March 2010
Program Notes
2010 Young Musicians Competitions — El Paso Summer Music Festival will host the first of the Young Musicians Competitions in the El Paso Border Region. This event follows the successful 2009 Summer Season and the live-taping of NPR’s radio show “From the Top.” Competition recitals are 3 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 28, April 11, and April 25, at University Presbyterian Church at 244 N. Resler. Recitals are open to the public. Tickets: $10 ($5 students). Information: 449-0619 or epsmf.org.
Young musicians between the ages of 8 and 19 (instrument and voice) were invited to apply. Six finalists and two alternates will be announced.
Winner will receive a $2,000 Young Musician’s Award along with the opportunity to perform in the El Paso Summer Music Festival’s June 2010 Potpourri Concert.
El Paso Brass – Las Cruces Civic Concert Association presents the area brass ensemble at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Downtown Mall. Founded 35 years ago, the brass is composed of key members of El Paso Symphony Orchestra and is one of the longest continually performing brass quintets in America. They will perform a variety of music from “Bach to the Beatles.” Tickets: $20. Information: (575) 521-4051.
Piano Recital — Local piano teacher Mariko Reider presents her students in recital at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb 28, at the Chamizal National Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial, accompanied by singing and other instruments. Admission is free. Information: 532-7273.
UTEP Department of Music — Performances are 7:30 p.m. in the Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall, unless otherwise listed.
Tickets: $5 ($3 seniors, military, non-UTEP students; free for children).
Tickets for Faculty Recital and Guest Artist series: $8 ($5 seniors, military and non-UTEP students; $3 children and UTEP students, faculty and staff). Information: 747-5606 or utep.edu/music.
• UTEP Orchestra — Tuesday, March 2.
• New Violin Faculty Recital — Wednesday, March 3, as part of the Faculty Recital Series. Recently receiving the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan, Mark Schuppener joins UTEP as a soloist, chamber musician and committed educator. He will be accompanied by piano faculty member Dena Kay Jones to perform the powerful and romantic Fauré Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13.
• University Choirs — Thursday, March 4.
• El Paso Area Brass Ensemble — Friday, March 5, as part of the Guest Artist Series. The ensemble features professional brass players and teachers from around the El Paso area, including members of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra and UACJ Orchestra in Juarez. They will perform a wide variety of music from Baroque to modern.
• Nancy, Steve and Friends — Saturday, March 6, as part of the Faculty Recital Series. UTEP Brass Faculty Nancy Taylor, trumpet and Steve Haddad, tuba and euphonium, present a wide ranging and fun recital of brass music. Guest performers include Quintessential Brass and Dominic Dousa, pianist and composer, on music by Telemann, Clarke, Wilder, Plog and more.
• Paul Merkelo, trumpet — 6 p.m. Sunday, March 7, as part of the Guest Artist Series. Solo trumpet with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Merkelo will perform an evening of music for trumpet and piano. Merkelo has been recognized as one of the leading trumpet soloists in the world today. His recordings have topped the classical charts and been nominated for best solo classical CD of the year.
• Alina Wiatrolik, percussion — 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 8, as part of the Guest Artist Series. Wiatrolik, who earned his master’s from UTEP, will present a full percussion guest recital at UTEP.
• Music Theatre Company presents “Cast Party” — 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 26 and March 28. Chorus members of El Paso Opera’s “La Vie de Boheme” and “Porgy and Bess” display their talents as featured artists in an evening of scenes from opera and musical theater. This presentation, conceptualized by senior performance major Joseph Quintana, explores the antics of an opera cast at its cast party after a performance. Tickets: $12 ($8 seniors, military, non-UTEP students; $5 children and UTEP faculty, staff and students).
• UTEP Percussion Ensemble Festival — 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, featuring performances by area middle schools and high schools. Tickets: $2 general admission.
‘The Elixir of Love’ — Doña Ana Lyric Opera presents Donizetti’s best-loved opera March 5-7 at the Atkinson Recital Hall, NMSU, Las Cruces. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $12 and $15. Tickets: (575) 646-1420. Information: (575) 646-2067.
