APPLETON, WIS. – Like an aural buffet, the Lawrence University Kaleidoscope concert promises something delectable for every music lover’s taste.
Showcasing the talents of nearly all of Lawrence’s 350 music majors, the second Kaleidoscope concert will be performed Saturday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Appleton.
A limited number of tickets, at $12 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and students, are available at both the Lawrence University Box Office, 920-832-6749, and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Box Office, 920-730-3760.
“The Kaleidoscope concert is designed to present an extremely broad cross-section of musical offerings for the listener,” said Andrew Mast, director of bands at Lawrence. “Virtually all areas of the Lawrence conservatory will be represented and audience members will be able to hear groups ranging in size from two to more than 200.”
More than a dozen student groups will perform “in the round,” producing music from all corners of the Performing Arts Center. In addition to the main stage and orchestra pit, students will perform from the side balconies, main floor and upper balcony. The 75-minute, non-stop musical tour de force will feature a program ranging from intimate wind chamber music to funky jazz, from choral music to opera, from rhythmic Brazilian percussion to grand orchestral masterpieces.
Program highlights include works by classical composers Gioacchino Rossini, Charles Ives and Johann Strauss as well as Broadway composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.
Dean of the Conservatory Brian Pertl will play the Australian didgeridoo with the Lawrence Jazz Ensemble in a performance of a composition written by Fred Sturm, director of jazz studies and improvisational music at Lawrence, while the women’s choir Cantala will perform “Quivi è la rosa,” a work composed by Assistant Professor of Music Joanne Metcalf.
The concert will conclude with a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” performed by the full Kaleidoscope cast.
“Each performing group has selected repertoire intended to be accessible, entertaining and engaging,” said Mast. “Each piece is no more than four minutes in length with no breaks between them, so the fast pace and constantly changing staging guarantees a spectacular evening. This is truly a showcase concert, one that is as enjoyable for the performers as it should be for the audience.”
University President Jill Beck will open the evening with an introduction of special guest Jean Kraft, a 1948 Lawrence graduate and former mezzo-soprano star with the Metropolitan Opera.
Prior to the concert, members of the Lawrence Academy of Music Girl Choir – Bel Canto will sing in the area above the main lobby of the PAC. The lobby also will feature art displays created by Lawrence student artists and area elementary and secondary students participating in the ArtsBridge program.
The Kaleidoscope concert is sponsored by The Boldt Company. Lawrence University extends its deep appreciation to The Boldt Company for its generous support of this unique community arts showcase.
