School of Music student artists perform a moving collection of chamber music repertoire for strings, woodwinds, brass and piano. The culmination of rehearsal and coaching during the fall semester, these concerts are an integral part of coursework for School of Music students and provide a glimpse into the training they receive for performing in major ensembles.
Stefon Harris, vibraphone + Blackout (USA)
For a decade, Stefon Harris’ ensemble Blackout seemed to have vanished. Then, in 2009, in the bold album “Urbanus,” the modern jazz vibraphone linchpin led his quintet through a mix of Gershwin interpretations and Jackie McLean covers, with a nod to Stevie Wonder along the way. Fusing jazz vibraphone with strong interests in R&B and Latin sounds, Harris has explored the frontiers of his instrument since first emerging in the late 1990s.
Representing a variety of majors across campus, the University Band is joined by the Maryland Community Band for a concert of traditional and contemporary wind band music in a performance that can be enjoyed by all ages.
Program:
University Band:
William Schuman: George Washington Bridge
Michael Colgrass: Mysterious Village
Percy Grainger: Colonial Song
Robert Jager: Variations on a Theme of Robert Schumann
Experience the soulful, syncopated sounds of jazz in these two lively concerts featuring classic tunes performed by the four jazz combos coached by Gerry Kunkel, Tom Baldwin, Mike Quinlivan and Mike Kuhl. Attend both nights—each performance features a different program. Concert repertoire coming soon.
Gustav Holst’s The Planets is an epic orchestral suite that takes the listener on a majestic journey through the solar system. Each of the seven movements represents the number of planets visible from earth at the time the piece was composed, taking on the astrological character of the planet it represents.
Featuring the world premiere of Oracles by composition faculty member Mark Wilson, the concert will also include James Stephenson’s The Road Home with faculty member Chris Gekker on trumpet and Shuying Li’s The Last Hivemind, which was inspired by the TV series Black Mirror and explores the potentially disastrous repercussions of using artificial intelligence or “hive mind.”
Brentano Quartet (USA)
Set in 1898, Flyin’ West is the vivid and spirited story of African American women pioneers who settle together in the all-black town of Nicodemus, KS. After emancipation, the play’s four women have taken advantage of the Homestead Act to leave the oppressive South in hopes of finding the freedom that had been denied to them for so long. Cleage’s work explores themes of determination, racial pride, intermarriage and the power of love to highlight the female empowerment that she sees as vital to the African American community.
SITI: The Bacchae
For the 18th consecutive year, the High School Choir Invitational puts the future of choral music in the spotlight as talented area high school choirs gather for a vibrant side-by-side performance with the UMD Chamber Singers and University Chorale.
