Whether you’re a jazz aficionado or a connoisseur of the classics, the Brock University Wind Ensemble is sure to strike a chord. Full Steam Ahead will be the ensemble’s inaugural performance held in the Cairns Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
Under the baton of conductor Zoltan Kalman, the University Wind Ensemble features the talents of 60 musicians drawn from Brock University, high school students within the Niagara Region, and the broader music community. This concert includes Janice Fralick from the Niagara Symphony; Mary Sobota and Joanne Romanow from the Burlington Concert Band; and Kelly Hindrichs, Peter Macdonald, Frances Cohen, Mary-Anne Pearson, David Pearson, and Graham Young from Hamilton’s Symphony on the Bay.
High school students from the Niagara Region showcased in this performance include: Lindsey Cook from E. L. Crossley SS (Pelham); and Makayla Todd and Todd Morgan from Laura Secord SS (St. Catharines).
The Wind Ensemble’s program features masterworks of the past and present, including “La Gioconda” by Amilcare Ponchielli; “Selections from Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin; “Children of Sanchez” by Chuck Mangione; “Orient Express” by Philip Sparke; “The Lord of the Rings” by Johan de Meij; “The Christmas Song” by Mel Tormé; “Christmas on Broadway” by John Higgins; “Lost in the Woods” by Department of Music alumus Chris Barletta; and “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein.
Kalman states: “The players and I are incredibly excited about our inaugural performance in the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre! In celebration of our new performance home I have programmed a repertoire like none other in the history of the Wind Ensemble. It will feature a stimulating and grandiose mix of different musical styles that will definitely leave our audience breathless, will demonstrate the exceptional talent and brilliance of this group, and will allow us to soar to new heights.”
Such performances from the Department of Music are a key part of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts’ mandate in building connections between the community and the breadth of talent and creativity at Brock University.
Join us for Full Steam Ahead on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in Cairns Recital Hall. Tickets are $8 general admission, $5 eyeGo high school program (+HST), and are free to current MIWSFPA students with valid student ID. Purchase tickets through the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905-688-0722; or online at boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca
Media day: Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. in Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Saturday, November 21, 2015 marks the first concert of the season, presenting a fascinating combination of classical compositions and jazz arrangements from the “Great American Songbook.” Held at Covenant Christian Reformed Church in St. Catharines, the choir will be joined for the jazz segments of the evening by the Twilights Jazz Trio, featuring Lesley Kingham on piano, Rob McBride on bass and Devon Fornelli on drums.
COLLEAGUES, STUDENTS, FRIENDS & FAMILY, If you were in Toronto in early June you were fortunate to see a performance of:
Saturday, November 15, 2014, marks the release of the Avanti Chamber Singers’ third CD “Beauty is Before Me,” the fifth installment in the “Voices of Niagara” CD series, featuring works by local composers.
Avanti Chamber Singers – How Sweet and Fair: Songs of Nature by Antonín Dvořák and others.
The University Wind Ensemble enjoys a rich heritage of musical excellence, bringing together both university and high school students as well as members of the Niagara musical community to explore and perform major symphonic wind band works, both original and transcribed. Talented brass, woodwind, and percussion performers engage with their peers and conductor while pursing their passion and enjoyment of music through creative expression.
The Viva Voce! Choral Series includes Brock’s student choral ensembles (men’s and women’s choruses) as well as the Avanti Chamber Singers, a community mixed ensemble including many past and present Brock faculty, staff and students. Under the direction of conductor Harris Loewen, the ensembles perform multiple concerts throughout the academic year, and engage in community outreach, collaborative work with other Ontario choirs and special recording projects.
A silent film with live accompaniment performed by the Andrew Downing Ensemble. JUNO-winning composer-bassist-cellist Andrew Downing has composed an original music score for the legendary 1920 silent film ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ – a cult classic in the horror genre and a masterpiece of the German expressionist cinema tradition. Downing and his seven-member chamber jazz ensemble will perform live as the film is shown.
The Viva Voce Choral Series includes Brock’s student choral ensembles (men’s and women’s choruses) as well as the Avanti Chamber Singers, a mixed ensemble including several Brock staff and Music alumni. Under the direction of conductor Harris Loewen, the ensembles perform multiple concerts throughout the academic year, and engage in community outreach, collaborative work with other Ontario choirs and special recording projects.