The sixteenth annual Fite Family Young Artists Piano competition is April 1, 2012. Pianists between the ages of 14 and 18 as of April 1 are eligible to compete. All applications must be turned in by March 1. Each entrant submits a high-quality audio recording of two piano pieces in contrasting styles, and semi-finalists perform a 15-20 minute program at Ellis Recital Hall on April 1. Three finalists then play a 25-30 minute program for one of the three prizes: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third.
The Fite Family competition is adjudicated by Enrico Elisi, from Eastman School of Music, and University professors Peter Collins and Wei-Han Su.
The application deadline is March 1. All applications must include a clearly-labeled audition recording with name of applicant and repertoire, proof of age, a photograph for the program booklet, and a non-refundable check for $25 to the Missouri State University Foundation.
String Fling, which celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, returns in late July to offer intensive string instrument study to talented students in middle school and high school. The high school session is July 22-25, for students who have completed grades 10, 11 or 12, and the middle school session is July 25-28 for students who have completed grades 7, 8 or 9. Middle school students check in and attend the high school concert before beginning their own program.
Students are coached by the University’s full-time string faculty, which includes Dr. David Hays, Dr. Amy Muchnick and Dr. Michael A. Murray, and also benefit from guest faculty instruction. They receive chamber music and string orchestra assignments, rehearse with different coaches, and perform a concert at the end of the program.
“Students gain valuable musicianship skills like teamwork, focus, practice techniques, injury prevention, and advice from our faculty as well as great masters (on video) and more,” Hays, professor of violin and concertmaster for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, says. “Chamber music, in which the participants are often alone or nearly alone on their individual parts, emphasizes listening and independence in execution. Missouri State’s is one of only a few string camps in the U.S. using chamber music at the middle-school level.” Hays adds that many String Fling alumni attend the University and comprise some of the music department’s finest students.
The program fee is $295 per student for tuition and lodging. Students must submit an application and a nonrefundable $20 fee, through mail, by June 15. The application must include a teacher’s recommendation, contact information and a list of recent solo pieces the student has completed. Students will live on campus in an MSU residence hall for the duration of the program; they will also be served three meals daily from one of the residential dining halls.
Contact the department of music at (417) 836-6958 for more information.
The Eleventh Annual MSU Flute Day is Saturday, April 21 all day at Ellis Recital Hall, featuring a variety of events for students of all ages. All events are free and open to the public. Guest artist Jim Walker, described as the “Renaissance Man of the Flute,” headlines a program that features a high school competition, two recitals, and a masterclass for University flute students. David Samperi, flute seller and repairman, will have flutes and piccolos available all day to try out and purchase. Brands represented include Haynes, Powell, Burkart, Muramatsu, Miyazawa, Trevor James, and Samperi’s own brand.
The Young High School Artist Competition, starting at 9:00 a.m., kicks off festivities. Area high school flutists each perform one movement of a piece and the judges’ top three finishers win prizes. To enter, email student name and repertoire information to Dr. Jill Heyboer by April 14.
Following the competition is a Flute Ensembles Recital, featuring the University Community Flute Choir, the University Flute Quartet, and other exciting chamber music groups. After the recital, enjoy lunch at the nearby Plaster Student Union or other convenient options within a mile of campus.
After lunch, world-renowned flutist Jim Walker performs an unforgettable recital of flute music ranging in style from traditional classical through jazz. This performance, featuring accompaniment from the University’s own Kyle Aho, promises to be both entertaining and impressive! In the final event of Flute Day, Jim Walker teaches University flute students in a masterclass. Listen and learn from this artist as he explains and demonstrates what you can do to be a better flute player.
Since 2001, Dr. Jill Heyboer, professor of music, has held Flute Day on campus as a means of bringing together flute students and professional artists. Heyboer is currently the principal flutist in Springfield Symphony Orchestra. She coaches and conducts the University Flute Quartet and participates in the Faculty Woodwind Quintet. Heyboer also participates in the annual Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, serving as a faculty member and coach of flute and chamber music.
“I think [Flute Day] gets flutists of all ages excited about playing the flute,” Heyboer says. “They get to hear a live performance of a ‘famous flutist’ and also hear what advice they give to my students who play for them in the masterclass.” Heyboer adds that the event also exposes students to professional-level flute brands, many of which are not readily available in the area.
Guest artist Jim Walker is the Flute Studies coordinator at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and also teaches flute and chamber music at the nearby Colburn Conservatory. The founder of the jazz quartet “Free Flight,” Walker has also served as Associate Principal Flute in the Pittsburgh Symphony and Principal Flute in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has instructed hundreds of aspiring flutists through teaching positions in several universities across the United States. In addition, he has performed for over six hundred motion picture soundtracks. You can learn more about Walker by visiting his website.
University Communications posted the following article from the Spring 2012 Missouri State Alumni Magazine:
“Rock band Kansas will play with Missouri State’s orchestra — but only for a moment, (then) the moment’s gone
Nope, this is no charade: Could it be the event of the season?
