The Eastern Washington University Music Department will dazzle in an evening of performances, Thursday, May 30, at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox.
This year’s concert, The Sound of American Music, will feature vocal, instrumental and jazz collaborations showcasing the talents of EWU students and faculty. The event will also feature original compositions by students and EWU Jazz Director Jenny Kellogg.
“We have an array of things from some traditional pieces to popular music,” says Jody Graves, concert coordinator and EWU’s director of keyboard studies. “Peppering in a repertoire that is really fun.”
Graves says the event’s first half will feature Eastern’s best and brightest performers. The second half will surprise with a number of never-before-heard compositions. She describes the talent in this group of students and faculty as “world class.”
“Our students should be performing at The Fox,” she says. “I think it’s really important that we’re involved in the community like this.”
The evening will also feature a rare “del Gesu” violin, an instrument considered among the rarest and most exquisite in the world. The violin to be featured at The Fox is one of only approximately 150 remaining. Crafted in Italy in the early 1700s by Bartolomeo Giueseppe Antonio Guarneri, it is highly prized for its dark, robust, sonorous tone.
Pre-concert performances start at 6:30 p.m., with music and refreshments in the lobby. The main event starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free for Eastern students, $10 for all other students and $25 for general admission. Tickets may be purchased via the Fox Theater website or box office. Proceeds benefit the EWU Orchestra and Jazz Ensembles.
“How about we fill The Fox Theater once a year?” asks Graves. “My dream is that we keep this going and that it becomes one of the biggest events Eastern has in the city.”
