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In this season of giving thanks, we would like to take a moment to thank you for all that you do to make our Shepherd School community so special. As you prepare for the holidays, we invite you to start off your seasonal activities by joining us at one of the concerts or events being offered this coming week. After all, the greatest gift we can offer you is the gift of music! Wishing you and your loved ones much joy and happiness throughout the holidays from all of us at The Shepherd School of Music. |
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RICE CHORALE
The Rice Chorale, directed by Thomas Jaber, will present a concert of glorious music for chorus and organ at 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday evenings, November 28 and 29, in the Edythe Bates Old Recital Hall. Presenting mu sic for the season of Christmas and winter, the Chorale will be joined by Shepherd School alumnus Joseph Causby at the magnificent Fisk/Rosales Organ. The concert will include the premiere of
a new work by
student composer
Hilary Purrington.
Admission is free of charge with no tickets or reserved seating. Past performances have filled up quickly; please come early to guarantee seating in the Organ Recital Hall. |
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SHEPHERD SCHOOL CHAMBER AND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
We conclude our fall semester with concerts by the Shepherd School Chamber and Symphony Orchestras, both conducted by music director Larry Rachleff. The Chamber Orchestra concert on Thursday, December 1 opens with Copland's Clarinet Concerto under the baton of Associate Conductor David Cho and features Master of Music student Micah Wright as soloist. Commissioned by clarinetist Benny Goodman and premiered in 1950, the concerto is a mix of popular and classical styles - a combination employed by Copland throughout  his career. The lyrical A-B-A song form of the first movement ends with a clarinet cadenza which transitions without pause into the livelier, jazz-influenced second movement. By Copland's own description, the unusual instrumentation of solo clarinet, strings, harp, and piano forced him to use effects such as "slapping basses and whacking harp sounds" to imitate percussion. The program closes with Mendelssohn's sunny Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90,"Italian." As suggested by the name, the work draws inspiration from scenes impressed upon Mendelssohn during his time in Italy in the early 1830s. Each movement captures the country's essence - the merriment of the first movement and the melodic beauty of the second are followed by the simple grace of a minuet and trio. The finale bursts forth as a saltarello, a brisk Italian folk dance in triple meter.
On Friday, December 2, the Symphony Orchestra offers a program of familiar works to close the semester. Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major, Op. 44 begins the evening, with Shepherd School doctoral student Viktor Valkov at the keyboard. A grand and dramatic work, this concerto is tightly packed with energy from start to finish. The piece is noted for its separation of piano and orchestra: rather than interweaving them into one cohesive voice, Tchaikovsky often puts the two forces in a dialogue, with the piano, then the orchestra taking the lead by turns. In complete stylistic contrast, George Gershwin's An American in Paris follows. A light-hearted portrait of the sights and sounds of the City of Lights as filtered through the senses of an American traveler, the piece is a perennial delight to audiences. It presents some of the most effective treatments of jazz-influenced rhythms and harmonies to be found in the symphonic repertoire and displays Gershwin's most mature orchestral writing. Finally, the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59 (1945) by Richard Strauss brings the evening to an exuberant finish. Drawing from his comic opera of the same name, Strauss depicts the love story of the characters through music that is by turns passionate, tender, wistful, and triumphant.
Both concerts begin at 8 p.m. in Stude Concert Hall, with free admission and open seating. Tickets are not required.
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SPIRIT OF THE SEASON:
SEATS STILL AVAILABLE
Don't miss out on what has become a memorable holiday tradition at the Shepherd School! Join us for our annual Spirit of the Season event on Saturday, December 3.
Begin your evening in the Grand Foyer, filled with the glorious strains of festive brass, followed by a beautiful concert of operatic, musical theater and holiday selections performed in our most intimate venue, Duncan Recital Hall. There you will  be serenaded by our graduate voice students in excerpts from popular operas such as La Traviata, Carmen, and L'elisir d'amore, as well as musical theater selections from Guys and Dolls and Show Boat. You will exit the concert to a beautifully transformed Grand Foyer, set for an elegant dinner with a sumptuous feast by Jackson & Co. An evening of friends, culinary delights and musical gifts - what a perfect way to start the holidays! We hope you'll join us for this delightful evening in support of scholarships at the Shepherd School.
Friend tickets - $350
Sponsor tickets - $500
Friend tables for 10 - $3,500
Sponsor tables for 10 - $5,000
Please e-mail or call: theshepherdsociety@rice.edu or 713.348.3492 for reservations. |
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Thank you for your continued support of The Shepherd School of Music. We hope you will join us for each of these events!
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Concert Office
Matthew Neumann
Publications Coordinator
2243 Alice Pratt Brown Hall
713-348-8008
Alex Stutler
Scheduling Coordinator
2237 Alice Pratt Brown Hall
713-348-8000
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The Shepherd Society
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Support the cause of music at Rice and in Houston by joining The Shepherd Society! The 900+ members of the society provide scholarship support for the talented young musicians studying at The Shepherd School.
The Shepherd Society offers a series of special events for its members each year, including invitations to Opening Night with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra and our Spirit of the Season Holiday Event.
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Shepherd School News
Stay connected with The Shepherd School of Music with exclusive announcements about concerts, news and other events.
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Stude Concert Hall, Duncan Recital Hall, Edythe Bates Old Recital Hall and Grand Organ, Wortham Opera Theatre, and Hirsch Orchestra Rehearsal Hall are located in Alice Pratt Brown Hall on the Rice University campus. Use Entrance No. 8 on University Blvd. or Entrance No. 18 on Rice Blvd.
Alice Pratt Brown Hall is wheelchair accessible. Assistive listening devices may be available upon request for Stude Concert Hall events. Unless otherwise noted, admission to all events is free and tickets are not required. Programs are subject to change without notice. For information, call the Shepherd School Concert Office at 713-348-8000.
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