Lawrence Symphony Orchestra

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Laura Van Asten 1996-2017: Talented musician, animal lover

The Lawrence community is mourning the loss of student Laura Van Asten, who sustained fatal injuries June 30 while riding a horse. She was 20 years old.

Laura Van Asten
Laura Van Asten

A flutist from fourth grade until the middle of her junior year in high school, Laura decided to try out the trombone and trombone performance became her major at Lawrence. She was an engaged musician who enjoyed sharing her talents with others at school, church and throughout the community.

She was a member of the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble, which traveled to Minnesota this spring for a series of community outreach activities and concerts at several homeless shelters and food pantries in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

Laura also performed with the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra and the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble. One of her favorite gigs was subbing with the Big Band Reunion, a 17-piece jazz band that performs regularly at Frank’s Pizza Palace in downtown Appleton. She also recently performed with Wisconsin Symphonic Winds, an adult, professional quality wind ensemble based in Oshkosh, and took great delight in playing with brass groups for Easter Sunday services at a local church.

As much as music was a part of Laura’s life, animals of all kinds were her true joy and horses were her greatest love. She began learning about horsemanship as an eight-year old and soon after began riding. As a young teenager, she saved enough money so she could lease a horse one summer that she could call her own. Laura was a volunteer at BEAMING Inc., a local therapeutic horse-riding organization focused on enhancing the quality of life for people with special needs, where she started out as a as a sidewalker and more recently served as a horse handler.

Laura’s passion for horses extended to Mulberry Lane Farm, where she held a variety of responsibilities, including tour guide of the petting farm. Her favorite duty was exercising the ponies. Laura Van Asten with horse

Brian Pertl, dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, described Laura as “deeply musical, passionate, intellectually curious, courageous and very funny.”

“Laura impacted the lives of everyone who knew her in such positive and long-lasting ways. We will miss her effervescent energy every day. When we return in the fall, we will celebrate Laura’s beautiful life. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and loved ones.”

Born in Madison, Laura grew up in the Fox Valley, attending Holy Angels/Holy Spirit School in Darboy from preschool through eighth grade. She was a 2014 graduate of Appleton’s Xavier High School, where she performed in band, marching band and pit orchestra. A person proud of, and devoted to, her Catholic faith and dedicated to serving others, Laura was active in the Rock for Life Club and was able to travel throughout the country through the March for Life and Catholic Heart Work Camp. She also was very involved with the Chazoo Warriors, her parish peer ministry group.

Laura is survived by her parents, K. Michael and Betty Van Asten, Appleton, her brother Luke, Mishicot, her sister Michelle at home and her boyfriend Isaac Mayhew, a 2017 Lawrence graduate currently living in St. Paul, Minn.

She is further survived by her grandparents, Richard and Mary Sorensen, Madison, and Alois Van Asten, Wisconsin Rapids, numerous uncles and aunts and 23 cousins.

A visitation will be held Friday, July 7 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 600 E. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, with a prayer service at 7 p.m. A funeral liturgy will be held Saturday, July 8 at 11 a.m. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the time of the Mass. Interment will follow at Holy Angels Cemetery, W2796 County Road KK, Appleton.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Lawrence University Orchestral Studies Director Named Conductor-in-Residence of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival

Lawrence University’s new director of orchestral studies Octavio Mas-Arocas has been appointed conductor-in-residence of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn.

Octavio Mas-Arocas

Mas-Arocas, who joined the Lawrence Conservatory of Music faculty this fall as conductor of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra and opera productions, will direct the education, programming and performance of the Cumberland Orchestra — a 90-member youth ensemble — during next summer’s month-long festival (June 22- July 21).

“It is wonderful to see Octavio selected for this prestigious position,” said Brian Pertl, dean of the conservatory. “Sewanee clearly saw in Octavio all the outstanding qualities — musicianship, leadership and commitment to education — that we at Lawrence saw when we made him our director of orchestral studies. High visibility appointments such as this are great for both Octavio and Lawrence.”

Prior to joining the Lawrence faculty, Mas-Arocas spent four years as music director and conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra in Michigan.

Established in 1957, the internationally acclaimed Sewanee Summer Music Festival combines a month-long program for advanced music students with a professional concert series.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Retiring Faculty Becker, Blackwell and Ternes Honored at June 10 Lawrence University Commencement

David Becker’s “fans” said their goodbye May 26 by way of an extended standing ovation after Lawrence University’s director of orchestral studies conducted the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra in concert for the final time.

