MUSIC FACULTY SHOWCASE TALENTS AT CHAMBER RECITAL

Directed by Arie Lipsky, several faculty members from the Ashland University Department of Music combine and showcase their talents with Lipsky for a chamber ensemble recital on Sunday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital. The performance is free and open to the public.

The program begins with William Bergsma's "Four All" featuring Lipsky on cello; Thomas Reed, clarinet; Scott Garlock, trombone; and Jeff Neitzke, percussion followed by Arthur Honegger's "Trois Contrepoints" performed by Lipsky; Jane Berkner on piccolo; Jane Reed, violin; Andria Hoy, oboe and English horn. Flutist Jane Berkner and Jeff Neitzke on marimba perform Gareth Farr's "Kembang Suling" in three movements followed by Astor Piazzolla's "Primavera Portena" with clarinetist Thomas Reed, Lipksy on cello, and pianist Pavlina Draganova. After a brief intermission, the recital concludes with Jean Francaix's "Octuor" conducted by Lipsky and performed by violinists Michelle Abraham and Jane Reed; Jim Froelich, viola; Miles Richardson, cello; Dave Lenigan, bass; Thomas Reed, clarinet; Ian Hoy, bassoon and Mike Metcalf, horn.

Known in the Ashland area as the music director and conductor for the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, Arie Lipsky is a native of Haifa, Israel, where he received extensive training as a cellist and flutist. He holds degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and Music which he received before serving in the Israeli armed forces as a tank commander. After moving to the United States, Arie served as Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra and graduated from there with distinction. During this period he also assumed conducting responsibilities with the Ohio Light Opera. He moved to Buffalo, New York in 1984 to become the Philharmonic's principal cellist and, in 1990, also became the Resident Conductor, a position he held for twelve years. Maestro Lipsky is currently in his seventeenth season as Music Director and Conductor of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, and also in his thirteenth season as Music Director and Conductor of the Ann Arbor (Michigan) Symphony.

VOCAL GROUPS PRESENT SPRING CONCERTS FROM GERSHWIN TO MAROON 5

The Ashland University Department of Music presents its final choral concert of the year featuring three vocal groups performing popular favorites from Gershwin to James Taylor and Stevie Wonder on Sunday, April 29, 4:00 p.m. at the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel.  The concert features the Ashland University Chamber Singers, Women's Chorus and is free and open to the public.

Under the direction of Stephanie Sikora with assistance by pianist Holly Allan and a jazz combo with D R Haught, Ben Schnell and Aaron Hill, the Women's Chorus will perform Pat Ballard's 1954 Billboard chart hit Mister Sandman, Bobby Darin's classic hit Beyond the Sea as arranged by Holly Allan, Rsephanye Powell's spiritual Still I Rise, and Ron Jeffers I Have Had Singing. The Women's Chorus also will feature senior members Alaina Bosak, Helena Marshall, Laura Huntington, and Lindsay Hartke on the Gershwin for Girls Medley.

The Chamber Singers, directed by Rowland Blackley, will present Gene Puerling's arrangement of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square which was made famous by the Manhattan Transfer, James Taylor's Lonesome Road, Icarus by Ralph Tower, and Ysaye Barnwell's Wanting Memories.

The concert will also introduce the student-led a capella ensemble Surround Sound as they perform three popular songs including Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer, Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours, and This Love as performed by Maroon 5.  

Surround Sound also will present a late evening concert with an extended program on Sunday, April 29, 8:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

The 10-member ensemble will present a program of Billboard chart hits and an original composition which have been arranged for a capella by Deke Sharon or Surround Sounds' Brandy Riha. Songs to be performed include Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours, Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten, Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer as performed by The Monkeys, I'm Yours/You Belong with Me as performed by Jason Mraz and Taylor Swift, This Love as performed by Maroon 5, I Want You Back as performed by The Jackson 5, and Precipitation, an original song by Brandy Kay Riha and Kirstan Orgel. 

Performers in Surround Sound are Adam Stuart Beckwith (Vermilion High School, Vermilion, Ohio); Julie Bontempo (North Olmsted High School, North Olmstead, Ohio); Michael Kahle (Pandora-Gilboa High School, Pandora, Ohio); Brandy Riha (Geneva High School, Geneva, Ohio); Emily Springer (River Valley High School, Marion, Ohio); Caleb Stout (North Adams High School, Winchester, Ohio); John Fielding (Glen Oak High School, Canton, Ohio); Marisa Carafelli, Don Haught and Andrew Shaffer (Wooster High School, Wooster, Ohio).

MUSIC FACULTY COMBINE TALENTS FOR CHAMBER ENSEMBLE RECITAL

Directed by Arie Lipsky, several faculty members from the Ashland University Department of Music combine their talents with Lipsky for a chamber ensemble recital on Sunday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital.  The performance is free and open to the public.

The program begins with the faculty wind quartet performing Gioacchino Rossini’s “Quartet No. 6 in B-flat” featuring Arie Lipsky on flute; Thomas Reed, clarinet; Ian Hoy, bassoon; and Michael Metcalf, horn.  A faculty trio with soprano Denise Milner Howell, cellist Arie Lipsky and pianist Megan Barth will then present Johannes Brahms “Two Songs, Op. 91.”  Combining many elements of jazz with ragtime, the faculty trio of Thomas Reed on clarinet; Arie Lipksy, cello; and Pavlina Draganova, piano will perform Paul Schoenfield’s “Café Music.”  The program will conclude with a sextet playing the four movement suite of Bohuslav Martinu’s jazz ballet “La Revue de Cuisine” including Prologue (Marche), Tango, Charleston and Final.  The sextet features violinist Jane Reed, cellist Arie Lipsky, clarinetist Thomas Reed, bassoonist Ian Hoy, Amanda Bekeny on trumpet and Pavlina Draganova, piano.

Known in the Ashland area as the music director and conductor for the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, Arie Lipsky is a native of Haifa, Israel, where he received extensive training as a cellist and flutist.  He holds degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and Music which he received before serving in the Israeli armed forces as a tank commander. After moving to the United States, Arie served as Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra and graduated from there with distinction.  During this period he also assumed conducting responsibilities with the Ohio Light Opera.  He moved to Buffalo, New York in 1984 to become the Philharmonic's principal cellist and, in 1990, also became the Resident Conductor, a position he held for twelve years.  Maestro Lipsky is currently in his fifteenth season as Music Director and Conductor of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, and also in his eleventh season as Music Director and Conductor of the Ann Arbor (Michigan) Symphony.