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DEPARTMENT  OF  FINE  ARTS
Performing Arts Highlights 2015-2016
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BarbieFMU Artist Series
Wednesday, 9 September 2015, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence
Open Masterclass 4:00 pm in the PAC black box theatre
Genghis Barbie
Rachel Drehmann, aka Attila the Horn
Danielle Kuhlmann, aka Velvet Barbie
Leelanee Sterrett, aka Cosmic Barbie
Alana Vegter, aka Freedom Barbie

GENGHIS BARBIE, the leading post post-feminist feminist all-female horn experience, is the most innovative and energizing chamber ensemble of its generation and beyond.

With a combined 24 years of conservatory training, Genghis Barbie delivers to you a visceral and unadulterated musical adventure. Performing arrangements of pop music from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and today, contemporary commissions, and classical works, they are the most versatile and expansive group on NYC’s classical/pop/rock/jazz/indie/alternative/punk/electro-acoustic scene. Genghis Barbie was incepted in a unique moment of ingenuity when Freedom Barbie, Cosmic Barbie, Velvet Barbie, and Attila the Horn converged and vowed to create distinctive, interactive and personal performances. In addition to their busy New York City performing schedule, the ladies of Genghis Barbie have performed as Contributing Artists at the 2011 International Horn Society Symposium in San Francisco, played Schumann's Konzertstück with the Southern Methodist University Wind Ensemble, and appeared on America's Got Talent. In May 2012, Genghis Barbie made their Carnegie Hall debut in the premiere of a new concerto for four horns, commissioned by the New York Youth Symphony. As educators, they have toured numerous universities presenting workshops, masterclasses, and lectures on musical entrepreneurship. They have released four studio albums: the self-titled debut album, the holiday album “Genghis Barbie: Home for the Holidays,” “Genghis Baby: Songs for Noa,” and the newly released “Amp it Up!” Genghis Barbie aspires to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres show within one calendar year.

Tickets: Thanks to Artist Series sponsorship, admission is just $5 or free to FMU students, faculty and staff. Please contact the Performing Arts Center box office for additional information, 843-661-4444.
 

Rivkin and AmbartsumianBurns Memorial Recital, FMU Artist Series
Thursday, 24 September 2015, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

Levon Ambartsumian, violin and Evgeny Rivkin, piano

Levon Ambartsumian studied music in the Moscow Central Music School and then in the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where his teachers were Mikhail Garlitsky, Felix Andrievski, Yury Yankelevich, Leonid Kogan and Igor Bezrodny. In 1977 he became the First Prize winner of Zagreb International Violin Competition headed by Henryk Szeryng. Two years later he was a prizewinner of the Montreal International Competition, and, in 1981, he won the All-Union Violin Competition in Riga.

Levon Amartsumian was distinguished as Honored Artist of Armenia in 1988 and Honored Artist of Russia in 1997. Since 1977 Levon performed regularly at major venues throughtout the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe as he was not permitted to accept invitations to travel to the West. He collaborated with conductors and composers such as Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Fedoseev, Maxim Shostakovich, Aram Khachaturian, Alfred Schnittke, and many others.

Since 1988 Levon has performed in the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Brazil, and South Korea. In 1989, Ambartsumian founded the Moscow Chamber Orchestra ARCO, which has since then regularly performed in Russia and abroad and is currently based in Athens, Georgia, the United States. Amabartsumian joined the faculty of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in 1978, where he taught for 15 years. He was for two years a Visiting Professor at Indiana University School of Music (Bloomington, Indiana). In 1995, Ambartsumian accepted the position of Franklin Professor of Violin at the University of Georgia School of Music (Athens, Georgia).

Ambartsumian devotes himself to contemporary Russian, Armenian and American Music and has made several important world premiers. He has released numerous CDs with music by Wieniawski, Sarasate, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Stravinsky, Bartok, Shostakovich, Schnittke, Bronner, Arutiunian and other contemporary composers. As a teacher, Ambartsumian has given master classes in Russia, Armenia, South Korea, Canada, Brazil, and France. His former students hold principal positions with major European orchestras in Germany, France, Portugal, and Denmark, and many have been prizewinners at international violin competitions.

Evgeny Rivkin was born in Russia and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he studied with Professor Evgeny Malinin. He has been the recipient of many major awards, including top prizes in the USSR National Piano Competition in 1977, the Sixth International  Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow, the Bayerishe Rundfunk Competition in Munich, 1985, as well as the L. MacMahon International Competition in Lawton, Oklahoma. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in  Italy, France, Hungary, Germany, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Yugoslavia, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and other countries in live performances as well as radio and TV broadcasts, always earning enthusiastic praise for his exciting pianism and sensitive artistry.

