CCS 50th anniversary to be celebrated at DSC
Erik Dorn
Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The Celebrity Concert Series will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, and promoting artistic diversity is key.
The Celebrity Concert Series was organized in 1958 with Dr. Ron Garner, former Dixie State College professor of music, as manager. The concerts will be performed at the Cox Performing Arts Center until April 6. Gail Bunker, the current manager, is continuing the legacy of the Celebrity Concert Series and said she is hoping more students will take advantage of this cultural experience.
"When a student comes to a college they ought to take advantage of the cultural aspects of their education," she said. "The experience is so much different than what [students] can get on their iPod. It is kind of like watching a ball game on television as opposed to being there."
The series this year consists of 12 professional and non-professional concerts. They are multi-disciplined with half of the concerts being of a classical nature. The other half will appeal to a greater number of people who like jazz and Celtic artists.
Three concerts will be performed this month: Le Nozze Di Figaro -- Mozart Festival Opera, the Young Ambassadors from BYU, and Angela Dubeau and La Pieta. Bunker said the Mozart Festival Opera is one of the most audience-friendly performances of the series.
"The music is humorous and fun to listen to," she said. "Also, the music is fantastic. None of the singers are augmented, which means their voices are so well trained that they extend to the back of the auditorium."
Along with the singers, there will be a 62-piece orchestra in the pit. The selections will include chamber orchestras, operas and ballets, while more popular performances will include jazz artists and even Celtic groups like Barrage, which will close the Celebrity Concert Series April 5-6.
Le Nozze Di Figaro, or the "The Marriage of Figaro," is set in the late 18th century. After a marriage gone sour, Old Bartholo is back to seek revenge on Figaro for taking his wife from him. With Mozart's score, the opera is a witty yet profound tale of love, betrayal and forgiveness. It is sung in Italian and features some of the best European and American operatic voices, lavish scenery and elegant costumes.
Don Harper, the Celebrity Concert Series board president, said the series and especially "The Marriage of Figaro" is a great experience for a very inexpensive price.
"[Students] will be uplifted by the music," he said. "They are not wild concerts; more entertaining concerts of a high nature. It could even be a very inexpensive date to take a girl to."
Le Nozze Di Figaro -- Mozart Festival Opera will be performed tonight and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for youth and $5 for DSC students.
To find out when the other concerts will take place, visit www.dixie.-edu/concerts.
The Celebrity Concert Series was organized in 1958 with Dr. Ron Garner, former Dixie State College professor of music, as manager. The concerts will be performed at the Cox Performing Arts Center until April 6. Gail Bunker, the current manager, is continuing the legacy of the Celebrity Concert Series and said she is hoping more students will take advantage of this cultural experience.
"When a student comes to a college they ought to take advantage of the cultural aspects of their education," she said. "The experience is so much different than what [students] can get on their iPod. It is kind of like watching a ball game on television as opposed to being there."
The series this year consists of 12 professional and non-professional concerts. They are multi-disciplined with half of the concerts being of a classical nature. The other half will appeal to a greater number of people who like jazz and Celtic artists.
Three concerts will be performed this month: Le Nozze Di Figaro -- Mozart Festival Opera, the Young Ambassadors from BYU, and Angela Dubeau and La Pieta. Bunker said the Mozart Festival Opera is one of the most audience-friendly performances of the series.
"The music is humorous and fun to listen to," she said. "Also, the music is fantastic. None of the singers are augmented, which means their voices are so well trained that they extend to the back of the auditorium."
Along with the singers, there will be a 62-piece orchestra in the pit. The selections will include chamber orchestras, operas and ballets, while more popular performances will include jazz artists and even Celtic groups like Barrage, which will close the Celebrity Concert Series April 5-6.
Le Nozze Di Figaro, or the "The Marriage of Figaro," is set in the late 18th century. After a marriage gone sour, Old Bartholo is back to seek revenge on Figaro for taking his wife from him. With Mozart's score, the opera is a witty yet profound tale of love, betrayal and forgiveness. It is sung in Italian and features some of the best European and American operatic voices, lavish scenery and elegant costumes.
Don Harper, the Celebrity Concert Series board president, said the series and especially "The Marriage of Figaro" is a great experience for a very inexpensive price.
"[Students] will be uplifted by the music," he said. "They are not wild concerts; more entertaining concerts of a high nature. It could even be a very inexpensive date to take a girl to."
Le Nozze Di Figaro -- Mozart Festival Opera will be performed tonight and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for youth and $5 for DSC students.
To find out when the other concerts will take place, visit www.dixie.-edu/concerts.
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