Saint Mary’s string camp students to perform public concerts July 18-20

WINONA, Minn. — Through Saint Mary’s University’s String Camp — held on campus July 13-20 — students ages 12-18 will work on developing their skills and musicianship to master many important aspects of string playing in the contemporary era. Throughout this eight-day camp, participants will have the opportunity to work closely and intensively with Saint Mary’s faculty to improve their skills in solo, chamber music and orchestral playing.

The public is invited to three free and public concerts by these talented young musicians:

July 18 — 7:30 p.m., student solo recitals
July 19 — 7:30 p.m., student chamber music recital
July 20 — noon, string orchestra concert

All concerts will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the Saint Mary’s Performance Center.

The string orchestra will perform Mozart’s “Divertimento in F major, K. 138”; Coreelli’s “Concerto Grosso in D Major, opus 6 no. 4”; “Company” by Philip Glass; and “Capriol Suite” by Warlock. The student solo recital will include works by Mendelssohn, Bach, Vaughan Williams and Beethoven. The chamber music concert will include string quartets by Haydn, Mozart and Ravel.

SMU Chamber Orchestra concert is Sunday

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Chamber Orchestra will perform a concert titled “Mastery & Majesty” 3 p.m. Sunday, April 27, in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center.

The orchestra, under the direction of Dr. David Leung, will perform music by Philip Glass, Georg Philipp Telemann, Antonio Vivaldi and Joseph Haydn.

Special guests include Dr. Jason Sah, professor of Juan N. Corpus University, Bogota, Colombia, on viola; and Dr. Kyle Black, assistant professor of modern and classical languages at Saint Mary’s, with a sonnet recitation.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

SMU band, wind ensemble concert March 30 celebrates ‘Music in our Schools Month’

Dr. David Leung rehearses with the SMU Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Janet Heukeshoven.

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, will present a concert Sunday, March 30, in celebration of “Music in our Schools Month.” The performance will begin at 3 p.m. in Page Theatre, located in the SMU Performance Center.

The featured violin soloist is Saint Mary’s Assistant Professor of Music Dr. David Leung, in a rare pairing with winds and percussion. The Concertino (1998) by Evzen Zámecnik is written in a modern jazz style combined with traditional classical violin techniques. Dr. Leung is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and is a frequent soloist and chamber music performer around the world. In his second year at Saint Mary’s, Dr. Leung teaches violin and viola, as well as ear-training courses, and he directs the SMU Chamber Orchestra.

Other performances will include: Bernstein’s delightful overture A Musical Toast, Eric Whitacre’s hauntingly beautiful October, Grainger’s Children’s March, and a recently published piece by Valerie Coleman, founder of the Imani Winds, Umoja.  Richard Strauss’s moving Allerseelen and Bencriscutto’s Lindbergh Jubilee round out the program.

Tickets are $10 for adults or $5 for students and seniors may be reserved at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or online at www.pagetheatre.org. Tickets are also available one hour before the concert.

The SMU Concert Band is made up of SMU students and community musicians from the Winona area. The ensemble presents two performances each semester on the SMU campus. For additional information, contact Heukeshoven at (507) 457-1675 or jheukesh@smumn.edu.

Tribute concert to Victor Jara is March 27 at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — A tribute concert Thursday, March 27, at Saint Mary’s University will celebrate the life of Victor Jara, the Chilean singer-songwriter, political activist and playwright assassinated during the Chilean military coup in 1973.

On the 40th anniversary of his death, the Stearns County Pachanga Society will perform Jara’s songs, with the lyrics projected in both Spanish and English. The contrast between the themes of his songs, on love, peace and social justice — and the brutal way in which he was murdered — transformed Jara into a symbol of struggle for human rights and justice worldwide. Based in St. Cloud, the Stearns County Pachanga Society is an ever-evolving, ever-growing organic musical experiment that aims to combine the musical spirit of Cuban Cabildos, Brazilian Samba clubs, and Spanish Charangas with danceable rhythms from all over the globe.

The event, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center. The public is welcome to attend, free of charge. Co-sponsors include the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, the Intercultural Awareness Association and the Student Activities Committee of Saint Mary’s.

SMU Music Department to showcase original faculty compositions March 15

WINONA, Minn. — Original compositions by Saint Mary’s University faculty composers Dr. Patrick O’Shea and A. Eric Heukeshoven will be featured at a recital Saturday, March 15, at Saint Mary’s. The biennial “Composers Recital,” which will begin at 6:30 p.m., will include world premieres of two works, music with poetry, and a wide variety of contemporary compositions.

