DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS
Performing Arts Highlights 2013-2014
ARCHIVED CONTENT - REDIRECT
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DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS Performing Arts Highlights 2013-2014 |
 FMU Artist SeriesThursday, 19 September 2013, 7:30 pm Kassab Recital Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center Assembly Saxophone Quartet
Robert Young - soprano saxophone
Ian Jeffress - alto saxophone Matt Younglove - tenor saxophone Adam Estes - baritone saxophone The Assembly Quartet is a professional chamber music ensemble whose mission is to promote music education and expand the enjoyment of music for people of all ages. Formed in 2003 by graduate students at the University of South Carolina, the Quartet’s principal objective was, and remains, to engage with audiences in public schools and communities, working with students and audiences that often have limited experience with chamber music or with the music of our time. Recently, the group has completed week-long residencies in Minot, North Dakota, South Carolina, and North Carolina performing and teaching in area schools and offering evening recitals; additionally, the group was featured in a performance with the Minot Symphony Orchestra and another with the Aiken Concert Band of Bob Mintzer’s “Rhythm of the Americas” concerto for saxophone quartet and orchestra/band, and was the inaugural performer in Conundrum Theater’s “Not So Classical” new music series in Columbia, SC. In past years, the Quartet has been featured in the Columbia Museum of Art’s French Impressionist Art/Music Collaboration, on South Carolina public radio, and regularly at meetings of the North American Saxophone Alliance and International Saxophone Symposium. As a student ensemble Assembly won awards in the MTNA and Hendersonville Chamber Music Competitions. The Assembly Quartet is a versatile ensemble, comfortable performing a wide variety of styles from orchestral pops to virtuosic avant-garde. Committed to furthering the saxophone quartet repertoire, the group has commissioned works by Sophocleous Charalambos, Peter Kay, Richard Maltz, and Simon Fink. The Quartet recently appeared in Scotland, UK at the World Saxophone Congress XVI where they gave the world premiere performance of Mic Check by Simon Fink. The quartet's debut album, Putting It All Together, is available at AssemblyQuartet.com.
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 FMU Faculty RecitalMonday, 21 October 2013, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence An Evening of Franz Liszt
Paolo André Gualdi, piano
Italian pianist
Paolo André Gualdi has played recitals in Italy, France, Brazil and
the United States for music organizations such as A.Gi.Mus., Accademia
Ori, and Accademia Amadeus (Italy); Universidade Federal do Rio Grande
so Sul and Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (Brazil); Musée Würth
(France); International Piano Series of Charleston, American Liszt
Society, Cincinnati Conservatory, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival
(U.S.A.). He has also appeared with many orchestras including the
Georgia Philharmonic, Wilmington Symphony, Atlanta Philharmonic,
Florence Symphony, DeKalb Symphony, and the Universidade de Caxias do
Sul Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded for Mark Records and IFO
Classics, and his performances have been broadcasted by radios such as
NPR and Radio Vaticana.
Gualdi began studying piano with his father at the age of five, and continued at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy. He earned his Piano Diploma with highest honours at the Conservatory Arrigo Boito in Parma with Roberto Cappello. While in the U.S., he earned a Masters Degree in Piano Performance at Carnegie Mellon University under the tutelage of Enrique Graf, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance at the University of Georgia with Evgeny Rivkin. He has also studied with world-renown pianists György Sandor, Earl Wild, Menahem Pressler, Sergio Perticaroli, and has worked extensively with Carlo Maria Dominici (a pupil of Michelangeli and Rosina Lhévinne). He has won the top prize in numerous piano competitions, including the European Competition of Ostuni, the Altruda National Competition of Vasto and the Françoise Grimaldi National Competition of San Polo. Winning the “De Martino Award” at the Ibla International Piano Competition enabled him to study at Elon University in North Carolina. During this period he won the First Prize in the 15th Bartók-Kabalevsky International Competition in Virginia. Gualdi regularly gives master classes and lectures nationally and internationally at universities, conservatories and other music institutes, including New Mexico State University and College of Charleston (U.S.A.); the universities of Porto Alegre, Santa Maria and Campinas (Brazil); Cittadella della Musica (Italy), and others. Having previously served on the faculties of Elon University, Emmanuel College and Oxford College of Emory University, he is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Francis Marion University and founder and artistic director of the South Carolina Chamber Music Festival which will return to Florence this February 24-28, 2014. RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The first 100 tickets for each Mainstage performance are free to FMU students (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket); all remaining tickets are $5 each.
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 FMU University TheatreThursday-Saturday, 24-26 October 2013, 7:30 pm Fine Arts Theatre, Hyman Fine Arts Center An Evening at Provincetown
"The Long Voyage Home" by Eugene ONeill, "Cocaine" by Pendleton King, and "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell Directed by Dawn Larsen The Francis Marion University Theatre's
2013-14 season's fall production will be An Evening at Provincetown,
directed by professor Dawn Larsen. It will be performed in the
Fine Arts Theater in Hyman Fine Arts Center on campus.
