Special Events and Faculty Recitals
Student Opera Theatre Presents "The Magic Flute" with Opera San Luis Obispo
Thursday–Saturday, April 11–April 13, 2013
7:30 p.m. Spanos Theatre
Cal Poly’s Student Opera Theatre and Opera San Luis Obispo will present the second “co-opera” collaborative partnership in a full production of Mozart's “The Magic Flute.”
The co-opera pairs outstanding student singers from Cal Poly’s Music Department performing lead roles alongside internationally acclaimed opera singers. Select student instrumentalists will also perform with OperaSLO's professional orchestra.
This year the collaboration features members of the Cuesta College North County Chorus under the direction of Cassandra Tarantino. The performances will be sung in English with projected supertitles. All performances are conducted by Brian Asher Alhadeff, Opera San Luis Obispo's artistic and general director.
The two-act opera is a supernatural fantasy that weaves together an unusual combination of comical and serious characters: magic animals, a serpent, an evil queen, a maiden in distress, two bird catchers, and a prince.
Accompanied by a 38-piece orchestra, a 35-voice choir, and a large number of principal and supporting roles, “The Magic Flute” guarantees stage time for all Cal Poly Music Department voice emphasis music majors. Cal Poly singers and New York- and Los Angeles-based professional singers Ben Gulley, April Amante, Benito Galindo and Jennie Litster will alternate performance nights.
The co-opera promotes Cal Poly's Learn by Doing educational philosophy by partnering the professional resources and educational outreach of OperaSLO with the Cal Poly Student Opera Theatre. Students obtain hands-on stage and performance experience working with Alhadeff, San Luis Obispo's top professional orchestra musicians, and an international group of opera singers.
“The co-opera provides an outstanding use of community resources to give needed opportunities to emerging talented students from Cal Poly,” said Jacalyn Kreitzer of Cal Poly’s Music Department faculty.
Alhadeff will serve as music director and conductor for the performances. Kreitzer will produce the opera and direct musical rehearsals, along with Paul Woodring, Cal Poly Music Department vocal coach, and Katherine Arthur, Cal Poly Music Department faculty member.
Jack Shouse, artistic director emeritus of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, is stage director, and Cal Poly theatre major Gabrielle Koizumi is stage manager.
Tarantino, Cuesta’s North County chorus director, is chorus master, and longtime OperaSLO costumer Cynthia Vest, along with Renee Leatham and assistance from Cal Poly alumna Laura Pryzgoda will provide the costumes.
Tickets ($18 general, $16 seniors and $9 students)
Cal Poly Open House Concert
Friday, April 19, 2013
8 p.m. Harman Hall, Performing Arts Center
Three Cal Poly music ensembles featuring more than 100 of the university’s finest student musicians will perform at this year’s Open House Concert.
The Cal Poly Symphony, conducted by Christopher J. Woodruff, will present Bedrich Smetana's “Vltava” from “Ma Vlast” and Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2. The latter is a colorful work that presents the urban dance from Cuba as seen through the eyes of this popular Mexican composer.
The Wind Ensemble, conducted by Andrew McMahan, will perform selections from its recent “Strike Up The Band” Pops Concert, including George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with guest piano soloist W. Terrence Spiller.
The University Jazz Band I, directed by Paul Rinzler, will perform “Soul Vaccination” by funk band Tower of Power, “I’m Gonna Live ’Til I Die” as recorded by jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan, and “Cruisin’ for a Bluesin’,” by Andy Weiner.
The public is invited to visit the campus for Open House and stay late to enjoy an evening of live entertainment!
Tickets ($14 and $12 general, $12 and $9 seniors and students)
Cal Poly All-State Festival
Sunday, April 21, 2013
2:30 p.m. Cohan Center
Jazz Band and Wind Orchestra
The Cal Poly Music Department will host the Cal Poly All-State Festival Concert, featuring more than 100 of the state’s best high school musicians.
The All-State Festival Wind Orchestra and Festival Jazz Band will perform as part of the closing festivities of Cal Poly’s three-day Open House event. The festival’s Solo Competition winner will also perform, accompanied by pianist Susan Azaret Davies.
The Festival Jazz Band director will be Charles Wood, music professor emeritus from Santa Barbara City College. Wood served as director of bands and jazz studies for 15 years on the Santa Barbara campus and director of bands at Bakersfield College for 24 years. He received the Jazz Masters Award from the Santa Barbara Jazz Society and an Honorary Service Award from the California State PTA for outstanding service to the youth of the community.
The Festival Wind Orchestra will be conducted by William Johnson, Cal Poly music professor emeritus. Johnson was professor of music at Cal Poly from 1966 until 2010. He served as coordinator of instrumental music and conducted the university Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. He founded the Cal Poly All-State Music Festival. In great demand as a consultant, Johnson has been a guest conductor, lecturer and clinician throughout the world. From1993 until 1995, Johnson served as president of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles.
Tickets ($14 and $12 general, $12 and $9 seniors and students)
Cal Poly's RSVP XVIII: Jonah’s
Tuesday, June 4, and Thursday, June 6, 2013
8 p.m. Pavilion, Performing Arts Center
This marks the 18th season of this diverse transmedia series celebrating electro-acoustic diversity and compositional risk. This year's production tells an allegorical story based on one of the great institutions of Western culture. Set in a local bar, Jonah’s, the characters pass the centuries debating politics, religion, and most of all, the music playing on the juke box! The show promises innovative staging, a vast variety of music, wacky hats and RSVP’s continued dedication to the science of wonder.
Tickets ($14 all seats)