Victorian Christmas with John Doan

“A Victorian Christmas with John Doan,” a holiday tradition in its 20th season, comes to Willamette University Sunday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. The concert, in Willamette’s Smith Auditorium, re-enacts what it might have been like to celebrate Christmas a century ago.

“The show explores how Victorians invented many Christmas traditions we remember and quite a few we have forgotten,” the Willamette associate professor of music said. “The aim is to recapture the feeling of a time before radio and TV when our ancestors provided most of their own musical entertainment at home, especially during the holidays.”

Doan will play more than a dozen turn-of-the-century instruments once popular in American parlors, on vaudeville stages and in mandolin orchestras. The 20-string harp guitar, classical banjo and ukelin are a few of the original instruments to be featured. Doan explains their history in an entertaining and often zany fashion, shows slides of old catalogs and archival photographs, and leads the audience by singing or whistling many of our most beloved American carols.

Doan is a touring and recording artist who has appeared on radio and television across the country. The festive Christmas program is a live version of Doan’s Emmy-nominated Oregon Public Broadcasting television special.

Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and children under 12 and are available at Willamette’s Music Department or by phone at 503-370-6255. Willamette University students, faculty and staff may acquire free tickets up to one week prior to the event, but tickets are limited. For more information see www.johndoan.com.

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Portland Gay Men’s Chorus to Perform in Salem

The Portland Gay Men’s Chorus will perform Saturday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University. The concert will feature “Metamorphosis,” an expansive choral/orchestral song cycle that centers on the struggles of coming out within families and communities of faith. Admission is free.

The Salem performance follows the recent premiere of “Metamorphosis” in Portland, Boston and New York. The 2004 composition, by composer Robert Seeley and lyricist Robert Espindola, was written for the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, of Minnesota. The work consists of a series of soul-searching, thought-provoking songs about personal identity, relationships with loved ones and changes across the life span, and is accompanied by full orchestra. Also on the program are humorous works by Eric Lane Barnes of Seattle and the “AIDS Requiem” by Portland composer David York.

Under the direction of Artistic Director Bob Mensel, the 100-voice Portland Gay Men’s Chorus was founded in 1980 and is the fourth oldest gay-identified chorus in the United States. More than 700 men and women, some now deceased, have been members of the chorus during its history. The recipient of numerous awards for musical excellence and community service, the chorus aspires to redefine and perfect the choral art through eclectic performances that honor and uplift the gay community and affirm the worth of all people.

The group has commissioned more than 40 new choral works and has three CDs: “Breaking the Silence with Song” (1995), “Millennium Mosaic” (2000) and “Holiday Serenade” (2003).

Concerts by the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus frequently feature innovative choreography, creative staging and visual media. Performances are appropriate for youth, and the chorus welcomes families.

The concert is funded by Willamette University’s Lilly Project, which supports the study and pursuit of vocation.

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Chinese Zither Concert Combines Old and New Traditions

Canadian musicians Mei Han and Randy Raine-Reusch will present a concert of music for the zheng, or Chinese long zither, Friday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University. They will also present a lecture-demonstration, “Zheng: The Chinese Zither,” at 4 p.m. that afternoon in the Hatfield Room of the Hatfield Library. Both events are free.

Han and Raine-Reusch collaborate to take the zheng and Chinese music in radical new directions, combining 5,000 years of Chinese musical traditions with new music, world music and jazz. Their performances, which have been described as stunning and energetic, draw on two cultures: Chinese virtuoso Han’s deep roots in traditional music and the modern innovations of Raine-Reusch. Han is a rare blend of virtuoso performer and scholar, who has performed on five continents. Her performances have been broadcast nationally in China and Canada, and are included in CDs sold around the world. Raine-Reusch is a composer and performer who has collected more than 700 world musical instruments. Specializing in compositions that utilize instruments from around the globe, he has worked with some of the world’s most prominent artists in numerous genres, including Pauline Oliveros, Aerosmith, Yes and The Cranberries.

Han and Raine-Reusch’s recent CD, “Distant Wind,” reached the top spot on the Canadian College World Music charts, was nominated for a Juno (Best World) and for the West Coast Music Awards (Best Global, Best Instrumental.)

The zheng can be traced back to the 6th century B.C. The instrument has a wooden tube body, 21 plucked strings and movable bridges, and is usually tuned to a pentatonic scale. The zheng is the parent instrument of the Asian long zither family, which includes the koto of Japan. Its sound can be hauntingly melodic, as in much traditional Chinese music, but also expansively contemporary, well adapted to vigorous improvisation and modern soundscapes.

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Celtic Pilgrimage with John Doan

John Doan, Northwest musician and recording artist for Hearts O’ Space Records, will present a concert Saturday, March 18, at 8 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University. The event will feature music from both his latest CD release, “Wayfarer — Ancient Paths to Sacred Places — A Celtic Pilgrimage” and his former release, “Eire — Isle of the Saints,” voted number one Celtic Album of the Year by the NAV Music Awards. Ticket prices are $12 for general admission and $10 for children and seniors. Seating is limited. A limited number of tickets are available without charge up to a week before the event to Willamette University students, faculty and staff at the Music Department. For more information call 503-325-6432.

