Bethel Native Performs in Concert at Eastern CT State University

From Eastern Connecticut State University:

A number of talented student musicians and vocalists from Eastern Connecticut State University performed in concerts on April 23 and 24. The collaborative concerts included members of Eastern's Concert Chorale, Chamber Singers, Men's and Women's Choirs, Korean Samul Ensemble, String Trio, Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble.

Among the performers was Evalin Brautigam '18 of Bethel. Brautigam majors in Sport & Leisure Management.

On April 23, the Eastern Concert Chorale was joined by the Chamber Singers and the Men's and Women's Choirs for an afternoon of choral works in Eastern's new Fine Arts Instructional Center (FAIC).

The ensembles presented a variety of choral works, including a newly-completed arrangement of Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms" for two pianos and percussion. The orchestration, scored for two pianos, percussion and chorus, involved collaboration by the Eastern Concert Chorale, Eastern Percussion Ensemble and pianists David Ballena and Eric Ouellette. The symphony was conducted by David Belles, professor of music.

"Performing Stravinsky's 'Symphony of Psalms' with such capable musicians, including current staff, students and alumni was a thrill! The audience was educated and entertained at the same time," said Belles, conductor of the Eastern Concert Chorale. "It was nice to see such great support from the campus and community as well."

Conducted by Belles, the Eastern Men's Choir performed "Shenandoah, American Folk Song" by Leo Malhotte. Conducted by Emily Riggs, assistant professor of music, the Eastern Women's Choir performed "Down in the River to Pray" by Cheryl Helm.

The Eastern Chamber Singers also performed in the collaborative event, performing "A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square" by Manning Sherwin and "Cells Planets" by Erika Lloyd.

The Eastern Concert Chorale and Opera Workshop also performed selections from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection, with selections from the musicals "Oklahoma," "South Pacific," "The King and I" and "Carousel."

On April 24, various Eastern chamber ensembles, including the Korean Samul Ensemble, String Trio and Eastern Woodwind and Percussion Ensembles, also held a spring recital in the FAIC.

The Korean Samul focuses on traditional music and instruments of Korea. The ensemble performed "Yeongnam Nong-ak (Farmers' Music from the Southeastern Region)" by Kim Deok-su. Students who performed in the concert had no experience playing samul music prior to joining the ensemble.

"Once we formed the group at the beginning of this semester, we rehearsed once a week to learn to play Korean percussion instruments, execute complex rhythmic patterns from the Southeastern region of the Korean peninsula, and put together the whole piece one section at a time," said Okan Hwang, director of the Eastern Korean Samul Ensemble. "The most impressive aspect of their endeavor, however, is that they accomplished all these, not by reading musical scores, but by relying on their ears, which is quite different from how music is learned and transmitted in the Western world. I am very proud of them for achieving such a high standard within such a short period of time, all due to their open-mindedness and willingness to immerse themselves in something new and different."

The collaborative concert also included performance by the Eastern Percussion Ensemble and the Eastern Wind Ensemble. "The Eastern Percussion Group, which specializes in chamber music of duo, trio and quartet music, was a nice complement to the Chamber Ensembles concert," said Jeff Calissi, director of the Eastern Percussion Ensemble. "It was actually the debut of these students who also perform together in the Eastern Wind Ensemble percussion section. As they already play together as a section in the wind band tradition, it was a fitting way for them to perform in a chamber percussion group that will now be a key part of the Eastern Percussion Studio in the many semesters ahead." The ensemble performed "Absolute Draws Near Lydia," by Mark Giesecke, "Hands Up" by Josh Gottry and "Cloud Forest" by Blake Tyson.

Founded in 1889, Eastern Connecticut State University is the state's public liberal arts university and one of only 29 such designated institutions in North America. Eastern is home to 5,300 students who come from 158 of Connecticut's 169 townships, from 20 states throughout the country, and from 63 foreign countries. As a predominantly residential campus, Eastern has approximately 60 percent of undergraduate students living on its beautiful campus. With more than 150 buildings and 2.3 million square feet of space, Eastern's physical plant is admired by students and visitors alike; in January 2016, a new Fine Arts Center opened, further advancing Eastern's liberal arts mission.

The university offers 38 undergraduate majors, 55 minors, and seven master's degree programs. An excellent student/teacher ratio (15.5:1) and small class sizes (average class size is 23.3) allow students to receive exceptional personal attention.