The group Kansas will perform live with the Missouri State Symphony Orchestra on the evening of March 16 as part of the band’s Collegiate Symphony Tour.
The public is invited to the performance; tickets range from $37.75 to $47.75. A portion of proceeds will go to University music programs.
The band, which formed in the 1970s in Topeka, Kan., rose to national prominence thanks to progressive-rock hits such as “Dust in the Wind,” “Point of Know Return” and “Carry on my Wayward Son.” They have continued to produce music and tour in the decades since.
Kansas has been doing the collegiate tour since 2010 to raise money for, and awareness of, college music programs. The band has visited at least 15 schools so far. They rehearse and collaborate with orchestras before each performance, so MSU students will get a glimpse of the inside workings of a real rock band.
In a press release from the band, drummer Phil Ehart was excited about the response to the tour and looked forward to new dates.
“The only people having more fun than us were all the students playing on stage with us! And considering all the money that was raised to help the music departments, everyone considered it a real success! We know this year will be bigger and better!”
Tickets can be obtained by calling (417) 836-7678, accessing missouristatetix.com, or visiting any University box office location.
* UPDATE* The College of Arts and Letters is also offering 68 tickets in the pit section as a direct benefit to the Orchestra. Twenty-five of these tickets will be sold for $75.00 each and will include a reception with Kansas prior to the concert. The rest of the tickets are $50.00 each. One hundred percent of proceeds from these 68 tickets will benefit the Missouri State University Symphony Orchestra. Get your tickets by contacting Barbara Jones, director of special events, at (417) 836-6605 or via email at BarbaraJones@missouristate.edu.
The William T. White String Quartet, a student ensemble at Missouri State University, won first prize at the West Central Division finals of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Chamber Music Competition in Boulder, Colo. The students will compete as finalists in New York City in March.
Yajing Zhang, Ryan Hardcastle, Matt Price, Xiao Hu
The ensemble works under the musical guidance of faculty members Dr. David Hays, Dr. Amy Muchnick and Dr. Michael A. Murray. The White String Quartet includes the following members:
Two students from Missouri State’s China Campus in Qingdao, China; violinists Yajing Zhang and Xiao Hu are currently in their second year here.
Violist Ryan Hardcastle is a junior majoring in viola performance.
Cellist Matthew Price is a pre-law major and continues to perform with the Missouri State University Symphony and Chamber Orchestra
Ryan Hardcastle also received first prize in the Young Artist String Competition at the MTNA competition and will compete as a finalist in New York City; his winning performance included the music of J.S. Bach and Paul Hindemith. His professor is Dr. Amy Muchnick.
Pianist Jia Hui Wong, who competed in the MTNA Piano Young Artist Division, received second place (alternate). She is a junior piano performance major and studies with Dr. Wei-Han Su.
Dr. Cynthia Green Libby and Instructor Lia Southern present Double Reed Day on February 18, 2012!Members of the Midwest Winds Air Force Band will provide pointers to oboe and bassoon students on Double Reed Day.
Missouri State University and the Music Department present Double Reed Day on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Ellis Recital Hall. Students and parents are invited to this fun-filled event that provides entertainment and guidance for oboe and bassoon players in grades 7-12. Members of the Midwest Winds Air Force Band will join oboe instructor Dr. Cynthia Green Libby and bassoon instructor Lia Southern (pictured above) for the workshop. After a supervised lunch, an ensemble performance for students and parents will close out Double Reed day.
If you are interested, email, mail or fax the registration form (PDF link below) by Feb. 13 to reserve a place. Registration is free, but please bring at least $6 for lunch. You may contact Dr. Cynthia Green Libby at CynthiaLibby@missouristate.edu or (417) 836-5547 for more information.
Tyler Durham at the 2011 Music Department award ceremony.
Tyler Durham, a student in music composition and electronic arts from Nixa, Mo., was selected as a winner of the 2011 national Young Composers Challenge contest. Durham’s symphony, “The New Frontier,” was one of three winners in the full orchestra category and one of seven overall winners. In addition to receiving a professional recording and a $1000 cash award, Durham traveled to Orlando, Fla. on Nov. 13 to hear his work performed live by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.
“The experience was absolutely incredible,” Durham says about the concert. “Being able to hear all the immense detail of sound from each instrument and watching it all take place only a few feet away was just surreal.”
“If there was any doubt in my mind about pursuing composition as a career, it has been eradicated,” Durham adds.
Durham received the 2011 Claude T. Smith Composition Contest Scholarship, sponsored by the music department, for his “Piece for Piano, Marimba and Cello.” Durham performs vocals, violin and piano, and says that his interest in piano inspired him to write music. His primary goal is to write music for television and film.
You can read a spotlight article about Tyler Durham on the University website. The spotlight article, written by new media specialist Jessica Clements, appeared in the Springfield News-Leader on Oct. 31. You can also listen to The New Frontier online at the Young Composers Challenge website.