Master harp guitarist, storyteller and historian Doan takes his audiences on a Celtic pilgrimage to the sites made famous by St. Patrick and others during the Golden Age of Ireland. A millennium ago these sites were imaginatively called “Thin Places,” where it was believed that the space between heaven and earth, and past and future, was thinly divided. The audience is transported back to the sites where the music was composed, enhanced by storytelling and a multimedia show. A new DVD project filmed on location, “A Celtic Pilgrimage,” will be available at the concert.

Doan traveled to the British Isles where he made these musical sketches that he expresses through his harp guitar. The version of the harp guitar that he plays is a rare, 20-string instrument created at the end of the last century in Europe and America. It supplements the standard guitar’s six fretted strings with six unfretted sub-bass strings, but its most distinctive sound is the crystalline harp tones of eight treble strings, which ring with bell-like clarity.

“It has almost the range of the piano but it is a lot easier to carry with you,” he said.

Doan has starred in two popular television specials produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting and his music has been featured on numerous prime-time television and movie productions, including Walt Disney. He is an associate professor of music at Willamette University. For more information go to www.johndoan.com.

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Jazz Festival Concert at Willamette Feb. 11

Tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath will be featured at the 25th Annual Willamette University Jazz Festival concert Saturday, Feb. 11, in Smith Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at the music department are $12 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. If available, patrons may purchase tickets at the Smith Auditorium box office one hour prior to the performance. For more information, call 503-370-6255, or visit www.willamette.edu/go/jazzfestival.

The annual festival welcomes 24 outstanding high school bands from Oregon and Washington. One of these bands will be invited to join Heath and the Willamette Jazz Ensemble on stage during the concert.

Heath will also offer a free clinic Saturday, Feb. 11, at noon in Smith Auditorium. Registration is not required.

The festival is sponsored by the Grace Goudy Distinguished Artists Series at Willamette.

Heath has long been recognized as a brilliant instrumentalist, composer and arranger. He has performed with nearly all the jazz greats of the last 50 years, including Howard McGhee, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis.

In 1948 at the age of 21, he performed in the First International Jazz Festival in Paris with McGhee, sharing the stage with Coleman Hawkins, Slam Stewart, and Erroll Garner. One of Heath’s earliest big bands (1947-1948) in Philadelphia included John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Specs Wright, Cal Massey, Johnny Coles, Ray Bryant, and Nelson Boyd.

During his career, Heath has performed on more than 100 record albums and has written more than 125 compositions, many of which have been recorded by other artists including Art Farmer, Cannonball Adderley, Clark Terry, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, James Moody, Milt Jackson, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, J.J Johnson and Dexter Gordon.

After having just concluded 11years as professor of music at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, Heath maintains an extensive performance schedule and continues to conduct workshops and clinics throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada.

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Willamette University Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Grammy-award winning a capella group, Sweet Honey in the Rock, will appear in concert Friday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. in Smith Auditorium at Willamette University as part of a week-long celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Tickets are available to the public at the Putnam University Center Information Desk from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18; from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 19, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 20. If available, tickets may be purchased the night of the event at the Smith Auditorium box office beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 with a four-ticket per person limit.

Other events open to the general public include a Willamette University Convocation Thursday, Jan. 19, from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. in the Hatfield Room of the Hatfield Library. The event features the PBS documentary “Sweet Honey in the Rock—Raise Your Voice!” Admission is free.

The public is also invited to the Thursday, Jan. 19, “Raising My Voice for Justice” forum in the Bistro from 3 to 6 p.m. Members of the University community will share their ideas for justice through speech, poetry and other expressions. Refreshments will be served. For details, call Paula Sams-Ingle at 503-370-6103.

Four additional events are for Willamette University students, faculty and staff only.

• Signing the Birmingham Pledge, Monday, Jan. 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in University Center, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. in Goudy Commons. The pledge encourages people to make a personal commitment to racial harmony.
• Raise Your Voice luncheon Friday, Jan. 20, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Cat Cavern includes a showing of “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years” with a discussion of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott. Discussion participants include representatives from the Salem/Kaiser Coalition for Equality, The Farmer Workers Housing Development Corporation, and Basic Rights Oregon. Emily Drew, assistant professor in American Ethnic Studies at Willamette, will lead the discussion. For lunch reservations call the Office of Multicultural Affairs at 503-370-6265.
• Students, faculty and staff are also encouraged to attend Into the Streets: Community Service in Salem Friday, Jan. 20, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in University Center. Participants will learn about community service opportunities in the Salem area.
• The Hunger Banquet Friday, Jan. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Cat Cavern. The banquet is a simulation of world hunger and includes a speaker and discussion of hunger and poverty. Willamette students donate meal points from their individual University meal program and agree to skip a meal in support of the project. Last year, Willamette students raised more than $2,000 for the Salem Outreach Shelter.

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John Doan Returns to Willamette

“A Victorian Christmas With John Doan,” a holiday tradition in its 19th season, comes to Willamette University Sunday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. The concert, in Willamette’s Hudson Hall, re-enacts what it might have been like to celebrate Christmas a century ago.

“The show explores how Victorians invented many Christmas traditions we remember and quite a few we have forgotten,” the Willamette associate professor of music said. “The aim is to recapture the feeling of a time before radio and TV when our ancestors provided most of their own musical entertainment at home, especially during the holidays.”

