Our first Music Under the Dome concert, Music of the Night features both amazing sounds and incredible performers. Our first work, by Bernhard Henrik Crusell, entitled Concertino in Bb Major is for solo bassoon and piano and is a whimsical piece that features virtuosic playing and a middle night section with serene beauty at its core, played by Mexican born bassoonist and Woodruff Award recipient Carlos Lopez. Next, prize winning pianist and Italian Andrea Caruso will perform Ottorino Respighi’s breathtaking Notturno on the amazing Yamaha Diskclavier Concert Grand Piano. The program will conclude with a series of vocal pieces by Eric Barnum, John Taverner, Jacques Arcadelt, and Gustav Holst presented in a surround sound performance by the Schwob Singers under the direction of Dr. Ianthe Marini, conducted by Addison Walton. The visual designs will be produced by artist and Omnisphere Theater director Lance Tankersley, who will create imaginative full-dome effects to accompany this beautiful music!

Reception at 5pm with wine and cheese, and 45 minute concert at 5:37pm!

Our second Music Under the Dome concert, entitled Gorgeous Trifles features a number of first-time performers on the series. The concert will begin with two arias starting with the Flower Duet from Lakmé, and then the Dew Fairy aria from Hansel und Gretel, all with Schwob Opera singers under the direction of Dr. Joshua May. Next is Debussy’s stunningly beautiful Clair de Lune, performed by new Schwob graduate pianist Jarret Holbrook. This will be followed by a wildly inventive piece by Brazilian composer Hector Villa Lobos, his Jet Whistle, performed by brothers Jonathan Simmons (cello) and Andrew Simmons (flute), both graduate students and both outstanding performers who are coached by Dr. Andree Martin. Visual designs for this concert will be done by CSU Art Alumna and gifted painter, Julianna Wells.

Reception at 5pm with wine and cheese, and 45 minute concert at 5:37pm!

This Winter time concert, Colors of Creation features a number of incredible artists and performers, starting with the violists from the studio of Dr. Katrin Meidell playing York Bowen’s fiendishly difficult Viola Quartet, a fabulous piece featuring the rich tone of our viola section. Next, the award winning Schwob Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Paul Vaillancourt will perform Michael Osterle’s California, a minimalist work capturing the colors of the West Coast, but with beautiful sounds drawn from numerous instruments. It’s simply a breathtaking piece! The program will finish with graduate pianist Cristina Loscovuto playing Alban Berg’s Piano Sonata, Op. 1, a work that put Berg on the map as a composer of international stature and a romantic utterance. This is a piece full of virtuosic technique and lilting melodies. Visual designs will be done by our gifted Professor of Dance, Amy Mutarelli Taylor.

Reception at 5 pm with wine and cheese, and 45-minute concert at 5:37pm!

After a month off in January, the MUTD series will pick up again in February with a performance entitled Impressions. On it we will present a series of remarkable works by an eclectic mix of composers from around the world, starting with Englishman Benjamin Britten’s Lachrymae, a gorgeous work performed beautifully by violist Elizabeth Hostetter. This will be followed by Brazilian Sergio Assad’s Suite Brazileira, played by three guitarists from the studio of Dr. Andrew Zohn. This work features samba rhythms and terrific interplay between the three guitarists. Next up, a contemporary and meditative work by American Eve Beglarian, entitled I will not be sad in this world, played by outstanding graduate student Terry Andrews and coached by Dr. Andree Martin. The program will conclude with Claude Debussy’s gorgeous Les Colinnes d’Anacapri from his Preludes, Book 1, performed with brilliance and beauty by Schwob graduate student Anna Vertypolokh, who comes to Columbus via Russia. All visual designs for this program are being created by Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts faculty member Oliver Ellis, a former Harvard fellow and inventive designer.

Reception at 5pm with wine and cheese, and 45 minute concert at 5:37pm!

Our March MUTD program, entitled Swarms of Sound will feature performances by Schwob faculty, students and alumni, all of whom bring distinctive artistry to their performances. First up is Dr. Katrin Meidell, Schwob professor of viola playing Max Reger’s haunting Viola Suite No. 3. This will be followed by two works for our Schowb Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Paul Vaillancourt: Philip Glass’s Madeira River and Kevin Bobo’s Swarm. Both pieces have exotic sounds from around the world and offer our percussionists a chance to showcase their tremendous talent. We will conclude with pianist Alexey Truscheckin, recent prize winner of both the Grieg and Los Angeles Piano Competitions, performing Chopin’s Nocturne, Op, 27, and his famous Waltz in Ab Major – both incredibly demanding works, but played by one of the great pianists of his generation! All visual designs for this program will be created by internationally renowned video artist Puspa Lohemeyer, in residence at CSU and whose work was just featured in a retrospective at the Tucson Museum.

Reception at 5pm with wine and cheese, and 45 minute concert at 5:37pm!

The last concert of the MUTD season, The Breath of Dreams will be a tour de force starting with Maurice Ravel’s incredibly beautiful Cinq mélodies populaires grecques performed by world class tenor and faculty member Dr. Joshua May and lovely harpist Sara Hancock. Next is another work by the amazing French colorist Claude Debussy: his Estampes  will be performed with exquisite control and strength by Russian Nikita Krylov. The evening will end with two works performed by the Schwob Singers just before their trip to Carnegie Hall in New York. Claudio Monteverdi’s Si choi voreei morire and Eric Whitacre’s Leonard Dreams of His Flying Machine, both works that showcase the wealth of vocal talent we are blessed to have here at CSU. Visual designs will be created by the immensely gifted Lance Tankersley, Omnisphere Theater director and artist extraordinaire.

As always, reception at 5pm with wine and cheese, and 45 minute concert at 5:37pm!