The Concert Chorale performs at St. Peter's Church in Vienna, Austria in 2010.
From May 24-June 2, 2012, you can tour with the Concert Chorale and their family and friends as they visit Germany and Paris, performing six concerts along the way. This wonderful tour continues the tradition of the Concert Chorale performing internationally every even-numbered year, regaling audiences abroad and making new connections. In 2010, the Concert Chorale visited Austria, and in 2008, they toured Italy.
“The MSU Concert Chorale has toured nine times with Concept Tours in New York City, and always the tour is first class,” Dr. Guy Webb, Concert Chorale director, states. “Fine tour guides, city guides, and well-thought itineraries.”
The tour leaves the United States from JFK International Airport on Thursday, May 24, and arrives at Frankfort International Airport on May 25. You’ll visit the Hannover region and Rhine River Valley (including a Rhine cruise) in Germany, then spend four days in Paris. Other sites in Germany include Mainz, a sightseeing tour of Hamelin (the village known for the famous “Pied Piper” story) and Limburg. In Paris, you’ll see the Champs-Elysees, Place de la Concord, Versailles, the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, and the Louvre. In addition, you will hear the Concert Chorale entertain audiences at several venues including Minden-Hanover, Limburg, the Abbey at Lorch, La Madeleine Church in Paris, and Chartres Cathedral.
Download the reservation form or contact Concept Tours directly by calling (800) 300-8841 or emailing info@concept-tours.com. Group size is limited — sign up now to confirm your seat on the group flights from New York City. December 20 is the deadline for registration and first payment. You may also contact Webb, choral director, for more information about the trip by emailing GuyWebb@missouristate.edu or calling (417) 836-5182.
“We have had so many memorable experiences on these tours abroad,” Webb adds. “It would be hard to duplicate the experience of touring alongside the Concert Chorale, with beautiful concerts and venues. Come and join us!”
The Chamber singers entertain the crowd during the Elizabethan Christmas Dinners.
The Concert Chorale once again joins the University Chamber Singers and Collegiate Singers for the 46th Annual Elizabethan Christmas Dinners. Held in the Plaster Student Union Ballroom from 6:15 to 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30 through Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, the dinners feature tantalizing entertainment and a delicious array of Olde English style food.
At 6:15 each evening, guests assemble in the third floor lobby of the Plaster Student Union, where revelry and serenading passes the time until the Grande Dining Hall opens at 7:00. The Chamber Singers serve as the royal court for the event, the Collegiate Singers sing and serve the meals, and the Concert Chorale performs the formal concert at the end of each dinner. The following is a description of the menu:
“This year’s menu features the King’s Butternut Squash Soup with Creme Fraiche and Chives, Salad of Winter Greens and Root Vegetables with Sherry Vinaigrette Dressing, the King’s Fowl stuffed with Cheese of the Goat, Fresh Spinach with a Cranberry Glaze, Potatoes Baked a Second Time, Green Beans, and a scrumptious new dessert for the Elizabethan Dinner menu – a Ginger Bread Trifle with Citrus Custard. All of this will be accompanied by an abundance of beverages! Vegetarian or an alternate entree selection may be indicated on ticket requests.”
Tickets are $25 for students, $30 for adults, and $27.50 each for groups of ten or more. Tickets can be purchased online. Hurry to reserve your seat at the table!
Dr. Robert Quebbeman directs the University Symphony Orchestra
On Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. the Missouri State University Symphony Orchestra will hold a special benefit concert featuring Joplin High School’s orchestra at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. This concert is free and open to the public, and donations are encouraged to support the Joplin High School and its orchestra to help it recover from the destruction of the school after the tornado on May 22.
For over ten years, the University Symphony Orchestra has hosted concerts featuring talented high school string orchestras from the area. Dr. Robert Quebbeman, professor of music and conductor of the symphony, says that this is the first time the concert has been a fundraising activity, but explains that this event is special due to the circumstances. This year’s program will include three pieces performed by the Joplin High School string orchestra, three by the University Symphony Orchestra, and will end with two pieces performed by both groups. You may contact Dr. Quebbeman at RobertQuebbeman@missouristate.edu or (417) 836-5729 for more information about the concert.
The following is the finalized program for the performance:
Joplin String Orchestra: “Alla Tchaikovsky” (a potpourri of 22 Tchaikovsky melodies), “Adagio Cantabile” (from “Pathetique”), “Lady Gaga Hit Mix” (a medley of songs by pop artist Lady Gaga)
Missouri State Symphony Orchestra: “Polonaise from Eugene Onegin” (Tchaikovsky), “Two Elegaic Melodies” (Grieg), “Rienzi Overture” (Wagner)
Combined groups:“Into the Storm” (Robert W. Smith), “Russian Sailors Dance” (Gliere)
KY3 News has also covered the benefit concert. Embedded below is Jay Scherder’s report, which aired on the station:
