Star City Blog / Music

Chiara Quartet Continues Beethoven Cycle as a Part of the Hixson-Lied Concert Series

On Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sheldon Museum of Art (12 & R Streets), the Chiara Quartet (Rebecca Fischer and Julie Yoon, violins; Jonah Sirota, viola; and Gregory Beaver, cello) will perform the third concert in the inaugural season of the Hixson-Lied Concert Series presented by The University of Nebraska, Lincoln, School of Music in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.

The new Hixson-Lied Concert Series is the first time The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will present the Artists-in-Residence in a subscription concert series.

To launch the new concert series, the Chiara String Quartet will present the complete string quartets of Beethoven over the next two seasons. This is the first time since 1990 that all of Beethoven’s string quartets have been performed in Lincoln.

During the 2009-10 season, the Chiara offers three concerts, each featuring a work from the early, middle, and late periods of Beethoven's life. This concert will feature Beethoven’s String Quartet in Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1; Quartet in F minor, Op. 95; and Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 127.

Three Opportunities to See Amy Denio This Week in Lincoln

By Hanna Day-Woodruff

This is Women's Week, and among the many women honored by UNL for their roles in politics, filmmaking, agriculture and other forms of culture creation is musician, composer and producer Amy Denio, of Seattle, Washington and Italy.  Brought here by Clawfoot House and the Berman Music Foundation, Denio will share her multi-instrumentalist world-indie sound and her extensive life experiences in three different venues. 

Tonight is the first of three opportunities, when Denio will join the Clawfoot Salon for Female Musicians in a special, free, on-campus session at the UNL Union at 7 p.m.

Denio densely packs a diverse array of musical accomplishments, styles and experiences.  A lifelong, self-taught musician who performs solo and in collaborations, Denio composes sound scores and commissioned pieces and performs extensively all over the world.  Her instruments include accordion, saxophone, guitar, bass, her voice and “other resonating objects.” 

Free Trumpet Master Class Offered Friday, March 5

Adam Lambert, Assistant Professor of Music at Chadron State College, will present a trumpet master class on Friday, March 5, 2:00 p.m. at Nebraska Wesleyan University. The event will be held in Emerson Recital Hall, located on the lower level of Rogers Center for Fine Arts, 50th & Huntington, Lincoln.

Lambert is Director of Bands and Brass Studies at Chadron State, and is an active trumpet educator, performer and clinician in both classical and jazz idioms. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in trumpet performance and jazz studies from the University of North Texas.

He will be assisted by James Margetts, piano. Margetts, assistant professor of piano at Chadron State, holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati.

The master class is free and open to the public.

Musician and Composer Amy Denio to Perform in Lincoln March 10 and 11

Accomplished multi-instrumentalist and composer Amy Denio will be performing and lecturing in Lincoln on March 10 and 11.

A collaboration of Clawfoot House and the UNL Women’s Center, these open-to-the-public events are part of Women’s Week, an annual series of events at UNL since 1978 which celebrates women's accomplishments towards gender equity, acknowledges the struggles they still face, and recognizes women's contributions at UNL and in the community.

Denio's visit to Lincoln encompasses three events: the Clawfoot Salon on March 10 and a luncheon lecture and evening performance on March 11. These events are made possible by the support of the Berman Music Foundation.

Nebraska Brass Presents 'Brass Classics'

Join the Nebraska Brass for the exciting third concert series of the season, “Brass Classics.” The Nebraska Brass will perform a variety of “classic” repertoire, including music from the Baroque, Renaissance, and Classical eras. “Brass Classics” is sure to delight and inspire audiences with outstanding musicianship and great works for brass quintet. The Nebraska Brass will be performing this concert series in Seward, Fremont, Omaha, and Lincoln.

“Brass Classics” will include selections such as “Centone No. V” by Samuel Scheidt, trans. Reynolds; “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair” by Debussy, trans. Gary Kulesha; “Overture to La Gazza Ladra” by Gioacchino Rossini, arr. Robert Elkjer; and “Queen of the Night’s Aria” by Wolfgang Mozart, arr. Allen.

