Spring music concerts offer something for all

The end of the semester offers music lovers a chance to hear student groups perform. A week of free concerts awaits. Mark your calendars.

Skidmore's Department of Music will present a variety of student concerts celebrating a semester of effort, scheduled from April 24-30 in the Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall. Admission to all is free; tickets are required (see below).

• Skidmore Concert Band, 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 24

Directed by Mike Medenbauer, the Skidmore Concert Band will present final pieces in the April 24 concert. The Skidmore Concert Band was started at the beginning of the academic year and has quickly grown to 40 members. The concert program will also feature a performance by the Skidmore Trombone Trio.  
 

• Skidmore Guitar Ensemble, 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25

The Skidmore Guitar Ensemble, an auditioned ensemble devoted to the performance of classical guitar music in combination with other instruments and voice, performs at 8 p.m. April 25. Joel Brown, coach of the ensemble, is an accomplished performer as both a guitar soloist and a chamber musician, and a founding member of Tritonis, a flute, guitar and cello trio.

• "Singing in Spring," 4 p.m. Friday, April 26

Individual vocal students coached by Gene Marie Kern will perform selected pieces.

• Skidmore Small Jazz Ensembles, 8 p.m. Friday, April 26

Under the coaching of Artists-in-Residence John Nazarenko, Mark Vinci, and George Muscatello, students in the Skidmore Small Jazz Ensembles will perform April 26. 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.

• Skidmore Wind Ensembles, 3 p.m. Sunday, April 28

The Skidmore Wind Ensembles offer students the opportunity to explore chamber ensemble repertoire and perform a final concert April 28. Shelley Smith, coach of the ensemble, has performed with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra and Lake George Chamber Orchestra, appearing as a soloist for the latter, as well as for the Skidmore College Orchestra and University of Akron Symphony Orchestra.

• Skidmore String Ensembles, 7 p.m. Sunday, April 28

Coached by Michael Emery, the Skidmore String Ensembles feature talented string students who will present selections from classic string music literature April 28.

• Skidmore Big Band, 8 p.m. Monday, April 29

Mark Vinci directs the Skidmore Big Band, which offers students the opportunity to perform in a large jazz group. This auditioned group, which includes as many as 25 members, will perform their end of semester concert April 29.

The Skidmore Orchestration Readings will feature pieces written by Skidmore student composers.

Admission for the April student presentations is free and open to the public. Tickets are required. For advance reservations please 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.