NKU Vocal Jazz Ensemble to Appear in Concert with Nick Lachey's "Team Cincinnati"
Posted 08.18.08
If you live in the Cincinnati area and you enjoy the arts, particularly a cappella vocal arts, then this is something you will want to get on your calendar now just to reserve the date – “Voices Only… No Strings Attached" at the Aronoff Center's Procter and Gamble Hall the evening of Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Enjoy the Arts (ETA) is the group that organizes and administers the Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend each year. That weekend of arts activities is pretty well known. Less well known is the fall event the ETA sponsors called "20 Days and 20 Nights" where the ETA promotes collaboration among local arts groups and encourages a variety of local arts activities/concerts for the public to participate in. This year, on the final night of Cincinnati's seventh annual "20 Days and 20 Night of Arts and Culture" festival, the NKU Vocal Jazz Ensemble will be featured in 20/20’s signature event – an all a cappella concert of unaccompanied singing showcasing five diverse vocal arts groups:
Northern Kentucky University Vocal Jazz Ensemble (Jazz)
Christ Church Cathedral "Faburden" Chamber Choir (Classical and Sacred)
Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers (Gospel and R&B)
Southern Gateway Chorus (Patriotic and Broadway)
Team Cincinnati (winners of NBC's Clash of the Choirs with their presentation of "Flight of the Bumble Bee")
Although October is a number of months off but calendars fill up quickly. Tickets, which will be on sale in early September, are expected to be in the very reasonable $10, $15, and $20 range. If you enjoy great vocal music you will not want to miss the opportunity to get good seats for this event through the Aronoff ticket office as soon as tickets are available.
Northern Kentucky Chamber Choir to Compete in International Choral Competition
Posted 08.18.08
The NKU Chamber Choir, through a rigorous audition process, has been accepted to perform in the 2008 Busan International Choral Competition and Festival in Busan, South Korea. The Competition will be held November 11 – 16, 2008. The ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Randy Pennington, will compete against 19 choirs from Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Bulgaria. They are the only choir from the United States selected to participate. In addition to competing in the event the choir will be featured in the Festival Gala Concert and present a series of concerts in Korea as a part of their tour. Regional concerts by the choir featuring the tour program will be presented Sunday, October 26 at 7:00 pm at St. John’s United Church of Christ, Newport, KY: Sunday, November 2 at 3:00 pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Newport, KY and Sunday, November 9 at 3:00 pm at Mt Washington Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, OH. All concerts are free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted at the door to assist with tour expenses.
For more information contact Dr. Randy Pennington at (859) 572-5286.
Four NKU Faculty Command International Spotlight in Beijing at the Summer Olympics
Posted 08.08.08
NKU was well represented in Beijing by four faculty members who performed with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of Erich Kunzel at the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Weekend ceremonies. The only international orchestra invited to perform as a part of the opening weekend festival, the Cincinnati Pops presented a successful concert at the brand new National Centre for the Performing Arts on August 9th to a sold out audience. A second concert on the Olympic Green at the Olympic Grounds on August 10th unfortunately had to be cancelled due to an intense thunderstorm that put both the musicians and audience in danger. The NKU faculty traveling to Beijing consists of three Cincinnati Pops Orchestra members, Ronald Auffman (clarinet), Richard Jensen (percussion), Owen Lee (double bass) and extra percussionist, Scott Lang, an NKU Lecturer.
Press release:
http://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/Media/beijingtour08.asp
Pops in rehearsal for Beijing Tour
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080724/VIDEO05/80724008/
News Video:
http://www.flixya.com/video/1343681/Cincinnati_Pops_Headed_for_Beijing_Olympics
Cincinnati Pops plays to a sold out Beijing audience
http://gns.gannettonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080810/OLYVIDEO/80810001
North American Premiere of Thomas Larcher's "Mandares" April 8 in Greaves
Posted 03.26.08
The North American premiere of "Mandares," by Austrian composer Thomas Larcher, will be performed in Greaves Concert Hall at NKU by the renowned Artemis String Quartet of Berlin at 8:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 8, 2008.
The concert repeats at 8 P.M. Friday, April 11, in Corbett Auditorium at CCM.
The commission for this work was initiated by a grant from the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Foundation at NKU. Co-commissioners are Chamber Music Cincinnati and the Salzburg Music Festival.
Also on the program are Beethoven's String Quartet Op 18 No. 4 and Tchaikovsky's Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 22.
Pennington Elected to KMEA State Office
Posted 02.27.08
Dr. Randy Pennington, Director of Choral Studies, has just been elected as the University/ College State Chair of the Kentucky Music Educator's Association. He also continues as a member of the executive board of the Kentucky Choral Directors Association as Chair of the state Student Activity area.
Vocal Jazz Ensemble Outreach Concerts
Posted 02.27.08
The NKU Vocal Jazz Ensemble will be featured in concert at two prominent venues in March 2008. On March 4 the ensemble will appear in a concert at Eastern Kentucky University with The EKU Jazz Band, The concert is in Gifford Theatre on EKU's campus at 8:00 pm. Tuesday March 25th the Vocal Jazz ensemble appears at The Blue Wisp in downtown Cincinnati. The show starts at 7:30 pm and there is a 10.00 cover charge at the door. Come and support the group at these two events.
2007 News Archive