Located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod, in the early twentieth century Provincetown transformed from a sleepy New England coastal town into a magnet for artitstic and literary talent. Drawing from the rich output of the playwrights who converged on the town, a group began to self-produce new American plays on makeshift stages in 1915, later branching out to form the Provincetown Playhouse in Greenwich Village, New York City. The University Theatre has selected several seminal one act plays from 1916 and 1917, the earliest days of this movement to produce new drama during a period when the theatre was both an escape from and a commentary upon a new world at war. RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling 843-661-1365 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. |
| FMU Concert Band Tuesday, 29 October 2013, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence FMU Concert Band
Dr. Terry Roberts, guest soloist Kelly Jokisch, conductor The Francis Marion University Concert Band will be performing its fall concert of the 2013-2014 season Tuesday, October 29, at 7:30 p.m., at the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence. This concert will include just under an hour (no intermission) of a wonderful variety of classic wind band music, including the ever popular "Deep River," as well as a very upbeat Karl King march, "Call to Victory," and a beautiful William Latham piece entitled, "Three Chorale Preludes." The audience is in for a treat as the featured guest soloist for the fall concert will be the talented, widely acclaimed, well-known director of the Florence Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Terry Roberts. Dr. Roberts began his musical studies at the age of five, first with piano, then horn and cello. He completed his Bachelor of Music at Florida State University in 1976 after which he went to Cologne, Germany to study with Erich Penzel. While in Germany, he was appointed Solo Horn with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, where he performed for 8 years. He was then appointed Solo Horn of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra where he stayed for an additional eight years. While in Europe, Dr. Roberts performed in all the major theaters and symphony halls as a soloist and chamber and orchestral musician. He has performed most of the major horn repertoire, and has made recordings with many esteemed orchestras and artists both in Europe and in the United States. It was while he was performing in Europe that Roberts developed an interest in conducting. Dr. Roberts studied in Cologne, Germany and at the Conservatoire du Nice, France. He was also able to work with many well-known conductors from all over the world such as Lorin Maazel, Daniel Barenboim and Sir Neville Mariner. In 1993, Roberts moved back to the United States and started a freelance career as soloist, chamber and orchestra musician. In 1994, he was a prizewinner in the Professional Division of the American Horn Competition. While at Florida State University as a candidate for the D.M. degree, Dr. Roberts served as Music Director/ Conductor of the Chipola Regional Symphony Orchestra in Florida through 1998. Currently, Dr. Roberts is Associate Professor and Coordinator of music at Francis Marion University. He maintains an active performing and conducting schedule throughout the Southeast. Dr. Roberts is Music Director/Conductor of the Florence Symphony Orchestra and the Florence Symphony Youth Orchestra in Florence, South Carolina. Dr. Roberts will be accompanied by the full band as he plays the solo horn part of "Three Contrasts for Solo Horn and Wind Ensemble," by Claude T. Smith. Dr. Roberts recently wrote an arrangement for concert band of the third movement ("Presto") of Mozart's "Sinfonia Pastorella for Alphorn and String Orchestra." Dr. Roberts is among a very select few people in South Carolina who play an Alphorn. This is not an instrument you can throw into the trunk of your car. It's huge. The audience will have the rare opportunity to hear an alphorn accompanied by a full concert band if Dr. Roberts can manage to get his alphorn to the Performing Arts Center by October 29. The Francis Marion University Concert Band is a 53 member band which includes FMU students as well as community members from Florence, Lake City, Darlington, Dillon, Hartsville, Columbia, Marion and surrounding areas. Community members include professional area music educators, band directors, choir directors, ministers of music, and FMU music faculty members. Due to the quality of the local talent of the band members, the group has been tagged the "Who's Who of the Florence Instrumental Music Scene." Membership is open to all FMU students and area residents who are experienced concert band instrumentalists. Performances include traditional concert band music as well as popular and show music. The program began as a way to give students of FMU a chance to perform music, earn academic credit for performance in the ensemble, and to become involved with other students in campus life. Beginning in the spring of 2002, the FMU Concert Band rehearsals were scheduled on Tuesday evenings and adult musicians from the region were invited to participate. The band continues to rehearse every Tuesday evening, and performs three concerts each year - in the fall, winter and spring. This year's concerts will be October 29, 2013, February 4, 2014, and April 15, 2014. Kelly Jokisch, a Francis Marion Instructor of Music and member of the Florence Symphony Orchestra, has been director of the FMU Concert Band since October, 2010. We are always seeking additional participants; if you play a band instrument or know someone looking for a place to play, please contact us. Information can be found at Music - Instrumental Program or email Kelly Jokisch at kjokisch@fmarion.edu. RESERVATIONS: All middle and high school students who show an ID and those younger are free. All remaining tickets are $5 each and may be purchased at the door the night of the concert. Tickets may also be purchased in advance by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The Box Office is also open 90 minutes before any Presenting Series event, Florence Symphony Orchestra concert, or Department of Fine Arts performance. The first 100 tickets are free to FMU students who present valid FMU ID's at the Box Office. For this concert, Tickets are not available online. |
 Dr. Terry Roberts with alphorn  FMU Concert Band at the Performing Arts Center YouTube of April 2013 Performance |
 FMU Guest Artist SeriesThursday, 7 November 2013, 7:30 pm Kassab Recital Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center Neil Zaza, guitar
Not only has guitarist Neil Zaza
helped to define the genre of melodic instrumental guitar, he has
become a worldwide ambassador for the instrument itself. His melodic
compositions have changed the way musicians play, and what audiences
worldwide demand out of their guitar heroes.