Doan will play more than a dozen turn-of-the-century instruments once popular in American parlors, on vaudeville stages and in mandolin orchestras. The 20-string harp guitar, classical banjo and ukelin are a few of the original instruments to be featured. Doan explains their history in an entertaining and often zany fashion, shows slides of old catalogues and archival photographs and leads the audience by singing, or whistling, many of our most beloved American carols. Doan will include several arrangements from his CD, “Wrapped In White, Visions of Christmas Past.”

Doan is a touring and recording artist who has appeared on radio and television across the country.

Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and children under 12 and are available at Willamette’s Music Department or by phone at 503-370-6255. Willamette University students, faculty and staff may acquire free tickets up to one week prior to the event, but tickets are limited. For more information visit www.johndoan.com.

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Award Winning Quartet in Concert

Cuarteto Latinamericano, the internationally-recognized, two-time Grammy Award nominated string quartet, and soprano Janice Johnson will appear in a free concert Friday April 8 at 8:00 p.m. in Hudson Hall at the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center. The quartet, which has received international acclaim, will perform the early Arnold Schoenberg masterpiece, Verklaerte Nacht, two new pieces by Mexico’s premiere composers, Gabriela Ortiz and Carlos Sanchez Gutierrez and a new work, Lorca Settings for voice and string quartet, composed by Willamette’s composer-in-residence, John Peel. Ms. Johnson will join the quartet for the Lorca Settings piece.

The Cuarteto Latinomaericano, brought to the University by the New Music at Willamette Program, has produced more than 27 compact disk recordings. Since 1987, they have been the string-quartet-in-artists-in-residence at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh as well as artists-in-residence at the Belles Artes in Mexico City.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Willamette University Music Department at 503-370-6255.

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Annual Jazz Festival Set for Feb. 12th

The 24th Annual Willamette University Jazz Festival concert, with guest drummer Frank Capp, takes place Saturday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Smith Auditorium at the University. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students and seniors at the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center and at the door the night of the event. For more ticket information, call 503-370-6255.

Capp has played with Stan Kenton, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry James, Charlie Barnet, Stan Getz, Art Pepper, and Dave Pell. He has recorded with André Previn, Benny Goodman, Terry Gibbs, and Turk Murphy. Capp worked steadily on television shows and in the film studios in the 1960s, and recorded extensively in a variety of settings for Concord. Frank Capp Juggernaut (later known simply as Capp-Pierce Orchestra) sometimes sounded identical to the ’70s Count Basie band.

The Willamette Jazz Festival has brought the leading names in jazz to the Salem area. Former guests include Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Conte Condoli, Don Lanphere, Herbie Mann, and the Mel Brown Septet.

First-year band director Tim Robblee and the Willamette University Jazz Ensemble will host the day-long event which includes regional high school jazz bands performing for adjudication throughout the day also in Smith Center. This portion of the festival is free and open to the public. The festival concludes with the 7:30 p.m. concert.

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A Victorian Christmas With John Doan

“A Victorian Christmas With John Doan,” a holiday tradition in its 18th season, comes to Salem, Sunday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. in Hudson Hall in the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center at Willamette University.

Advanced tickets are at the Music Department are $10 for adults and $8 for children and seniors under 12. Tickets at the door are $12 for adults and $10 for children and seniors. Willamette University students, faculty, and staff may acquire free tickets up to one week prior to the event. For more information and phone reservations call (503) 370-6255.

This seasonal program is a live version of Doan's Emmy nominated Public Broadcasting television special, which re-enacts what it might have been like to celebrate Christmas a century ago.

The show explores how the Victorians invented many Christmas traditions we remember and quite a few we have forgotten. The 20-string harp guitar, classical banjo, and ukelin are but a few of the original instruments to be featured.

The aim of this concert is to recapture the feeling of a time before radio and TV when our ancestors provided most of their own musical home entertainment, especially at the holidays. During the concert, Doan plays more than a dozen turn-of-the-century instruments once popular in American parlors, on vaudeville stages, and in mandolin orchestras.

Doan is a touring and recording artist who has appeared on radio and television across the country including his own specials, "A Christmas To Remember With John Doan" (as seen on PBS) and his Emmy nominated Oregon Public Broadcasting, "A Victorian Christmas With John Doan."

For more information, contact John Doan at his website at www.johndoan.com.

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Virtuoso Pianist at Willamette University

Yefim Bronfman, widely regarded as one of the most talented virtuoso pianists performing today, will appear in concert Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 8 p.m. in Hudson Hall, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center, Willamette University.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for students/seniors at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets (1-800-992-8499) and at the door.

He will also direct a free master class for pianists Monday, Nov. 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Hudson Hall.

Bronfman has performed with the world’s premiere orchestras, collaborating with conductors Daniel Barenboim, Charles Dutoit, Lorin Maazel and Zubin Mehta. He has given numerous solo recitals in the leading concert halls of North America, Europe and the Far East.

As a chamber music performer, he has collaborated with Isaac Stern, the Emerson, Cleveland and Julliard String Quartets, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Lynn Harrell, Schlomo Mintz, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and many other distinguished artists.

Bronfman won a Grammy award for his recording of the three Bartok Piano Concertos with Esa-Pekka Salomen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His discography also includes the complete Prokofiev Piano Concertos, Rachmaninof’s Concertos Nos. 2 and 3, as well as numerous solo and chamber works.

