Conservatory

The popular Music for All series presented by the Lawrence Conservatory of Music returns beginning March 12.

The interactive performances by Lawrence students and faculty, working in collaboration with members of the New York-based chamber ensemble Decoda, provide an opportunity for the Fox Cities community to engage with music in an intimate setting.

Performances are set for:

2 p.m. March 12, Gibson Community Music Hall, 211 W. College Ave.

5:30 p.m. April 17, Riverview Gardens, 1101 S. Oneida St.

5:30 p.m. May 18, Riverview Gardens, 1101 S. Oneida St.

July 23-Aug. 6, Decoda Chamber Music Festival, various locations.

The free concerts last about an hour and are open to everyone. The series is made possible by support from Lawrence University, Riverview Gardens, and Appleton Community Music, Inc.

Read more about Music for All opportunities.

Music for All is led by Conservatory faculty members Michael Mizrahi and Erin Lesser.

Written by Ed Berthiaume, director of public information

One of the icons of the jazz world returns to the stage of Lawrence Memorial Chapel on Feb. 3.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Naseer Shamma on oud will be in concert at 8 p.m., part of Lawrence University’s 2022-23 Performing Arts Series. Tickets are $25-$30 and available at the Lawrence Box Office or by emailing boxoffice@lawrence.edu or calling 920-832-6749.

Marsalis has led the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra since the late 1980s, building on a resume that has seen him win nine Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize in music.

Friday’s concert will mark Marsalis’ third visit to Lawrence. The legendary trumpeter was 27 when he came to Lawrence in 1988 to perform at Jazz Celebration Weekend. He returned for a Convocation address in October 2001.

Wynton Marsalis was among the visitors to Lawrence we applauded in this Black History Month remembrance during the 175th anniversary celebration.

The New Orleans native studied at The Juilliard School before debuting with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. He has released more than 60 jazz and classical recordings since 1982 and has been widely recognized for his support of music education. In 1997, he became the first jazz artist to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize in music, for his composition Blood on the Fields. In 2001, he was awarded the United Nations designation “Messenger of Peace” by Kofi Annan, secretary-general of the United Nations.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) features 15 top jazz soloists and ensemble players. Under the direction of Marsalis, they perform a vast repertoire, from rare historic compositions to Jazz at Lincoln Center-commissioned works, including compositions and arrangements by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Goodman, and others.

The orchestra will be joined by internationally renowned musician and humanitarian Naseer Shamma. Known for being one of the world’s greatest oud (an ancient Middle Eastern stringed instrument) virtuosos, he has received numerous awards for his contributions to promoting and advancing the oud and Arabic music all over the world. This tour is the first collaboration for JLCO and oud and will feature new works arranged by Marsalis, Shamma, and JLCO members. Shamma joins the tour in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Festival.

Friday’s concert is the latest in Lawrence’s ongoing Performing Arts Series. Other upcoming performances include:

Feb. 6, 8 p.m.: LADAMA, Harper Hall. LADAMA is a group of four virtuosic musicians and educators from different countries and cultures of the Americas who are sisters in song, rhythm, and spirit.

March 3, 8 p.m.: Adam Sadberry, flutist, Memorial Chapel. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra acting principal flutist and Concert Artists Guild roster member is known for his radiant, lyrical playing.

March 5, 2 p.m.: LU Gamelan concert, Memorial Chapel. This beloved performance of traditional Indonesian percussion instruments returns.

April 3, 8 p.m.: A Moving Sound, Harper Hall. Fusing traditional influences with a global sensibility, this award-winning Taiwanese ensemble has built a worldwide following through their joyous mix of original music and dance. 

April 14, 8 p.m.: Anderson and Roe Piano Duo, Memorial Chapel. Known for their adrenaline-fueled performances, original compositions, and music videos, Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe are revolutionizing the piano duo experience.

April 22, 8 p.m.: Calmus Vocal Ensemble, Memorial Chapel. Founded by former members of the St. Thomas Boys Choir in Germany 23 years ago, they have become one of the world’s most renowned vocal ensembles.

May 12, 8 p.m., Melissa Aldana, saxophone, Memorial Chapel. A Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer, Aldana has garnered international recognition for her visionary work as a band leader, as well as her deeply meditative interpretation of language and vocabulary.

See details of the Artist Series, New Music Series, Jazz Series, World Music Series, Dance Series, Opera performances, and Theatre Arts under the umbrella of the Performing Arts @ Lawrence.

The Jazz Series, which includes the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, is being sponsored by Wisconsin Public Radio.

The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) has been rescheduled for two performances only: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and 5.

The production by Lawrence University Theatre Arts, set for Stansbury Theatre in Lawrence’s Music-Drama Center, was previously scheduled for last weekend but had to be postponed.

Directed by Kathy Privatt, with music direction from Phillip Swan, the performance will present five musicals rolled into one satirical comedy. By Eric Bogart and Joanne Rockwell, it is billed as a “valentine to musical theatre,” telling one story in five styles: a Rodgers & Hammerstein version, a Sondheim version, a Jerry Herman version, an Andrew Lloyd Webber version, and a Kander & Ebb version.

Find more information at the Lawrence Box Office.

The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) will be presented Oct. 27 to 29 in Stansbury Theatre.

Directed by Kathy Privatt, with music direction from Phillip Swan, the Lawrence University Theatre Arts performance will present five musicals rolled into one satirical comedy.

The production, by Eric Bogart and Joanne Rockwell, is billed as a “valentine to musical theatre,” telling one story in five styles: a Rodgers & Hammerstein version, a Sondheim version, a Jerry Herman version, an Andrew Lloyd Webber version, and a Kander & Ebb version.

Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27-28; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29. Find more information at the Lawrence Box Office.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $8 for non-Lawrence students. Lawrence students, faculty, and staff can get two free tickets with their campus ID.

Congratulations to Stefan Egerstrom ’11, who has been named a recipient of a 2022 Richard Tucker Career Grant.

The auditions for the award were held on May 2 at Kaufmann Hall at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.

The grant is worth $5,000. Recipients typically are in the transition from student to professional singer, and should have recently completed a graduate degree program or work in a young artist or apprentice program at a regional company.
 
About Stefan Egerstrom
Bass Stefan Egerstrom, 33, is currently in his third year as a San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow. He made his Company debut last fall as the Jailer in Tosca, and he also performed the role of Second Prisoner in a new production of Fidelio. He was a participant of the 2019 Merola Opera Program, performing in the Schwabacher Summer Concert and the Merola Grand Finale. He portrayed Hunding in Wagner’s Die Walküre with Queen City Opera in 2019. In 2018 he made his role debut as King René in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with Queen City Opera. Mr. Egerstrom was seen as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Siroco in L’Étoile, Carlino in Don Pasquale and soloist in Bach’s Johannes-Passion. As part of the Opera Fusion: New Works initiative between Cincinnati Opera and CCM, he performed in workshops of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning Star and Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers. Other operatic roles include Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Dr. Grenvil in La traviata and Kecal in The Bartered Bride. He received his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Lawrence University and his master’s degree in voice from The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.