Mr. Rivkin has made symphonic appearances and presented solo recitals in many world-famous halls, such as the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory and Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Great Hall of St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society, Hercules-Saal in Munich, Gewandhaus Hall in Leipzig, Wagner Hall in Riga, Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Carnegie Hall in New York and others.

His repertoire includes all the keyboard concertos of J.S.Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and the piano concertos of Schumann, Liszt, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Brahms, Grieg, etc., and the major solo literature from the Classical and Romantic eras.

Mr. Rivkin has recorded for A-RAM and Melodiya labels in Russia, Sintez records of Latvia, and in the United States, ACA Recordings. “Treat yourself to this fine rendition,” wrote Fanfare magazine about his recording of Tchaikovsky’s  G major Piano Sonata and The Seasons, adding that Rivkin brings out the best of this music.

Mr. Rivkin has been a Professor of Piano at the University of Georgia since 1995.

Tickets: Thanks to Artist Series sponsorship, admission is just $5 or free to FMU students, faculty and staff. Please contact the Performing Arts Center box office for additional information, 843-661-4444.
PROGRAM
The Brahms Piano and Violin Sonatas

Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in G major ('Regen'), Op. 78
1. Vivace ma non troppo
2. Adagio
3. Allegro molto moderato

Sonata for violin & piano No. 2 in A major ('Thun'), Op. 100
1. Allegro amabile
2. Andante tranquillo, Vivace
3. Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andante)

Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
1. Allegro
2. Adagio
3. Un poco presto e con sentimento
4. Presto agitato

 
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.
Jae Sinnett TrioFMU Artist Series
Thursday, 1 October 2015, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

Jae Sinnett Jazz Trio

Jae Sinnett is a musical visionary and a man of extraordinary talent.  He is a consummate drummer, composer, and band leader who has produced 13 recording. His most recent recording, released in August 2014, had the highest debut on the JazzWeek Radio Charts. Jae has written over 150 compositions and scored music for five documentaries.  Jae’s dream of having his trio perform with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra was realized on Oct. 10, 2014, a performance met with outstanding reviews.

Jae’s other professional life places him at the beginning of his 25th year as jazz producer/host for NPR affiliate WHRV-FM 89.5 in Norfolk, VA. Jae hosts the popular jazz show Sinnett in Session as well as The R&B Chronicles (both shows can be heard on demand).

As a jazz educator, Jae taught history, theory and percussion at the Governor’s school for the Arts in Norfolk, VA for eight years. He also directed the GSA Big Band and Jazz Combos and taught music at Christopher Newport University.

Some major performances by Jae Sinnett Trio include the Ella Fitzgerald Festival in Newport News, VA, the University of Wyoming, Coe College, Iowa State University, the M Shop in Ames, IA, the Jazz Center in Hilton Head, SC, Millersville University, the Museum of Cultural Art Philadelphia, Wayne State University, the Texas Jazz Festival, the Tucson Jazz Festival, Emory University in Atlanta and many more.

Pianist Justin Kauflin is a talented jazz musician with a bent toward urbane, swinging post-bop. Born in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1986, Kauflin took to music from a young age, starting with Suzuki violin and piano lessons at age two. By the time he was six years old, Kauflin was already playing concerts and, on several occasions, even leading an orchestra. However, it was also around this time that he was diagnosed with a rare eye disease that would leave him completely blind by age eleven. Undeterred, he continued to play piano and by his teens was performing professionally across the United States.
 
After graduating both from Salem High School and the Governor's School for the Arts where he was valedictorian, Kauflin attended William Paterson University in New Jersey on a Presidential scholarship. While there, Kauflin developed a mentorship with famed jazz trumpeter and instructor Clark Terry, a relationship detailed in the 2014 documentary film Keep On Keepin' On.

Since graduating William Paterson summa cum laude with an Honors degree in Music/Jazz Performance in 2008, Kauflin has led his own trio and worked regularly as a member of drummer Jae Sinnett's trio. In 2010, he released his debut independent album, Introducing Justin Kauflin. Three years later, upon Terry's recommendation, Kauflin signed a management deal with legendary producer Quincy Jones. In 2015, he released his sophomore album, the Jones-produced Dedication.

Jazz artist Terry Burrell fills out the trio on electric and acoustic bass.  Terry and Jae have been long time collaborators. They have performed together live for over twenty years and evidence the seamless musical rapport that can only come from the groove found through many nights of playing together.

Tickets: Thanks to Artist Series sponsorship, admission is just $5 or free to FMU students, faculty and staff. Please contact the Performing Arts Center box office for additional information, 843-661-4444.
FMU Faculty Recital
Thursday, 15 October 2015, 7:30 pm
Adelle Kassab Recital Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center

Xin Jie, soprano and Sumire Worman, piano.

Xin Jie was born in Shenyang and graduated from the prestigious Shanghai Conservatory with a BA in voice performance and from the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford with a Master’s level graduate diploma in voice performance. Xin Jie was a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Competition and has performed for audiences from New York to Atlanta and from China to Europe in many styles and in seven languages.

