Tag Archives: arts chorale

GVSU holiday concert to celebrate ‘The Many Moods of Christmas’

November 27, 2018Entertainmentarts chorale, Craig Jessop, Grand Valley State University, The Many Moods of Christmas, Utah State UniversityJoanne

Robert Shaw’s “The Many Moods of Christmas” meshes together pieces of 18 of the most traditional carols combined with music from famous composers such as Handel, Bizet and Bach.

Renowned choral conductor Craig Jessop will lead the Grand Valley State University Arts Chorale and local high school students as they perform the piece during a special Fall Arts Celebration concert.

“Celebrating Holiday Splendor: Craig Jessop Conducts ‘The Many Moods of Christmas’” will take place Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m., at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids (24 Fountain Street NE). The concert is free and open to the public.

Jessop, professor of music and founding dean of the Cain College of the Arts at Utah State University, is the former director of the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He led the ensemble as a featured conductor during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

“Craig Jessop is a true American treasure, and he is without doubt one of the foremost expert choral conductors and choral interpreters in the world today,” said Danny Phipps, chair of Grand Valley’s Music, Theatre, and Dance Department. “I am very excited that our students will have an opportunity to work with this legendary conductor because those who remain in the fields of choral performance or choral education will never forget working with him, nor will audiences forget that they heard the ‘Many Moods’ conducted by one of the most accomplished and celebrated Choral conductors in America today.”

For more information about Fall Arts Celebration, visit gvsu.edu/fallarts.

GVSU Fall Arts Celebration concert to feature holiday music from France

November 29, 2017Entertainmentarts chorale, Fall Arts Celebration, French music, Grand Valley State University, GVSU, GVSU Symphony Orchestra, NoelJoanne

By Matthew Makowski

GVSU

On Christmas Eve in France, churches and cathedrals are lit with candles, church bells can be heard ringing throughout the air and Christmas carols are sung by thousands of people. After midnight mass, French families traditionally celebrate with a feast called “le réveillon” — a cherished household tradition celebrating family, with food and wine that can last up to six hours until the dawn of Christmas morning.

Fall Arts Celebration at Grand Valley will honor these French holiday traditions through music with a large symphony orchestra performing selections including Renaissance composer Guillaume Du Fay’s “Magnificat,” Francis Poulenc’s “Gloria,” and France’s most beloved holiday carols, including “Pat-a-pan, Il est né, le divin Enfant” and “Minuit, Chrétiens” (O Holy Night).

“Noël, Noël, Joyeux Noël: A Celebration of French Music for the Holiday Season” will take place Monday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m., at Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE.

The GVSU Symphony Orchestra will accompany a 90-member chorus, including Grand Valley’s University Arts Chorale and high school choir students from East Grand Rapids and Hudsonville. The processional will spotlight eight Grand Valley dance majors who will be dancing in the aisles. The Grand Rapids Symphony Junior Youth Chorus will also be featured, and Ashley Neumann, ’08, will return to perform as soprano soloist in Poulenc’s “Gloria.”

“Music is an integral part of this wonderful time of year as hearing the ageless melodies of the Christmas season often transports us back to when the excitement of Christmas morning was the best time of the year,” said Danny Phipps, chair of the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department.

For more information about Fall Arts Celebration, visit gvsu.edu/fallarts.

GVSU senior dance concert and so much happening this spring

March 29, 2017Entertainmentarts chorale, Boris Slutsky, chamber ensemble, dance, Grand Valley State University, GVSU, MusicJoanne

Music and Dance
For more information about all Music and Dance Department events, call (616) 331-3484. All events are free and open to the public.

Baum Series Recital: Boris Slutsky, piano
April 2, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sherman Van Solkema Hall (room 1325), Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
Consistently acclaimed for his exquisite tonal beauty and superb artistry, Boris Slutsky emerged on the international music scene when he captured the First Prize along with every major prize, including the Audience Prize and Wihelm Backhaus Award, at the 1981 William Kapell International Piano Competition at the University of Maryland. His other accomplishments include first prizes at the Kosciuszko Chopin Competition and San Antonio International Keyboard Competition, and major prizes at the International Bach Competition in Memory of Glenn Gould, Gina Bachauer, Busoni, Rina Sala Gallo, and Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competitions. Since his orchestral debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony in 1980, Slutsky has appeared on nearly every continent as soloist and recitalist. He currently serves as the Piano Department chair at The Peabody Conservatory of Music.

GVSU Senior Dance Concert
April 7 and 8, at 7 p.m.
Dance Studio Theatre (room 1600), Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
Join GVSU Dance Program seniors as they showcase their choreography and performance in their Capstone concert. Original works will be presented by Delaney Dickens, Robin Hutchings, Amadeo Lopez-Keranen, Ashley Paradise and Kaye Suarez.

GVSU Early Music Ensemble Concert
April 8, at 5 p.m.
Sherman Van Solkema Hall (room 1325), Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
Under the direction of Pablo Mahave-Veglia, professor of cello at Grand Valley State University, the GVSU Early Music Ensemble will be joined by Gregory Crowell, professor of organ and music general education at Grand Valley, as well as guest artists Sarah Huebsch (oboe), Leighann Daihl (flute), and Keith Collins (bassoon). Repertoire for this performance will include works by Bach, Telemann, Monteverdi, and others. The GVSU Early Music Ensemble is dedicated to the performance of pre-classical repertoire utilizing period instruments, or faithful modern replicas, as well as historically informed performance practice.

GVSU University Arts Chorale and Cantate Chamber Ensemble Concert
April 9, at 5 p.m.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (134 Division Ave. North, Grand Rapids)
A part of the Sacred Sounds Concert Series, the Grand Valley Cantate Chamber Ensemble and University Arts Chorale will present a varied concert of choral music including “Lobet den Herrn” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Alleluia” by Paul Basler and works by Daniel Elder and Kim Arnessen.

GVSU Low Brass Chamber Music Concert
April 9, from 7:30-8:45 p.m.
Louis Armstrong Theatre, Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
Members of the GVSU Tuba and Euphonium Studio, and Trombone Studio will showcase their chamber music talents through a performance of classical, romantic and contemporary compositions.