School of Music to Present Faculty Gala Monday
Lee University’s School of Music will present the first installment of this year’s Performing Arts Series, the Faculty Gala. Featuring Lee’s vocal and instrumental faculty, the concert will take place on Monday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Pangle Hall.
“Sharing music is one of our greatest joys! We value the privilege that we have to bring musical experiences of high quality to our community and the university,” said Dr. William Green, dean of Lee’s School of Music. “This first offering allows us to showcase our amazing faculty in what they do so well, making beautiful music.”
The evening will highlight a variety of music and collaborations. Pieces such as “The Trumpet Shall Sound” from Handel’s “Messiah,” “Elegy for Karyn” by Dorothy Gates, and Joseph Kosma’s “Autumn Leaves” will be performed.
Vocal performances will be presented by School of Music voice professors Ron Brendel, tenor; Lenena Brezna, soprano; Andrea Dismukes, mezzo-soprano; James Frost, tenor; Nathaniel Olsen, baritone; and Debbie Sheeks, soprano.
Instrumental performances will feature Andy Harnsberger, marimba; Gordon James, horn; Caitlin Jones, marimba; ChoEun Lee, piano; Shawn Perkinson, guitar; Brian Reichenbach, piccolo trumpet; Randy Sheeks, piano; Muen Vanessa Wei, piano; Mary Beth Wickes, piano; Evangeline Wykoff, piano; and Matthew Zalusky, piano. The Lee Trio will also perform featuring Xiaoqing Yu, violin; Theodore Kartal, cello; and Wei, piano.
The Performing Arts Series Faculty Gala is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and can be reserved at eventbrite.
Tickets can also be reserved in the Dixon Center Box Office by calling (423) 614-8343.
The Performing Arts Series will continue Feb. 7, 2023, with Bronwen Forbay, soprano, and Randall Umstead, tenor, in Squires Recital Hall. Forbay is hailed by Opera magazine as “at once powerful, radiant, timbrally beautiful, and balanced throughout the range, her soprano is that of a singer at the top of her game.” Umstead has performed widely in both operatic roles and in concert music and has an extensive oratorio repertory, having participated in Tanglewood’s Bach Institute, as well as having sung with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Bach Society Houston, and the Colorado Bach, among many others.
For more information about the Performing Arts Series, contact the Lee University School of Music at (423) 614-8240 or [email protected] or visit leemusic.eventbrite.com.