With fiery technical brilliance and breathtaking musical interpretation, Neil Zaza has defined himself as the instrumental guitarist with an unparalleled ability to combine solid, catchy songwriting with a keen melodic sense and technical fury. From his virtuoso rock solos, to laying a funk groove, to demonstrating his classical prowess by performing Bach and Mozart compositions, Zaza's extreme versatility has been showcased worldwide in concerts, clinics, festivals, as well as on his own solo instrumental albums. Zaza has shared the bill with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dweezil Zappa, Steve & Mike Porcaro (Toto), Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, and Andy Summers among countless others. He has performed on albums by Dweezil Zappa, Eric Carmen, Michael Stanley and also supplied guitar tracks for a Stewart Copeland-produced movie soundtrack. It all began... in Akron, Ohio, where Neil Zaza was born, and still resides. Zaza started playing guitar at the age of 10 and went on to study classical guitar at The University of Akron under renowned educator and performer Stephen Aron. Zaza began to teach guitar, and in 1987 he formed the rock band Zaza, which quickly became one of the hottest U.S. touring bands at that time. After a successful run and even a hit song "Maybe Tomorrow" , the band disbanded and a brilliant solo career began. Neil Zaza is a frequent guest at the prestigious Winter NAMM Convention and a regular on the guitar clinic circuit around the world. Neil has been featured in a variety of international guitar publications over the years and even garnered the cover of such magazines as Music Music, Guitar Fan, Guitar Shop, Modern Player and Poland's Guitar & Bass, as well as technical music disciplines Home Recording, Musician, EQ, and Electronic Musician. Numerous readers' polls have also been won for Best Guitarist in worldwide publications. Locally, the coveted Best Guitarist Award was won at The Free Times Music Awards in both 2005 & 2006. Neil's latest CD is 212 which was released on February 12, 2011. 212 holds a special place for Neil as it represents a magical number for him. For years, the number 212 keeps popping up in places where Neil plays, lives and travels. Numerology aside, 212 takes Neil's playing to new levels by demonstrating his ability to write songs that combine his highly advanced technical prowess and accurate speed with strong melodic hooks and unforgettable melodies. This combination is deadly and sure to set the watermark for how expressive and emotive a guitarist can be. "It's always been about the song for me", states Neil. "I remember all the tunes that really moved me when I was growing up and it wasn't about the guitarist playing 128th notes. It was about an inexplicable connection I felt drawing me to wear out my records as I couldn't get enough of that rush of the song itself! That's what I try and do with my music today and 212 in specific. It's always about the song!" With the new 212 CD now released worldwide, Neil is preparing to bring his unique and innovative style of melodic guitar playing to even great audiences worldwide. To see the global impact that Neil has made with his playing, tune into YouTube and see what over 1.6 million fans have witnessed on his video of him performing his hit "I'm Alright". The combination is deadly and sure to set the watermark for how expressive and emotive a guitarist can be. This unique voice continues to evolve... |
| FMU Department of Fine Arts Monday, 18 November 2013, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence University String Ensemble
Terry Roberts, director Open to all university students and faculty interested in learning and performing chamber music, the University String Ensemble members meet for weekly rehearsals during Fall and Spring academic semesters, giving public recitals and accompanying other campus ensembles. RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The first 100 tickets for each Mainstage performance are free to FMU students (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket); all remaining tickets are $5 each. |
| FMU Department of Fine Arts Tuesday, 19 November 2013, 7:30 pm Kassab Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center Cut Time Show Choir
Sue Butler Orr, director Francis Marion’s show choir, CUT TIME is an audition-only group which combines singing and choreography. This group performs throughout the region for schools and service organizations. In the fall of 1996 they traveled to Lake City and Charleston, singing in 5 high schools. In October of 1997 they sang at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World in Orlando. In 1998 they traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, in Washington, D.C. and in Vienna, Austria. In April of 2002, they returned to Disney World and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. Spring of 2003 included a performance cruise to the Bahamas. |
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| FMU Department of Fine Arts Thursday, 21 November 2013, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence FMU Music Industry Ensemble
Brandon Goff, director The Music Industry Ensemble is a chamber ensemble devoted to the development of individual performance and improvisation skills through the preparation and staging of music for small groups representing a variety of classic and modern jazz, pop, rock and soul styles. Please contact Dr. Brandon Goff bgoff@fmarion.edu for additional information about participating in the Jazz Express. RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The first 100 tickets for each Mainstage performance are free to FMU students (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket); all remaining tickets are $5 each. |
