WT School of Music to End Year with Several Concerts, Including Annual Showcase of Music

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - Hundreds of students from West Texas A&M University's School of Music will be in the spotlight in a series of upcoming concerts.

At the center is the annual Showcase of Music concert, set for 7:30 p.m. May 1 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium, 401 S. Buchanan St. Pre-show entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is free, but reservations are suggested at wtamuuw.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2gUb6einTx2jvuu.

The list of performing ensembles includes: Brass Choir, Electronic Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Flute Choir, Chorale, Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, Trumpet Ensemble, Opera, Clarinet Ensemble , Piano Ensemble, Horn Choir, Jazz Band I, Chamber Singers, Concert Band Stage, Lone Star String Quartet, Trombone Choir, Symphony Orchestra Stage, Saxophone Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Band Stage, and a grand finale with the entire School of Music.

The music flows from one group to the other creating a musical kaleidoscope of entertainment.

In all, more than 200 musicians are expected to perform, with the evening culminating in a grand finale featuring all performers collaborating on "Many Drops Make a River", music written for the occasion, but also heard at WT graduations and the Sound of Thunder Marching Band's field entry.

Showcase of Music will be held in conjunction with the Greater Southwest Music Festival, the long-running competitive festival for elementary, middle and high school bands, choirs and student solos and ensembles.

Pre-show music will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Civic Center Complex lobby with the Matilda Gaume Early Music Consort, Sforzando, PMA Men's Chorus, Sound of West Texas Color Guard, and Jazz Band II.

Showcase of Music is only one opportunity for audiences to enjoy performances from student musicians in coming days.

The WT Collegiate Choir, Chamber Singers and Chorale will offer a spring concert at 7:30 p.m. April 28 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT's Canyon campus. Admission is free.

The program will feature works by Johannes Brahms, Edward Elgar and more, and Dr. Kathleen Bell, assistant professor of oboe, will be a featured soloist.

The WT Horn Choir will perform at 7:30 pm. April 30 in Northen Recital Hall with an Americana-themed program featuring work by Kerry Turner, Patrick Hughes and James Beckel. Admission is free.

The WT Brass Choir will feature a dynamic selection of music from John Williams, Gustav Mahler, Richard Wagner and more when it performs at 7:30 p.m. May 3, also in Northen Recital Hall. Admission is free.

And the WT Electronic Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 4 in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall on WT's Canyon campus. Admission is free.

And finally, the WT Concert and Symphonic Bands will perform classics and contemporary works in their final concerts of the season at 6 and 8 p.m. May 6, respectively, in Northen Recital Hall.

On-campus concerts may be streamed at vimeo.com/wtschoolofmusic.

For information, contact the School of Music at 806-651-2840.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: The West Texas A&M University Choirs will perform at 7:30 p.m. April 28 at Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall, and several of its students will be featured at Showcase of Music on May 1.

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