OSU Wind Ensemble performs Holst, Sousa and more May 23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2019

OSU Wind Ensemble performs Holst, Sousa and more May 23 

By Zachary C. Person, 541-737-4671, zachary.person@oregonstate.edu

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State University Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Chris Chapman presents its final concert of the 2018-2019 season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23 at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26thStreet, Corvallis.

Chapman conducts Gustav Holst’s “Fugal Overture” and “Chants” by Oregon-based composer Martin Benhke to open the program. Guest conductor Olin Hannum then joins the stage to lead Percy Grainger’s “Irish Tune from County Derry,” a setting of the tune made famous via the folk song “Danny Boy.”

Anthony Barfield’s “Red Sky” featuring solo trombonist Carson Keeble closes the first half. “Red Sky” is a sonic depiction of the big bang theory, focusing on concepts of space, matter and energy.  Keeble is instructor of trombone at OSU and is a former member of the Colorado Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic and New Mexico Symphony. He frequently performs with the Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony and Santa Fe Opera, and has performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic and many others. 

John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever” opens the second half. The rousingly patriotic march was designated the official National March of America in 1987, and its rousing melodies and thrilling piccolo solo have delighted wind band audiences for generations. 

Symphony No. 2 “Voices” by James Stephenson is the major work on the program. The symphony is a three-movement, twenty-minute exploration of anger, heartbreak and reconciliation written in response to the death of Stephenson’s mother in 2016.  

General admission tickets $5 advance, $10 door. OSU students with ID and K-12 youth admitted free. CAFA discounts apply. Advance tickets available online at: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/musicevents. To request accommodations relating to a disability call 541-737-4671.

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About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts includes fine and performing arts, humanities and social sciences, making it one of the largest and most diverse colleges at OSU. The college’s research and instructional faculty members contribute to the education of all university students and provide national and international leadership, creativity and scholarship in their academic disciplines.

COPI Steinway Piano Series presents Lukáš Vondráček ­Nov. 4 at Stewart Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 15 October 2018

COPI Steinway Piano Series presents Lukáš Vondráček ­Nov. 4 at Stewart Center

By Zachary C. Person

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Pianist Lukáš Vondráček performs at Oregon State University as part of the Corvallis-OSU Piano International Steinway Piano Series at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 4 in the Austin Auditorium at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis.

Following his first place prize at the 2016 International Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition, the Czech-born Vondráček has emerged as one of the most sought after performers of his generation. During the 2018-2019 season, notable solo engagements include the Pittsburgh Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony, and the Orquestra Sinfônica de São Paulo. Recital dates include the Vancouver Chopin Society, Deutschlandfunk Cologne, the Flagey in Brussels, and many others.

Past seasons have seen him perform as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the national orchestra of Belgium. Solo recitals have included dates at the most important venues in the world, including Wigmore Hall in London, the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Other international awards include the top prizes at the Hilton Head, San Marino and Unisa International Piano Competitions, and the Raymond E. Buck Jury Discretionary Award at the Van Cliburn Piano Competition in 2009. 

Vondráček’s program includes works by three Czech composers: Vítêzslav Novák’s “Memories, Op. 6”; Josef Suk’s “Love Song, Op. 7, No. 1”; and four selections from Bedřich Smetana’s second book of Czech dances. Two works by the German romantic composer Robert Schumann, “Arabesque in C Major, Op. 18” and “Carnaval, Op. 9,” close the recital. 

Tickets $25 in advance, $28 door. Advance tickets are available online at corvallispiano.org or locally at Grass Roots Books & Music. Youth ages 8-18 and all college students with valid ID admitted free. CAFA discounts apply, valid for purchase of up to two $5 tickets at The LaSells Stewart Center starting one hour prior to the concert with SNAP card. Accommodations relating to a disability may be made by calling 541-758-0036, preferably at least one week in advance. 

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About Corvallis-OSU Piano International: Corvallis-OSU Piano International furthers the appreciation and celebration of piano music and performance in our community by providing high-quality performances, outreach opportunities and educational programs. COPI presents the Steinway Piano Series, an annual concert series featuring world-class performers. Children’s concerts, master classes, lectures and a jazz series also serve as part of a mission to bring people together in a culture of piano through performance, education and advocacy.