappella singing to captivate both young and old. The group’s repertoire covers more than five centuries of musical joy. The ensemble is known for its unique programs, in which moving classical music comes together with popular songs. The characteristic Olga sound blends the full range of this music into a compelling whole. This performance is sponsored in part by BancorpSouth.
Advertisements for the concerts currently running in The Daily Sentinel offer buy-one, get-one of equal value coupons, which makes an already reasonably priced concert experience even more affordable, Shattuck said.
“Take advantage of these coupons and bring along a friend to either concert, or both,” Shattuck suggested. “Each of these performances will feel like a warm embrace a cold winter night.”
Both groups will present master classes for SFA music students while they are on campus.
Prior to each performance, a member of the SFA School of Music faculty will present an informative talk about the music style at 7 p.m. in Griffith Gallery. The gallery is located across the hall from Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive. The audience is invited back to the gallery for a post-performance reception to meet the performers and to honor the event’s corporate sponsor.
Single event ticket prices are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for non-SFA students/youth. Tickets for SFA students are $3.
For tickets or more information, visit finearts.sfasu.edu, stop by the Box Office in Room 211 of the Griffith Fine Arts Building, or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.