Venues include soloing with the Shanghai Philharmonic Association; soloing in a commemoration of Mozart in Avery Fischer Hall at the Lincoln Center; soloing at the Altamura Arts Center (NY) under the direction of Anton Coppola; and soloing with the renowned Orchestra at St. Luke’s for New York’s “First Night” New Year’s Eve celebration.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Sumire Worman started playing piano at the age of 3 and continued her studies in Switzerland and Canada from age 14.  She later obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in piano from The University of British Columbia, and her Master of Music degree in piano performance and literature from The University of Western Ontario, Canada.  Her principal teachers are Barrie Barrington, Sara Davis Buechner, Henri-Paul Sicsic, the Canadian duo pianists James Anagnoson & Leslie Kinton, and Takahiro Hoshino.

After graduating, she has performed solo and collaborative recitals in Japan. In addition, she taught piano lessons privately and translated masterclasses given by foreign pianists.  Sumire is currently living in the U.S. and she enjoys being on the music faculty at Francis Marion University as well as performing with the Florence Symphony Orchestra.

Free General Admission: Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, there are no reservations and admission is free.
Jie Xin Peters, soprano

Sumire Worman
TempestFMU University Theatre
Wednesday-Saturday, 28-31 October 2015, 7:30 pm
Fine Arts Theatre, Hyman Fine Arts Center

The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Directed by Professor Glen Gourley

The Francis Marion University Theatre's 2015-16 season will begin with The Tempest.

This drama is one of the great comedy plays by William Shakespeare. The themes illustrated in the play are freedom, friendship , repentance and forgiveness and feature different temperaments illustrating temperance and intemperance. The plot starts when King Alonso of Naples and his entourage sail home for Italy after attending his daughter's wedding in Tunis, Africa. They encounter a violent storm. Everyone jumps overboard and they are washed ashore on a strange island inhabited by the magician Prospero who has deliberately conjured up the storm. Prospero and Miranda live in a cave on the island which is also inhabited by Ariel, a sprite who carries out the bidding of Prospero, and the ugly, half human Caliban. Various plots against the main characters fail thanks to the magic of Prospero. The play ends with all the plotters repenting and the tempest is calmed.

For additional information, visit The University Theatre.

RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling 843-661-1365 between 1:00 and 5:00 pm.  Tickets: Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, admission is free.

FMU Concert Band
Tuesday, 27 October 2015, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence
FMU Concert Band -- Halloween Concert
Kelly Jokisch, conductor

Come in Costume!
Music includes: Night On Bald Mountain, The Music of Danny Elfman, and selections from Wicked and Phantom.

The 67-member concert band is composed of a combination of FMU student and community musicians.
 
Admission: Tickets for the Fall FMU Band Concert are free to all middle and high school students who show an ID and those younger.  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 Box Office (843-661-4444) or visiting the Box Office Monday through Friday from 12-5 p.m.  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.
Concert Band Halloween

David Lee NelsonFMU Artist Series
Tuesday, 3 November 2015, 7:30 pm
FMU Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

The Elephant in my Closet by David Lee Nelson

In this reprisal of his 2012 hit The Elephant in My Closet, David Lee Nelson gives audiences a fresh take on his political one-man show all about coming out ... as a democrat to his father. But a lot has changed since the 2012 election.

"Last time I did the show it was just before the election," says Nelson. "This time, we've retooled and added in all the political stuff that's gone on in the past couple of years, like the government shutdown, Obamacare, Todd Akin talking about legitimate rape. We felt like there was a little bit more of a story."

And since the story is based on Nelson's real-life relationship with his Republican father, the comedian had plenty to riff on. Nelson himself grew up as a fanatic Republican, and that connection with his dad was the super glue that bonded them together. But, after getting into theater, his world expanded, and inevitably Nelson started to lean left, a shift that upended the father/son connection.

"After the 2012 election I called my mom and was like, are we canceling the holidays?" Nelson laughs. But in all honesty, he says what Elephant brings to light are the real divides varying political opinions can have within a family.

"By doing this show, and with my relationship with my Dad, I show that not all liberals have pink communists horns coming out of our head," says Nelson. "And my liberal friends up in Massachusetts and New York see that not all Republicans are backward or wear Klan hoods."

At the same time, Nelson is quick to say that the play is not a soapbox campaign to sway voters one way or another. Elephant is not a lecture. "My director Adam Knight and I hate theater where there's too much learning. We like when something happens and you learn. We're just trying to tell a story."

Through a PowerPoint presentation on the history of the Republican Party, cracks on the Grand Ol' Party, and a dash of heart, The Elephant in My Closet will entertain audiences of all political persuasions.

And while Nelson wouldn't have written the play if he wasn't just a little pessimistic about the current state of America's government, he does confess that his Dad has seen his show four times, and absolutely loved it. So there's hope for this country yet.

