By Jess Kleean
From Feb. 19 through the 23, The Hayes School of Music will host a variety of amazing performances on the university campus. All of these events are free, and if you can’t be there in person don’t worry, unless otherwise noted, a live stream of the performances will be available at http://music.appstate.edu.
To kick things off the Madison Park String Quartet will be performing at 4 p.m. on Feb. 19, at Broyhill Music Center’s Recital Hall. This group consists of violinist Kari Giles, assistant concertmaster of the Charlotte Symphony; violinist Jenny Topilow, also of the Charlotte Symphony; Kirsten Swanson, the assistant principal violist in the Charlotte Symphony; and Dr. Mira Frisch, an associate professor of cello and director of string chamber music at UNC Charlotte.
Dr. Jessica Lindsey, an assistant professor of clarinet at UNC Charlotte, will join the Madison Park players for a performance of John Allemeier’s “Dissident.” Allemeier teaches composition and music theory at UNC Charlotte. The rest of the program will consist of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5” and Béla Bartók’s “Fifth String Quartet.”
Unfortunately, no live stream of this performance will be available.
The next night Broyhill hosts the Appalachian Concert Band, at 8 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall. Under the direction of Dr. John Stanley Ross, Appalachian’s director of bands and an associate professor of music, this group will play music composed or arranged for concert band.The program will include Richard Wagner’s “Huldingungsmarsch”; John Barnes Chance’s “Elegy”; and John Philip Sousa’s “Bullets and Bayonets.” Also featured will be Matthew Schoendorff’s “Distance Imagined” and Brian Balmages’ “Raging Machines.”
And finally, to conclude this series, the Appalachian Symphony Band, will perform at 8 p.m. on Feb. 23, in the Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall. Under the direction of Dr. Kevin Gray Richardson, Appalachian’s associate director of bands and an assistant professor of music, this group will perform various kinds of dance music. The program, titled “Dance Movements,” will include a suite of dance movements, each written by a different composer, from Tielman Susato to Norman Dello Joio. Also featured will be Clifton Williams’ “Symphonic Dance No. 3”; Richardson’s arrangement of Vaclav Nelhybel’s “Dance of the Dead Souls”; and Jay Bocook’s arrangement of “Danse Bacchanale.” “Danse Bacchanale” is from Camille Saint-Saens’ opera “Samson et Dalila.”
Again, all admissions for these performances are free, even though you could call the talented professionals of the Hayes School of Music priceless. Bottom line, if you are looking for nights of beautiful music with even better company, then look no further.