‘Music in the Shape of a Pear’ concert series continues March 14
The semi-annual “Music in the Shape of a Pear” concert series, directed by music faculty members Brooke Joyce and Katherine Reed-Maxfield, will continue in March with “A Civil War Musicale.”
The concert will be held Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m. in the Noble Recital Hall.
The concert is open to the public with no charge for admission.
With the observation of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday and the inauguration of Barack Obama, America has recently turned much of its attention to the Civil War and its subsequent effect on race relations. “A Civil War Musicale” explores the music and poetry that emerged from that period, including songs by Stephen Foster, J. W. Turner and George F. Root, as well as more recent compositions based on Civil War themes by George Crumb, Richard Danielpour, Stephen Sondheim and Brooke Joyce.
Performers include Luther faculty members Eric Ashcraft, Tana Field, Carol Hester, Du Huang, Joyce, Karen Kanakis, Eric Kutz, Jacob Lassetter, Gary Moss, Jessica Paul, Beth Ray Westlund, Reed-Maxfield and Andrew Whitfield; community members Bill Deutsch, Dale Kittleson and Bill Musser; and University of Kansas professor Stephanie Zelnick.
Joyce joined the Luther faculty in 2005. He teaches composition, theory, contemporary music history and electronic music.
Joyce holds degrees in theory and composition from Princeton University, the Cleveland Institute of Music and Lawrence University.
Joyce has composed music for a variety of chamber ensembles, orchestras and soloists, but his first love is music for the theater. Among his music-theater collaborations is “Unbekannt,” a musical based on the life of Anna Anderson, the famous Anastasia pretender.
Reed-Maxfield holds the bachelor of music degree from Lawrence University and the master of music degree from University of Michigan.
Reed-Maxfield has been teaching harpsichord, classic piano and ear training since she joined the Luther staff.
She has performed as a harpsichord soloist and continuo player throughout the Midwest and in New York’s Carnegie Hall.
For more information about the “Music in the Shape of a Pear” concert, visit http://www.music.luther.edu/