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 FMU Artist Series, English Department and Provost SupportedThursday, 30 January 2014, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence Twelfth Night
by Aquila Theatre
In 1991, Artistic Director Peter Meineck founded Aquila Theatre with the desire to create bold reinterpretations of classical plays for contemporary audiences that sought to free the spirit of the original work and recreate the excitement of the live performance that made it become a classic play. Our mission is simple yet very ambitious – to bring the greatest works to the greatest number. We believe passionately that everyone should be forded the opportunity to engage with classical drama of the highest quality at an affordable price right in their own communities, experience arts from other places and exchange ideas, discuss and explore these works in an accessible and exciting format. Based in New York City since 1999, Aquila has gone on to win popular, critical and academic acclaim worldwide and regularly appears at international festivals with performances in places as diverse as Carnegie Hall, the Ancient Stadium at Delphi, The Los Angeles Cathedral Plaza and the White House. We are determined to bring the works of Shakespeare, ancient Greek playwrights, appropriations of both these and new American classics to vivid life and to help make theatergoing part of the fabric of American cultural life. Aquila presents a season of classical plays in New York at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, tours nationwide to between 50-70 cities per year and provides the following extensive educational programming: Shakespeare Leaders, an after-school program in Harlem and the Bronx, which trains students to perform and produce a classical play; Workshop America, a nationwide initiative designed to demystify classical drama whilst making theatre-going an un-intimidating experience; and Theatre Breakthrough, which provides a unique opportunity for students in underserved rural and urban communities to witness a live performance at a professional theatre. Aquila also recently received a National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman’s Special Award for Ancient Greeks / Modern Lives, a new national public program, which places live theatrical events, reading groups and lectures in cultural institutions to inspire people to come together to read, see, and think about classical literature and how it continues to influence and invigorate American cultural life. Twelfth Night was written in 1600 and set against a background of romance and mystery, this hilarious story of identical twins and mistaken identity, set in the mystical world of Illyria, explores the universal themes of love and all its ambiguous effects on human behavior. Aquila will take this great Shakespearean masterpiece and infuse it with their unique brand of innovative and exciting theatricality. Aquila's creative team will free the essential spirit of the play in a production that will be both faithful to Shakespeare and relevant and accessible to a modern audience. This event is sponsored in part by the FMU Artist Series, FMU English Department, and FMU Provost Office. Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. Tickets will be $15 Adult / $10 Student. |
| FMU Concert Band Concert Tuesday, 4 February 2014, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence FMU Concert Band featuring Roderick Brown
Kelly Jokisch, conductor Mr. Leon O. Harvey was the band director at Wilson High School for 43 years from 1960 till his retirement in 2003. Under his leadership Wilson had numerous bands of distinction. Harvey instilled the joy of music and developed superior musicianship in his students. When Mr. Harvey was asked for recollections on his former student, Roderick Brown, he answered “He’s always been an outstanding student, He is serious about music and that’s the main thing”. “That’s pretty much what we stress as (band directors), playing afterwards, not only just in high school but to find places to perform in church, for recreation, military.” “I've always been proud of him.” Roderick Brown, 1995 Wilson HS Alumnus never stopped playing and performing even while obtaining a degree in Chemistry from Francis Marion University in 2006. Roderick did just what Mr. Harvey expected out of his students, he continued to perform. Brown has been playing the saxophone for 25 years. He started band in public school under the leadership of his first and most influential band director and mentor, Mr. Leon O. Harvey. Roderick recalls when Mr. Harvey, who was a fine saxophonist, demonstrated to the class how a melody in their method book, "Abide With Me," was to be played. "Mr. Harvey borrowed my horn, and played the hymn beautifully. Everything changed for me. I knew then that I would stick to the saxophone." Inspired by Mr. Harvey, Roderick would practice earnestly. In high school he earned chairs in the South Carolina All State Honor Band for Alto Saxophone and Oboe. He can be found performing on all woodwind instruments around the Pee Dee. Roderick currently performs with the Florence Little Theatre Orchestra, FMU Concert Band, and frequently with the Florence Symphony Orchestra. He serves as a musician at Maxwell Baptist Church in Florence, SC. He has also served at other churches in the area: St. John's Episcopal Church, Florence Baptist Temple, Mount Zion Methodist Church in Kingstree, SC and Main Street United Methodist Church in Dillon, SC. He performs with the Woody's. He recently started playing in a jazz duo with guitarist Thomas McBratney. Brown will be featured on the FMU Winter Band Concert, Tuesday February 4, 2014 7:30pm