Music faculty to perform at Gala Benefit concert

Courtesy of Alan Comstock

For the first time the ESU music faculty will be the showcasing their talents at the 2008 Annual Gala Benefit Concert. The benefit is the largest scholarship fundraiser for the universities music department.

“Having the faculty perform is one of the new ideas that we wanted to try,” said Andrew Houchins, professor of music theory, composition and digital audio recording. “We have excellent faculty that’s performed internationally. The members of our faculty are very accomplished musicians so this is a real chance for the community to see top quality performers.”

The event is formal and the benefit concert will start at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 13 in the Heath Recital Hall.“The ESU Music Department hosts the Gala Benefit Concert every year,” said Kate Bergman, instructor of Flue and Ear-Training at ESU. “Its purpose is to raise money for music scholarships for ESU students. In past years, we have normally brought in a guest artist. For the first time this year, we have decided to feature ESU faculty.”

The goal of the music department is to raise a total of $25,000. This is the first year that they have set a targeted amount. They are selecting this amount this year because they intended to create an endowment scholarship in honor of Dr. James Starr. Starr will be retiring from the ESU at the end of the year after having worked in the ESU music department for 33 years. In order to create the endowment scholarship $10,000 dollars must be raised. The other $15,000 will go towards other music department scholarships for students.

A silent auction will take place beforehand from 6:00 p.m.- 7:15 p.m. in the Beach Hall Shepherd Music Center Rotunda. Individuals will be able to bid on items while scholarship students play background music. Beverages will also be served during this time.

Some of the items that individuals will be able to bid on during the auction are gift certificates and sporting tickets. Interested parties may also bid on special performances, as some of the faculty have donated their time and talents for the auction. Winners can have the participating faculty members play at special events such as a wedding or social event.

In addition to the concert, the event will also mark the induction of Professor Emeritus Elaine Edwards into the Beach Hall of Distinction. Faculty are inducted into the Hall of Distinction if they have distinguished themselves musically throughout the community and within service to the university. Edwards will be the first faculty induction since 2000.

“Elaine was selected by a scholarship committee to receive the honor,” said Alan Comstock, interim chair of the ESU music department. “We felt that she was a deserving former professor who has continued to serve the community by teaching piano in the community although she has since retired.”

Some of the featured artists at the concert will be ESU associate professor Martin Cuellar and ESU lecturer Melinda Groves who will play a piano duet. ESU assistant professor Tracy Freeze will also be performing a marimba piece.

Two quintets’ will perform at the event, the Flint Hills Brass Quintet and the Mid-American Woodwind Quintet. The woodwind quintet will perform a song entitled “Opus Zoo” by Luciano Berio, an experimental Italian composer. There will also be a vocal performance by ESU music instructor Andrea Garritano.

“It will be a wonderful concert and a truly gala event,” Comstock said. “The music was chosen by the faculty specifically because it has audience appeal. This is the first time we’ve put together a faculty committee that included not only music faculty but also supporters of music from the community. To plan the event we wanted to take a comprehensive approach.”

Tickets for the event are $25 and tickets can be purchased in the office of the music department, room 105 of Beach Hall. For more information call 620-341-5431.