8-08-03
2003-2004 LOGAN SERIES PROMISES DIVERSITY
Now in its fourteenth season, Music at Noon: The Logan Wintergarden Series continues to amaze and delight noontime audiences with performances by an increasingly diverse selection of world-class chamber music ensembles. The series has become a staple of the annual calendar of events at both Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and Diehl Elementary School in Erie, where each group also presents an education-oriented performance for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
This year's Logan Music Series lineup begins Tuesday, September 23, with renowned vibraphonist Stefon Harris and his quartet. Harris is a colorful performer who jumps from the marimba to the vibraphone, sometimes playing the two simultaneously. This near-athleticism unites his enthusiasm for the music and technical prowess on the instruments.
The internationally acclaimed Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra continues the season on Tuesday, October 7. A combination of thirty talented musicians from both the Czech Philharmonic and Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform selections such as Symphony No. 1 by Mozart, a Beethoven concerto, and Tancredi Overture by Rossini. Currently on its third tour in North America, the orchestra will highlight Welsh pianist Richard Ormrod, who has captured attention on former U.S. tours.
Cantus, a male vocal ensemble, will perform on Tuesday, November 4. Standing in a semi-circle to communicate, self-directed Cantus strives to create unique a cappella choral performances. The ensemble features ten singers with a very distinct mission to educate and encourage all people to sing through nontraditional musical selections.
The distinctly Irish group, Bohola, will entertain on Wednesday, February 11, 2004. With accordion, fiddle, dordan, and bouzouki, Bohola has molded the Chicago Irish folk music spirit into an urbanized mixture of traditional influences. Linking together songs, tunes, and jigs, Bohola's impromptu sets are styled after an Irish jam session. Its surprising performances and unique style challenge listeners to abandon traditional approaches to Irish music.
Many music lovers are familiar with Pittsburgh's lively Chatham Baroque, which will appear at Penn State Behrend on Wednesday, March 24, 2004. The ensemble offers its signature innovative spin on seventeenth- and eighteenth- century music and combines traditional folk music with modern enthusiasm. Often bringing guest musicians to add to the theme of the performance, the ensemble is pleasingly unpredictable. Themes integrate the music with the performance, resulting in a more holistic experience for the audience.
The fourteenth season of the Logan Music Series concludes on Wednesday, April 21, 2004, with Concertante, an ensemble that presents chamber music for five or more people. Characterized by a flawless sound, Concertante focuses its musical selections on lesser-known pieces from a broad range of time periods. In addition to classical composers, each performance includes a post-1940 selection.
Music at Noon: The Logan Wintergarden Series, is directed by Dan Barnard, D.M.A., lecturer in music and director of vocal ensembles at Penn State Behrend. The series was founded by Kay Logan in 1989 and is supported by the Harry A. Logan Jr. Foundation. Logan created this unique series as a way of bringing classical music to all audiences, including children.
Guests are encouraged to bring a brown-bag lunch to enjoy the informality of these noontime events. For more information about upcoming Logan performances, please contact the Penn State Erie Office of Student Activities at (814) 898-6171.
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Contact:
Loretta Brandon
814-898-6063 (O)
E-mail: lzb6@psu.edu