Everything Nac

Guest artists Dr. Matthew Shipes, tuba and euphonium, and Dr. Rajung Yang, piano, will present a recital at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the Music Recital Hall on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. Shipes and Yang will also present a master class to members of the SFA tuba-euphonium and piano studios.

Works to be performed include Concertino for tuba, Op. 77 by Jan Koetsier; Sonata for tuba and piano, Op. 34 by Trygve Madsen; Concertino for flute, Op. 107 by Cécile Chaminade; and “Pearls” by Roland Szentpáli.

A former member of the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., Shipes is the assistant professor of low brass at San Angelo State University. Yang teaches at Baylor University and has won several awards such as the Bartok-Kabalevsky-Prokofiev Competition in Italy and William Byrd International Competition.

On tuba, Shipes will perform Madsen’s Sonata for Tuba and Piano, Op. 34.

“Set in three movements, the work features the vocal song-like quality of the tuba that surprises many first-time listeners,” said Dr. J.D. Salas, associate professor of tuba and euphonium studies at SFA. “On euphonium, he will perform Szentpali’s ‘Pearls’ – a musical tour de force in three movements which challenges both the soloist and collaborative pianist. Both of these works would be anchor pieces on any recital, but to have them performed on different instruments on the same recital will be a treat for any low brass enthusiast.”

In 2018, Shipes was awarded a grant to create the first-ever ASU Low Brass Festival, bringing 30 students from the region to learn from guest artists and perform in a featured ensemble concert. As a member of The United States Air Force Band, Shipes had many opportunities to perform for former President Obama and foreign leaders and for hundreds of ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery. He is an associate editor for the International Tuba Euphonium Association’s quarterly journal, both writing articles for the journal and managing the Expert’s Excerpts recurring column.

Praised worldwide as one of the most versatile pianists of her generation, Yang has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, New York University, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and major venues in Italy and France.

Admission is free. For more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

Students selected for Nacogdoches County’s Opportunity for a Better Learning Experience, or NOBLE program, can apply to receive one of nearly 30 $1,000 scholarships if they’re planning to attend or currently attend Stephen F. Austin State University.

NOBLE is a program sponsored by the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce, SFA and the local business community and is designed to encourage county high school students to take more demanding courses to help better prepare them for the world of work.

“These students must understand the importance of following appropriate high school curriculum pathways, practice good citizenship and self-control, and participate in service projects that contribute to the community,” said Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education and chair of the Chamber of Commerce Education Committee.

Students who are selected for the scholarship can receive up to $4,000 during their college career at SFA by applying for this scholarship every year.

For their freshman year, NOBLE Scholars can work with their high school counselors to apply for the scholarship. For years two through four, they must apply for the scholarship by Feb. 1 each year through the standard process managed by SFA’s Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Sponsors of the scholarships include Citizens 1st Bank, The Daily Sentinel, Rex Perry Autoplex, and Fairchild, Price, Haley & Smith.

“We’re proud to partner with the Chamber of Commerce and the member businesses that fund these scholarships for local students recognized as NOBLE Scholars who are attending SFA,” Abbott said.

To apply for a NOBLE scholarship, contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance at scholarship@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-2403.

To learn more about the NOBLE program, contact the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce at (936) 560-5533.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.