The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Chamber Ensembles will perform at 7:30 p.m. April 30 at The Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown, 101 N. 2nd St.

 

The free event will feature multiple groups that include a guitar trio, a saxophone quartet, a clarinet quartet, a brass quintet, a seven-person flute choir, an eight-person percussion ensemble and a 12-person brass ensemble.

 

Dr. David Carter of Tulsa, UAFS assistant professor of music, will direct the clarinet and saxophone ensembles. He stressed the importance of the students performing together in small groups.

 

“Nothing puts greater demands on developing young musicians than the musical and professional skills required for performing chamber music,” he said. “These are invaluable experiences for developing advanced musicianship.”

 

Carter added that the saxophone quartet will include Don Bailey of Fort Smith, UAFS director of jazz studies, performing on alto sax.

 

Percussion instructor Joshua J. Knight of Fort Smith will lead the percussion ensemble in compositions by Christopher Rouse, Allen Molineux and Blake Tyson.

 

“The percussion ensemble is featuring three selections from this semester’s repertoire that are fun and exciting, while showcasing the students and their hard work,” Knight said.

 

The two brass ensembles, under the direction of Dr. Matt Vangjel of Fort Smith, assistant professor of music, will feature performances that include trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba and euphonium.

 

The large brass ensemble will perform “Divertimento” by Leonard Salzedo, as well as Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria” in an arrangement by UAFS student Christopher Ha, who also conducts the piece. The quintet will perform “Scherzo” by John Cheetham.

 

Music instructor Virginia Hudson of Fayetteville, who directs the flute choir, said her group will perform pieces with “upbeat and playful rhythms” by Gary Schocker and Adolphe Wouters.

 

"These pieces inspired us and reassured us that spring was, in fact, coming even when we were rehearsing on the coldest and snowiest days,” said Hudson.

 

Music instructor William Reyes of Fort Smith will direct the guitar trio in performances of “Invention No. 8” by J.S. Bach and “Spanish Dance No. 2” by Enrique Granados.

 

Students participating in these ensembles include:

 

Alma: Greg Bowles, tuba; Kyle Scott, baritone sax; Sarah Summers, clarinet.

 

Booneville: Kyle Jones, flute.

 

Conway: Mykala Parker, trumpet.

 

Fort Smith: Justin Ball, percussion; Jenapher Burnett, flute; Brandon Cook, percussion; Sawyer Crenshaw, guitar; Will Davis, trumpet; Andrew Gardner, tenor sax; Dalton Graves, euphonium;  Christopher Ha, percussion; Ben Hines, percussion; Kaitlin Jones, flute; Emily McClure, percussion; James Vance, guitar; Jacob Webb, tuba.

 

Greenwood: Lucas Alexander, trombone; Jered May, horn; Andrew Morgan, trumpet; Holleigh Willis, flute.

 

Hackett: Matt Oliver, percussion.

 

Huntsville: Laura Ramirez, clarinet.

 

Jenks, Okla.: Sarah Rickman, percussion.

 

Jonesboro: McKendreah Brodie, clarinet.

 

Lamar: Samantha Kendrick, flute.

 

Lavaca: Shanice Mora, clarinet.

 

Mulberry: Virginia Jones, alto sax.

 

Muldrow, Okla.: Zach Brown, trumpet; Damien Irwin, guitar.

 

Pocola, Okla.: Laken Emerson, flute.

 

Roland, Okla.: Courtney Hicks, flute.

 

Stigler, Okla.: Ethan Shaw, trumpet.

 

Van Buren: Caleb Capps, trombone; Justin Dowdy, euphonium; Jenson Smith, percussion.

 

For more information, contact the UAFS Department of Music at 479-788-7558 or Carter at 479-788-7544.