During the 2003-04 season, Bronfman will perform with the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Montreal and San Francisco, as well as with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam and the Lucerne Festival, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony (at Heinz Hall and Carnegie Hall).

He will make two appearances at Carnegie’s new Zankel Hall, in October with Elena Bashkirova and the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival, and in April with Emanuel Ax and artists of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Additionally, he will perform as guest soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the closing week of the inaugural season at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

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Chamber Music Recital Sept. 29th

Saxophonist Randy Kem will be featured in a free chamber music recital Wednesday, Sept. 29th, at 7:30 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University's Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center. Kem will be joined by David Ingram, piano, and special guest Dr. Dan Rouslin, violin. They will perform works by Vaughan Williams, Glazounov, Tull and Eychenne. The event is presented by Jupiter Band Instruments, Kemtone Music Co. and Willamette University.

As guest clinician for schools in Washington, Oregon and California, Kem assisted with symphonic and jazz bands in all five Salem high schools and ten middle schools. He conducted the Salem Big Band and produced their first CD. He has performed with the Salem Chamber Orchestra and with the Salem Concert Band.

David Ingram joined Willamette University as staff accompanist and instructor of music in 1995. (Rouslin is professor of violin and viola at Willamette. He has performed in Europe, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. He has also participated in the Aspen, Grand Teton, Ernest Bloch, and Oregon Bach Music Festivals, and has played with the Oregon Mozart Players and the Portland Opera.

For recital information contact the Willamette University Music Department at 503-370-6255.

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Cellist in Hudson Hall Sept. 19th

Cellist Marek Szpakiewicz, winner of the 16th Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition, will perform Sunday, Sept.19, at 7 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University.

Sponsored by the Phi Lambda chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, International Professional Music Fraternity, the recital will include works by Beethoven, Popper, Brahms and Piazzolla. Szpakiewicz will be accompanied by Jennifer Garrett.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Proceeds will benefit the fraternity’s numerous projects and philanthropic efforts throughout Salem.

Szpakiewicz, born in Lubin, Poland, gained recognition in America when he won the Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition in August 2003. He was also a finalist in 1996 in both the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition in Zabreb, Croatia, and the Tansman International Competition in Lodz, Poland. His work as a soloist with various orchestras in Europe and in the United States has drawn praise from critics who have described him as “a gifted player, with expansive vision and immense authority, and no technical limitation.”

Szpakiewicz has won awards at the National Cello Competition in Elblag and the Governor’s Scholarship Prize in Poland. In 1991, he became a scholarship student of Professor Steven Kates at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. The following year he was awarded the Gabor Rejto Fellowship to study at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. In subsequent years, he won a scholarship to study at the Piatigorsky Seminar in Los Angeles, where he worked with Nathaniel Rosen and Zera Nelsova.

As a winner of the Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition, Szpakiewicz was awarded a two-year contract of nationwide concerts with management. He will perform with various orchestras in the United States under renowned conductors, in addition to solo and duo recitals. He started his concert tour at the University of Southern California in October 2003.

Szpakiewicz will hold a free workshop for community cello students on Saturday, Sept.18, at 1:30 p.m. in Rogers Rehearsal Hall on the Willamette campus.

For more information, contact the Willamette Music Department at 503-370-6255.

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Internationally Known Pianist At Willamette University Feb. 2

The Grace Goudy Distinguished Artists Series presents pianist Arnaldo Cohen Monday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University. His program will include the Bach-Busoni "Chaconne,” the Schumann "Fantasy," and the Chopin "Preludes, Op.28."

First-prize winner of the Busoni International Piano Competition, Cohen has performed in the world's major concert halls. He has appeared with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Suisse Romande Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony, and the Santa Cecilia Orchestra of Rome.

He has collaborated with leading conductors including Kurt Masur and Yehudi Menuhin and has performed in the Amadeus Piano Trio and with the Lindsay, Chilingirian, Orlando, and Vanbrugh Quartets, as well as in solo recitals throughout the world.

Cohen will also present a master class for pianists on Monday, Feb.2, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on the stage of Hudson Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors at the door and at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets (1-800-992-8499).

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Victorian Christmas at Willamette University

"A Victorian Christmas With John Doan," a holiday tradition in its 17th season, comes to Salem, Sunday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children under 12. Free tickets are available to Willamette University students, faculty and staff with Willamette ID up to a week in advance. For more information and phone reservations call (503) 370-6255.

This festive seasonal program is a live version of Doan’s Emmy nominated Public Broadcasting television special which re-enacts what it might have been like to celebrate Christmas a century ago. The show explores how the Victorians invented many Christmas traditions we celebrate today. The 20-string harp guitar, classical banjo and ukelin are a few of the original instruments to be featured. . The program hopes to recapture the feeling of a time before radio and TV when our ancestors provided most of their own musical home entertainment, especially at the holidays. Doan will play more than a dozen turn-of-the-century instruments once popular in American parlors, on vaudeville stages, and in mandolin orchestras. He will explain their history, show slides of old catalogues and archival photographs and lead the audience by singing (or whistling) many of our most beloved American carols.

Doan, an associate professor of music at Willamette University, has performed on Oregon Public Radio and on PBS. His recording, "Eire - Isle of the Saints," was voted Best Celtic Album of the Year by the NAV Music Awards.

