New Music Society plans concert

the vindicator

YOUNGSTOWN — The annual New Music Society Winter Pops Concert will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Bliss Recital Hall, on the campus of Youngstown State University. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert will include seven world premieres, including two by Dana faculty composer Robert Rollin that were commissioned by Dana alumni. Dana voice instructor Corinne Morini requested a set of songs for soprano and piano on poems by the American poetess Emily Dickinson. She will premiere “Three Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson,” accompanied on piano by another Dana alumnus, Anthony Ruggiero.

Micah Howard, Dana alumnus and a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony string bass section for more than 10 years, requested a virtuosic work for solo bass in a lighter vein based on dance rhythms. Rollin responded with “Fantasy Samba,” which Howard will premiere on the program. The work explores the many colors available on the instrument.

Local composer Richard Zacharias, member of the New Music Guild, will hear his Sonata for Oboe and Piano performed by Dana alumnus Nathan Welch and accompanied by master’s candidate Timothy Webb, piano. Welch now lives in the Cleveland area.

Senior composition major Daniel Brandt will have a premiere of his “Three Nocturnes” for piano performed by junior Stephen Klein. Brandt will have two other pieces on the program: “Prelude for Guitar,” played by Margaret Jones, and “Synapses” with Joseph Finkel, alto saxophone, and Patrick Fulton, bass clarinet. Brandt won a national composition contest last year for a tuba and piano work.

Samantha Hogan, a freshman composition major, will hear the premiere of “Reign of Thunder,” played by Shanyse Strickland, flute, and Cory Davis, piano. Sophomore Sarah Kramer’s trio Vita, Amore, Music will be performed by graduates Mariana Szalaj, violin, and Maria Fesz, cello, with Stephen Kline at the piano.

Rounding out the concert will be a performance of Augustin Barrios’ solo guitar piece “Una limosno por el amor de Dios,” by senior Ben Dague.