The college says its farewell to the talented maestro Sunday, June 10 at its 163rd commencement in the form of an honorary degree.

Becker, along with Associate Professor of Chemistry Mary Blackwell and Professor of German Hans Ternes — and their collective 78 years of teaching experience — will be recognized as retiring faculty with professor emeritus status and presented honorary master of arts degrees, ad eundem, as part of the graduation ceremonies that begin at 10:30 a.m. on the Main Hall green. Blackwell and Ternes will be honored in absentia.

Director of Orchestral Studies David Becker

Becker spent 11 years conducting the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra in two separate stints — early in his career (1976-80) and late, returning in 2005 after 21 years as director of orchestras and professor of the graduate orchestral conducting program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He credits distinguished faculty colleagues, outstanding students and a supportive administration for luring him back to Lawrence.

“I believe in the quality and integrity of this institution and I sincerely have been proud to be part of it for a second time around,” said Becker, who was recognized with Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at the college’s 2010 commencement.

Like all exceptional teachers, Becker left a profound imprint on his students.

“Professor Becker has been the core of my Lawrence experience for the past five years,” said graduating senior Louis Steptoe, a violinist in the orchestra. “I have known him to be a man of surpassing integrity, respect, empathy and a true and tireless servant of the orchestra. Over the years I have seen his teaching continue to adapt, yet his commitment to his students and their professional education has never wavered.”

A “gift to Lawrence”

Fred Sturm ’73, director of jazz studies, hailed Becker as “a rare combination of true gentleman, loyal friend, committed colleague, inspirational mentor and world class musician.”

“The performances and projects I’ve shared with him stand among my most cherished Lawrence memories,” said Sturm. “Dave’s a giant — in both physical stature and artistry — and he’s been a great gift to Lawrence.”

Fellow conductor Andy Mast, who directs the Lawrence Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, said Becker’s “professional excellence, pedagogical mastery and personal graciousness have made Lawrence University a better place to teach and make music.”

While he may be retiring from Lawrence, his baton won’t be collecting dust anytime soon. His immediate future includes a bevy of guest conducting gigs, among them the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the NAfME All-National Honors Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the University of Wisconsin music clinic honors orchestra, as well as all-state honors orchestras in South Carolina and New York.

A ChemLinks Coalition Pioneer

Associate Professor of Chemistry Mary Blackwell

Blackwell came to Lawrence in 1989 with a strong background in physical and biophysical chemistry, having previously worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the University of Illinois and as U.S. National Institutes of Health Fellow at London’s Imperial College.

One of the immediate impacts upon her arrival was a significant step up in research activity, supported in part by several grants she received for important new instruments.

“Mary provided productive research opportunities for a number of our best students, several of whom have gone on to productive careers of their own,” said professor emeritus of chemistry Jerrold Lokensgard, a colleague of Blackwell’s her entire Lawrence career. “Over the years, Mary has contributed in important ways to the development of the chemistry curriculum, especially in our introductory courses and in physical chemistry. In at least half her years here, she has taught the course through which our best-prepared students have entered the chemistry curriculum.”

Blackwell was an original member of the ChemLinks Coalition team, a $2.7 million multi-institutional initiative funded by the National Science Foundation. The program sought to revolutionize the teaching of chemistry by creating modules that featured student-centered active and collaborative classroom activities and inquiry-based laboratory and media projects, rather than traditional lectures.

Her impact extended beyond the chemistry department through her involvement in the development of one of Lawrence’s earliest environmental studies courses and most recently, she developed and introduced a very well-received introductory course focused on chemistry and art.

She was recognized with Lawrence’s Freshman Studies Teaching Award for 2000-01, which cited her for “the excitement, enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity” she brings to the course.

Weaving Language with Music

Ternes, who traces his roots to a family of refugees from a German-speaking enclave in Romania, taught German at Lawrence for 44 years. His scholarly interests extended to languages other than German, including Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, as well as the literature and culture of the ethnic German communities that were under stress in the post-World War II era, leading to a course entitled “The History of the Romance Languages.”

Professor of German Hans Ternes

He also was involved with the Lawrence men’s soccer program for several years, serving as the team’s head coach for four seasons in the mid-1980s and guiding the Vikings to their first Midwest Conference championship in 1985.

“What I treasure most of all was the freedom and the opportunity Lawrence offered me to explore some of my interests and talents,” said Ternes.

He says he takes particular pride in his work and cooperation with music majors who also happened to be German majors.

