Musical festival of firsts

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Dana School of Music is celebrating its 27th New Music Festival with guest composer Paul Tierney of Scotland. Tierney, who studied with recent New Music Society guest Paul Mealor, teaches at Aberdeen College and the University of Aberdeen, both in Scotland. He is active as both a baritone and a conductor.

Tierney’s work “Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes,” a setting of the Robert Burns poem written especially for the festival, will be premiered at the 8 p.m. gala concert Monday at St. Columba Cathedral by Dana faculty soprano Corinne Morini and the Festival Chamber Orchestra.

The orchestra, directed by Dana faculty Robert Rollin, will also premiere Rollin’s “In Memoriam Walter Mony” with violinist Ethan Howard.

The concert will also feature the Dana Composers Ensemble premiering senior Carol Ann Smolka’s “The Rosary Prayer” for voice, flute, violin, clarinet and trombone. The Dana Chorale and Dana Symphonic Choir, Hae-Jong Lee, director; and the St. Columba Cathedral Choir, Dan Laginya, director, will also perform.

A recital of works by Tierney and Dana composers will be presented at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Youngstown, at 3 p.m. Sunday. All events are free.