Tickets: Thanks to Artist Series sponsorship, admission is just $5 or free to FMU students, faculty and staff. Please contact the Performing Arts Center box office for additional information, 843-661-4444.

-- Kinsey Gidick, Charleston City Paper

PercussionFMU Department of Fine Arts
Thursday, 12 November 2015, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

Canceled due to rehearsal conflicts.

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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each. 





PercussionFMU Department of Fine Arts
Sunday, 15 November 2015, 7:00 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

Ten Minute Play Festival
The Patriot Players

The Patriot Players is an organization of Francis Marion University students interested in learning more about all aspects of writing, casting, directing and staging plays for public performance. For more information, contact Xaviser Nettles at thepatriotplayers@gmail.com.

RESERVATIONS: Admission is free, first come, first seated.





FMU Department of Fine Arts
Thursday, 19 November 2015, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence
80's Night!
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 staging of music for small groups representing a variety of classic and modern jazz, pop, rock and soul styles. The M.I.E. provides a workshop in which students also learn arranging, microphone technique and scheduling, sound reinforcement and lighting design.

Please contact Dr. Brandon Goff bgoff@fmarion.edu for additional information about participating in the M.I. Ensemble.

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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.


MI Express Nov 2015

FMU Department of Fine Arts
Monday, 23 November 2015, 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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.
 

GuitarFMU Department of Fine Arts
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

FMU Guitar Studio Recital
Daniel Hull, director

The Guitar Studio Recital provides an opportunity for students enrolled in the Music 190: Guitar Ensemble to perform works written expressly for or adapted for multiple guitars.

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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.

PROGRAM




FMU Department of Fine Arts
Thursday, 3 December, 7:30 pm
Kassab Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center
Francis Marion University Concert Choir and Cut Time Show Choir
Sue Butler Orr, director

Open to all university students, the University Concert Choir has an average enrollment of between 35 and 45 students.  This group has sung in numerous area churches and has also performed with the Florence Symphony Orchestra.  They have performed such major choral works as the “Polovetzian Dance and Chorus” of Alexander Borodin, the “Schicksalslied” of Johannes Brahms, and the Ninth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven.  Recently their concerts have included selections accompanied by the newly formed Francis Marion string ensemble.

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.

Free General Admission: Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, there are no reservations and admission is free.
 FMU Concert Choir


FMU Artist Series
Thursday, 4 February 2016, 7:30 pm
Adele Kassab Recital Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center

"American Idyll"
Rob Tudor and Bobb Robinson, baritones
Deborah Lee Hollis, piano

Bobb RobinsonBobb Robinson has been hailed by the Washington Post for his "charismatic stage presence" and "rich, flowing baritone," and by the Miami Herald for his "impressively effortless" singing. Recent operatic roles include "Donald Fonzo" in The In-Series sell-out hit Cosi fan tutte goes Hollywood!, Parmenione in Opera Theatre of Northern Virginias Love's Luggage Lost, and Friedrick Wieck, father of Clara Schumann, in the world premier of Robert Convery's Clara with the Maryland Opera Studio. In 2000, Dr. Robinson was a Regional Finalist (Mid-Atlantic Region) in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. As concert soloist, Dr. Robinson has performed with many nationally renowned ensembles, including the Washington Bach Consort, the Denver Bach Society, the Montana Early Music Festival, Musikanten, and the National Gallery of Art Vocal Ensemble. In 2001, he made his European recital debut, performing at the cathedrals of Notre Dame (Paris), St. Sernin (Toulouse), Chartres (Chartres), and the renowned Festival d'Avignon. He has been a featured performer on recordings with the Choirs of Washington National Cathedral, and this year, will be featured on a CD of Brahms duets with his friend and colleague, mezzo-soprano Jane Christeson.

No stranger to the world of cabaret, Dr. Robinson recently co-wrote and performed an original cabaret, Une soirée a l'Olympia, presented as a part of "Paris on the Potomac," Washington DC's year-long celebration of French Art and Culture. Other cabaret appearances include Noel and Cole and A Tale of Two Cities: Paris and Berlin Between the Wars at Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Dr. Robinson holds Bachelor degrees from Muskingum College and Stetson University, a Master's degree from the University of Miami, and a Doctorate from the University of Maryland. He currently serves as Artist-In-Residence at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida.

Rob TudorRob Tudor has distinguished himself as a noted performer of opera, musical theatre, cabaret, and concert works throughout the United States. Roles have included Papageno in The Magic Flute, The Lecturer in Dominick Argento's monodramatic opera A Waterbird Talk, Freddy in My Fair Lady, and Murdoch in Titanic - A New Musical. Other productions include Follies, Iolanthe, The Fantastics, and Gianni Schicchi. Concert works include the Requiems of Fauré and Duruflé, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Schubert's Mass in G, Saint-Saens's Christmas Oratorio. Rob is a frequent guest artist with the Montana Early Music Festival directed by Kerry Krebill, and artist and
instructor at the annual Helena Choral Festival in Helena, Montana. In 2009, Rob collaborated with celebrated soprano Rosa Lamoreaux, pianist Betty Bullock, and bassist David Jernigan for the first in a series of national concert engagements featuring classics from Broadway.