The charming comedy tells the story of a village romance through boisterous choruses, spirited duets, and touching arias, including the tenor favorite “Una furtiva lagrima.”
Naïve Nemerino is lovesick for the beautiful and clever Adina, and jealous of the dashing officer Belcore. To win her love, he buys a “magic” potion from the ebullient quack, Dulcamara, one of the greatest basso buffo characters in all of opera.
NMSU Department of Music — Performances are at the NMSU Atkinson (Music Center) Recital Hall. Ticket information: (575) 646-2421 or nmsu.edu/~music/.
• Senior Recital: Zachary Berkowitz, percussion, 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 8
• Tuba Studio Recital, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9
• NMSU Jazz Ensembles I and II, 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 12
• Piano Studio Recital, 3 p.m. Saturday, March 13
• NMSU Symphonic Winds, 3 p.m. Sunday, March 14
• Guest Artist Recital: Trefor Smith, piano, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 14
• NMSU Symphonic Band, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 16
• Graduate Recital: Michael Armendariz, percussion, 3 p.m. Sunday, March 28
• Senior Recital: Tyler Jordan, trombone, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 28
• NMSU Faculty Woodwind Quintet, 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 29
• 41st Annual NMSU Jazz Festival, March 31-April 1. Concert 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, with guest artist Jeff Jarvis.
‘March On-A Salute to the Military’ – 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 12 at UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall. El Paso Wind Symphony presents an evening of patriotic music. Tickets: $12.50 ($7.50 students). Information: 760-5599.
The El Paso Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Ron Hufstader, includes woodwind, brass and percussion.
‘Porgy & Bess’ — The El Paso Opera closes its 16th season and celebrates March as “Opera Month” with a gala benefit concert setting performance of George and Ira Gershwin’s all time classic American classic at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 12-13, at Abraham Chavez Theatre, conducted by Maestro Raymond Harvey. The performance encompasses the essence of Americana from the Negro spiritual to the blues of the Bayou, the jazz sounds of New Orleans and the streets of Broadway. A true American classic, hits include “Summertime,” “My Man’s Gone Now” and “Bess, You Is My Woman Now.” Tickets: $15-$90 (10 percent discount for military, students and seniors age 55 and older). Information/subscriptions: 581-5534 or epopera.org.
Now in his 11th season as Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Harvey has also appeared as guest conductor with many of America’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concerts and the Boston Pops.
In the title roles are Geraldine McMillian as Bess and Roland Burks as Porgy. McMillian made her debut with the New York City Opera as Mimi in La Bohème and returned there as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly. She is a frequent guest performer with orchestras throughout the world. Burks has performed opera extensively throughout the United States, and is equally at home in the world of musical theater, with such roles as Sweeney in “Sweeney Todd” and Jim in “Big River.”
The cast also features Lori Hicks as Serena and Timothy Robert Blevins as Sportin’ Life.
The performance is coupled with Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F played by Harvey.
El Paso Opera will host a series of performances, lectures, shopping, socializing and more during Opera Month:
• El Paso Museum of Art will host free hour-long “Art of Opera” lectures at noon Wednesdays at the El Paso Museum of Art. The presentations will illustrate the relationship between opera and visual arts by comparing opera styles of the times with what was being produced on canvases.
• A citywide “Shop Opera” fundraiser features locally owned businesses posted on the opera’s website during March.
• This month’s “BRAVO! Alliance Mixer is 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 18, at El Paso Museum of Art, with cocktails and information about the benefits of membership. The BRAVO! Alliance is a national organization of opera supporters that offers ticket discounts to opera performances around the nation.
Rudolf Budginas – Las Cruces Civic Concerts present the musical piano prodigy at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 13 ,at the Rio Grande Theatre. Budginas debuted with the Lithuanian National Symphony at age, trained with the Moscow Conservatory and soon rose to fame performing solo concerts. His show, “You, Me & The Piano,” ranges from classical works like Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody” to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” Tickets: $20. Information: (575) 521-4051.
