Sarah Southard of the Hope College music faculty will present an oboe concert titled “Oboe du Jour” on Sunday, April 7, at 2 p.m. in Wichers Auditorium of Nykerk Hall of Music.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
The program will feature a collection of pieces written by French composers.
The first two pieces on the program are for oboe and piano, with Southard as well as pianist Jennifer Wolfe of the Hope music faculty: “First Concertino,” by Georges Guilhaud, and “Sonate for Oboe and Piano,” by Henri Dutilleux. After a brief intermission, Southard will perform two movements from “Six Études pour Hautbois” by Gilles Silvestrini that are each based on paintings by French Impressionists: “Sentier dans le bois (August Renoir)” and “Le ballet espagnol (Edouard Manet).” The final piece on the program will be “Deux Rhapsodies for Oboe, Viola, and Piano” by Charles Loeffler, and in addition to Southard will include Wolfe and violist Barbara Corbató of the Hope music faculty.
Southard joined the Hope faculty as instructor of oboe in fall of 2007. Additionally, she has taught as temporary instructor of oboe at Central Michigan University, and as adjunct professor at the University of Michigan-Flint and Northern Kentucky University. Along with her collegiate teaching, Southard keeps an active studio of area oboists and has enjoyed working with many youth programs like the Interlochen Center for the Arts All-State Orchestra and All-State Band, the Holland Area Youth Orchestra Chamber Music Program, the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble, and the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Besides teaching, Southard is an active performer, playing regularly with the Midland and Holland symphony orchestras.
Nykerk Hall of Music is located in the central Hope campus at the former 127 E. 12th Street between College and Columbia avenues.