FACS Presents Old World, New World
The University of Indianapolis Faculty Artist Concert Series concert “Old World, New World” was held in the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall on Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
The concert was made up of 12 classical pieces composed by five different artists. The program consisted of eight different instruments, including drums, harp, bayan, and horn.
Ruth Lilly Performance Hall was practically full with audience members as the first performance began with a trio from German composer Felix Mendelssohn. “Adagio – Allegro moderato,” “Poco Adagio,” and “Allegro Agitato” were performed by Community Music Center Adjunct Professor Minju Choi on the piano and Assistant Professor of Music Austin Hartman playing violin.
It was a change of perspective for some students to be able to see their professors in their elements, such as senior theatre major Jason Gill.
“I love seeing how animated the performances are, seeing them get into it, through their movements,” Gill said.
The second arrangement consisted of two pieces from Italian classical composer Luigi Boccherini’s “String Quartet in D, Op. 8, No.8.” The pieces, “Presto” and “Rondo: Allegro,” which were performed by the Indianapolis String Quartet violinists Yefim Pastukh and Vladimir Krakovich, violist Beverly Scott and cellist Perry Scott.
The “Five Tango Sensations” by Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla, who was known for incorporating jazz and classical music into his pieces, were performed next. “Asleep,” “Anxiety,” “Awakening” and “Fear” were performed by the Indianapolis String Quartet and Faculty Adjunct of Music Marko Petricic on the bayan.
The performance of “Five Tango Sensations” was an audience favorite, including Gill’s.
“I really liked the ‘Tango Sensations.’ I thought that you could get a sense of each piece’s title in the playing of the music,” he said. “During the one ‘Anxiety,’ I was actually getting kind of anxious with it, because it was just all over the place.”
The concert closed out with a rendition of “The Glass Bead Game,” composed by principal trombonist for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra James Beckel Jr. The three movements, “The Call and Awakening,” “Father Jacobus” and “Magister Ludi Coronation and Death,” were performed by Music Faculty Adjunct Professor Darin Sorley on the horn, Associate Professor of Music Rebecca Sorley on the piano, principal harpist of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Wendy Muston with percussion played by Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra member and Faculty Adjunct of Music Paul Berns and junior music education major Joshua Flynn.
Senior theatre major Jazmine Floyd thought the program was intriguing.
“Coming from a musical background — I was in band in middle school and high school — it is kind of interesting to see the several levels of it [the tempo] and the professionalism,” Floyd said. “Just how good they are.”