Rob enjoys collaborating on new works, and has an affinity for contemporary music. Premieres have included the role of the Emperor in Imant Raminsh's opera The Nightingale with the Children's Chorus of Washington, Gouvenor Morris in Garrison Hull's work Nancy with Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia, and an orchestral work for baritone and oboe soloists by Lawrence Moss entitled Dawn to Dawn - Five Poems of the Tang Dynasty. A champion of innovative performance practice, Rob has designed thematic art song recitals and concert works employing simultaneous projections of visual media (including paintings, sculpture), inspired by the poetry of the text, and performed them in the Washington, DC area, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, and the southeast.

Rob began directing opera scenes in college, and in recent years has enjoyed musical direction and conducting shows like Ragtime, Oklahoma!, and Company. Stage direction includes new works like Transcendence from The Collaborative Project - a staging of Rejoice in the Lamb by Benjamin Britten (for which he co-designed and created large-scale puppets with Rodney Waldrip; The Orpheus Project - a collaborative performance project including opera and arts songs, dance, film and theatre; and innovative stagings of Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Rob has also written original musical revues for the stage like Hooray for Hollywood! (co-written with Bobb Robinson); A Celebration of the American Songbook - music of Porter, Gershwin, Berlin, and Kern; as well as cabaret works performed on cruise ships and the Atlas Theatre in Washington, DC.

Rob received a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Voice Performance from the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition to enjoying an active performing, teaching, and directing career, Rob has served as Head of Opera and Music Theatre and Chair of the Division of Music at Jacksonville University since 2006.

Pianist Deborah Lee Hollis is highly respected by colleagues for her sensitivity and skill as a collaborative partner.  Her passion for vocal music has led to masterclass performances for such esteemed artists as Frederica von Stade, Dawn Upshaw, George Shirley, Anthony Dean Griffey, and Jennifer Larmore; collaborative pianists Rudolph Jensen, Martin Katz, Warren Jones, and John Wustman; and composers Jake Heggie, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Harbison.  Hollis began her career in Chicago where she was pianist for the Chicago Symphony First Chair Series.  Since coming to the Triangle, she has worked with many prominent music organizations including Long Leaf Opera Company, Opera Company of North Carolina, Eastern Music Festival, Mallarme Chamber Players and VOICES.  Hollis holds piano performance degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  An avid educator, she has conducted masterclasses for collaborative pianists and vocalists at Shenandoah and Furman Universities, and presented lecture-recitals at Duke University about the fortepiano and music of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.  Previously on faculty at Guilford College and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a collaborative pianist at Duke University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ms. Hollis is an active recitalist and maintains a private studio in piano, collaborative piano, and vocal and chamber music coaching. 

Tickets: Thanks to Artist Series sponsorship, admission is free.
 
Concert BandFMU Concert Band Concert
Tuesday, 9 February 2016, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence
Visions of Lights
FMU Concert Band
Kelly Jokisch, conductor

The Francis Marion University Concert Band will present its winter concert, Visions of Lights 7:30pm on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at The FMU Performing Arts Center.  Come out and enjoy this uplifting bright concert in the middle of the cold, dark, dreary winter.  The concert will feature trumpet soloist, Spencer Nance and West Florence HS Band Student, Coleman Wright on saxophone.  Concerts last 45-60 minutes without an intermission.

Spencer Nance attended Spartanburg High School and was involved in All-State Band, All-State Jazz Band, and All-State Orchestra as well as very actively participating in the First Baptist North Spartanburg Orchestra. Spencer attended Furman University from 2008-2012 earning a bachelor degree in Music Education. While at Furman he was involved in all facets of the music program including the Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Marching Band, and Basketball band. Nance then moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to receive his masters in Trumpet Performance from the University of Alabama. While he was at Alabama he participated in several ensembles along with his work as a graduate assistant to the Million Dollar Band. Upon graduating from Alabama he took a job teaching music and band at Wallace Elementary Middle School in Wallace, SC. Spencer continues to play trumpet professionally as much as possible with appearances with the Florence Symphony Orchestra, ACT Theater of Tuscaloosa, and the Francis Marion concert band.  When asked about participating in the FMU Concert Band as a community member Nance said, “I enjoy playing with the Francis Marion concert band because it gives me another outlet to perform and an opportunity to continue to play trumpet.”  Nance will be featured on Over the Rainbow, from The Wizard of Oz.

