Spring Semester Collegiate String Happenings around Kansas’ Universities
Check out a brief overview of what some of the Kansas Orchestra Programs at the collegiate level are doing this spring semester!
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Second Annual String Fiesta on February 10, 2024 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This string day will be a valuable musical experience for pre-college string players, while giving them the opportunity to explore Friends as a resource for their educational journey.
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On Jan 28, Josué Coy Dick, a junior from the Bethel orchestra, performed the first movement of Samuel Barber's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14 with the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra.
On Feb 14, students and faculty on campus will hear Valentine serenades from a traveling chamber group on campus.
On Feb 21, we have a concert which includes the first movement from Sonata para cordas by Carlos Gomes and a string arrangement of the first movement from Vasily Kalinnikov's Symphony No. 1 in G Minor.
On April 14, our orchestra oboist Peter Buller has his junior recital which will feature members of the ensemble on Mozart's Quartet for oboe, violin, viola, and cello KV 370.
On April 17, the orchestra has a concert featuring the music of Ethel Smyth and Gerald Finzi.
Our concerts and music events are live streamed on our youtube page: BC Music
Other highlights:
Several of our ensemble members play in ensembles around the area such as Hutchinson Symphony and Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony. One ensemble member is also a substitute violinist for the Wichita Symphony.
Several of our ensemble members are also teachers at the Bethel College Academy for the Performing Arts.
Several of our ensemble members also play in the pit for musical theater productions on campus.
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Our concert this semester will take place on April 15, 2024 in Presser Hall on the Bethany College campus. We pride ourselves on performing with high school orchestras in joint performances. We will be partnering this semester with Wichita Southwest High School Orchestra (Amanda Gimson, director). Past performances have included Salina South High Orchestra (Tyler Kuder, director), and Manhattan High Chamber Orchestra (Cody Toll, director).
Since the Fall of 2020, our string section has consistently grown in enrollment of music majors. We had a record number (6!) of incoming string majors at Bethany in Fall of 2023, as well as some non-majors join us. We alternate each semester between playing as a string ensemble and a full orchestra. Additionally, we are an orchestra that welcomes community members from Lindsborg, McPherson, and Salina and local area high school students to perform in the ensemble.
Our instrumental area most recently hosted a high school strings day with guest artist, Kirt Mosier, on September 21, 2023. This event brought in over 150 high school string players to the Bethany College campus for an honor orchestra experience. Dr. Keith Dodson also presented at the 2023 KMEA Conference on the foundation and process of building up the size and quality of the Bethany College Orchestra.
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I Heart Cello Day is a one-day festival that invites cellists of all ages and abilities to participate in ensembles. During the course of the day, attendees learn from different clinicians, and come together to put on a concert at the end. They have had up to 150 cellists on the stage.
The groups at I Heart Cello Day called the Endpins (beginners), Rockstops (middle school), Wolftones (high school & college) and Fine Tuners (professionals). Attendees get to play new arrangements, receive a commemorative t-shirt and a free pizza lunch. Registration is free and the concert is free and open to the public. I Heart Cello Day is held on Saturday, February 10th this year. Deadline Registration closes on February 2nd.
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Kansas Wesleyan’s String Orchestra is part of our growing, thriving Music Department! Our facilities are currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. The department’s new academic space – the Applequist Family Music Center – features extra studio space, practice areas and soundproof classrooms, while our main performance arena, Sams Chapel, will reopen in October 2024 with a dedicated entrance and a completely new interior.
Our events include Salina Strings Day, where all the high school orchestras in Salina join with KWU’s and a guest artist. That individual works with the students and performs a solo alongside the combined orchestra. Last year, that artist was Derek Stein, part of the Vitamin String Quartet. This year, the winner of our high school strings competition (Feb. 10) will feature in a performance during the event.
That sort of community mentality pervades our department and our orchestra, as well. During these past few months, we have performed alongside three different high schools in the region (Salina South, Smoky Valley, and Manhattan) and will add a fourth to that list in May (Junction City). We also offer numerous opportunities for high schoolers throughout the area to come to campus and perform, work with guest artists such as Soon Hee Newbold, Victor López, and Sandra Dackwo, and truly manifest their talent.
The Salina Symphony, of course, is one aspect of that talent, and students have the opportunity to play with this professional orchestra as well as to enrich their music education by engaging also with the Salina Youth Symphony, Kansas Intercollegiate orchestra, musical theatre and chamber music performances. Dr. Rosario has been frequently invited to conduct honor orchestras such as WKOF, NW/SW KMEA, NCKMEA, and on April 20th, he will play solo violin with the Salina Symphony, performing the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, by Astor Piazzolla.
The arts are very well-supported in Salina, and as we get ready to reopen Sams Chapel, we expect the community will come out and support our performances! It’s truly an exciting time to be a part of Kansas Wesleyan’s Music Department.
Next Events:
Friday, Jan. 26: Guest Artist Tony Lu, 7 p.m. – University United Methodist Church, Salina
Saturday, Feb. 10: KWU’s High School Strings Competition, 4 p.m. – University United Methodist Church, Salina
Thursday, Feb. 15: Salina Strings Day, 7 p.m. – KDOT Auditorium
Friday, March 1: Orchestra Concert with KWU’s Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m. – University United Methodist Church, Salina
Tuesday, April 16: Orchestra Concert with KWU’s Jazz and Wind Ensembles, 7 p.m. – University United Methodist Church, Salina
Saturday, April 20: Dr. Rosario Performs Solo with Salina Symphony, 4 p.m. – Homewood Suites, Downtown Salina
May 8: Combined Concert with Junction City High School, 7 p.m. – Junction City
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51st String Fling on January 14-15
Simply Strings Concert on March 5th at 7:30 pm in McCain Auditorium with Jeremy Kittel & Co.
Fire & Water Concert on April 25 at 7:30 pm in McCain Auditorium featuringworks by Stravinsky, Smetana, & more!