Thorley Recital Hall has its curtains drawn and instruments at the ready as music students prepare for the free ensemble performances at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 and 16 open to the public.
The performance on Nov. 15 will showcase the brass and woodwind students. The instruments performing will include flutes, oboes and a clarinet trio as well as pieces performed by a woodwind quartet including a flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon.
“I am so pleased with the musical development of the students thus far,” said Dr. Laura Grantier, director of woodwinds at Southern Utah University. “They’ve had to work together as a team, diagnose and solve issues together and use nonverbal communication to play together as an ensemble.”
The performance on Nov. 16 will showcase the strings and piano students.
Those who attended the Piano Monster Concert were provided a sneak peak of the piano ensemble’s portion of the concert, but there is certainly more to come.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Cecy Robinson, a senior performing in the piano ensemble, said. “We’ve been working out the pieces and really refining them.”
Among other works, Robinson will be performing a piece with senior Tyler Nielson that they will play in a piano duo repertoire competition.
Though Nielson is a piano performance major, he will also be playing the cello in the strings portion of the event.
“Performing in the string ensemble has been a great experience and I’ve learned so much about performing and leadership,” said Nielson.
Not every student performing is a music major, and some of the students will be performing live for the first time — providing a rich learning experience for all those who find themselves in the recital hall.
Article by: Audrey Gee
Photo Courtesy of SUU Ensemble
