ISSUED: 31 August 2023
MEDIA CONTACT: Cecelia Mason
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The 2023-2024 Shepherd University Music Salon Series, sponsored by Jefferson Security Bank, kicks off on Thursday, September 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the Frank Arts Center W.H. Shipley Recital Hall. The free concert will feature the Shepherd University Faculty Jazz Ensemble with Dr. Kurtis Adams on saxophone, Peter Heiss on guitar, Bob Sykes on piano, Kevin Pace on bass, and Kelton Norris on drums. The ensemble will perform a dynamic set of original music that will be recorded live.
Other free Salon Series concerts scheduled in the W. H. Shipley Recital Hall include:
- Thursday, November 2, at 7:30 p.m.—“Classical Beats” featuring the Sonic Escape duo of violinist Maria Kaneko Millar and flutist Shawn Wyckoff, a pair of Juilliard graduates whose blend of hyper-instrumentals, stories, moves, and original works The Washington Post calls “wonderfully imaginative… with a wide ranging, anything-goes sense of fun.” In “Classical Beats,” the musicians offer up hyper-instrumental renditions of original works and creative covers for flute and violin, incorporating multi-tracked production and instrumentals to instantly wow audiences, unfurling a symphony of sounds in real time.
- Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.—Shepherd adjunct professor Robin Rhodes presents a solo bass recital with exclusively 21st-century works woven together with improvisations. The repertoire includes “Figment III” by Elliott Carter and original works by Rhodes.
- Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.—The Two Rivers Trio, Shepherd adjunct faculty bassoonist Richard Polonchak and his identical twin sons, string musicians Matthew and Michael, are the featured artists. The trio’s program will include one of the Mozart serenades, a Haydn trio, The Beatle’s “Yesterday,” Morricone’s “Gabriel’s Oboe,” Brian Crain’s “Andantino,” some rags and waltzes, and perhaps will end with Richard switching over to piano.
- Sunday, April 21, 2024, at 3 p.m—Shepherd faculty Dr. Yu-Hsuan Liao, piano, Andrea Diggs, flute, and Camilo Perez-Mejia, cello, will present a chamber music concert celebrating nature. The program includes “Vox Balaenae” (Voice of the Whale) by George Crumb and “Voices of the Rainforest” by Spanish-American composer Elisenda Fábregas.
For information about the Salon Series and other School of Music events, visit the Calendar of Concerts and Events.
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