Take in a Free Concert by Nebraska Wesleyan Faculty Brass Trio

Join the Nebraska Wesleyan University Faculty Brass Trio for an exciting evening of brass music.  Guest trumpeter Deborah Bouffard and pianist/organist C. Richard Morris will join members Dean Haist, trumpet; Ric Ricker, horn; and Nancy Vogt, trombone; to perform a variety of compositions including “Toccata et Dialogue” by Samuel Ducommun, “Figaro-Metamorphosen” by Jan Koetsier and “Récréation” by Pierre Gabaye.

Haist, Ricker and Vogt, all faculty members with the Nebraska Wesleyan University music department, have performed together as a trio since 2005. The group performs several times a semester on the NWU campus and also presents educational outreach concerts at area high schools.

Lincoln Municipal Band Announces 2010 John Shildneck Young Artist Competition

The Lincoln Municipal Band is pleased to announce the 17th annual John Shildneck Young Artist Competition.

The competition is open to musicians, middle school age and older, who have not reached their 22nd birthday on or before July 11, 2010, and perform on woodwind, brass, percussion or string instruments, as well as vocalists. Those auditioning must be residents of Nebraska or currently studying with a Nebraska teacher.

For the preliminary round, competitors must submit a recorded audition of the piece they wish to play with the band on cassette or CD, along with a completed application form and $5.00 non-refundable fee. The solo must be available with band accompaniment. Applications and recordings must be postmarked by April 1, 2010, and finalists will be notified by April 15. Finalists will be invited to a live audition on Sunday, May 16, 2010, 12:00 p.m. on the campus of Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.

Lincoln Exposed 2010: Reminding You That Lincoln is a Music City

 By Cory Kibler
The Lincoln music scene is a strange animal, often defying the rules of logic.  Despite the modest size of our city, we have more bands than you can shake a stick at.  We boast a few nationally-recognized bands, as well as countless regional heroes.  The scene is definitely diverse. Punk and metal bands thrive, and the same can be said of those that play blues, hip-hop, country, folk and rock.

Currently, Lincoln is in the process of putting itself on the music map and declaring itself a music city.  Lincoln isn’t the same size as some other musically famous cities, but what we lack in population, we more than make up for in quality acts and events.   

The final (and arguably the most arduous) step is that Lincoln needs to start self-identifying as a music city. This doesn’t mean just the bands, the fans, the press or the city government. It includes everyone in the city of Lincoln. If we start defining Lincoln as a strong music city, everyone else may start to pay attention.  

Enjoy Music, Arts and Entertainment in David City February 13th

All are invited to partake in a lively performance at 7 p.m. Saturday, February 13th by The Toasted Ponies. These four outstanding Nebraska musicians will share a great mix of bluegrass, acoustic music and original songs in the historic Thorpe Opera House at 449 D Street in David City.

Steve Hanson, banjo, mandolin and guitar, has won banjo championships at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Walnut Valley Festival. Hanson also toured with C.W. McCall and was the subject of the documentary film Homegrown Bluegrass. Jim Pipher, bass and emcee, has won awards as a singer and songwriter, toured the United States and Canada with the swing band Sour Mash and made a concert film and several recordings with the legendary jazz violinist Claude Williams.

Terry Keefe, fiddle and mandolin, plays all the classic breakdowns, as well as Irish and ragtime tunes and is a past winner of the Midwest Fiddle Championship and the Iowa State Mandolin Championship. Erin McGovern, guitar and mandolin, has performed as a solo artist and in bands including The Hags with Mary Chapin-Carpenter.

Experience Lincoln Music with Lincoln Exposed 2010

The Lincoln Exposed festival is celebrating the wealth of musical talent being created by the citizens of Nebraska’s capitol city. Taking place over four days starting Wednesday, February 10th, Lincoln Exposed 2010 will include performances at the Bourbon Theatre in addition to shows at the Zoo Bar and Duffy’s Tavern.

The three venues have worked together to create a vibrant and eclectic lineup with staggered start times for sets so it’s literally possible to see a bit of every set at the festival. Empyrean Ales is helping sponsor the event so we can offer $2.50 draws and bottles at all three venues during the event. Included is a breakdown of scheduled set times and links to MySpace pages where applicable.