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“Bach to Jazz”

Flutist Jas. Adams and Portland organist/pianist Michael Barnes will appear in concert Tuesday, Nov.18, at noon in Cone Chapel in Waller Hall at Willamette University. The concert is free and open to the public.

Musical selections will include the G minor sonata for flute and obbligato organ by J.S. Bach, a sonata for flute and keyboard composed by Mozart as a child, “En bateau” by Claude Debussy, and four movements from Claude Bolling’s “Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano,” a cross-over piece written for and definitively recorded by Jean-Pierre Rampal and the composer.

Adams has frequently performed chamber music in Oregon and abroad. He is a member of Duo Arpeggio (flute and harp) and Duo Adams-Mery (flute and classical guitar), which has twice performed at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. A founding board member of the Portland Baroque Orchestra, he also sings in the Portland Baroque Orchestra Chorus. Adams is also an adjunct faculty member at the Willamette College of Law.

Barnes is organist at Westminster Presbyterian Church and assistant organist at Temple Beth Israel, both in Portland. He has toured nationally with Community Concerts and tours internationally as the third member of the infamous BoZoArtZ Duo. He is also a consummate accompanist on piano for a wide range of musicians and musical organizations, both vocal and instrumental, throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The concert is sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain at Willamette University. Although the program is at noon, the audience is asked not to bring food or beverages into Cone Chapel.

For more information, please call 503-370-6213 during business hours.

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Piano Concert May 7 At Willamette University

"Piano Extravaganza," The Cohen-Timmons Piano Duo with pianists Diane Baxter and Anita King, “performing works for two pianos for four and eight hands,” will close this year’s Grace Goudy Distinguished Artist Series at Willamette University May 7 at 8 p.m. in Hudson Hall.

Judith Cohen and Jill Timmons have performed as a piano duo since 1999. They have appeared extensively throughout the Northwest, often providing master classes and residencies for solo and ensemble pianists.

Cohen is well known to Northwest audiences. Winner of numerous competitions, she made her Community Concerts debut in 1985 with recitals in Idaho, Washington, and Montana. Her international debut in Mexico City was under the sponsorship of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. Her performances throughout the U.S. since 1988 have included numerous solo recitals, concertos, and chamber music engagements.

Cohen received critical acclaim for her performances on the Dame Myra Hess Series in both Los Angeles and Chicago. In the spring of 2002, she made her European debut in Budapest, Hungary. Since 1989, Cohen has served as artistic director of the Governor’s Chamber Music Series in Washington.

Jill Timmons has performed internationally as both a solo and ensemble artist. Her recitals at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and the National Gallery of Art received public acclaim and her Chicago debut on the Dame Myra Hess Series was broadcast live on WFMT to 400 cable stations nationwide.

Internationally, Timmons has toured throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain and Chile. In the U.S., she has toured under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts and has been heard on National Public Radio.

She earned her doctorate in music from the University of Washington and a master’s of music degree from Boston University. Presently she combines concerts and recording work with an artist-in-residence position at Linfield College.

Diane Baxter is professor of music at Western Oregon University and Anita King is professor of music at Willamette.

Tickets at the Music Department Box Office are $12 for Willamette faculty and staff and $3 for University students; and $20 for the general public and $12 for students and seniors at Safeway Fastixx locations.

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New Music Ensemble At Willamette

New Music at Willamette Presents the Third Angle New Music Ensemble Friday, April 25, at 8 p.m. in Hudson Hall, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center, Willamette University. The concert is free and open to the public.

Founded in 1985, the Ensemble’s mission is to commission, premiere, and record new works by regionally and nationally recognized composers, and to perform innovative music by the established composers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Over the past 16 seasons, Third Angle has presented 80 programs of contemporary music, commissioned more than 20 new works, and released five recordings to critical acclaim.

Third Angle maintains a roster of nine permanent musicians and a revolving roster of distinguished guest artists from the top performing groups in Portland, including the Oregon Symphony, Florestan Trio and Chamber Music Northwest.

Appearing April 25 will be Libby Larson, Piano Trio; Paul Schoenfield, Cafe Music for Piano Trio; Paul Hindemith, Tom Johnson and John Peel.

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Jazz Festival Set For February 2003

Benny Golson, an internationally known tenor saxophonist, composer, educator and jazz icon, will be featured at Jazz Festival XXII Feb. 8, 2003, at 8 p.m. in Smith Auditorium at Willamette University.

Golson is featured in a program that also offers the Willamette Jazz Ensemble, the Willamette Faculty Jazz Combo and the “Judges’ Choice” bands from the jazz festival that welcomes 24 high school jazz bands from Oregon and Washington.

Golson will also offer a free clinic Saturday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m. also in Smith Auditorium. Registration is not required.

Concert tickets are $18 for first-floor reserved seats; $15 balcony; $12 first-floor wing; and $10 first-floor general seating. For tickets and information, please call the University Music Office at 503-370-6255.

Golson has been a major contributor to the world of jazz for the past 50 years. With 30 recordings of his own and countless recordings with jazz greats such as Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Earl Bostic and Art Blakey, Golson stands as one of the greatest contributors to the history and literature of jazz.

Golson has arranged and composed music for John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., Mama Cass Elliott, Ella Fitzgerald, David Jones and the Monkees, Quincy Jones, Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae, Oscar Peterson, Lou Rawls, Mickey Rooney and Diana Ross.

