Festival Honors Current, Past SHSU Composers

The sounds of music from current and former Sam Houston State University musicians will fill the air during the School of Music’s 43rd Annual Festival of Contemporary Music on Feb. 21-22.

This year’s festival, entitled “SHSU Composers: Present and Past,” will feature five composers currently on the SHSU faculty, two student composers, and the music of two well-known past SHSU faculty composers, Fisher Tull and Newton Strandberg.

There will be 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. performances on both days, with the afternoon concerts being held in the Recital Hall and the evening concerts being held in the Criminal Justice Center’s Killinger Auditorium.
The afternoon concerts will feature SHSU faculty, students and guest performers.

The Monday evening concert will feature the SHSU Wind Ensemble, conducted by Associate Professor of Music and director of bands Matthew McInturf, and the SHSU Faculty Brass Quintet.

Among the works on this concert will be the premier of music theory professor Trent Hanna’s “...at a loss for words...,” dedicated to the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami.

The Tuesday evening concert will include performances of “Return to the Land,” a multimedia work featuring dance and choreography by SHSU dance department faculty member Melissa Wynn and “Beautiful Day” a work for piano and chamber ensemble by adjunct faculty member Kyle Kindred.

Other composers for the event include graduate student Adam Sovkoplas, senior music education major Daniel M. Pfannstiel, visiting assistant professor Thomas Couvillon, freelance theory instructor Brent Auerbach and music theory instructor John Crabtree.

For more information, contact Hanna at 936.294.1372 or Couvillon at 936.294.1377, or visit the festival Web site at http://www.shsu.edu/music/events/contmusfest.

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SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
Feb. 11, 2005
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