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BHSU Music Program kicks off a year of incredible events
17 September 2018
The BHSU Music Department is excited to announce their schedule of events for the 2018-2019 school year, including many ensemble performances as well as invitational conferences. Events are free to all and take place in Meier Recital Hall on the Black Hills State University campus, unless noted.
The first event on the music department’s calendar took place Thursday, Sept. 13; a Faculty Recital from Dr. Christopher Hahn, assistant professor of music at BHSU. Hahn was joined by students from the trumpet studio and the Black Hills Brass Quintet. Another event this month includes performances by students who attended a Lakota Music Composition Academy on the BHSU campus in July. On Sept. 23 at 2 p.m., the Lakota students will premier their original compositions in Meier Recital Hall for the public.
Throughout the year, you can expect multiple band, jazz band, orchestra, and choir concerts that will fit everyone’s interests, Hahn says. The awaited Madrigal Dinner in November, which acts as a fundraiser for the music department and offers a full evening of food, music, and theatrical entertainment, will be a highlight of the year.
The Madrigal Dinner will be performed Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 1-2 at 6:30 p.m., promising a medieval time as singers don Renaissance attire and the audience is served a themed meal. Menotti’s “Ahmal and the Night Visitors” will be part of this year’s Madrigal Dinner. Ahmal is a short opera about the three kings travelling to the Nativity and their encounter with a small boy and his mother. Tickets will be for sale on the BHSU website closer to the performance date.
Multiple competitions, clinics, and workshops will also be spotlighted at BHSU, including an exciting opportunity for the community band to perform at the S.D. Music Educators Conference in October.
“That is a pretty big deal and we will get to showcase our talents for S.D. Music Educators,” Hahn urges. The Concert Choir will be performing with the S.D. Symphony Orchestra in April in Sioux Falls, singing in a performance of Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 8,” one of the most monumental pieces ever written. In addition to the ensemble concerts, conferences, and competitions, student and faculty recitals presented throughout the year provide opportunities to showcase solo and chamber music playing.
An exciting and recent addition to the line-up of events this semester is a visit from the Offutt Air Force Brass Quintet on Oct. 12, and Hahn looks forward to the great show that they always put on. The department also provides several students with scholarships through Friends of Music. Donations accepted at events and ensemble performances go straight to these music scholarships.
About BHSU Music Department: The Music Department strives to develop both student and community musicians and is constantly improving the musical culture of the area. The Music Department blends individual study, for refinement and creative expression, with group performance, for a comprehensive and cooperative educational environment. The BHSU Music program is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and extraordinary for those planning on working in music related fields, becoming professional musicians, or continuing a teaching career or graduate program to further their talent. All events take place in Meier Recital Hall on the Black Hills State University campus and admission is free unless noted with a ($).
September
13 (Th) Christopher Hahn Faculty Recital 7:30 p.m.
23 (Su) Lakota Music Composition Academy Original Compositions
October
4 (Th) BH Bands Concert 7:30 p.m.
5–6 (F-Sa) SD Arts in Education Conference
8 (M) All-State Chorus Rehearsal Day
10–12 (W-F) Student Ambassador Band Fall Tour
12 (F) Offutt Air Force Brass Quintet 7:30 p.m.
25-27 (Th-Sa) SD All-State Orchestra and Choir (Rapid City)