New music by Dr. Patrick O’Shea, director of choral music, includes the premiere of Vezzosi augelli, written in 2012. SMU alumni Brigid Ryan ’06 and Lindsy O’Shea ’05 will be featured on this vocal duet. O’Shea’s Sonata Piccola for violin and piano will feature the talent of assistant professor of music Dr. David Leung on violin with Jan Matson on piano. Originally composed as a single movement work, O’Shea has written an opening movement for the sonata to be premiered at this event. Poltergeist, the newest work to be performed, will feature Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, also of the SMU Music Department, on flute and percussionist Jeremy Johnston, a 2009 alumnus.

Assistant professor of music A. Eric Heukeshoven will present both choral and instrumental works. Just Believe, a work commissioned for the La Crosse Chamber Chorale’s Words to Music series, will be performed by members of the chorale, joined by students from SMU’s Chamber Singers. Heukeshoven’s wife, Janet, and flautist Amanda Moburg will be featured in selections from the composer’s 24 Duets for Two Flutes. Ted Haaland, founder of Great River Shakespeare Festival’s Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest, will introduce the duets with an original poem he composed for each of the selections.

The event — free and open to the public — will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center.

For more information, contact A. Eric Heukeshoven at (507) 457-7292 or eheukesh@smumn.edu.

SMU hosts DeTemps Antan March 14 at Marine Art Museum

WINONA, Minn. — On Friday, March 14, DeTemps Antan will perform Celtic-inspired, French-steeped and Canadian-styled music as part of Saint Mary’s University Off The Page series.

The trio will take the stage beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.

Since 2003, Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc Dupuis have been exploring and performing time-honored melodies from the stomping grounds of Quebec’s musical past. Using fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, these three virtuosos blend boundless energy with the unmistakable joie de vivre found only in traditional Quebec music. Former members of famed La Bottine Souriante, this trio presents music that will have you reveling in the music of the past, infused by their original contemporary songs.

Tickets are $18 and $16 and are available at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Page in History event
Join members of DeTemps Antan in celebration of their heritage as they discuss how they infuse traditional music with the music of today. The presentation begins at 12:05 p.m. March 14 at the Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson St. The event is free and open to the public.

The Singers to premiere piece by SMU’s Dr. Patrick O’Shea

WINONA, Minn. — The Twin Cities-based critically acclaimed choral ensemble “The Singers” will perform in Winona as part of its 10th anniversary legacy tour.

Under the direction of Matthew Culloton, the group will perform music by Morten Lauridsen and Benjamin Britten, as well as beloved American folk songs and spirituals.

The choir will combine with the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Singers on two pieces, including the world premiere of a new work, “Nocte fletuum angelis” by Saint Mary’s music faculty member Dr. Patrick O’Shea, which commemorates the lives lost in the tragic school shooting in Connecticut.

The performance is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, 1155 W. Wabasha St. The concert is free and is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.

Tickets are available at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, Monday through Friday or at the door.

Tickets sold out for Ladysmith Black Mambazo performance at SMU; waiting list will be available

WINONA, Minn. — At this time there are no tickets available for the Page Series Ladysmith Black Mambazo performance Tuesday, Feb. 11, in Saint Mary’s University’s Page Theatre.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Some tickets will become available at the door the night of the performance. A waiting list will begin at 6:30 p.m. the night of the show. Tickets are $27 for adults, $24 for seniors and students.

Nominated 17 times for the Grammy awards, the South African a cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo celebrates more than 50 years of joyous and uplifting music that marries the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music.

Assembled in the early 1960s in South Africa by founder Joseph Shabalala, the group took the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Ladysmith being the name of Shabalala’s rural hometown; Black being a reference to oxen, the strongest of all farm animals; and Mambazo being the Zulu word for axe, a symbol of the group’s ability to “chop down” any singing rival who might challenge them. Paul Simon visited South Africa in the 1980s and incorporated Black Mambazo’s rich tenor/alto/bass harmonies into his Graceland album.

The ensemble just released an album “Always With Us” on Jan. 15.

As part of the evening concert they will play tribute to the late South African leader Nelson Mandela.

After-show reception

The SMU Solidarity Committee will host an after-show reception in the lobby of the Performance Center as part of the SMU Multi-Cultural Week celebrations. Light refreshments will be available.

SMU presents free concert featuring Baroque music

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Department of Music will present “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale and other Baroque Spectaculars” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, at Central Lutheran Church, 259 W. Wabasha St. The event, free and open to the public, will feature the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. David Leung. Special guests joining Dr. Leung on violin will be Maureen Yuen, a violinist from State University of New York at Fredonia, and Erik Floan, an organist from Saint Mary’s University. The concert will include music by Handel, Bach and Corelli.