Las Cruces Symphony – The symphony, under the direction of Lonnie Klein, performs March 20-21 at NMSU’s Atkinson Recital Hall with guest Stefano Miceli, piano. Selections include Beethoven’s Overture to “Egmont,” Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” and Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 2. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Release tickets available on a limited basis; $35, $40 and $45. Information: (575) 646-3709 or lascrucessymphony.com.
A luncheon with Maestro Klein is 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 18, at Ramada Palms Hotel Conference Center, featuring a preview of the performance’s music. Cost: $16.
A Friday at the Symphony dress rehearsal is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 19. Tickets are $15 ($5 students with ID).
Raquela Sheeran — El Paso Public Library and the Piatigorsky Foundation present the internationally renowned soprano accompanied by Efi Hackmey, in a series of free public concerts at public libraries in March. Information: elpasolibrary.org.
Schedule:
• 4 p.m. Friday, March 19, Richard Burges Branch, 9600 Dyer.
• 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 20, Westside Branch, 125 Belvidere.
• 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 20, Judge Marquez Branch, 610 N. Yarbrough.
• 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 21,
Main Library, 501 N. Oregon
• 9 a.m. Thursday, March 25, Canutillo High School Library, 6675 S. Desert Blvd.
Gateway Brass — The U.S. Air Force Band of the West’s brass ensemble will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 21, in the Chapin High School Auditorium, 7000 Dyer. Sponsored by University of Texas at El Paso. Admission is free. Information: (210) 671-3934 or bandofthewest.af.mil.
EPSYO and EPSO “Side-by-Side” Concert — More than 150 performers from El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestra and El Paso Symphony Orchestra will combine forces at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 28, at the Plaza Theatre. Tickets: $13-$39 Information: 532-3776 or tickets.epso.org.
‘Gee ‘n Ess & ‘I’ — Dr. George Jarden will host his original one-man musical show at 7:15 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 1-4 and May 6-9, at the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. A special grand opening show and champagne gala is Thursday, April 1. Tickets: $15 ($13 seniors April 4 and May 9 show) $13 ($10 seniors all other shows). Students admitted free. Gala tickets: $50.
Information: (575) 525-6720 or 4artsproductions.org.
The show highlights the light comic operas of W.S. Gilbert (Gee) and Arthur Sullivan (Ess) including: “The Mikado,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “H.M.S. Pinafore,” and eight others. Jarden sings, dances and acts Gilbert & Sullivan roles, and also interacts with some 20 ambitiously and ingeniously-conceived videoed musical and dramatic vignettes. The two huge video screens on-stage also display still-art cartoons and characterizations, painted by noted Las Cruces artist Flo Hosa Dougherty.
Jarden is a long-time community member and arts promoter.
El Paso Repertory Singers — El Paso’s newest vocal ensemble seeks all voices to rehearse and perform a varied repertoire. Participants should be able to sing in tune, sing in time, and learn the notes on their own. Rehearsals are 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, at Trinity First United Methodist Church (Yandell and Mesa). Our Spring concert in March will feature “Spirituals and Old American Songs.” Information: aurolyn2@yahoo.com.
New Desert Harmony Singers — The community mixed chorus, directed by Dave Kinkaid, auditions singers for its annual summer concert at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 225 W. Griggs in Las Cruces. Regular rehearsal begins at 7 p.m. Information: (575) 650-4417 or newdesertharmonysingers.blogspot.com.
New Horizons Symphony — The Orchestra is seeking new members for; all instruments welcome. Parts provided for non-traditional swing band instruments. Rehearsals are6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, at NMSU’s Atkinson Recital Hall; three gigs are planned this spring. Information: Shawn Robinson, (270) 320-8340 or robinsp@nmsu.edu, or Carol Rehder, (575) 575-522-4272.
New Horizons is a national organization that gives seniors a venue for fulfilling their dreams of becoming musicians.
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