Students in the Spotlight for Humboldt Symphony Concert
Humboldt Symphony features three student instrumental and vocal soloists, plus a piece by a student composer in its concert on Saturday October 27 in Fulkerson Recital Hall.
The student work is Prelude and Dance for the Day of the Dead by Justino Eustacio Perez, an HSU senior studying composition with Brian Post. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1.
Three student soloists are featured in excerpts from Bach cantatas that center on oboe and voice. Vocalists Ana Cruz and Anna Coleman (both studying with HSU professor Elisabeth Harrington) each perform a solo aria, and Rachel Kamradt plays solo oboe on both excerpts.
“Rachel is a graduating senior planning to study oboe in graduate school next year, “said Symphony conductor Paul Cummings,” so we want to feature her as a soloist before she goes away. These excerpts are exquisite writing for the oboe, but also very challenging to play. Bach brings out the beautiful lyric quality of the instrument. In the arias the oboe and the vocalists are basically performing duets together.”
The Symphony also performs Our Town by Aaron Copland, based on his score for the 1940 film version of Thorton Wilder’s famous evocation of Americans life. “It’s a wonderful slow piece,” Cummings said, “and you can certainly hear the Copland style, with beautiful writing for strings and woodwinds.”
In a different mood, Carmen Suite #1 features familiar melodies from Bizet’s most popular opera, including the toreador march. “This suite is full of drama,” Cummings said, “with famous passages in each movement, beautifully played by our students.”
The Humboldt Symphony performs on Saturday October 27 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets: $7/$3/free to HSU students with i.d. from HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Produced by the HSU Music Department.
Media: Arcata Eye, Humboldt State Now.
No comments:
Post a Comment