Public invited to Feb. 7 Saint Thomas Trio Chamber Music Concert

*This event has now been cancelled. We regret the inconvenience.

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Thomas Trio Chamber Music Concert will be held 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, in Saint Mary’s University’s Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center. The event, sponsored by the Saint Mary's Department of Music, will feature Winona State University musicians Dr. Woobin Park on piano and Dr. Dan Sheridan on clarinet, along with Dr. David Leung from Saint Mary’s on viola. The performance is free and open to the public and will include music by Mozart, Schumann and Bruch.

Public invited to MLK Day events at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — The public is invited to join the Saint Mary’s University community in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 20. The remembrance begins Sunday, Jan. 19, with a 9 p.m. Mass in Saint Thomas More Chapel. Guest musicians will be vocalist and pianist Scott Patterson of Baltimore and vocalist Adia Dobbins of Detroit.

On Monday, Xavier Wilson, a 1998 Saint Mary’s alumnus and assistant director of housing and residence life at Winona State University, will present Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in the Toner Student Center Dining Room at 12:45 p.m.

At 7 p.m. Monday, the public is invited to attend an ecumenical prayer service, hosted by the Saint Mary’s Office of Campus Ministry, in the Toner Student Center Lounge. A reception is then planned at 7:45 p.m. in the lobby of the Performance Center.

Everyone is then invited to a “Freedom Day Concert” at 8:15 p.m. in Figliulo Recital Hall, also located in the Performance Center. Guest musicians Patterson and Dobbins will again perform. This event is hosted by the Office of Student Life at Saint Mary’s.

McCourys bring bluegrass to SMU stage Jan. 21

WINONA, Minn. — The Travelin' McCourys are bringing both traditional and progressive bluegrass to Saint Mary’s University’s Page Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21.


With Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Rob McCoury on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle, and Alan Bartram on bass, this group is the latest incarnation of the most awarded band in the history of bluegrass – The Del McCoury Band. As the sons of bluegrass legend Del McCoury, Ronnie and Rob continue their father’s work – a lifelong dedication to the power of bluegrass music to bring joy into people’s lives.

Based in tradition, the ensemble is loved and respected by the bluegrass faithful but they also bring something fresh and rejuvenating to the stage. The band has a confidence that comes with having paid their dues with 20 years on the bluegrass road. They are known not only for their individual prowess on their instruments but also the tight rhythm, the soulful material and the confidence in taking bluegrass from the safety of the shore into uncharted waters. The Travelin’ McCourys are quickly becoming known amongst fans and musical icons alike collaborating with the likes of Vince Gill, The Allman Brothers, Phish, and Warren Haynes, Steve Earle, Dierks Bentley, Yonder Mountain String Band and many more.

Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors and students and are available at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Saint Mary’s Concert Band to present ‘Welcome Christmas’

Student conductors will include Katy Kosiek and Marilyn Yennie.

WINONA, Minn. — Celebrate the music of the Christmas season with the Saint Mary’s University Concert Band and Wind Ensemble 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at SMU’s Page Theatre.

The concert celebrates the rich musical traditions of the season, featuring Gene Milford's “Festival Español,” Johan de Meij’s “Polish Christmas Music,” and H. Robert Reynolds beautiful transcription of “O Magnum Mysterium.” More favorite music of the season will be performed, featuring student conductors Marilyn Yennie (on “The Child and the Kings”) and Katy Kosiek (on “Yuletide Tapestry”).

After the performance all guests and performers are invited to stay for the traditional lobby party Christmas cookie reception, with holiday music provided by band members during the reception.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors and are available by calling the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

This concert is free to SMU faculty and staff, as well as students (with IDs) arriving 20 minutes before the performance.

For more information, contact Director Janet Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu or (507) 457-1675.

Saint Mary’s ‘Lessons and Carols’ Christmas service is Dec. 7

WINONA, Minn. — The joyous and uplifting Christmas service of “Lessons and Carols” will be presented by the Saint Mary’s University Department of Music at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The beautiful service, held in the majestic Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, features the Saint Mary’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, directed by Dr. Patrick O’Shea.

“Lessons and Carols” reflects on the Christmas story through several short readings, hymns and Christmas carols sung by the choirs and audience. Music includes familiar carols and selections by composers from the Renaissance to the present.

The Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels is located at Wabasha and Vila streets in Winona.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors and are available by calling the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.pagetheatre.org. Tickets at the door are available by cash or check only.

SMU Chamber Orchestra to perform Dec. 8

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Chamber Orchestra will perform a special birthday tribute concert, “Britten’s Centennial,” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center.

The English composer Benjamin Britten was born on Nov. 22, 1913. In celebration of this centenary, this concert will include two of his most famous works, “Simple Symphony for Strings” and “Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings.”

