Yakov Kasman, piano, and Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk, soprano, will perform music by Handel, Dvorak, Hahn, Weill for an April 5 faculty recital, “Refugees and Immigrants: music by composers who left their homelands."Musical performances by students, faculty and guest artists, open to the public and nearly all free, have been announced for 2020 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The performances are presented by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music. Most performances take place in UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall and Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
Student ensembles in the department annually feature more than 100 music majors and approximately 150 more students from many other majors, representing all undergraduate colleges and schools at UAB, says Department of Music Chair Patrick Evans, D.M. Ensembles include the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo, Marching Blazers, Gospel Choir, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Band, Computer Music Ensemble, Electro-Acoustic Percussion Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Opera, and Brass Chamber ensembles, as well as Faculty Brass Quintet, Faculty Jazz Quintet and UAB Chamber Trio.
The Department of Music just premiered its new Hamburg Steinway D 9-foot concert grand piano, Evans says, and faculty and students look forward to a busy performance season.
The spring semester features music from students giving their senior recitals, small and large ensembles, faculty and guest artist recitals, the third annual PRISM Concert, featuring the entire Department of Music, on March 30, and for the first time, the student winners of the department’s Concerto/Aria Competition in concert with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra on April 21.
“We are excited about our regular annual concerts, as well as these new collaborative offerings,” Evans said. “We are the beneficiaries of wonderful community support, and the unique arrangement of collaboration between the three fine and performing arts departments along with AEIVA and the Alys Stephens Center in this great cultural corridor on the southwestern corner of the UAB campus.”
Check the UAB Campus online calendar for the Department of Music’s most up-to-date information. Performances presented by the UAB Department of Music will include:
Wednesday, Jan. 29
UAB Department of Music Faculty Potpourri Recital, 12:20 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Featuring the members of the UAB Department of Music faculty in performance. Free.
Sunday, Feb. 2
UAB Music Faculty Recital: “A Voyage of Songs,” with Won Cho, bass-baritone, and Chris Steele, piano, 4 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. A program of art songs by French, Italian and German composers. Free.
Monday, Feb. 3
UAB Music High School Honor Choir Showcase, 4:30 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Choral students from all over the state will work with clinicians and perform together. Free.
UAB Music students perform in the department's annual "Prism" concert.Wednesday, Feb. 5
UAB Department of Music Student Recital, 12:20 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. UAB Music students will perform a variety of solo works. Free.
Friday, Feb. 7
UAB Music Trumpet Symposium 2020 Concert, 8 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Performances by Nick Ciulla, associate principal trumpet of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, along with UAB faculty James Zingara, Steven Roberts and Chris Steele, piano. The program will include solo and ensemble pieces from the classical repertoire as well as some jazz favorites. Free.
Saturday, Feb. 8
UAB Music Celebration of Trumpets Concert, 5 p.m. UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Part of the UAB Trumpet Symposium. This program will include performances by the UAB Trumpet ensembles I and II, as well as honors ensembles made up of area high school students. The event will conclude with a spectacular mass finale of more than 50 performers. Free.
Monday, Feb. 10
UAB Music Adjunct Faculty and Friends Recital, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Featuring the music of Barber, Nielsen and Martinu, performed by Lisa Wienhold, flute; James Sullivan, oboe; Kathleen Costello, clarinet; Tariq Masri, bassoon; Kevin Kozak, horn; and Chris Steele, piano. Free.
Monday, Feb. 17
UAB Choirs and Guests in concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. A celebration of spirituals and gospel choral arrangements, featuring the works of Stacey V. Gibbs and others. Featuring guest choirs from Miles College and the University of Montevallo. General admission is $5, free for all students.
Friday, Feb. 21
UAB Music Guest Artist Recital: Peter Steiner, trombone, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Courtesy of the Jemison Visiting Professorship in the Humanities Endowment. Free.
Monday, Feb. 24
UAB Music presents Ion Sound Ensemble, Kathleen Costello, clarinet, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Kathleen Costello, clarinet; Elisa Kohanski, cello; and Jack Kurutz, piano, will perform commissioned compositions by Jonathan Kolm and Elisenda Fabregas. Free.
Tuesday, Feb. 25
UAB Music Guest Artist Recital: Andy Harnsberger, marimba, 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Free.
UAB Percussion EnsembleWednesday, Feb. 26
UAB Department of Music Student Recital, 12:20 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. UAB Music students will perform a variety of solo works. Free.
Thursday, Feb. 27
UAB Wind Symphony and Symphony Band in concert, "Of Our New Day Begun — A Concert to Celebrate Black History Month," 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Directed by Sean Murray and Cara Morantz, the Wind Symphony and Symphony Band will present music in celebration of Black History Month. The concert will feature the music of African-American composers and feature the UAB Gospel Choir on Omar Thomas’ “Of Our New Day Begun.” Also featuring Gene Fambrough performing “Zip-Zap” for drum set and wind ensemble by Adam Silverman. Free.
Sunday, March 1
UAB Music Voice Studio recitals, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Featuring the students of Won Cho, Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk, Emily Jaworski, Paul Wolf and Patrick Evans; with pianists Chris Steele and Richard Byrd. Free.
Tuesday, March 3
UAB Music presents guest artists Janet Hopkins, mezzo-soprano, and Armen Shaomian, pianist, 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Free.
