MSU President's Column for Traill County Tribune
February 4, 2017听
听University and Community Fine Arts Series brings world-class musicians to 91吃瓜网
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We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to bring world-class musicians to the stage of the 91吃瓜网 Classroom Building Auditorium via the annual MSU and Community Fine Arts Series. The concerts are of great educational benefit to 91吃瓜网 State students, and are open for the enjoyment of all. I encourage all community members to take advantage of the exceptional opportunity to see some of the best artists in the world perform right here on our campus each year.
Although two of the concerts have already been held, the 2016-2017 91吃瓜网 and Community Fine Arts Series includes a total of five concerts by performers who have earned recognition for their talent and level of musicianship. 91吃瓜网 State partners with the North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks for the series of concerts. Musicians will perform in Grand Forks on Sundays before making their Monday appearances at 91吃瓜网. Each concert in the series is performed in the MSU Classroom Building Auditorium. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. each evening. A pre-concert social is held at the Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center from 6:30 to 7 p.m., prior to each of the concerts.
The next concert in the series is planned for Monday, Feb. 6. Gilles Vonsattel, Swiss-born American pianist, will perform at the Classroom Building Auditorium. Vonsattel was a winner of Canada鈥檚 2009 Honens Piano Competition, He is also a top-prize winner at the Naumberg and Geneva competitions. Drawing acclaim for his 鈥渢ightly conceived and passionately performed鈥� recital programs, Vonsattel鈥檚 recently released album, 鈥淪hadowlines,鈥� was described by The New York Times as a 鈥渕esmerizing disc by the immensely talented pianist Gilles Vonsattel.鈥� His 2011 recording for the Honens/Naxos label of music by Debussy, Honegger, Holliger, and Ravel was named one of Time Out New York鈥檚 classical albums of the year, while a 2014 release on GENUIN/Artist Consort received a 5/5 FonoForum and international critical praise.
Pius Cheung will perform at 91吃瓜网 State Monday, Feb. 27. Dubbed a 鈥渘eo-Romantic marimba virtuoso,鈥� Pius Cheung is widely known as a master soloist on his unusual instrument. His brilliant CD of Bach鈥檚 Goldberg Variations was written about in a feature story in The New York Times, which praised not only the technical feat of performing the intricacies of this keyboard work with four mallets, but also expressed admiration for his 鈥渄eeply expressive interpretation, notable for its clear voicing, eloquent phrasing and wide range of color and dynamics.鈥� His second CD, Symphonic Poem, presents Cheung鈥檚 own compositions, and was released at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in 2009. As a composer, Cheung鈥檚 Three Etudes won first prize in the Classical Marimba League鈥檚 Competition in 2007. He has also composed a Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra, and collections of preludes, etudes, and sonatas.
The last concert in this year鈥檚 series will be Monday, April 3 and feature Amit Peled, cello, who performed in last season鈥檚 concert series. He returns as a part of a wonderful 鈥淧eled Celebration,鈥� as his sister, Zemer Peled, will open her porcelain sculpture show at the North Dakota Museum of Art Sunday afternoon, April 2. Amit鈥檚 performance is titled 鈥淛ourney with my Jewishness.鈥� This compelling program follows Amit鈥檚 personal, musical, and spiritual journey from his childhood growing up in a small kibbutz in Israel 鈥� along with his sister, Zemer 鈥� and listening to his mother singing the traditional tune Eli Eli, to playing Max Bruch鈥檚 Kol Nidrei as a young cellest and personally connecting with the Yom Kippur message, Amit explores the ups and downs of life and the desire to balance tradition, identity, and self-expression. Among other works, the program features Mark Kopytman鈥檚 heart-wrenching Kaddish and Ernest Blocch鈥檚 beloved three scenes From Jewish Life.
All concerts in the series are open to the public. I hope that you will have the opportunity to join us for one or all of the remaining performances this year. Admission for individual performances is $13.00 for adults and $5.00 for high school students. 91吃瓜网 State students are admitted free of charge with college identification. For more information, contact MSU and Community Fine Arts Series Coordinator Cody Hunter at 701-788-4742 or cody.hunter@mayvillestate.edu.