WestConn music groups to present concerts from jazz to classical
DANBURY, CONN. — From jazz ensembles to Vivaldi concertos, Western Connecticut State University will provide musical events for audiences of all ages and musical tastes for the spring season.
To kick off the season, the WCSU Jazz Orchestra will perform Feb. 22 with the Frankensax group directed by Andrew Beals, the Jazz Ensemble directed by Dave Scott and the WCSU Jazz Orchestra directed by Assistant Professor of Music Jamie Begian.
All performances will be at 8 p.m., unless otherwise indicated, in Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. The events will be free and open to the public; donations to the WestConn music department will be accepted.
Here’s what’s ahead for February and March:
- The WCSU Jazz Orchestra will perform on Friday, Feb. 22. Frankensax will open with some Charlie Parker compositions arranged by Andrew Beals; then, both the Jazz Ensemble and the Jazz Orchestra will follow with a combination of student and faculty original compositions and arrangements.
- The WCSU Percussion Ensemble will perform compositions by WCSU Professor of Music Dr. Kevin Jay Isaacs on Tuesday, Feb. 26.
- The WCSU Orchestra will perform Vivaldi’s Concerti and the Overture from the Vivaldi Four Seasons “Winter” on Thursday, Feb. 28, featuring Hafez Taghavi, violin soloist. Also on the program will be Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Two Trumpets,” Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture” and Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture” with WCSU Professor of Music Eric Lewis conducting.
- WCSU Professor of Music David Smith will perform a percussion recital Tuesday, March 4. The program will include pieces for solo percussion as well as several chamber works for percussion and other instruments. These will include works by Zivkovic, Taylor, Maves and Puts. Smith will be jointed by Judith Smith, cello; Marjorie Callaghan, horn; and Russell Hirshfield, piano.
- The WCSU Chamber Ensembles, including Saxophone Quartets, String Quartets, Trombone Choir, Brass Quintets and Woodwind Quintets will perform chamber music by Bach, Mozart, Piazzola, and many others on Wednesday, March 5.
- The First James Furman Honors Recital will be held at noon on Wednesday, March 12 and will feature WestConn’s finest music students performing in both solo and chamber settings. Students will be selected through an extensive audition that starts March 3. A student from each class will be selected from the soloist category and up to three chamber ensembles also will be included. Each solo winner will receive the James Furman Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $200. Chamber ensemble winners will each receive $50.
- WCSU piano students will perform a recital featuring a variety of works from all eras, including selections for two and four hands on Thursday, March 27.
- The WCSU Jazz Combos will open their season at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 30 with original compositions by conductor Jamie Begian and will feature a variety of original compositions and arrangements of jazz standards such as “On Green Dolphin Street,” “Out Of Nowhere” and “Alone Together.”
All events are in Ives Concert Hall on the Midtown campus of WCSU and, unless otherwise noted, begin at 8 p.m. and are free. Call (203) 837-8350 for more information.