Thursday, March 5
Chamber Music at AEIVA, 5 p.m. reception and gallery walk, 5:30 performance, in UAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. Chamber music curated by cellist Laura Usiskin related to the themes in AEIVA's Allyson Comstick's exhibition, “Antarctica: A Disappearing Continent." UAB faculty soprano Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk joins eight cellists from UAB, Samford University and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra to perform Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasilerias #5 and other cello ensemble works, Claude Debussy’s “Footsteps in the Snow” and Jean-Baptiste Barriere’s “Duo.” This program connects with the exhibit "Allyson Comstock: Antarctica: A Disappearing Continent" currently on display at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. It is co-sponsored by the UAB Department of Music and AEIVA with support from the Music Performance Trust Fund. Free.
Sunday, March 8
UAB Music 18th annual Clarinet Symposium Finale Concert, 2:30 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Featuring guest artists Chad Burrow and Diane Barger. Free.
Monday, March 9
UAB Music Faculty Recital: Patrick Evans, baritone, and Yakov Kasman, piano, with guest artist Augustine Mercante, countertenor, 7 p.m. UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Featuring Britten’s Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac, Vaughan Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs” and cabaret songs by Gordon, Sondheim, Bucchino, Blumenkrantz and others. Free.
Tuesday, March 24
Canceled: UAB Department of Music Alumnus Recital: Natalie Bergeron, soprano, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. American soprano and UAB alumna Natalie Bergeron recently achieved an enormous success in her role debut as Elsa in Richard Wagner’s "Lohengrin" at the Theatro Municipal Sao Paulo. Previously she was seen as Maddalena opposite Marcello Giordani as Andrea Chenier, and Alberto Gazale as Gerard with the Orchestra La Verdi Milano under the baton of maestro Jader Bignamini, who subsequently brought her back to sing with the Orchestra La Verdi in an extraordinary concert of Italian opera arias and duets alongside tenor Yusif Eyvazov. Free.
Saturday, March 28
Canceled: UAB Jazz Summit Finale Concert, 2 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Directed by Steven Roberts, DMA. Free.
Sunday, March 29
Canceled: UAB Department of Music Piano Series presents Kate Liu, piano, 4 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. First Prize winner at both the New York International Piano and the Asia-Pacific International Chopin Competition, Liu has proved herself popular with audiences and judges worldwide. In 2015, Liu won the third prize and the Polish Radio Award in the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland. Tickets are $15; $5 for students through grade 12 and UAB employees; free to UAB students. Call 205-975-2787 or visit AlysStephens.org.
Canceled: Monday, March 30
UAB Department of Music third annual Prism Concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. The third annual Prism concert will feature a wide range of performances from all UAB Department of Music faculty and student ensembles and soloists. Tickets are $25; free for all students. Call 205-975-2787 or visit AlysStephens.org.
Brian Kittredge directs a student ensemble in concert. Wednesday, April 1
UAB Department of Music Student Recital, 12:20 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. UAB Music students will perform a variety of solo works. Free.
Saturday, April 4
Canceled: UAB Opera Workshop Scenes Program, 2 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Varied scenes from opera and musical theater repertoire. Free.
Sunday, April 5
UAB Music Faculty Recital, “Refugees and Immigrants: music by composers who left their homelands,” featuring Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk, soprano, and Yakov Kasman, piano, 2 p.m. UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. With music by Handel, Dvorak, Hahn, Weill and more. Free.
Monday, April 6
Canceled: UAB Gospel Choir Alumni Reunion Concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Director J. Reginald Jackson leads current students and Gospel Choir alumni. General admission tickets are $10, free for all students. Call 205-975-2787 or visit AlysStephens.org.
Tuesday, April 7
Canceled: UAB Percussion Ensemble in concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Directed by Gene Fambrough, DMA. Free.
Wednesday, April 8
Canceled: UAB Brass Ensembles in concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Free.
Thursday, April 9
UAB Music Young Performing Artist Program Recital: Fred Song, piano, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Free.
Saturday, April 11
UAB Music Young Performing Artist Program Recital: Jacob Skiles, piano, 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Free.
Monday, April 13
UAB Wind Symphony and Symphony Band in concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Directed by Sean Murray and Cara Morantz. Free.
Tuesday, April 14
UAB Department of Music Honors Recital, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Performances by UAB Music students who were selected by outside adjudicators. A presentation of all departmental awards to outstanding students and reception following. Free.
Thursday, April 16
UAB Computer Music Ensemble in concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. New electroacoustic and multimedia works by student and faculty composers. Directed by Matthew Bryant. Free.
Friday, April 17
UAB Steel Band in concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Directed by Gene Fambrough, DMA. Free.
Saturday, April 18
UAB Commercial Music Ensemble in concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Directed by Craig Brandwein. Free.
Sunday, April 19
UAB Music Piano Studio/Piano Ensembles Recital, 4 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Featuring the students of Yakov Kasman; Piano Ensemble directed by Tatiana Kasman. Free.
Monday, April 20
UAB Jazz Ensemble in concert, 7:30 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Directed by Steven Roberts, DMA. Free.
Tuesday, April 21
UAB Department of Music Concerto/Aria Concert with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, 7 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Free.
Wednesday, April 22
UAB Jazz Combos and Guitar Ensemble in concert, 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Directed by Steven Roberts, DMA, and Carlos Pino. Free.
Thursday, April 23
UAB Music Young Performing Artist Program Recital: Mira Walker, piano, 7 p.m., UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall. Free.
Friday, April 24
UAB Concert Choir Spring Concert, 2 p.m., Southside Baptist Church, 1016 19th St. South, Birmingham. Free.
Sunday, April 26
Birmingham Youth Wind Symphony, 2 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Directed by Cara Morantz and Sean Murray. Free.