Hamilton’s Department of Music is set to present an exciting semester of faculty and student events in Wellin Hall, Schambach Center for Music and the Performing Arts. All performances are free and begin at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.
The semester opens with the Fall Faculty Concert on Friday, Sept. 4. The Department of Music faculty musicians are featured in a recital for voice, piano, brass, strings, and more.
The annual Jazz Kick-Off Concert with “Doc” Woods follows on Wednesday, Sept. 9 Guest artist Jakubu Griffin, drums, performs with Woods, bass and composition; Jeff Stockham, trumpet; Tom Witkowski, piano; Joe Handy, guitar; and Angelo Candela, trombone, in an evening of all new charts.
Jon Fredric West, heldentenor, and Kenneth Bowen, piano, perform “A Gloucestershire Evening with Ralph Vaughan Williams” on Friday, Sept. 25. The recital features “Songs of Travel,” a song cycle of nine songs with poems selected from the Robert Louis Stevenson collection of the same name.
Faculty recitals continue in October with Mescolare on Saturday, Oct. 10. Comprised of Rick Balestra, guitar, Barry Blumenthal, keyboards, Chris Colabello, bass, and Mike Cortese, drums, Mescolare combines jazz, Brazilian, funk, and African popular music for a truly unique sound.
Hamilton College’s Family Weekend performances round out October. The Hamilton College Choir and Department of Dance and Movement Studies share the stage for a performance of choral song and original choreography from Hamilton College faculty performed by current students on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. and again on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1:30 p.m. The Hamilton College Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble perform in a dual program on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Heather Buchman conducts the orchestra in Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, K. 425 (Linz). While “Doc” Woods leads the jazz ensemble.
The Jazz Combo plays a relaxed concert in Café Opus featuring charts for small ensemble and soloists on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 9 p.m.
Tenor Jon English and pianist Sar-Shalom Strong present a complete performance of Franz Schubert's Die Winterreise (The Winter Journey) on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 3 p.m. This extensive song cycle presents an angst-filled picture of youthful love lost, and is considered to be among Schubert’s best works.
Hamilton College and Community Masterworks Chorale with Symphoria present their winter concert on Tuesday, Dec. 1. For the first time in 10 years, the Masterworks Chorale will present George Frideric Handel’s immortal oratorio Messiah. Since its premiere performance in Dublin in 1742, this iconic work has never fallen from the concert repertoire and continues to engage audiences around the world. Tickets are $10 adult and $8 senior citizens and students.
Under the direction of Heather Buchman, the Hamilton College Orchestra performs a winter concert of Mozart’s Symphony No. 36 and Dvorák’s Czech Suite on Friday, Dec. 4.
The Student Soloists Concert will take place on Saturday, Dec. 5. This event is student recital for voice, winds, strings, brass, piano and more.
The Hamilton College Jazz Ensemble turns Café Opus into a jazz club for their final concert of the semester in Café Opus on Monday, Dec 7. “Doc” Woods leads the ensemble in new charts and jazz standards.
Rounding out the semester is Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet on Friday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m. The Hamilton’s Department of Music and Utica Dance co-produce Tchaikovsky’s timeless classic ballet, Nutcracker. Members of the Hamilton College Orchestra and Symphoria, conducted by Heather Buchman, provide live musical accompaniment for the evening performances. In addition, Utica Dance will offer two matinee performances with recorded music. Tickets and information at www.uticadance.com.
Seating for all events is general admission, and tickets are not required unless noted. For more information, call the box office at (315) 859-4331 or visit www.hamiltonpa.org.
