PRESS RELEASE
From the Orchestra of
To Be Release= d: September 7, 2007
Contact: = Laurel Kay Dodgion, (435) 865-1492
Shall We Dance From
The Orchestra of Southern Utah Fall Recital Series is spanning the globe to bri= ng together a fabulous evening of music and extends an invitation to all: Shal= l We Dance?
The OSU recital, to be held September 11th at 7:00= pm at St. Jude’s (70 N 200 W), will present dance music ranging from Chinese Folk to Italian Baroque to Austrian Romantic. This wide array of multicultural mu= sical styles is held in harmony with one another by the knowledge that people have been enjoying and dancing to these compositions for centuries.
Special
guest artists Chinese Singers of Hunan Best-Moment Folk Music Ensemble will
perform time-honored Chinese folk music.&n=
bsp;
The Chinese have traditionally believed that sound influences univer=
sal
harmony. This belief was held=
by
Confucius, who taught that music was a means for calming the soul. The Ensemble embodies this belief,
expressing particularly melody and tone of Chinese folk music. The Ensemble is comprised of Execu=
tive
Director Yue-Jin Huang, Artistic Director and male vocalist Di-Sen Xie, male
vocalist Dian Xong, and female vocalist Qin Li. Famous Chinese folk singer K=
e Ma
will also perform. The Chinese
guest artists will also perform in the Talent Showcase on September 13=
th
at the
The September 11th recital will incorporate a stately piece worthy a= nd reminiscent of European courts of the 17th and 18th centuries. Sonata, Op. 4 by Tomaso Antonio Vitali is characteristic of dan= ces from Italian Baroque music, including the musical embellishments which gave= the music an improvised air. The = piece will be performed by Tracey Bradshaw on keyboard with OSU musicians Sara Pe= nny and Brooke MacNaughton on strings.
Victoria Andrus, viola section leader of the Southwest Symphony, will continue the Baroque theme with Suite #5 in C by German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.&nbs= p; Bach’s work is has been admired for it’s artistic beauty= and Suite #5 in C is no exception.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The piece flows through the majest= ic Sarabande and into the lively dance movement of the Gigue.
Waltzes
are among the most famous dance styles of Romantic Music. The Southern Utah String Quartet w=
ill
perform two waltzes with
pianist Teri Kenny, starting with Die Fledermaus by Austrian-born Johann Strauss II. The charming operetta features fou=
r OSU
musicians and active music teachers: violinists Patty Walser and Suzanne
Stewart, cellist Leah Brown, and violist Sara Penny. The ensemble will also play Sleeping Beauty Waltz by Russian
Composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
This lovely theme was originally written for ballet, but is perhaps =
best
known for its later use in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. The quintet will conclude their po=
rtion
of the program with a symphonic suite from
This evening of music in dance form is open to children and adults of all ages a= re welcome. A donation of $5.00 = per adult and $3.00 per child is suggested.&nb= sp; Come join in this unforgettable evening that will leave you asking y= our family and friends: “shall we dance?” Children ages 6 and over are also invited. No babies please as concerts are recorded.
&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = ###