Happy New Year from all of us in the arts at Fort Lewis College! We are busy planning loads of wonderful concerts, exhibits, plays and performances for our spring semester.
First up is the 2015 Art & Design Faculty & Staff Biennial Exhibit, which will open Jan. 14 with a reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. This year’s biennial will include work from within FLC’s Department of Art & Design.
Singing cowboy poet Michael Martin Murphey, a widely respected singer-songwriter in the pop and country-western music genre, will perform at the Community Concert Hall on Jan. 16. Murphey – whose popular songs include “Wildfire,” “Geronimo’s Cadillac” and “Carolina in the Pines,” plus New Mexico’s state ballad, “The Land of Enchantment” – is a perennial favorite of Durango audiences. Passionate about the outdoors, Murphey maintains a strong commitment to issues surrounding farmers and ranchers, open space and management of natural resources.
John O’Neal, percussion faculty, will perform in Roshong Recital Hall on Jan. 18. Included in the program will be Paul Lansky’s “Three Moves” for solo marimba, an enjoyable work that has been recognized as one of the most difficult pieces currently in publication for marimba. O’Neal’s performance will also feature Christopher Deane’s “Mourning Dove Sonnet” for solo vibraphone, which utilizes techniques unique to the instrument, including the use of upright bass bows, pitch bends and non-standard muting.
Fifteen-time Grammy Award winner Béla Fleck and his wife, Abigail Washburn, have mastered not only the banjo, but also the deceptively intricate art of the duet. Washburn’s beguiling composing, playing and singing blend with Fleck’s virtuosic musicianship to create music unique yet familiar in texture. To add to the experience, the pair employs a relatively rare musical combination of the three-finger and clawhammer banjos. Expect a magical evening of music on Jan. 20 when these two take the stage at the Concert Hall.
A preview of February’s events includes the Music Department’s annual band clinic – this year featuring guest conductor/clinician David Holsinger. Four bands comprised of middle and high school students will take the stage at 2 p.m. Feb. 7 after two days of intense rehearsals and clinics with the award-winning composer.
Also in February, beginning on the 13th, the Department of Theatre will present “A Chekhovian Sonata.” Directed by Dennis Elkins and Cheryl McFarren, this play is a collection of three love stories based on the delightful yet poignant writings of famed 19th century author and playwright Anton Chekhov.
Many more events are on tap later in February and through the school year.
Tickets for Community Concert Hall, Department of Theatre and Music Department performances are available at the Durango Welcome Center, 802 Main Ave., at www.durangoconcerts.com or by calling (970) 247-7657.
blaylock_sl@fortlewis.edu. Shauna Blaylock is the publicist/event coordinator for the FLC Music Department.
