FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 12, 2009
Contact: Genevieve Michael, General Manager of the OMC
865.273.8871; Genevieve.michael@maryvillecollege.edu
The Orchestra at Maryville College will present the annual “Showcase of Area Artists” concert at 7:30 p.m., March 2 at the First Baptist Church of Maryville.
Maestro Bill Robinson will lead the Orchestra in performing seven works, six of which will feature soloists who were chosen to play by audition last December.
“I especially enjoy the Showcase program because it allows the Orchestra to work with some of the finest young musicians who live and study in our area,” Robinson said. “This concert offers a unique opportunity to the soloists as well, giving them a chance to perform before the public with a full symphony orchestra.”
The March 2 concert will feature a wide range of musical variety, including works for French horn, flute, voice, marimba and violin. It opens with the Overture to Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II. Strauss is most famous for his dance compositions and of his operettas, and Die Fledermaus is considered to be the best and is one of the top 20 most performed.
Clarissa Nemeth will perform Franz Strauss’ Concerto for Horn and Orchestra Op. 8. Nemeth earned her bachelor of music degree (horn performance and musicology) in May 2008 from Boston University. She has performed with the Greenwood Orchestra, the Boston Symphony and the Boston Chamber Orchestras, among others. The daughter of Philip and Peggy Nemeth of Gatlinburg, Nemeth attended Gatlinburg-Pittman High School and graduated with honors from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She has studied with numerous musicians, including Eric Ruske, Tim Brown, Mark Harrell and Jeff Nelson.
Laura Ann Kappa will play the Concertino for Flute and Orchestra by Cécile Chaminade. The daughter of Jeff and Rosanne Kappa of Kingsport, Tenn., Kappa is in the 11th grade at Dobyns-Bennett High School. She has studied the flute with Shana Edwards for six years and currently plays with several ensembles, including the Dobyns-Bennett Wind Symphony (assistant principal), Dobyns-Bennett Orchestra (principal), Knoxville Youth Symphony (principal piccolo) and Suoni Dulci Flute Quartet. She has won numerous awards and competitions.
Colin McCall will perform the first movement “Vigorous” of Paul Creston’s Concertino for Marimba. McCall lives in Knoxville and is in the 12th grade at South Doyle High School. A student of Robert Adamcik and Chris Satterfield, McCall has been playing marimba for about four years and percussion for six years. In addition to the South Doyle Band, he has performed with the Knoxville Youth Symphony and Knoxville Youth Jazz Orchestra and has participated in the All-State Orchestra and the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts (summer 2007). He is the son of Bruce and Sandra McCall of Knoxville.
Soprano April Martin will perform “Mein Herr Marquis,” also known as the “Laughing Song” from Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. Martin, who earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from Maryville College in December, currently studies voice with Emily Douglass. She was a featured soloist at the 2008 Showcase of Area Artists, and during the summer of 2008, she studied German Lieder at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. She is currently competing for a Fulbright Scholarship to complete a year of the Soloist Training Program in Mannheim, Germany. She is the daughter of Dr. John and the Rev. Dr. Genie Martin of Burlington, N.C.
Tenor James Mathis will sing “Che gelida manina” from Puccini’s La Boheme. Mathis, the son of James and Ashley Mathis of Knoxville, is a senior at Carson-Newman College where he receives a full scholarship from the music department. He has been singing for 10 years and is a student of Ann Jones and formerly of Sarah Searle. In the fall of 2008, he was chosen to participate in a master class with Lynn Baker from the New York Opera Company. He performs with several college and church ensembles: A Cappella Choir, Redemption, the Men’s Chorus and Symphonic Band at C-N. He has performed with a choir with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. He has also had the honor of singing on Christmas Eve 2007 at Bethlehem Square in Jerusalem and also at five church services in Cape Town, South Africa, this past summer.
For the finale, Elisabeth “Libby” Nordberg will perform the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 64 “Allegro molto appassionata.” This concerto is one of the most exciting and best known violin concertos in the repertoire. The daughter of Kristina and Stuart Nordberg of Knoxville, Nordberg has studied violin for eight years and is currently in the 11th grade. She plays with the Knoxville Youth Symphony Orchestra (KYSO) and the KYSO Three Sisters Trio. She now studies with Miro Hristov and is a former student of Mary Ann Fennell.
The Orchestra at Maryville College is a college and community ensemble comprised of volunteer and student musicians dedicated to performing quality symphonic music for local audiences. What began in 1913 with five members is now a dynamic group of more than 60 musicians from Blount County and surrounding communities.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7.50 for seniors 60 and over and can be purchased at the door. Admission is free to Maryville College faculty, staff and students with MC ID, and also free to students 18 and under. Students over 18 from other colleges and universities are admitted for $5.
For more information, contact Genevieve Michael at 865.273.8871 or genevieve.michael@maryvillecollege.edu.
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Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state’s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2008 semester is 1,114.
Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2009 semester is 1,103.
