The Michigan State University College of Music will feature four musical events highlighting the talent of the college’s faculty and students as part of its 2009-10 Showcase Series.
 
The season will kick off with “Collage III,” a unique, fast-paced concert that offers a variety of musical genres and surprises at 8 p.m. Oct. 2, in Cobb Great Hall at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

 In the true spirit of a “collage,” this first concert of four in the series is an assemblage of different forms of music that give the audience a taste of several musical styles, featuring 20 musical pieces within 90 minutes. More than 500 performers will fill the stage during the evening. They range from small groups to the College of Music’s top ensembles – Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Jazz Orchestra I, and University Chorale – and will feature a variety of faculty and student soloists. Tickets range from $15-$25.
 
“This highly produced, non-stop concert without applause features the best of the best,” said James Forger, dean of the college. “We are thrilled to present the concert, where the audience can expect spectacular performances across the board. With more than 500 musicians on stage, the evening will offer something for everyone.”
 
“Collage III” is sponsored by the College of Music National Leadership Council.

One of mid-Michigan’s favorite holiday traditions, MSU’s “Home for the Holidays,” slated for 8 p.m. Dec. 5, in the Cobb Great Hall, offers a heartwarming evening for the whole family. This festive concert features the talents of the critically acclaimed Symphony Orchestra, State Singers, Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs, and the Grammy® Award-winning MSU Children’s Choir. Tickets range from $15-$25.

Continuing the holiday theme, the series carries on with the talents of the MSU Professors of Jazz as they celebrate the season with jazzy renditions of their own holiday favorites during “A Jazzy Little Christmas” at 8 p.m. Dec. 19, in the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre. Led by artistic director and jazz bassist Rodney Whitaker, the world-class musicians who make up the faculty in the College of Music’s jazz studies program promise to whip up a magical night for all. Tickets are $25.
 
The final concert in the series, “An Evening with John Corigliano: MSU’s Tribute to the Man and His Music,” caps off a week-long MSU residency with John Corigliano, one of the most acclaimed composers of contemporary concert music and winner of a 2001 Pulitzer Prize in Music, three Grammy awards and an Oscar. The concert, set for 8 p.m. Apr. 24 2010, in Wharton Center’s Cobb Great Hall, will feature some of his most well-known works performed by the Symphony Orchestra, University Chorale, State Singers and Wind Symphony.

The repertoire will include “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra: The Red Violin,” featuring faculty soloist Dmitri Berlinsky. This piece, one of Corigliano’s most famous works, was the score for the 1998 film by the same name, which tells the haunting story of the perfect violin and its 300-year history. In 1999, the film won an Academy Award for best original score. He currently is working on the soundtrack for “Edge of Darkness,” an upcoming film starring Mel Gibson. Concert tickets range from $15-$25.

Tickets for the Showcase Series concerts range from $15-$25 and are available only from the Wharton Center Box Office by calling (517) 432-2000 or (800) WHARTON, or online at http://www.whartoncenter.com.

For more information, call the College of Music Office at (517) 353-5340.

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