Welcome back to CoM Connection, a bi-weekly column highlighting some of the upcoming concerts, recitals and performances at the College of Music! The College of Music hosts over 350 performances every year by its 1,000+ students. There are dozens of musical ensembles that each put on their own concerts and recitals, ranging from traditional orchestra music to gospel choir to Balinese gamelan. Whether you were in band all through high school or you can’t tell a clarinet from an oboe, the CoM has something for everyone. Best of all, almost every performance is FREE for students!
World Music Concerts – Tuesday, Oct. 29 and Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 pm in Opperman Music Hall
This week, Opperman is hosting not one, not two, but FOUR world music ensemble performances! The Gamelan Ensemble and Omnimusica will be performing a joint concert on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 pm, while the Contemporary African Ensemble and the Old Time Ensemble will hold theirs on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 pm. Gamelan Ensemble is a group that specializes in traditional Indonesian music and Omnimusica is made up of an eclectic collection of instruments playing music from around the world. The Contemporary African Ensemble performs both traditional and contemporary music from many different African cultures and the Old Time ensemble performs American folk music (bonus: their concerts always end in a square dance!)
Courtesy: World Music Ensembles at FSU
Fall Opera: Der Vampyr (The Vampire) – Thursday, Oct. 31-Sunday, Nov. 3 at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall
Looking for spooky Halloweekend plans? Look no further than FSU Opera’s production of Der Vampyr by Heinrich Marschner, a super-intense German opera about a vampire who needs to sacrifice three innocent maidens in order to become a human. It’s dark, it’s dramatic, and if you’re a fan of horror movies, it has all the fake blood and gore you could ask for. The performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday begin at 7:30 pm and the Sunday performance is at 3:00 pm. If you want some insider info about the plot and the behind-the-scenes magic, I highly recommend going to the pre-opera lecture an hour before each performance in Westcott Room 060. Plus, if you’re looking for an excuse to show off your awesome Halloween costume, they’re holding a costume contest on Thursday at 7 pm at Westcott Fountain – the funniest and most creative costumes win free tickets to the show!
SPECIAL TICKET INFORMATION: $10 for FSU students with your student ID – call the CoM Box Office at 850-645-7949 or get there early to purchase your ticket!
Courtesy: Florida State University College of Music on Facebook
Choir Concerts – Week of Nov. 4
Next week is a busy one for our choirs! Cantores Musicae Antiquae, FSU’s early music choir, will be performing a Renaissance-inspired concert on Monday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 pm in Lindsay Recital Hall. Their program will feature a performance of Morten Lauridsen’s well-loved piece Lux Aeterna, accompanied by a chamber orchestra. The FSU Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs will have their joint concert the next day on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 pm in Opperman Music Hall. Men’s Glee’s program will include “Bright Morning Stars” by Shawn Kirchner and “Testament of Freedom” by Randall Thompson; Women’s Glee will be singing “Moon Goddess” by Jocelyn Hagan and “O Love” by Elaine Hagenberg, among others. Finally, University Singers and Chamber Choir will be performing a joint concert on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 pm in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Among their exciting repertoire is “Psalms” by Lukas Foss (scored for TWO pianos!) and “Five Mystical Songs” by Ralph Vaughn Williams, featuring FSU voice professor Dr. Evan Jones as the baritone soloist.
Courtesy: Noah Gunn
Trombone Choir – Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 pm in Dohnanyi Recital Hall
Yes, you read that right – trombone choir! Consisting of students from the FSU Trombone Studio, Trombone Choir always puts on enjoyable recitals with diverse and interesting repertoire, ranging from classical brass literature to pop & musical theatre arrangements. Nov. 7, they’ll be playing special arrangements of Frank Ticheli’s beautiful band/choral piece “There Will Be Rest” and “Run to You” by famous acapella group Pentatonix!
The Eppes Quartet – Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 pm in Longmire Recital Hall
Does that name ring any bells? It should: the Eppes Quartet is a string quartet that was founded right here at FSU by Pulitzer Prize-winning composition professor Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. Its members are College of Music graduate students seeking degrees in music performance. The quartet’s mission is to foster meaningful relationships with up-and-coming composers, and they’ve done so by premiering a handful of new works by young aspiring composers of string music. Fun fact: Eppes Quartet member Nina Kim, who plays the violin, was recently chosen as the winner of the 2019 FSU Doctoral Concerto Competition (a HUGE honor!). Come see the magic live in person Nov. 9!
Courtesy: Eppes Quartet
Senior Recitals
In addition to ensemble performances, dozens of upperclassmen also put on their own solo and duet recitals every semester! These seniors have worked incredibly hard during their time at FSU to develop their skills as performers and educators.
Jessie Chiang, violin – Saturday, Nov. 2 at 4:00 pm at Longmire Recital Hall
Claudia Edwards, violin – Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 pm at Dohnanyi Recital Hall
Joseph Fischer and Hailie Oliveira, horn – Sunday, Nov. 3 at 4:00 pm at Dohnanyi Recital Hall
David Ramos, saxophone – Sunday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 pm at Dohnanyi Recital Hall
Spencer Oyster, euphonium, and Delaney Delp, cello – Saturday, Nov. 9 at 4:00 pm at Longmire Recital Hall
That’s all for this edition of CoM Connection! I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with some more College of Music performance highlights. In the meantime, check out the College of Music calendar for the most up-to-date info!
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