at the FMU Performing Arts Center. He will be performing on Alto Saxophone Catch Me If You Can by John Williams Arranged for Band by Jay Bocook. The piece is from the Movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and contains music from its soundtrack. Chris will then switch musical genres as well as musical instruments as he performs the great jazz standard Blue Bossa on Tenor Saxophone. The Winter Concert on February 4 will also contain traditional band literature from Alfred Reed, Alleluia! Laudamus Te, an energetic opening selection; The Fives Prevail!, a contrasting melodic piece; Our Kingsland Spring by Hazo; and light hearted, The January February March by Don Gillis. The spring concert on April 15, 2014 will feature another outstanding FSD1 Music Student, Thomas Middleton, who recently graduated with a Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy from The Boston Conservatory. RESERVATIONS: All middle and high school students who show an ID and those younger are free. All remaining tickets are $5 each and may be purchased at the door the night of the concert. Tickets may also be purchased in advance by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The Box Office is also open 90 minutes before any Presenting Series event, Florence Symphony Orchestra concert, or Department of Fine Arts performance. The first 100 tickets are free to FMU students who present valid FMU ID's at the Box Office. For this concert, Tickets are not available online. |
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 FMU Artist SeriesThursday, 6 February 2014, 7:30 pm Kassab Recital Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center Athens Guitar Duo
Dusty Woodruff & Matthew Anderson First constituted as the Athens Guitar Trio, the internationally celebrated Athens Guitar Duo has been consistently entertaining audiences for the past eight years, offering them exquisitely crafted performances, each presented with a delicacy and creativity only to be found among the finest of chamber ensembles. They have opened up the world of the guitar to new audiences and have promoted the works of both modern and traditional composers with a youthfulness and freshness that makes the music of those composers come alive. It’s really exciting, the way they play the guitar; it’s like they bring something quite new out of it. The guitar has a sort of sound which everybody knows, but you listen to the way they are playing it and they are treating it as if it’s a new instrument… I thought [their performance of Princess of Lykia] was really riveting: beautiful playing. Very sensitive. -Gregers Brinch, Composer Through their performances and recordings, AG² is constantly extending the boundaries of the guitar ensemble. Each member plays a guitar built by the master luthier, Kenny Hill; these include an extremely rare 11-string guitar that extends the ensemble’s range. With this unique combination, AG2 explores the expressive capabilities of their instruments through diverse repertoire selections and creative and entertaining arrangements—some of which can be found on their debut CD Magellan’s Playlist. Recently, Grammy Award winner Dr. Stephen Paul submitted Magellan’s Playlist for a Grammy Nomination. This CD was recorded near London with Claudio Records and is being distributed internationally by Naxos International. It has been featured on NPR’s “Classical Guitar Alive!” as well as other radio stations throughout the world. AG² is an active partner in the creation of a musical legacy. Since 2005, first appearing as a trio, they have premiered many works composed specifically for their ensemble. They have also been invited to perform for an impressive list of distinguished guests. These include former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter; the Pulitzer-Prize winning composer, William Bolcom; Simone Fontanelli of the Mozarteum in Salzburg; and the world-renowned guitarist, Christopher Parkening. The playing is first-class, utterly convincing and the overall impression is one of deep musicality and welcoming, fascinating moods. A very strongly recommended issue, outstandingly well recorded. -Musical Opinion UK As an ensemble, both Woodruff and Anderson have performed throughout the United States, Europe, and the People’s Republic of China. The AG²’s explorations into the depth and wealth of the guitar repertoire, along with their increased flexibility and dedication to producing great performances, will open to new audiences the joys to be found in this music. Their performances have included master classes at major universities—the most recent workshops took place in China at Tsinghua University, Nankai University, and the Guangzhou Guitar Society. AG² will continue this tradition by adding concerts and appearances in Europe and Asia, as well as North America, to an increasingly long list of musical triumphs. In the words of St. John Brown, of MeridianFM (in the UK): "I'm not really a great fan of the guitar, but I thought [their CD] was wonderful, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it!" There can be no doubt as to the commitment of the Athens Duo to this music. There is a crispness, a colouration and a sense of involvement which is most attractive. As must be a requirement of good duos, they play as if joined at the hip. -David Billinge (Music Web International) The AG2 is represented by C&K Artists
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 FMU University TheatreWednessday - Saturday, 19-22 February 2014, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence Tape by Stephen Belber
Directed by Keith Best The
Francis Marion University Theatre's 2013-14 season's winter production
will be Stephen Belber's Tape, directed by professor Keith Best.