“I guided many honors and senior projects on topics relating to German literature and music and had the pleasure to perform some popular music pieces with voice and instrument majors,” said Ternes, who organized a number of Liederabend (Evening of Song) during his tenure.  “I’m also proud of our majors who have become teachers and professors of German themselves.”

Long-time department colleague Dorrit Friedlander, professor emerita of German, said Ternes “was particularly well suited for Lawrence because of his enthusiasm for German and music. He was well known for weaving the two disciplines together.”

Denise Haight of Oconomowoc, a 1970 Lawrence graduate, remembers Ternes as “cerebral, proficient and passionate about his area of expertise.”

“He struck fear in the heart of this student in that he demanded unwavering dedication and scholarship,” said Haight. “However, he was consistently nurturing of his students’ abilities.”

One of Ternes’ most popular courses, as well as a personal favorite, was his “Comparative Fairy Tales” class, which was invariably oversubscribed to by students.

“I think I succeeded in turning many Lawrence students into enthusiastic story tellers,” said Ternes. “Judging from the reactions of students, this course has had the most lasting influence upon them.”

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Conductor David Becker Leads Lawrence Symphony Orchestra Final Time Saturday May 26

Professor of Music David Becker works his baton for the last time as conductor of the 102-member Lawrence Symphony Orchestra at its concert Saturday, May 26 at 8 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.  The concert is free and open to the public.

Becker, who has served as director of orchestral studies at Lawrence since 2005, is retiring at the end of the current academic year.

Director of Orchestral Studies David Becker

“The time has arrived in my life for my personal and professional journeys to head in a new direction,” said Becker, who is in his second stint at conductor of the orchestra, having spent four years at Lawrence early in his career in the mid-1970s. “The distinguished faculty, administration, cherished friends and exceptional students have all made my tenure at Lawrence a most cherished highlight in my professional career.”

Becker says each time he’s taken the stage with the orchestra over the past seven years has been a career highlight for him.

“Whatever repertoire we’re doing at the moment, to me is the pinnacle and the high point, so this next concert is the pinnacle and the high point. I don’t live very much in the past. They are all very important memories, but I’m totally absorbed right now in this group and this repertoire and what we can share together. So the pinnacle for me is to share this concert with these students. It’s going to be a tremendously emotional time. I have a suspicion that I’m going to see a number of these students in the future in various places.”

Becker, recipient of Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at the college’s 2010 commencement, plans to dedicate his post-Lawrence time to guest conducting, workshops and clinics around the country, including leading the NAfME All-International Honors Orchestra in the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in June.

Saturday evening’s concert program will feature works by Debussy, Paulus and Tchaikovsky. Senior Daniel O’Connor, organ, the co-winner of the LSO 2011-12 Student Concerto Competition, will be the concert’s guest artist.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Senior Rodrigo Ruiz Conducts Professional Orchestra in Mexico City

It’s perfectly understandable if Rodrigo Ruiz is just a tad nervous these days.  After all, it’s not every day someone makes their professional conducting debut while still a student.

The Lawrence University senior will lead the Mexican Orchestra of the Arts Sunday, Feb. 6 in an all-Beethoven symphonic concert in Mexico City’s most prestigious concert hall, the 2,300-seat Sala Nezahualcóyotl.

Rodrigo Ruiz '11

Ruiz, who grew up in Baja California and now makes his home in San Diego, will conduct the professional orchestra in performances of Beethoven’s Leonore III Overture, the Emperor Piano Concerto, with guest pianist Mauricio Náder, and the Fifth Symphony.

A piano performance major, Ruiz has taken conducting tutorials with David Becker, Lawrence director of orchestral studies, since his sophomore year. He spent the 2009-10 academic year as the student assistant conductor of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra.

“There are many things I enjoy about conducting the LSO, but this is going to be very different,” said Ruiz, who is currently on leave, but plans to return to campus for commencement exercises in June. “This is an older, professional orchestra and the musicians all feel they know what they’re doing already. But if I can get them to open up and really work with me, then they will realize that even if I’m only 22, I still have something to say. If they’re receptive, we can do something great together.”

Ruiz was chosen for the guest conducting position through a cultural program run by the state of Baja California based in part on video footage he submitted. The program is designed to assist talented young artists with their career development and is modeled on Venezuela’s “El Sistema” program, which has produced such talents as Gustavo Dudamel, currently the principal conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Becker hailed Ruiz as “a most talented young conductor with great potential.”