He has also composed scores for TV shows including "Mannix," "The Partridge Family," "Room 222," "M*A*S*H" and "Mission Impossible." His talent has been heard in advertisements for Canada Dry, Nissan, Chrysler, Dodge, Chevrolet, Gillette, Heinz Foods, Mattel Toys, Texaco, Orbach's and Liquid Plum'r.

Golson, who is a Guggenheim Fellow, holds honorary doctorates from both William Patterson College and the Berklee School of Music, Boston. In 1996, he received the American Jazz Master Award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Golson's contributions to the world of jazz were recognized last March with a concert at Lincoln Center in New York entitled "The Magic of Benny Golson."

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Jazz Trio at Willamette Jan. 23

The Carr Nord Hofmann jazz trio will perform Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kresge Theatre at Willamette University. Admission is free.

The group features Richard Carr, violin, Mike Nord, guitars and electronics, and Georg Hofmann, percussion. Their performances feature improvised works blending musical traditions from jazz, classical, and experimental music to folk music from around the world. The group has performed internationally, including appearances at the prestigious Festival Internacional Cervantino (Mexico), the Aalener Jazzfest (Germany), and the Knitting Factory (New York).

Carr Nord Hofmann has recorded two CDs, Coast to Coast, and Along the Edge for the German improvised music label Nabel.

This event is sponsored by the Willamette University Department of Music and is funded by a grant from The Allen Foundation for Music.

For more information, call 503-370-6255.

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Distinguished Artist In Concert at Willamette

Hector Olivera, considered by music critics around the world as one of the true virtuoso organists of his time, will perform in concert Thursday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 pm in Hudson Hall at Willamette University. The reception in the foyer begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for seniors, students and Willamette faculty and staff, and $3 for University students. For ticket information, please call 503) 370-6255.

Olivera will perform works by Bach, Handel, Stravinsky, Gershwin, Puccini and Mascagni.

A Time reporter describes an Olivera performance as: “An event, a happening, a joyful celebration of the sheer power and pressure that a true virtuoso like Hector Olivera can unleash in a concert hall.”

This remarkable musician was a church organist in his native Argentina at age 5, entered the Buenos Aires Conservatory at age 6, and the University of Buenos Aires at age 12, and then received a scholarship to the Julliard School of Music in New York. He had performed more than 300 concerts by age 18.

He has performed in Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, London’s Albert Hall, and for the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta. His performance at Carnegie Hall attracted the largest audience ever to attend an organ concert, and ended with a two minute standing ovation.

Olivera has been featured on countless national radio and television productions, and has numerous recordings to his credit.

The Washington Post stated, “Olivera entertained his audience with a dazzling display of sonic and technical marvels. Olivera is an engaging performer who clearly has found his niche and fills it splendidly”

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A Victorian Christmas with John Doan

"A Victorian Christmas With John Doan," a holiday tradition in its 16th season, comes to Salem Sunday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University.

This seasonal program is a live version of Doan's Emmy nominated Public Broadcasting television special which re-enacts the celebration of Christmas a century ago. The show explores how the Victorians invented many Christmas traditions both remembered and forgotten. The 20-string harp guitar, classical banjo, and ukelin are a few of the original turn-of-the-century instruments Doan will introduce.

Tickets at the Willamette music department box office are $10 for adults and $8 for children under 12. Free tickets are available to Willamette University students, faculty, and staff with a Willamette ID. For more information and phone reservations call (503) 370-6255.

Doan is a touring and recording artist who has appeared on radio and public television. His recording, "Eire - Isle of the Saints," was voted Best Celtic Album of the Year by the NAV Music Awards and was followed by "Wayfarer - Ancient Paths to Sacred Places" released on Hearts O'Space Records.

Doan is an associate professor of music at Willamette University.

For more information, contact John Doan at www.johndoan.com.

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Jazz Night April 26 At Willamette

Five distinct jazz ensembles will gather at Smith Auditorium at Willamette University Friday, April 26, for “Jazz All Night!” beginning at 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Sponsored by the Willamette Music Department, featured groups include The Contemporary Music Group, Bonafide, The University Sextet, the Willamette Singers and the Willamette Jazz Band.

The Contemporary Music Group, under the direction of Randy Kem, is an ensemble dedicated to the expanding vocabulary of jazz and other modern music. This group has a diverse repertoire that includes classic jazz standards and the rhythmic feel of the famed group Stomp.

Bonafide and the University Sextet, both directed by Stan Bock, explore the diverse genre of jazz, including contemporary compositions for the ensemble.

The Willamette Singers, under the direction of Wallace H. Long Jr., recently performed at the American Choral Director’s Association Regional Conference in Tacoma. They will present a diverse program of tunes ranging from Beatles to standards. These tunes will be featured on their sixth CD to be recorded at the end of this year.

The Willamette Jazz Ensemble is directed by Martin Behnke and features the ensemble’s seniors in this last performance of the year. Following a semester that has included a six- day tour and Willamette Jazz Festival XXI with Herbie Mann, the band will perform a new set of some of the best selections in big band literature.

For more information, please call (503) 370-6255.

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Classical Piano Recital at Willamette University

Valerie Zamora, a classically trained deaf concert pianist, will appear in concert Monday, March 11, in Hudson Hall, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center, Willamette University at 7:30 p.m. She will perform pieces by Beethoven, Liszt and Schumann.

