ISSUED: 6 January 2014
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The Shepherd University Salon Series will present a concert on Thursday, January 23, at 8 p.m. in the W.H. Shipley Recital Hall of the Frank Center. Baritones Dr. Robert Tudor, associate professor and chair of the music department, and Dr. Robert Robinson, adjunct professor of music, along with guitarist William Feasley, adjunct professor of music, and pianist Deborah Hollis will present a diverse program in the first concert of the series for 2014.
The evening will begin with selections by renowned 17th-century composer and poet Bellerofonte Castaldi. Internationally acclaimed artist Feasley will join Tudor in selections by Castaldi for voice and theorbo. Robinson and pianist Hollis will share a collection of songs, which Robinson titled “Sharpsburg” to reflect the way the choosen pieces speak to him about the various, sometimes contradictory, emotions that permeate the beautiful landscape of the area, changed little since the days of the Civil War and remembered forever as the site that witnessed the most American bloodshed in a single day. The poetry and prose within explores intimate depths of loss, redemption, and hope.
The program continues with selections for voice and guitar by one of the foremost Argentinian composers of the 20th century, Carlos Guastavino, whose “Popular Songs of Argentina” include dance rhythms, gaucho poetry, rich harmony, and delightful melodies. Guastavino, who died in 2000, said of his music, “I love melody. I love to sing. I refuse to compose music only intended to be discovered and understood by future generations.”
The concert concludes with pianist Hollis joining Tudor and Robinson to present the song cycle “Here and Gone” by American composer Jake Heggie. Featuring poetry by A.E. Housman and Vachel Lindsay, the cycle premiered in 2005 at the Ravinia Festival. This intense cycle explores the themes of returning home, lost love, and impermanence.
The Salon Series continues on February 25 with the Shepherd Three–flutist Anne Munro, oboist Gregory Shook, and bassoonist Richard Polonchak, all adjunct professors of music and members of the Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra. Performing together since 2006, the ensemble plays mostly Baroque and Classical trios and occasionally Romantic and Contemporary duos and trios for winds. The group has two pieces written especially for them by Shepherd faculty members Dr. Mark Cook, associate professor of music and director of jazz studies, and Campbell Millar, adjunct professor of music. The trio is joined by Dr. Laura Renninger, coordinator for music history and appreciation, on piano and harpsichord.
The final recital of the Salon Series on March 20 presents the monumental work Quartet for the End of Time by French composer Olivier Messiaen. The performance features David Drosinos on clarinet, Jeffry Newberger on violin, and Stephen Czarkowski on cello, all adjunct faculty members, and Dr. Yu-Hsuan Liao, assistant professor of music, on piano.
The Shepherd University Music Salon Series concerts take place in the W.H. Shipley Recital Hall of the Frank Center and begin at 8 p.m. The concerts are open to the public and admission is free. For more information, call 304-876-5555 or visit www.shepherd.edu.
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