Coleman Wright is soloing on alto saxophone on Jay Bocook’s piece, Illuminations.  Coleman is a junior at West Florence High School. He earned 1st Chair in the 2014-15 9-10th Grade South Carolina All-State Band.  Wright is a member of the WFHS Marching Knights, WF Concert Band and has performed with the Florence Symphony Orchestra.  Coleman says he chose the saxophone because his mother also played saxophone when she was in high school. Wright said, “What really made me get serious with the instrument was when I first auditioned for the region honor band my eighth grade year. I went into that audition almost not expecting to make the band, but much to my surprise, I scored high and was amongst the best in the region. For the next few years I would practice, practice, and practice some more, and it would eventually put me amongst the best saxophonists in High School in South Carolina”.  Coleman takes lessons regularly with Mr. Sean Hackett of Sumter, SC.  “Mr. Hackett has helped me so much for the past two years. I wouldn't be close to what I am today if it were not for him. I plan to continue on this path of playing saxophone, and I hope that it will one day take me where I want to go in life.”  Coleman plans to attend The University of South Carolina and major in music education and teach saxophone at a university one day. When asked about playing in the FMU Concert Band he said, “At first, it was a little bit intimidating because I knew that more would be expected of me than just regular high school band. As time went on, I got more comfortable with the group and I really started to enjoy making music with all the other musicians in the ensemble.”

The 70-plus member concert band, directed by Kelly Jokisch, is composed of a combination of FMU student and community musicians.  Community members include professional area music educators, band directors, choir directors, ministers of music, and FMU faculty members.

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: Free to all Middle and High School students with school ID, elementary children, first 100 FMU students who present valid ID at the Box Office / All remaining tickets are $5 each.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office (843-661-4444), visiting the Box Office M-F from 12-5pm or purchased at the door the night of the concert. 

bestillFMU University Theatre
Wednesday - Sunday, 17-21 February 2016, 7:30 pm Wednesday-Friday, 2:00 & 7:30 pm Saturday, 3:00 pm Sunday
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

bestill - an original musical by D. Keith Best and Brandon Goff
directed by Keith Best

The Francis Marion University Theatre's 2015-2016 season's winter production will be bestill, an original musical written by Keith Best and Brandon Goff, directed by professor Best.

THE STORY:

Chris Pendergrass thinks he's finally making sense of his world.  His wife, Deb, is pregnant with their first child; his mother-in-law, June, seems to be finally accepting of him; a new neighbor, Dave, seems to be a good guy; and he's found the practice of meditation thanks to the Center of Stillness and its charismatic director, Noble.  Then all of a sudden, his world turns upside down.

Deb is having odd spells.  June pops in to inform them that Deb's father is not dead, but has been cryogenically preserved and is ready to be revived. Chris's friendship with Dave starts to take an unexpected turn.  As Chris is faced with one revelation after another, he finds himself facing some difficult choices, all while still trying to quiet the mind--to be still.

Come see this brand new musical with book by D. Keith Best, music and lyrics by D. Keith Best and Brandon Goff, and art direction by Charles Jeffcoat.  You're in for a wild ride!

Note:  bestill - an original musical contains adult situations and language.  Not recommended for anyone under the age of 16.

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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.

FMU Lecture Series, Department of Fine Arts, College of Liberal Arts
Sunday - Friday, 21-26 February 2016
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. Advance reservations are strongly recommended due to intimate size of performing space. Events in FMU Performing Arts Center are free for all students with valid school ID.

Sunday, February 21, 5:00 pm
Art Trail Gallery, Victor's Bistro, Florence SC // $10 admission fee
Works for clarinet, piano and voice - with special guest Oral Moses - Music by Brahms, Saint-Saens, Poulenc, Gershwin and selected Spirituals
John Laughton, clarinet (USA)
Oral Moses, bass-baritone (USA)
Paolo Andre' Gualdi, piano (Italy/USA)
 
Monday, February 22, 7:30 pm
FMU Performing Arts Center - black box // $5 *
Piano trio and sonatas - Music by Debussy, Franck, and Beethoven
Joel Hastings, piano (Canada)
Micah Gangwer, violin (USA)
Dusan Vukajlovic, cello (Serbia)
 
Tuesday, February 23, 7:30 pm
FMU Performing Arts Center - black box // $5 *
FMU Faculty showcase - with special guest Sumire Worman - Music by Fauré, Brahms and others
Sumire Worman, piano (Japan)
Cliff Gardner, bassoon (USA)
Terry Roberts, horn (USA)
Shane Reeves, percussions (USA) 
Paolo André Gualdi, piano (Italy/USA)
 
Wednesday, February 24, 7:00 pm
FMU Recording Studio // free (limited seating)
Recording session: world premiere of “Bunun Gibi” (Like This) by Brandon Goff
Emily Pulley, soprano (USA)
Paolo Andre' Gualdi, piano (Italy/USA)
 
