Spanish ‘Fiesta’ featured at Recital

The Orchestra of Southern Utah continues its Ninth Annual Recital Series on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m., in St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, 70 North 200 West in Cedar City. Recitals are every Tuesday evening until Oct. 11 and will feature a different theme each week.

“Fiesta: Music influenced by Spain” is the theme for this recital and is in anticipation of OSU’s upcoming Spanish Trail Festival in Feb. 2006. “We are exploring music inspired by the Spanish tradition, a particularly relevant influence here in southern Utah,” says Sara Penny, recital director.

Guitarist Brian Penny will perform “Malagueña,” a traditional Andalusian folk dance. Brian teaches guitar at Whittlesticks and will be the guitar player for the Utah Shakespearean Festival’s fall production of Pippin.

Husband and wife musicians George Stoffan and Joan Hovda will share three Cuban folk songs for clarinet and ‘cello by Jack Delano. George teaches clarinet at Southern Utah University, and Joan is a professional cellist. Both are members of OSU.

Sisters Caitlin Robbins and Marisa Barth will present Michael McClean’s “Tango” on violin, accompanied by Mary Anne Andersen on piano. Caitlin performed as a soloist with OSU last spring and is a senior at Cedar High School. This summer she attended the prestigious Interlochen Arts Camp, the world’s oldest and most successful fine arts camp for youth. She will also perform music from Bizet’s popular opera Carmen, written as a concert fantasy by Pablo de Sarasate. Marisa is a student at Cedar Middle School and has studied violin with Ramona Stirling and Sara Penny. She will also play William H. Potstock’s “Souvenir de Sarasate, Fantasie Espagnole.”

Other recital performances include Jones and Jacquelin Griffin on piano, playing “Siboney” by Ernesto Lecuona and Enrique Granados’ “Orientale, Spanish Dance No. 2” performed by cellist Leah Brown and pianist Hal Campbell. Trombonist Ken Hedgecock will play “Two Spanish Dances” by Russian composer Ostransky, accompanied on piano by his wife Sandy. Violinist and Suzuki Strings director Sara Penny will present “La Gitana” and “Estrellita,” accompanied by Jones.

Suggested donation is $5 for adults and $3 for students. For further information, visit www.orchestraofsouthernutah.org or contact OSU Manager, Marlo Ihler, at 867-8501.