A variety of concerts, sponsored by the Department of Music in the College of the University of Rochester, will feature such musical ensembles as choir, a cappella groups, and orchestras during Meliora Weekend, Friday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 10. All the concerts are open to the public and most are free.
The musical portion of Meliora Weekend, an annual celebration for students, friends, family, and alumni on the River Campus, kicks off with a concert by the University of Rochester’s Chamber Orchestra at 3:30 p.m. Friday in Strong Auditorium. The orchestra will play the overture to Rossini’s The Silken Ladder, the overture to Mozart’s The Impresario, and Rumanian Folk Dances by Bartok. The ensemble is conducted by David Harman, professor of music and director of orchestral activities, who has recently made professional appearances with the Cincinnati Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. This program will also feature soloist Douglas Prosser, principal trumpeter of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and associate professor of trumpet and brass chamber music at the Eastman School of Music, performing Concerto for Trumpet by Hummel.
The a cappella sounds of the Midnight Ramblers, an all-male group, and After Hours, a co-ed group, are spotlighted in “Rochester Sings!” later that day, at 8 p.m. Friday in Strong Auditorium. Admission to this event is $5.
The series continues with a concert by the University of Rochester Symphony Orchestra and by the University Choir at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, in Strong Auditorium. Harman will once again conduct; artist-in-residence Zora Mihailovich will be the soloist on Brahm’s Piano Concerto Number 2. Mihailovich has performed in major European and North American centers such as London’s Wigmore Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall. The symphony orchestra will also perform the overture to Bernstein’s West Side Story, the overture to Verdi’s La Forza del Destino, and, with the University Chorus, Verdi’s “Triumphal March” from Aida, “Va Pensiero” from Nabucco, and “The Anvil Chorus” from Il Trovatore.
The final day of Meliora Weekend, Sunday, Oct. 10, will feature two events. William Tiberio, a recipient of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Music Educator Award in Spring of 2004, conducts the Wind Symphony at 2 p.m. in Strong Auditorium. The Gospel Choir, directed by Rev. Alvin Parris III, will perform at 3 p.m. at the Interfaith Chapel. Their concert will include the songs “Let the High Praise Begin” and “Marvelous.” Joining the Gospel Choir will be the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship Worship Team.
For more information, contact the Department of Music at (585) 275-2828.