Thursday, February 25, 5:00 pm
FMU Recording Studio // free (limited seating)
Voice Master Class
Emily Pulley, soprano (USA)

Thursday, February 25, 7:30 pm
FMU Performing Arts Center - black box // $5 *
Gipsy Jazz Swing
Velvet Caravan (Venezuela, Slovenia and USA)
 
Friday, February 26, 7:30 pm
FMU Performing Arts Center - black box // $5 *
Recital for voice and piano: "Disappointed Valentines: The Mourning After" - Music by Purcell, Schumann, Puccini, Gershwin and others
Emily Pulley, soprano (USA)
Paolo Andre' Gualdi, piano (Italy/USA)
 SC Chamber Music Festival Logo
SCCMF 2014

FMU Faculty Recital
Monday, 7 March 2016, 7:30 pm
FMU Performing Arts Center Black Box
Paolo André Gualdi, piano.

Italian pianist Paolo André Gualdi has played recitals in Italy, Brazil and the United States, both as a soloist and chamber musician.  He has appeared with numerous orchestras including the Atlanta Philharmonic, Georgia Philharmonic, DeKalb Symphony, Wilmington Symphony, Florence Symphony, and the Universidade de Caxias do Sul Symphony Orchestra.

He has won the top prize in several piano competitions, including the “De Martino Award” at the Ibla International Piano Competition and 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.  He is currently Associate Professor of Music at Francis Marion University and founder and artistic director of the South Carolina Chamber Music Festival.

www.pagualdi.com

RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. Admission is free to FMU students/faculty/staff (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.
PROGRAM

Deux Legendes, S. 175................................Franz Liszt
I.    St. François d'Assise. La prédication aux oiseaux
II.   St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots
 

Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61......................Frederic Chopin
 

Images – Book I...................................Claude Debussy
I.    Reflets dans l’eau
II.   Hommage à Rameau
III.  Mouvement

 
Piano Sonata 1926 (Sz. 80)...........................Béla Bartók
I.    Allegro moderato
II.   Sostenuto e pesante
III.  Allegro molto

Paolo Gualdi

Paolo GualdiFMU Artist Series
Tuesday, 29 March 2016, 7:30 pm
Chapman Auditorium, McNair Science Building

My Father's War presented by Ponder Anew: Carol Ponder and Robert Kiefer
Appalachian Music Workshop - 4:00 pm Wednesday, Kassab Recital Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center

On July 4, 1989 Lieutenant Herschel Ponder wrote to his three daughters, "I had a sudden urge to tell you about my war, World War II - and the subsequent coping - my peace. After 45 years, some of the events are as vivid as ever...There is no fiction in what is to follow.  If my memory is in error, the margin is slight.  Dad..."

Lt. Ponder, Carol's father, was born in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1922.  At the age of 20, after Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and flew 51 missions in his beloved P-47 Thunderbolt in Europe. His memoir was written in his storytelling voice - droll, sincere, and cruelly straightforward. It is warm, funny, tragic, and poignant by turns.

Carol and Robert have crafted a performance from the memoir, lacing it with songs from the period and traditional songs from the family's Appalachian Mountains.

It is a beautiful production that evokes the essence of war and warriors: their victories, sacrifices, loyalty and love for each other, and the sweet pain of coming home. It was premiered as part of the The Hermitage Artist Retreat Series in the Historic Asolo Theater, Sarasota, Florida. The audience response from veterans, their families and friends, and other people from every walk of life has been tremendous. 

The discussions after the show, an integral part of the performance, are always rich with shared experience.

Hearing his words of war and peace, presented with his family's perspective always present, is a powerful catalyst that inspires others to acknowledge and open up about their own experiences.  Supported by members of the military, psychologists, clergy, educators, and a growing audience of new friends and fans, Carol and Robert hope to perform My Father's War - along with healing creative workshops for veterans, their families, and communities - as widely as possible.

Tickets: Thanks to Artist Series sponsorship, admission is free.

Carol PonderFMU Lecture Series
Wednesday, 30 March 2016, 4:00 pm
Kassab Recital Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center

Appalachian Music Workshop presented by Carol Ponder

"Carol Ponder is that rare artist with a musical talent as great as her educator's gift." 

Carol will perform and discuss old and new ballads and folk songs in the Southern Mountain Tradition – and stories! – from Jack Tales to new stories created in Ponder’s mountain family tradition.  Her great love is a cappella singing: old traditional songs and ballads, and newer works composed in the old-time traditions. 

Carol accompanies some songs with guitar, autoharp, and spoons. She is herself Appalachian, with a mountain heritage in Western North Carolina going back to the late 1700s. Through music and story, she brings her deep connection with the mountains to each audience.

