Dr. Richard Todd Payne, associate professor in music, has been selected to perform the role of Hero/Louis Armstrong in a Memphis, Tennessee, production of “The Real Ambassadors." The performances will be 7 p.m. on April 8 and 2 p.m. on April 10 at Playhouse on the Square. The production is sponsored by Rhodes College, Opera Memphis and the 2016 Brubeck Festival as part of … [Read more...] about Payne snags lead in Brubeck’s ‘Real Ambassadors’
Emeritus Professor Bill Armstrong and his wife, Margo, have gifted $25,000 to the MSU jazz studies program after hosting two art gallery fundraising events in November. Armstrong, co-founder of the Watercolor USA Honor Society, donated more than 30 of his watercolors, oil paintings and drawings for the events, held at his Springfield gallery at 2053 S. Waverly Avenue, Suite … [Read more...] about Artist raises $25,000 for jazz studies program
Missouri State’s five-year-old jazz studies program is sending successful graduates into the music world, bringing living legends to MSU and putting on events for audiences beyond the campus. Building a jazz degree option Music Professor Randy Hamm has been at Missouri State for more than 25 years, and serves as woodwind division coordinator. He is also the director of … [Read more...] about MSU’s jazz program finds its groove
Fall was a busy semester for music history professor Dr. James Parsons. His review of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s completed works was published in “Early Music,” and he presented his paper “Hanns Eisler’s ‘Nightmare’” at the International Tyranny and Music Conference. ‘Small things can also enchant us’ In November 2015, the music history journal “Early Music,” published … [Read more...] about Music professor offers commentary on notable German composers
Missouri State’s music department will soon be among the prestigious colleges around the world to be deemed an All-Steinway School. To earn the designation, Missouri State will need to replace its entire piano inventory with Steinway & Sons pianos. MSU's first new Steinway grand on its way Music students’ lesson fees have already purchased 10 Steinway-built Boston … [Read more...] about Music department on track to become All-Steinway School