Everything Nac

The Stephen F. Austin State University Percussion Ensemble will present world premieres of two works, including one composed by a freshman SFA percussion student, written specifically for SFA percussionists when the ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 14, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Dr. Brad Meyer, director of percussion studies at SFA, and Dr. Jamie Vilseck, percussion adjunct faculty, direct the Percussion Ensemble, which opens the concert with the premiere of “Plane of Existence” by Carson Chlup, freshman music education major from Mansfield. Written for the percussion studio’s 2022-23 freshman class, this work is a representation of the space between life and death and is intended to “give off an ethereal feeling, taking the listener beyond the different ‘Planes of Existence’ to hopefully experience what it would be like to travel to a realm beyond our comprehension,” Chlup writes.

“ImPULSE” for percussion quartet was written by Austin Franklin for an aleatoric set of non-pitched percussion instruments, chosen by the performers according to instructions written in the score. The piece is composed in two parts, held together by a somewhat constant quarter note pulse, according to Franklin.

Mark Applebaum’s “Straitjacket” was commissioned by the Banff Centre for the Roots and Rhizomes Percussion Residency. Privately subtitled “four restraint systems for solo percussion and percussion quartet,” “Straitjacket” intersects conceptually with formal techniques employed by the French literary group Oulip: the palindrome, the isopangram, the lipogram and the taquinoid, according to Applebaum. This performance features Ariana Ruiz, junior music education major from Angleton, as soloist.

Marc Mellits’ “Tapas” is in eight short movements all working together like a baroque suite. “The individual lines fit closely together much like the pieces of a puzzle, each instrument relying on each other to fill in the spaces,” Mellits writes.

Michael Holt, freshman music education major from Nacogdoches, is soloist on Paul Rennick’s “Slopes,” conceived by the composer while reflecting on a lecture given in Aspen, Colorado, by a physics professor from the University of Chicago on the topic of fractal geometry in nature and avalanche theory. “The musical material captures the characteristics of these subjects, with a falling direction and downward sloping motifs,” according to Rennick.

Written for the Percussion Ensemble this spring, Chad Floyd’s “Timberjax” draws inspiration from SFA’s mascot, the Lumberjack. As the title states, the “Timberjax” can be heard in the opening, as they aggressively work on clearing the timber (the marimba bars). “As other voices enter, it is apparent that other workers have arrived and are contributing to the task,” Floyd explains.

Concert 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.

The Wind Ensemble at Stephen F. Austin State University will perform its final concert of the 2022-23 school year in presenting the program “Rhapsody in Blue” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Conducted by Dr. Tamey Anglley, director of bands at SFA, the Wind Ensemble welcomes Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities at SFA, and Christina Colley, graduate conducting student from Henderson, as guest conductors for the concert. SFA piano faculty member Dr. Minhae Lee is guest soloist on the final piece on the program, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

With Colley conducting, the concert opens with “Old Wine In New Bottles” by the British composer Gordon Jacob. The four-movement piece was written for 13 instruments and is a modern arrangement of old English tunes.

The concert also features the SFA premiere of “Our Will to Love” by alumnus Keaton Garrett. The SFA band program is part of the consortium to commission this new piece, of which the composer stated “deals with the tenacity and perseverance of queer and marginalized people to love ourselves and others at all in a society that tells us we aren’t welcome.”

The Wind Ensemble will also perform William Schuman’s “Chester,” which was composed in 1957 and is based on the original American Revolution hymn written in 1778 by William Billings.

Murphy will guest conduct “Blessed Are They” by Johannes Brahms. It is an arrangement from the composer’s great choral work “A German Requiem,” written in 1867.

The final piece on the concert, “Rhapsody in Blue,” was written in 1924 for a new American music competition. Gershwin composed the piano solo, and Ferde Grofé composed the accompaniment.

“‘Rhapsody in Blue’ has gone through many editions since 1924 including an expanded theater orchestra version in 1926 and separate versions for full symphony orchestra and concert band in 1938, which were all arranged by Grofé,” Anglley said. “The SFA Wind Ensemble will perform the 1998 Donald Hunsberger arrangement which is based on the 1924 and 1926 Grofé orchestrations.”

Concert 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.

Stephen F. Austin State University students enrolled in Dr. Lucia Sigmar’s leadership communication class in the Rusche College of Business presented information about SFA to approximately 100 students at Nacogdoches High School March 24. Pictured, from left, are Drew Thornley, associate professor of business law; Angelica Rocha, English senior from Arlington; Jake McDonald, finance senior from Allen; Sigmar, associate professor of business communication; TKai Lloyd, general business senior from Houston; and William Hartwell, business communication corporate development senior from Houston. Topics included the business study abroad program, business majors, the Generation Jacks program and the advantages of attending SFA. The business college encourages faculty and students to engage in experiential learning opportunities that prepare students for the business world. For more information, visit sfasu.edu/cob.