See more at http://www.carolandrobert.com/appalachia_roots__carols_music/

Tickets: Thanks to Lecture Series sponsorship, admission is free.
PercussionFMU Department of Fine Arts
Thursday, 31 March 2016, 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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.
 

Jazz ComboFMU Department of Fine Arts
Wednesday, 6 April 2016, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

FMU Jazz Combo
Paolo André Gualdi, director

Music by Metheny, Corea, Ritenour, Jobim and others.

Willie Weeks , guitar
Blake Avery, bass
Spencer Franke, drums & percussion
Johnathan Greene Jr., drums & percussion
Paolo André Gualdi, piano & keyboard

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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.

GuitarFMU Department of Fine Arts
Thursday, 7 April 2016, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

FMU Guitar Studio Recital
Alma Sehic, director

The Guitar Studio Recital provides an opportunity for students enrolled in the Music 190: Guitar Ensemble to perform works written expressly for or adapted for multiple guitars.

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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.
FMU Department of Fine Arts
Sunday, 10 April 2016, 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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.





BreatheFMU Artist Series
Tuesday, 12 April 2016, 7:30 pm
Chapman Auditorium, McNair Science Building

Breathe by Brennen Reeves

Brennen Reeves just wanted to be normal. The only problem: the fatal lung disease, Cystic Fibrosis. The only solution: a double lung transplant. Hilarious and heartbreaking, Breathe is the true story of one man’s journey to live beyond the odds.

Brennen was born on Hilton Head Island, SC. Eight weeks after his birth, Brennen was diagnosed with the fatal disease, Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Nineteen years later, February 21st, 2011, he underwent a double lung transplant in hopes of saving his life.

Brennen graduated from the College of Charleston where he majored in Theatre Performance- Acting and Directing ’14. He continues to perform both on and off stage in Charleston, regionally, and on the road as he tours his show, Breathe. Brennen is also a comedian, writer, speaker and advocate for CF. He is currently working on publishing a novel, a creative autobiographical memoir of his life which is an add-on to his show, Breathe. You can catch Brennen either onstage acting, speaking or on the road with his show. Brennen lives in Charleston, SC.

Tickets: General Admission. Thanks to Artist Series sponsorship, admission is free. Reception following.

LughnasaFMU University Theatre
Thursday-Saturday, 14-16 April 2016, 7:30 pm
Fine Arts Theatre, Hyman Fine Arts Center

Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel
Directed by Allison Steadman

The Francis Marion University Theatre's 2015-16 season's final production will be Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa, directed by professor Allison Steadman.  It will be performed in the Fine Arts Theater in Hyman Fine Arts Center on campus.

Dancing at Lughnasa is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a Memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator. He recounts the summer in his aunts' cottage when he was seven years old.

RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling 843-661-1365 between 1:00 and 5:00 pm. Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, admission is free.

FMU Department of Fine Arts
Sunday, 17 April 2016, 4:00 pm
Kassab Hall, Hyman Fine Arts Center
University Concert Choir
Cut Time Show Choir
Sue Butler Orr, director

Open to all university students, the University Concert Choir has an average enrollment of between 35 and 45 students.  This group has sung in numerous area churches and has also performed with the Florence Symphony Orchestra.  They have performed such major choral works as the “Polovetzian Dance and Chorus” of Alexander Borodin, the “Schicksalslied” of Johannes Brahms, and the Ninth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven.  Recently their concerts have included selections accompanied by the newly formed Francis Marion string ensemble.

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.

Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, admission is free.
Spring 2013 Concert Choir on YouTube

Concert Band FMU Concert Band Concert
Tuesday, 19 April 2016, 7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence
"British Invasion" -- FMU Concert Band
Kelly Jokisch, conductor

The Francis Marion University Concert Band will be performing its final concert of the 2015-2016 season at the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence.

The FMU Concert Band will perform some of the greatest wind band literature as well as popular music from England’s finest composers, including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Percy Aldridge Grainer, Gustav Holst, Guy Forbes and The Beatles.  Concerts last 45-60 minutes without an intermission.
The Francis Marion University Concert Band is composed of 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.  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. 



 
FMU Department of Fine Arts
Thursday, 21 April 2016, 7:30 8:00 pm (Time change!)
Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence
FMU Music Industry Ensemble Concert
Brandon Goff, director

The Music Industry Ensemble is a chamber ensemble devoted to the development of individual performance and improvisation skills through the staging of music for small groups representing a variety of classic and modern jazz, pop, rock and soul styles. The M.I.E. provides a workshop in which students also learn arranging, microphone technique and scheduling, sound reinforcement and lighting design.

Please contact Dr. Brandon Goff bgoff@fmarion.edu for additional information about participating in the M.I. Ensemble.

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). Thanks to Department of Fine Arts sponsorship, all remaining tickets are just $5 each.


MI Ensemble Spring 2016
Music Industry Ensemble, Spring 2016
YouTube Video

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