Hope College will present its 33rd Annual Musical Showcase on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts.
Hope College students take the stage for this fast-paced, musical spectacular, during which audience members hear everything from opera to jazz. The hardest part for those attending is containing their enthusiasm, at least at first. In the tradition of the quick-moving musical event, audience members are asked to hold their applause until intermission and the end of the performance.
The showcase will open with Samuel Grosskreuz, organist, who will perform “Fanfare,” by Jacques Nicolas Lemmens. From there the program will jump to Irving Berlin’s “I Love a Piano,” with soprano Emlin Munch accompanied by pianist Elizabeth West. Leah Reinardy, percussionist, will perform a contemporary piece, “Chatterbox,” by Chad Floyd.
The first ensemble of the evening will be Spera, conducted by Eric Reyes, performing Felix Mendelssohn’s “Lift Thine Eyes,” from “Elijah.” Soloist Lillian Droscha, pianist, will then perform “Bruyères” from “Preludes Book 2,” by Claude Debussy. The Jazz Combo, coached by Robert Shipley, will play Buddy Johnson’s “Save Your Love for Me.”
A string quartet, coached by Mihai Craioveanu, will perform “String Quartet in c minor, Op. 18 No. 4,” by Ludwig van Beethoven. From there the program will move forward in time to Leonard Bernstein’s “Dede’s Aria” from “A Quiet Place,” sung by soprano Emma Clark, who will be accompanied by Elizabeth West, pianist. The first half will end with the Wind Ensemble, conducted by Gabe Southard, performing “Variations on a Korean Folk Song,” by John Barnes Chance.
After an intermission, the Percussion Ensemble, coached by Christopher Fashun, will perform Clifton Taylor’s “Concert Piece for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble.” That ensemble will be followed by violinists Emma Hakken and AnnaLeah Lacoss performing “Three Violin Duos,” by Bela Bartok. Mezzo-soprano Grace Critchfield, accompanied by pianist Elizabeth West, will sing “Voi che sapete” from the “Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Jazz Arts Collective, directed by Robert Shipley, will play Sammy Nestico’s “Flight to Nassau,” followed by organist Tim Nechuta performing “Transports de joie” from “L’Ascension,” by Olivier Messiaen. The Chapel Choir, conducted by Eric Reyes, will perform a work from faculty member Ben Krause titled “Tú Señor Eres Nuestro Escudo.”
A movement from “Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Piano” by Madeline Dring will be performed by Joy Gregson, flutist; Lillian Droscha, oboist; and Elizabeth West, pianist. The trio is coached by Sarah Southard. Soloist Anna Triezenberg, pianist, will perform Sergi Rachmaninoff’s “Etude in E-flat Major, Op. 33 No. 4.” The concert will conclude with the Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Fashun, performing Manuel de Falla’s “Ritual Fire Dance” from “El Amor Brujo.”
Tickets are $10 for regular admission, and $7 for members of the Hope faculty and staff. Admission is free for Hope College students. Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located downtown in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at 616-395-7890. Tickets can also be purchased online at hope.edu/tickets and will be sold at the door if available.
Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college’s Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Updates related to events are posted when available in the individual listings at hope.edu/calendar
Due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, Hope is currently requiring that masks be worn by all individuals while indoors on campus.
The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts is located at 221 Columbia Ave., between Ninth and 10th streets.