Nov. 11, 2008

Morningside College music department presents “Crossover Composers Concert”

Songs and arias by American and British composers who wrote vocal works in a variety of genres will be performed by Morningside College students during the Crossover Composers Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18, in Eppley Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.

Dr. Gail Dooley, associate professor of music and interim chair of Morningside’s music department, said the concert will feature works by composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten, Jake Heggie and Libby Larson.

“We are calling this a crossover composers concert because each of the composers crossed over and wrote vocal pieces for art songs, musicals and operas,” Dooley said. “For example, the concert will include vocal compositions by Leonard Bernstein from his musicals Westside Story and On the Town and his operas Candide and Trouble in Tahiti.”

Morningside vocal students performing during the concert include Nicholas Anderson, Britt Gebhardt, Annika Kolbo and Nick McGraw of Sioux City; Megan Beery of Shenandoah, Iowa; Jacob Chambers of Sheldon, Iowa; Katie Gorden of LeMars, Iowa; Karen Grabowski of Wahoo, Neb.; Ian Hoesing of Bronson, Iowa; Maggie Konecne of Humboldt, Iowa; Jaime Parkinson of Rock Rapids, Iowa; Katie Rasmussen of North Sioux City, S.D.; Geana Schneider of Merrill, Iowa; and Corinne Youngberg of Blaine, Minn.

Jayne Koch and Carolyn Price, staff accompanists in the Morningside music department, will accompany the students on piano.

Morningside College voice instructors for the students who are performing include Dooley and Steve Lundberg, Shannon Salyards and Kate Saulsbury, adjunct voice instructors.