“His musical  gifts and dedicated commitment combined with his sincere love of humanity and the music will properly  guide him through this outstanding professional conducting opportunity. I wish him only the best with his very bright future.”

Ruiz is approaching the concert with the goal of making a meaningful connection with his audience, which will include his parents.

“My job as a conductor is to present myself just as a metal would conduct electricity so that this beautiful music written by these great composers can flow through me and reach the essence of the audience,” said Ruiz, who began rehearsals with the orchestra on Tuesday in preparation for Sunday’s concert.

Mexico City's Sala Nezahualcóyotl concert hall features seating behind the orchestra as well as in front.

“It is a huge thrill to work with a orchestra like this, especially in the Sala Nezahualcóyotl, which is the most important hall in Mexico. Some people consider it the most important concert hall in all of Latin America. It’s a little shocking to think I will be standing in this magnificent hall making my professional conducting debut. It is a little bit daunting, but very exciting, too.”

Lawrence Symphony Orchestra Changes Sunday Concert “Kickoff” Time to Avoid Packer Game Conflict

When it is a choice between bassoons and blitzes, flutes and footballs, trombones and touchdowns in northeast Wisconsin, Lawrence University Symphony Orchestra Director David Becker knows where priorities lie.

To accommodate both music lovers and Packer Backers, Becker has moved up the time of the Sunday, Jan. 23 Lawrence Symphony Orchestra concert to 12:30 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.  The concert was originally scheduled for 3 p.m.  The Green Bay Packers play the Chicago Bears in the NFC championship game at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

“I fully realize that there are people who are not interested in football and would still attend the LSO concert, but I’m also a realist and not just strictly arty,” said Becker.  “The Packers game is obviously a major event not only in this area, but throughout the state and going head-to-head with the game would seriously diminish an audience for our concert.

“Instead of competing with the big game, we want to serve as a ‘musical tailgate’ to it,” Becker added.  “We invite people to come and enjoy a great concert and then go cheer the Packers on to the Super Bowl.”

In keeping with the spirit of the day, people attending the concert are encouraged to wear their green and gold Packers gear.

Sunday’s 95-minute concert will feature works by Vaughan Williams, Poulenc and Rossini.  Guest performers include Lawrence seniors Dario LaPoma and Hazim Suhadi, co-winners of the 2010-11 concerto competition and Lawrence Associate Professor of Music James DeCorsey, horn.

Lawrence University Kaleidoscope Concert: A Musical Cornucopia

From Bizet to Broadway, Lawrence University’s biennial Kaleidoscope concert promises to strike at least one chord with every music lover. Showcasing the musical talents of nearly 350 Lawrence students, the third edition of the concert will be performed Saturday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, 400 W. College Ave., Appleton.

Tickets, at $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $7 for 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.

First performed in 2006, the 75-minute, non-stop musical whirlwind will feature a dozen student groups performing from all corners of the theatre, including the side balconies, main floor and upper balcony.

“Kaleidoscope is really the cornucopia of concerts. It is designed to cover a broad spectrum of musical offerings and give the audience a sampling of everything from intimate chamber music and funky jazz to musical theatre and Brazilian percussion,” said Andrew Mast, director of bands at Lawrence and the coordinator of this year’s concert.

“It will be the most ambitious thing Lawrence does musically this year and requires a lot of work on the part of our students to pull it off given in the short time they’ve been back in school,” Mast added. “But it’s a special opportunity to perform in a beautiful hall like the Performing Arts Center. I know everyone is excited about putting on a great show.”

Highlighting the concert’s repertoire will be three works with Lawrence connections, including two compositions that will have their world premiere. The Lawrence Wind Ensemble will debut “Arclight Alley,” written by 2006 Lawrence graduate David Werfelmann, while “Layaanjali,” a composition by Assistant Professor of Music Asha Srinivasan, will have its world premiere performed by the Lawrence Saxophone Ensemble. Director of Jazz Studies Fred Sturm will direct the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble in a performance of his recent composition “Signal Fires.”

The program also includes performances by Lawrence’s new gamelan ensemble, the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, the Lawrence Concert Choir, Cantala women’s choir, the Sambistas percussion ensemble, a string quartet, opera and musical theatre excerpts and a six-hand piano performance.

The concert’s grand finale will feature a performance of the “Jupiter Hymn” from Gustav Holst’s seminal work “The Planets” by the entire Kaleidoscope cast under the baton of Lawrence President Jill Beck.

