Among the half dozen musical events scheduled at Illinois State
University’s School of Music in the next few days, one of the high points
will be the Sunday, Feb. 25, free performance by violist Karen Ritscher,
professor of viola at Oberlin Conservatory and a member of the artist
faculty at the Heifetz International Music Institute in Maryland.
Ritscher will be the featured artist at the first Viola Day in the School of Music, a day of master classes, displays, demonstrations, ensemble readings and lectures for high school and college/university viola performers. All events will take place in Kemp Recital Hall and Cook Hall. The day begins at 9:45 a.m. and will end with a 4 p.m. recital in Kemp Recital Hall by Ritscher and, from ISU’s faculty, violist Katherine Lewis, cellist Adriana La Rosa Ransom, violinist Sarah Gentry, clarinetist David Gresham and pianist Paul Borg.
Other presenters during the day will be Robin Kearton, director of Bow-Dacious String Band in Champaign-Urbana, and Eric Chapman, founder and current member of the Violin Society of America and Vice President of the Chicago School of Violin Making.
All events and activities are free and open to the public.
On Saturday, Feb. 24, Illinois State’s Jazz Ensembles I and II will perform in the Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free.
At 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, the Symphonic Wind will present a concert in the CPA Concert Hall. Admission is $6 for the general public, $5 for faculty-staff and $4 for students and senior citizens. Children 6 and younger are admitted free.
Tenor Greg Kunde, an alumnus and recipient of an honorary doctorate at Illinois State last year, will present a recital at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, in the CPA Concert Hall. Tickets to hear Kunde, who is an international opera star, are $6, $5 and $4.
On Tuesday, Feb. 27, oboist Judith Dicker and bassoonist Michael Dicker, both of the School of Music faculty, will perform as part of the Charles W. Bolen Faculty Recital Series at 8 p.m. in Kemp Recital Hall. Admission is free.
Wednesday, Feb. 28, the ISU Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir will perform a concert of music by Mozart, Beethoven and Mendelssohn at 8 p.m. in the CPA Concert Hall. Admission is $6, $5 and $4.
Pianist David Feurzeig will present a program on ragtime and stride piano at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, as a benefit to establish a minority scholarship in the School of Music. Admission to the performance-lecture in the CPA Concert Hall is $10, $8 and $7.
Guest artist Jason Ham will present a euphonium recital at 8 p.m. in Kemp Recital Hall on Friday, March 2. He also will present a master class at 3 p.m. that day in Kemp. Admission is free.