It will be performed in the Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence
Jon, an aspiring filmmaker on the verge of hitting it big, hooks up for the weekend with his best friend from high school, Vince, a volunteer fireman who makes his money selling dope. Jon's new film is being shown at a festival in Lansing, Michigan, and Vince has come from Oakland to see it. Over the course of the evening, Vince finally gets Jon to admit that ten years ago he date-raped Amy Randall, a girl whom they both dated in high school—only then to reveal that he's taped their entire conversation. And not only that, he's invited Amy to have dinner with them that night. Beneath its suspenseful, high-stakes surface, Tape examines questions of motive, memory, truth and perception. RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The first 100 tickets for each Mainstage performance are free to FMU students (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket); all remaining tickets are $5 each. |
| FMU Lecture Series, Department of Fine Arts, College of Liberal Arts Monday - Friday, 24-28 February 2014, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence South Carolina Chamber Music Festival Dr. Paolo André Gualdi, artistic director and coordinator The South Carolina Chamber Music Festival will host a series of chamber recitals to showcase the artists participating in workshops and masterclasses taking place throughout the week. Please check back closer to performance date for additional information. GUEST ARTISTS Qiao Chen Solomon, violin – China/USA (Agnes Scott College) Danijela Zezelj-Gualdi, viola – Serbia/USA (UNC Wilmington) Joseph Eller, clarinet – USA (University of South Carolina) Hyunjung Rachel Chung, piano – Korea/USA (Spelman College) Dusan Vukajlovic, cello – Serbia/USA (Principal Cellist, SC Philharmonic) Martin Gueorguiev, cello – Bulgaria/USA (Oxford College) Tan and See, piano duo – Malaysia/Singapore (Charleston Academy of Music) FMU FACULTY Brandon Goff, composer Terry Roberts, horn Shane Reeves, percussions Paolo André Gualdi, piano Monday, Wednesday and Friday recitals are scheduled for 7:30 pm and tickets are $5 each (free with FMU student ID); Lecture and Master Class are free and scheduled for 6:00 pm. Monday-Friday programs will take place in the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence at 201 South Dargan Street. For more information please call the PAC Box Office 843.661.4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The recital on Saturday, March 1st, will take place at the National Bean Market Museum in Lake City at 111 Henry Street. Please call 843.374.1500 for information. |
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| Monday, 24 February 2014, 7:30pm Beethoven: Clarinet Trio, Op. 11 Brahms: Clarinet Trio, Op. 114 Chopin: Sonata for Cello and Piano, op. 65 Joseph Eller, clarinet Dusan Vukajlovic, cello Paolo André Gualdi, piano Tuesday, 25 February 2014, 6pm Piano master class by Hyunjung Rachel Chung Wednesday, 26 February 2014, 7:30pm "American Duos" Amy Beach: Sonata for violin and piano, Op. 34 Matthew Saunders: ‘South Africa’ for marimba and horn Paul Basler: ‘Lamentoso’ and ‘Epilogue’ for horn and piano Goff: world premiere of the new work for electric guitar and piano ‘Force Quit’ Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (piano four hands version) Qiao Chen Solomon, violin Hyunjung Rachel Chung, piano Terry Roberts, horn Shane Reeves, marimba Brandon Goff, electric guitar Paolo André Gualdi, piano |
Thursday, 27 February 2014, 6pm Lecture recital - music for piano four hands Tan and See Piano Duo Friday, 28 February 2014, 7:30pm Handel-Halvorsen: Passacaglia for violin and cello Beethoven: String Trio, Op. 9 no. 3 Fauré: Piano Quartet no. 2, Op. 45 Qiao Chen Solomon, violin Danijela Zezelj-Gualdi, viola Martin Gueorguiev, cello Paolo André Gualdi, piano Saturday, 1 March 2014, 7:30pm The National Bean Market Museum, Lake City SC This concert is sponsored by the Community Museum Society of Lake City, SC Music by Handel-Halvorsen, Beethoven and Fauré Qiao Chen Solomon, violin Danijela Zezelj-Gualdi, viola Martin Gueorguiev, cello Paolo André Gualdi, piano |
 FMU Department of Fine ArtsThursday, 7 March 2014, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence FMU Percussion Ensemble
Shane Reeves, director The
percussion ensemble performs music written expressly for percussion.
The works performed by the ensemble utilize a variety of percussion
instruments and encompass a multitude of musical styles including
classic works for percussion ensemble, world music, transcriptions, and
contemporary percussion music.
RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The first 100 tickets for each Mainstage performance are free to FMU students (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket); all remaining tickets are $5 each. |
 FMU Artist Series / Burns Memorial RecitalThursday, 27 March 2014, 7:30 pm Kassab Recital Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center Jennifer Shoup, piano
Jennifer
Shoup has presented solo and chamber recitals across the United States
and abroad. She has been a featured soloist with the National Orchestras
of Chile, Costa Rica and The University of Dayton Orchestra. She was
distinguished by being one of eight pianists and the only American
invited to Belgais Center for the Arts (Portugal) where she was featured
on French National Radio and Portuguese television.
Jennifer has presented recitals for the Sigma Alpha Iota National Convention, The American Matthay Association and numerous university artist series across the United State. She frequently lectures, recently presenting a lecture recital and solo recital for The American Matthay Association Festival held at the University of Kansas and for the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Convention held in Cleveland. Ms. Shoup attended the University of Dayton and received a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Certificate in Piano Pedagogy from Carnegie Mellon University. She began Doctoral studies at Arizona State University. Her principle teachers included Donald Hageman, Enrique Graf and Caio Pagano. She also studied in Vienna, Austria as a recipient of the Cordell W. Hull International Fellowship. Ms. Shoup has taught for the prestigious Carnegie Mellon Preparatory School and as adjunct faculty for the University of Dayton and Cedarville University. She currently owns The Piano Preparatory School and Beavercreek Music which serves two hundred fifty families in Dayton, Ohio.
THE DAVID MARSHALL AND CATHERINE KOGER BURNS MEMORIAL RECITAL SERIES
David Marshall Burns, Jr., and Catherine Koger
Burns, natives of Charleston, South Carolina, were married and moved to
Florence in 1933 where they became actively involved in civic
activities and the arts. The Bums Recital Series was established in 1989
by Catherine Burns in memory of her husband and, upon her death in
1995, the Series was renamed the David Marshall and Catherine Koger
Burns Memorial Recital Series.Mr. Burns was a graduate of the Medical University School of Pharmacy, with a post-graduate degree in pharmaceutical chemistry. Mr. Burns was chief pharmacist at Roper Hospital in Charleston until 1933 when he became Medical Service Representative for Eli Lilly and Company, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, and moved to Florence. He was a member of the South Carolina Pharmaceutical Association as well as the Traveling Men's Organization. He served on the Board of Health of Florence and was Chairman of the Salvation Army Board. He was a member of the Board of Stewards of Central Methodist Church. He was volunteer instructor of pharmacology at McLeod's Nursing School and was twice chosen by the nurses as outstanding teacher. Mr. Burns was a member of the Society for Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Singing in America, Inc., an organization dedicated to the support of a hospital in Kansas which treats children with speech and hearing defects. He was a member of The Graduates, a Quartet which performed at various affairs including Art's Alive at Francis Marion University. He was honored by the local chapter in 1973 and again in 1984 when he was chosen Barbershopper of the Year. His hobby was antique clock collecting and repair. His collection of about 250 clocks went to a museum in North Carolina. After his retirement from Eli Lilly, Mr. Bums worked part-time at Dixon's Drug Store on Dargan Street. Catherine Koger Bums was a graduate of Memminger High School in Charleston and later earned degrees in Music and English at Coker College in Hartsville. A talented actress, she later took post graduate work at the University of North Carolina and studied drama at the Bennett School, Millbrook, New York. After a brief attempt to make a New York career in the theater, Mrs. Bums returned to South Carolina and taught piano in Midland, South Carolina, under the supervision of her cousin, Nell Mellichamp. Soon thereafter in 1933, she was married to David Marshall Burns of Charleston. In Florence, Mrs. Burns continued to perform as a regular with the Florence Little Theatre and played several leading roles in radio dramas produced by WIS, Columbia, and WCSC, Charleston. As a frequent reader at her Sorosis Literary Club, Mrs. Burns became regionally recognized as an interpreter of the poetry of Dubose Heywood, Harvey Alien, and others. For many years Mrs. Burns performed dramatic readings and narrations at Christmas and Easter Holidays at Central United Methodist Church and Timrod Park. Probably, however, the most satisfaction she ever derived from the use of her talents was when she was "The Story Lady" and read classic stories to the children at the Florence Public Library. This cherished activity was resumed in her adopted hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, where she lived until her death in March 1995. This recital series is a tribute to David and Catherine Burns and their valuable contributions to the enhancement of the arts in the Pee Dee. |
| FMU Department of Fine Arts Sunday, 6 April 2014, 4:00 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence University String Ensemble
Terry Roberts, director Open to all university students and faculty interested in learning and performing chamber music, the University String Ensemble members meet for weekly rehearsals during Fall and Spring academic semesters, giving public recitals and accompanying other campus ensembles. RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The first 100 tickets for each Mainstage performance are free to FMU students (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket); all remaining tickets are $5 each. |
 FMU University TheatreThursday-Saturday, 10-12 April, 7:30 pm Fine Arts Theatre, Hyman Fine Arts Center Miss Witherspoon by Christopher Durang
Directed by Glen Gourley The
Francis Marion University Theatre's 2013-14 season's final production
will be Christopher Durang's Miss Witherspoon, directed by professor Glen Gourley.
