Student groups to present end-of-semester concerts
Skidmore's Department of Music has announced a variety of student concerts celebrating a semester of hard work.
As the fall semester comes to a close, the series of free concerts by Skidmore' student ensembles demonstrates the talents among Skidmore musicians and their growth as artists during the semester. The series begins with the Skidmore Concert Band coached by Mike Meidenbauer, at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29. The schedule also includes the following:
Taiko Class Recital at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30;
String Ensembles at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1;
Small Jazz Ensembles at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1;
Wind Chamber Ensembles at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2;
Big Band at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3; and
Skidmore Guitar Ensemble at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6.
All concerts will be in the Arthur Zankel Music Center.
The Taiko Class Recital, coached by Lei Bryant, will perform at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30. Over the course of the semester, the students examined the origins of Taiko drumming in Japan and considered how the tradition has developed in North America over the past four decades. They discussed the role of Taiko drumming in the Asian-American movement, explored different styles of contemporary Taiko in Asian America, and gained basic drumming competency. Through the integration of academic and performance study, they considered and experienced Taiko drumming as a prominent and dynamic Asian-American performing art.
The Skidmore String Ensembles, coached by Michael Emery, will perform at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. The ensembles feature talented string students who will present selections from the classic string music literature.
The Small Jazz Ensembles, coached by Tim Peck, George Muscatello, Mark Vinci, and John Nazarenko, will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. The ensembles offer students opportunities to develop their improvisational skills. Membership of the small jazz groups is determined by student performance levels assessed through audition and may include from three to eight players. Typically there is a rhythm section (piano, bass, drums) and horns, guitars, or vocalists. These student ensembles perform on and off campus for various events, including shows at Caffe Lena, Falstaff's, and Virgil's Coffee House. Repertoire is largely decided by the students and includes jazz, Latin, funk, and rock-based music.
The Wind Chamber Ensembles, coached by Jan Vinci, will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2.
The Skidmore Big Band, which includes as many as 25 members, is directed by Mark Vinci and will perform at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3.
The Skidmore Guitar Ensemble, coached by Joel Brown, will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6. The Skidmore Guitar Ensemble is an auditioned ensemble devoted to the performance of classical guitar music in combination with other instruments and voice. Brown is an accomplished performer well known as a guitar soloist and a chamber musician, as well as a member of the band Triple Play.
Admission to all concerts is free and open to the public. Tickets are required. For advance reservations click here or call the Zankel box office (518) 580-5321 for more information. The Zankel Music Center is wheelchair accessible and offers listening devices for the hearing impaired. For more information, please click here.