The orchestra is composed of Saint Mary’s students and faculty, along with Winona community members, under the direction of Dr. David Leung. The concert will feature the talents of Dr. Mark Mowry, a tenor from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire; and Regina Barbosa, a senior public relations major, on French horn.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, Monday through Friday from 10 am. to 6 p.m. or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Conservatory jazz combos to perform Dec. 4

WINONA, Minn. — On Wednesday, Dec. 4, beginning at 5:30 p.m., the Minnesota Conservatory for the Art’s Jazz Combos will perform at the Acoustic Café, 77 Lafayette St. This community outreach event will showcase talented young musicians in new jazz combos.

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit arts organization, offers programming in dance, music, visual art and theatre year-round. Classes, lessons, workshops and camps are offered to children ages 3 and older through adults at the Valéncia Arts Center, located at 1164 West 10th St.

For more information visit us online at www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu, “like” them on Facebook, or call (507) 453-5500.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Kirk, Leung pair for faculty recital Nov. 10 at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University Department of Music faculty members Dr. Ned Kirk and Dr. David Leung will present a faculty duo recital at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10.

Dr. Kirk, on piano, and Dr. Leung, on violin, will present Schubert’s “Rondo Brilliant in B minor,” Beethoven’s “Violin Sonata No. 7 in C minor,” Diamond’s “Canticle and Perpetual Motion,” and Franck’s “Violin Sonata in A major.”

The event, free and open to the public, will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in SMU’s Performance Center.

Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts hosts fall music concert Nov. 15

WINONA, Minn. — On Friday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will hold its Fall Music Division Concert at the Figliulo Recital Hall on the Saint Mary’s University campus. The concert will showcase the jazz combos and a variety of private lesson students. The community is invited to come and support these talented young musicians.

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, nonprofit arts organization, offers programming in dance, music, visual art and theatre year-round. Classes, lessons, workshops and camps are offered for children ages 3 and older through adults at the Valéncia Arts Center, located at 1164 West 10th St. Admission is a freewill donation, with all proceeds supporting the conservatory

For more information, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu, “like” them on Facebook, or call (507) 453-5500.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Heukeshoven, Haaland to debut music, poetry piece Nov. 7

WINONA, Minn. — A selection of duets for flute will, for the first time, be presented with poems written and read by their author at the La Crosse New Music Festival’s finale concert on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the Annett Recital Hall on the University of Wisconsin’s La Crosse campus.

Saint Mary’s University assistant professor of music A. Eric Heukeshoven first conceived his “24 Duets for Two Flutes” as study materials for students of flutist Janet Heukeshoven when the couple was first married in 1979. In 2013, Heukeshoven presented a challenge to his friend Ted Haaland:  to create an introductory poem inspired by each of the 24 duets. In less than a week, Haaland responded with a complete set of poems to match the music. The poems complement the music, ranging from witty and clever to extremely personal and thought-provoking. The set presented at the New Music Festival will present the wide variety of these words and music.

Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, professor of music at SMU, and Amanda Moburg, band director at Cotter Junior High School, will perform eight of the duets with Haaland introducing each with his selection of verse. The concert is free and public are invited to attend.

For more information, contact A. Eric Heukeshoven at eheukesh@smumn.edu or (507) 457-7292.

SMU hosts Caravan du Nord Minnesota musicians Oct. 18

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University’s Off the Page Series will host an impressive lineup of talented Minnesota musicians as part of the “Caravan du Nord 2013” concert series Friday, Oct. 18.

In its third year, the Caravan du Nord concert tour starts Oct. 11 in Austin, with stops in Winona, St. Cloud and Detroit Lakes before ending in Red Wing on Nov. 16. Each event features live performances by artists in a wide range of genres.

The Winona lineup includes some of the most talked about up-and-coming artists — Night Moves, Southwire and Mike Munson — converging on the SMU Page Theatre stage, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Night Moves is based out of Minneapolis and has been receiving airtime on MPR’s The Current; they have been described by Spin magazine as “cosmically expansive and yet twangily intimate.” Southwire, from Duluth, has been praised by City Pages as providing “haunting melodies that sound like they have been carried on the winds of the past.” Winona’s own Mike Munson was recently on the nationally broadcast WPR show “Whad'Ya Know” and is regularly heard around town performing his blues-influenced solo guitar.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available at www.pagetheatre.org or at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The SMU Student Activity Committee is co-hosting this event.

Members of Night Moves and Minnesota’s top music industry professionals will provide insider insight about marketing, songwriting and more at a workshop Friday, Oct. 18, from noon to 3 p.m. at Sum Some Studios, 168 E. 3rd St. The event is free and open to the public.