SFA music faculty member Dr. Abby Yeakle Held will present the recital program “Celebrating the Music of American Composers” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, in Cole Concert Hall on the university campus.
With a goal of presenting a program of only American repertoire, Held selected a “made-in-the-USA” theme featuring the music of William Grant Still, Samuel Barber, George Gershwin, Gian Carlo Menotti, Douglas Moore and Alyssa Morris. Performing with Held will be SFA collaborative pianist Hyun Ji Oh.
“This recital is a diverse melting pot, like our country, and celebrates music written by Americans,” Held said. “There is oboe-piano repertoire, as well as transcriptions of opera arias. The selection of composers is also more diverse than the average program, as it includes both a female composer and an African American composer.”
The program includes Still’s “Incantation and Dance,” Barber’s “Canzonetta,” Gershwin’s “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess,” Menotti’s “Steal me Sweet Thief” from “The Old Maid and the Thief” and Moore’s “Willow Song” from “The Ballad of Baby Doe.”
It also features Morris’ new music, “27-72,” which will have had its world premier five days prior to Held’s recital.
“I am a part of the consortium which commissioned Alyssa Morris’ ’27-72,'” Held said. “The piece was inspired by and dedicated to my undergraduate oboe professor at Baylor University, Dr. Doris DeLoach.”
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.