Concert tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for students at the Willamette University Music Department Box Office. The event is free to University faculty, students and staff.

Zamora will also conduct a brown bag lunch workshop Tuesday, March 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m. in the Hatfield Room in Hatfield Library on the campus. The workshop is free and open to the public.

The pianist has performed and taught throughout Europe and the United States. During her career, she has become increasingly sensitive to discrimination exhibited toward disabled artists and has taken a personal interest in educating audiences worldwide.

The events are sponsored by the Willamette Music Department, Mu Phi Epsilon and Phi Lambda.

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John Doan In Concert

John Doan, Northwest musician and recording artist for Hearts O' Space Records, will appear in concert Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University. Featured will be music from both his latest national CD release "Wayfarer - Ancient Paths to Sacred Places - A Celtic Pilgrimage" and his former release "Eire - Isle of the Saints” which was voted the number one Celtic Album of the Year 1998 by the NAV Music Awards.

Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for children under 12. Seating is limited. For tickets and more information contact the Willamette University Music Department at 503-370-6255. Tickets for Willamette students, faculty, and staff are free.

Master harp guitarist, storyteller and historian, Doan offers soulful and provocative musical sketches from sacred sites of the British Isles. The version of the harp guitar that Doan plays is a rare, 20-string instrument created at the end of the last century in Europe and America. It supplements the standard guitar's six fretted strings with six unfretted sub-bass strings, but its most distinctive sound is the crystalline harp tones of eight treble strings.Doan has performed with a diverse range of artists from Burl Ives to Larry Carlton and his virtuoso playing and arranging has attracted praise from no less a guitar luminary than Chet Atkins. He has starred in two popular television specials produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting: "A Christmas to Remember With John Doan" (seen on PBS) andhis Emmy nominated "A Victorian Christmas With John Doan." His music has also been featured in numerous television presentations including Walt Disney.Doan is an associate professor of music at Willamette.

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Blues Artist At Willamette

Contemporary blues artist Alvin Youngblood Hart will perform Tuesday, Feb.19, at 7 p.m. in Cone Chapel, Waller Hall, on the Willamette University campus. His appearance, which coincides with Black History Month, is part of the on-going Contemporary American Singer Songwriter Series sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain. Admission is free and the public is invited.

Hart, a resident of Memphis, will perform original work from his new CD on Ryko entitled, "Start With The Soul," as well from his previous releases, "Territory" (Ryko) and "Big Mamma's Door" (Sony).

He serves as a critical contemporary link in the chain of American roots music as it extends into the future. Three compilation albums to which Hart has contributed have been nominated for Grammy Awards. In addition, Hart won the 1997 W.C. Handy Award for Best New Artist as well as the Male Artist of the Year for Traditional Blues in 2000. Hart will also speak informally on "Thoughts About Singing and Writing the Blues," at the regular weekly University Convocation on Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Like the Tuesday evening concert, this event is held in Cone Chapel and is free and open to the public.

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A Holiday Tradition Returns

John Doan, a Willamette University associate professor of music, will present his annual "Victorian Christmas Concert with John Doan" Sunday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. in Hudson Hall, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center.

The concert, a Northwest holiday tradition now in its 14th season, is a live version of the Emmy nominated Public Broadcasting television special which reenacts Doan's interpretation of Christmas a century ago. The show explores how the Victorians invented many Christmas traditions we remember and a few we have forgotten.

To recapture a time when people provided their own entertainment, Doan introduces and plays 16 turn-of-the-century instruments once popular in American parlors, vaudeville and in mandolin orchestras.

General admission tickets are available in the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center and at the door for $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students under 12. Seating is limited. For more information, call 503-370-6255.

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Christmas In Hudson Hall

The Willamette University Music Department presents its annual holiday concert, "Christmas in Hudson Hall: A Service of Readings and Carols," Dec. 6-7, at 8 p.m. in Hudson Hall, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center. Tickets are $5 at the Music Office or by calling 503-370-6255.

The concert will feature the Willamette University Chamber Choir and Male Ensemble Willamette, University Women's Choir and the University Chamber Orchestra.

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Hector Olivera Concert

Hector Olivera, world-renowned organist, will appear in concert Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. in Hudson Hall, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center, Willamette University.

A pre-concert reception is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the music center lobby just outside Hudson Hall. A $25 per ticket donation, for the reception and concert, will help endow a music department fund for the purchase and repair of pianos. Tickets are available at the music department and at the ticket window in the Music Center. To charge tickets or for more information, call 503-370-6255 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Olivera, known for his wit and joyful performing style, has performed for sold-out audiences in Carnegie Hall, Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and London's Royal Albert Hall.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Olivera started playing the organ at age six. When he was nine, the Buenos Aires Symphony Orchestra performed a suite he had composed for oboe and string orchestra. At 12, he entered the University of Buenos Aires and by 18 he had performed some 300 concerts in Latin America.

A stand-out at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, Olivera has performed worldwide and has been described by critics as "one of the most gifted artists now before the public."

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STAGE and Willamette University bring Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis to Salem

STAGE at The Historic Elsinore Theatre and Willamette University announce today that the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will give a concert, a jazz master class and a lecture in Salem on September 18. The "Oregon-exclusive" concert marks the first time STAGE and Willamette have joined together to present a performance. The concert will take place at the Elsinore Theatre at 7:00 p.m. Both the master class and lecture will take place on the Willamette campus earlier that day. The jazz master class, given by members of Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, will take place from 2:15 to 4:00 p.m. in the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center, and the lecture, about jazz-great Louis Armstrong, will be given by Marsalis from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. at Smith Auditorium.