“The fast-paced nature of the concert, with no breaks between the relatively short, but audience-accessible works along with the constantly changing staging truly makes for a unique concert experience,” said Mast. “We hope the audience enjoys listening to it as much as we enjoy performing it.”

Lawrence University gratefully acknowledges Appleton Group Wealth Management, LLC for its sponsorship of the Kaleidoscope concert and extends its deep appreciation for its generous support of this special community arts showcase.

LSO Concert Features World Premiere of Asha Srinivasan’s “Doubt”

The world premiere of composer Asha Srinivasan’s “Doubt” highlights the Lawrence University Symphony Orchestra concert Saturday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, 520 E. College Ave., Appleton. The concert is free and open to the public.

Under the direction of conductor David Becker, the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra also will perform Prokofiev’s “Symphony No. 1 in D Major, op. 25” and Beethoven’s famous “Eroica” symphony.

Provost and Dean of the Faculty David Burrows will serve as guest narrator for “Doubt,” which was originally written as Srinivasan’s doctoral dissertation at the University of Maryland. The text and the music reflect Srinivasan’s deeply personal thoughts on capital punishment.

An assistant professor of music at Lawrence, Srinivasan draws from both her Western musical training and her Indian heritage in creating her compositions. Raised with Carnatic music, the classical music of Southern India, Srinivasan integrates aspects of the Carnatic style into the Western music idiom.

The concert also will feature Seong-Kyung Graham as guest conductor. Graham currently serves as director of the Green Bay Civic Symphony. She was appointed conductor and artistic director of the symphony in 2005

The concert will be webcast beginning at 7:30 p.m. with a pre-concert program.

Lawrence University Choirs, Symphony Orchestra Present Opera Chorus Gala

APPLETON, WIS. — Acclaimed bass-baritone Mark Schnaible will the guest soloist when the Lawrence Concert Choir, Cantala women’s choir, Viking Chorale and the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra present the Opera Chorus Gala concert Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, 510 E. College Ave., Appleton.

Tickets, at $10 for adults and $5 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

More than 200 student voices will join Schnaible in performing choruses from a dozen noted operas, including the march of the toreadors from “Carmen,” the coronation scene from “Boris Godunov,” the triumphal scene from “Aida” and the anvil chorus from “Il Trovatore.”

“The wide variety of literature presented in the program pose unique language and musical challenges, requiring us to explore the breadth of our intellectual and stylistic expression,” said Assistant Professor of Music Phillip Swan, who directs Cantala. “We are continually being stretched and motivated throughout this musical journey and we look forward to sharing the richness of these familiar, grand and cherished choruses in one special performance.”

Praised for his “strong, rich and warm-colored voice with assured style,” Schnaible has performed professionally throughout Europe and the United States. A past winner of the Marseille International Opera Competition, he has sung more than 40 roles in his career, including the title characters in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” and Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd.” Last month he sang Escamillo in “Carmen” with the New Orleans Opera.

Swan will join Professors of Music Richard Bjella and David Becker in conducting combined choir and orchestra portions throughout the concert.

Lawrence Symphony Orchestra and Choirs Present a Mozart/Shostakovich Birthday Celebration

The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music will celebrate the 100th birthday of Dmitri Shostakovich and the 250th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in two concert performances on Saturday, April 22 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 23 at 3:00 p.m. The concerts will showcase the talents of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of David Becker, and the Lawrence University Concert Choir, Women’s Choir, Chorale, and White Heron Chorale, conducted by Richard Bjella. Special guest will be soloist Daniel Cilli.

Titled “A Birthday Celebration,” the concert will feature Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Op. 96, and The Execution of Stepan Razin, a poem for bass, chorus, and symphony orchestra, with introductory comments by Richard Yatzeck, professor of Russian at Lawrence University. In celebration of Mozart’s birthday, his Requiem, KV 626, will be performed and will include solos by conservatory faculty members Patrice Michaels, soprano, Karen Leigh-Post, mezzo-soprano, Steven Spears, tenor, and John Gates, bass.

Guest artist Daniel Cilli, baritone, has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood, and with the Utah Symphony and Opera, West Bay Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Amarillo Opera, and Central City Opera. He studied lieder at the Franz Schubert Institute in 2001, and attained performance degrees from Stetson University and New England Conservatory of Music.

Both performances will take place in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are currently on sale at the Lawrence University Box Office, located in the Music-Drama Center, or by phone at 920-832-6749, and are $10 for adults, and $5 for senior citizens and students.