SFA music faculty Walburn, Nixon to perform music by women composers

“Spotlight on Women Composers” will showcase works written by living female composers in a recital at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

The recital features SFA School of Music faculty member Jacob Walburn, assistant professor of trumpet, in collaboration with Thomas Nixon, piano, performing works for trumpet written by contemporary female composers. In making program selections, Walburn said he realized his past recitals included very few compositions written by women.

“I wanted to be much more inclusive in my programming,” he said, “so I did some research and found several great pieces by female composers. With the exception of the very last piece on the program, every composition on the recital was written by a living female composer.”

The recital will open with a spirited piece for solo trumpet, “Fanfare for the Women” by Libby Larsen, followed by “Saltarello” by Lauren Bernofsky. “This is a lively, one-movement piece that features great interplay between the trumpet and piano,” Walburn said. The next piece on the concert, “Totem Voices” by Catherine McMichael, is “a really exciting multi-movement work where each movement is based on a different animal,” Walburn explained.

Other program selections include “Framed” by English composer Cecilia McDowall in which each of the four movements is based on different works of art, followed by “Trumpet Songs” by Jennifer Higdon. “These short movements are very quiet and reflective – one of the hallmarks of Higdon’s writing,” Walburn said.

The recital concludes with Erik Morales’ exciting tango “Passion Dance.”

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 finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.