It will be performed in the Fine Arts Theater in Hyman Fine Arts Center
on campus.
RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling 843-661-1365 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. |
| FMU Department of Fine Arts Saturday, 12 April 2014, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence, 7:30 pm FMU Music Industry Ensemble
COLLECTIVE CD Release Concert Brandon Goff, director The Music Industry Ensemble is a chamber ensemble devoted to the development of individual performance and improvisation skills through the preparation and staging of music for small groups representing a variety of classic and modern jazz, pop, rock and soul styles. Please contact Dr. Brandon Goff bgoff@fmarion.edu for additional information about participating in the Jazz Express. RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The first 100 tickets for each Mainstage performance are free to FMU students (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket); all remaining tickets are $5 each. |
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| FMU Concert Band Concert Tuesday, 15 April 2014, 7:30 pm Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence FMU Concert Band
"Favorite Baritone Arias and Songs" Thomas Middleton, baritone soloist Kelly Jokisch, conductor The spring concert for the FMU Concert Band, Favorite Baritone Arias and Songs will feature Thomas Middleton’s baritone voice. Thomas Middleton is now living a dream, performing opera in Boston while maintaining a private lesson voice studio. Middleton is from a musical family and grew up in Timmonsville. He is a FSD1 graduate who earned a BM in Vocal Performance from Furman University and a MM and Professional Studies Certificate (graduating in May 2014) from The Boston Conservatory. While his love for music was nurtured at home, he also participated in the public school music programs of FSD1 and with his church choir. Thomas participated in school choir, was a South Florence Choralier, played trumpet through high school and was the jazz guitarist for the SFHS jazz band. Thomas Middleton has performed with Boston Opera Collaborative, the North End Music and Performing Arts Center (Boston), the Lyrique-en-Mer opera festival in Belle-Île-en-Mer, France, the Furman Opera Theater, and The Boston Conservatory Opera. For this homecoming concert, the FMU Concert Band will feature Thomas’ Classical Voice on music from famous operas; Gounod’s Faust “Avant de Quitter ces lieux”, Largo al factotum from Rossini’s Barber of Seville, a selection from Handel’s Messiah and even a Gershwin favorite. The Francis Marion University Concert Band is a 53 member band which includes FMU students as well as community members from Florence, Lake City, Darlington, Dillon, Hartsville, Columbia, Marion and surrounding areas. Community members include professional area music educators, band directors, choir directors, ministers of music, and FMU music faculty members. Due to the quality of the local talent of the band members, the group has been tagged the "Who's Who of the Florence Instrumental Music Scene." Membership is open to all FMU students and area residents who are experienced concert band instrumentalists. Performances include traditional concert band music as well as popular and show music. The program began as a way to give students of FMU a chance to perform music, earn academic credit for performance in the ensemble, and to become involved with other students in campus life. Beginning in the spring of 2002, the FMU Concert Band rehearsals were scheduled on Tuesday evenings and adult musicians from the region were invited to participate. The band continues to rehearse every Tuesday evening, and performs three concerts each year - in the fall, winter and spring. This year's concerts will be October 29, 2013, February 4, 2014, and April 15, 2014. Kelly Jokisch, a Francis Marion Instructor of Music and member of the Florence Symphony Orchestra, has been director of the FMU Concert Band since October, 2010. We are always seeking additional participants; if you play a band instrument or know someone looking for a place to play, please contact us. Information can be found at Music - Instrumental Program or email Kelly Jokisch at kjokisch@fmarion.edu. RESERVATIONS: All middle and high school students who show an ID and those younger are free. All remaining tickets are $5 each and may be purchased at the door the night of the concert. Tickets may also be purchased in advance by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The Box Office is also open 90 minutes before any Presenting Series event, Florence Symphony Orchestra concert, or Department of Fine Arts performance. The first 100 tickets are free to FMU students who present valid FMU ID's at the Box Office. For this concert, Tickets are not available online. |
Thomas Middleton, baritone soloist
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| FMU Department of Fine Arts Tuesday, 21 April 2014, 7:30 pm Kassab Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center Cut Time Show Choir
Sue Butler Orr, director Francis Marion’s show choir, CUT TIME is an audition-only group which combines singing and choreography. This group performs throughout the region for schools and service organizations. In the fall of 1996 they traveled to Lake City and Charleston, singing in 5 high schools. In October of 1997 they sang at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World in Orlando. In 1998 they traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, in Washington, D.C. and in Vienna, Austria. In April of 2002, they returned to Disney World and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. Spring of 2003 included a performance cruise to the Bahamas. |
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FMU Artist Series
FMU Artist Series