Tickets for the concert have been allocated to both organizations. The Elsinore will offer its tickets to its current STAGE members and season ticket holders through August 20. They will make their remaining tickets available to the general public through FASTTIX on that date. Willamette will offer its tickets to its students, faculty and staff through a lottery beginning on August 28. The jazz master class and lecture will be free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning a half hour prior to each event. No tickets will be needed for the jazz master class or the lecture.

"Artistic and educational excellence is what we're after for our audiences, so we hope this will be the first of many such joint efforts," said STAGE Executive Director Susan Malins.

President M. Lee Pelton of Willamette University said, "We are delighted to partner with STAGE to present the enormous talent of Wynton Marsalis to our students and the Salem community. This partnership illustrates the possibilities for bringing outstanding talent such as Mr. Marsalis to Salem."

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Willamette to Host Jazz Evening

The Willamette University Music Department is offering an exciting evening of Jazz on Friday, April 27, 2001, at 7:00 p.m. in Smith Auditorium on Willamette's campus. Admission is free.

The program will feature Willamette University's Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Martin Behnke, and the Willamette Singers, under the direction of Dr. Wallace H. Long Jr. The program will also include student jazz combos.

The featured piece to be performed by the Jazz Ensemble is "Towednack," an extended work by Robert Curnow. This piece is described as having a "quasi Celtic" feel to it because of the Celtic-like melodies played throughout. Their performance will also include featured performances of the six senior students who are graduating from the group. These students include Luke Sales, Collin Conway, Jennifer Harding, Joleah Jung, Casey Whelan and Miles Ward.

The Willamette Singers will be featuring an arrangement of "Them There Eyes" as recorded by Diane Schuur on her In Tribute album. "Them There Eyes" was originally recorded in 1939 by Billie Holiday and has since then been recorded by master rhythm-guitarist Freddie Green, and Jazz great Duke Ellington. Other songs to be performed by the Willamette Singers will include "That Old Black Magic" arranged by Kirby Shaw and "Farmer"s Market" arranged by Dave Cazier. Graduating seniors performing in their last Singer"s concert are Jeffrey Baker and Katie Ray.

For more information, contact the Music Office in the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center, Willamette University at 503-370-6255.

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Latin-American Quartet To Play At Willamette

Willamette University's New Music presents Cuarteto Latinamericano on Thursday, March 1, 2001, at 8 p.m. in the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center. This concert is free and open to the public.

Cuarteto Latinoamericano is composed of three brothers, violinists Saul and Aron and cellist Alvaro Bitran, with violist Javier Montiel. The Cuarteto holds quartet-in-residence positions at the Performing Arts Center in Mexico City and at Carnegie-Mellon University. The program will include the premiere of a Quintet for piano and string quartet written especially for the Cuarteto by Willamette's composer-in-residence, John Peel. Pianist and faculty artist Jean-David Coen will be joining the Cuarteto for this performance.

For additional information, contact the Willamette University Music Department at 503-370-6255.

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Willamette Presents Its 20th Annual Jazz Festival

Willamette University will hold its 20th annual Jazz Festival on Saturday, Feb. 10, featuring 28 bands. Performances start at 8:30 a.m. culminating with the headliner ­ jazz bassist Ray Brown ­ at 8 p.m. in Smith Auditorium.

All activities during the day are free and open to the public. Tickets are needed for the evening performance with Ray Brown. Prices are as follows: $18 for first-floor reserved seating, $15 for balcony seating, $12 for first-floor wing seating, and $10 for general admission first-floor seating. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Willamette's Music Department at 503-370-6255.

Prior to the evening performance, Ray Brown will give a personal perspective on jazz music at 4 p.m. in Smith Auditorium. This presentation is free and open to the public.

In addition to Ray Brown, the evening concert will feature the Willamette Jazz Band and two outstanding jazz bands from earlier in the day.

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Guy Davis Brings 21st Century Blues To Willamette

Guy Davis, described by Real Blues as "the blood transfusion acoustic blues needed to survive into the 21st century," will appear in Cone Chapel, Willamette University, Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.

The show, free and open to the public, is the first of two that comprise this year's Contemporary American Singer Songwriter Series, organized by the Willamette University Office of the Chaplain.

Davis, a resident of Harlem, N.Y., is touring in support of his new CD for Roundhouse Records, "Butt Naked Free," named by Guy's son Martial because of the feeling he got after listening to one of the instrumental tracks.

Also a composer, actor, director and writer, Davis is primarily a bluesman and has dedicated his career to reviving the traditions of acoustic blues through the material of the great blues masters, African American stories, and his own original songs, stories and performance pieces.

The son of actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, he has appeared both on- and off-Broadway himself, including an engaging one-man show, In Bed with the Blues: The Adventures of Fishy Waters. In 1993, Davis won the Blues Foundation's W.C. Handy Keeping the Blues Alive Award.

The Contemporary American Singer Songwriter Series brings artists representing different voices, regions and ethnicities to Salem audiences. The second installment of this year's series will feature Tish Hinojosa on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2000.

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