The Fisher Duo has been performing together for 30 years, and are praised by music critics for their unique repertoire ranging from the classics of Brahms, Beethoven and Schumann to the neglected works of Busoni, Boulanger, Foote and Liszt. They have also commissioned several scores by contemporary composers.

The Fisher Duo also has received recognition for its enlightened residency work. In 1996 the United States Information Agency (USIA) named the Fisher Duo Artistic Ambassadors. The duo toured South America and, the following year, South Africa.

The Fisher Duo has performed on National Public Radio and public television. They have four compact discs available on the Gasparo label. "Imaginées: Music of French Masters," was awarded Fanfare magazine's highest recommendation. Also available on Gasparo: "American Music in the 1990s," "Robert Sirota: Works for Cello" and "Born in America in 1938."

Fisher first graced the international concert scene with the Concord String Quartet. This group won the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and an Emmy, and has had several Grammy nominations. He also performs and records many new scores for cello and orchestra.

Fisher is also a devoted teacher and mentor to young musicians. He has taught at Dartmouth College, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and is currently professor of violoncello at the Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas. He has taught at the Tanglewood Music Center since 1985, where he is currently the coordinator of strings and chamber music.

Kierman is a graduate of Oberlin College, the Dalcroze School and the New England Conservatory. As well as being an expert pianist, she is a skilled singer and is in great demand as a recital partner.

Since 1992, Kierman has shared her expertise in chamber music with students at the Greenwood Music Camp in Cummington, Mass. She has also served as faculty at Dartmouth College and the Oberlin Conservatory. She currently serves as artist teacher at the Shepherd School of Music.

The program is open to the public with no charge for admission.

The recital includes Concerto No. 4 in Eb Major for Horn and Orchestra, KV 495 by Mozart, Sonata for Horn and Piano by Halsey Stevens, and Concerto No. 3 in E major for Two Horns and Orchestra by F.A. Rosetti.

Accompanying Mickens will be Luther faculty member Du Huang, piano and Cornell College music instructor Steven Schultz, horn.

Mickens holds the bachelor of arts degree in music and English from Luther and the master of music degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

She is a frequent solo recitalist and chamber music participant and is a member of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, and the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. She has previously performed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and the Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra.
 
Mickens was featured at the 2006 Midwest Horn Workshop in Stevens Point, Wis., as a regional guest artist and has served as a judge for the Schubert Club Competition.

Huang holds the bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music and the doctor of musical arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.  He has also studied in master classes with pianist Leon Fleisher. 

Schultz is a horn instructor at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. He plays second horn for the Dubuque Symphony and third horn for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony.

Jessica Paul, piano, Luther associate professor of music, will be the accompanist for the program and Carol Hester, flute, Luther associate professor of music, will accompany one of the selections.

Lassetter holds the bachelor's degree in music, magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University, the master of music degree from the University of North Texas, and is completing the doctoral degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Currently a voice teacher at Luther, Lassetter has also taught applied voice at the University of North Texas and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Recently, Lassetter sang the title role of Delling in Eric Chasalow's multimedia work "The Puzzle Master" at Luther College, Grinnell College, Coe College, and The University of Iowa.  An active recitalist, he made his New York City debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.

Lassetter's operatic credits include the title role in "Don Giovanni," Griswold in Argento's "The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe," Enrico in "Lucia di Lammermoor," Zuniga in "Carmen," Frank in "Die Fledermaus," and Don Alfonso in "Così fan tutte."  He made his Italian debut at the Teatro Accademico in Castelfranco Veneto singing Germont in "La Traviata." 

His oratorio credits include Orff's "Carmina Burana," Monteverdi's "Vespro della Beata Vergine," Handel's "Messiah," and Bach's "St. John Passion," "St. Matthew Passion," "Christmas," "Easter" and "Missa Brevis in F."

Lassetter has performed several roles with the Chautauqua Opera, the Des Moines Metro Opera, and through the Utah Festival Opera's Festival Artist Program.

Sponsored by the Royal Norwegian Consolate, New York, the performance is open to the public with no charge for admission.

The Karl Seglem Trio performance is in conjunction with the Norway Seminar at Luther, Friday-Saturday Oct. 10-11. Marvin Slind, Luther associate professor of history, is coordinator of the seminar, which brings together academics who specialize in teaching Norwegian language, culture and history.
   
Born in Norway, Seglem is a musician, composer, producer and poet. He has been working as a freelance musician on the Norwegian and international music scene since 1985.

Seglem's main instrument is the tenor saxophone, but he has gained international renown for his incorporation of traditional Norwegian goat and trumpet horns into his work. The horns present a sound which is both ancient and at the same time avant-garde, due to the musical contexts in which the instruments feature.

At an early stage in his career Seglem became interested in more diverse, genre crossing perspectives of music. He has been deeply involved with Norwegian folk music and has explored it as a basis for improvisation and composition.

Seglem has also worked widely and diversely as a composer, developing new contemporary forms on the basis of jazz, folk music and more eclectic inspirations. As a producer and record label manager, he has been instrumental to the growth of cross-over expressions and projects.

Seglem has produced 28 albums, including his most recent trilogy of solo releases Femstein, Reik, and URBS, his latest release which critics praised for its mesmerizing and mysterious music.

The recital is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Luther music department faculty member and jazz pianist Bourcier and saxophonist Gullion will perform original music composed by both musicians and jazz standards by Oscar Peterson and pianist Makoto Ozone.

Bourcier met Gullion at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where they adjudicate a high school jazz festival. The two soon were collaborators, performing frequently at events such as the Freedom Fest in Madison, Wisconsin and the Driftless Jazz Festival in Viroqua, Wisconsin.

Bourcier has performed throughout the United States, Europe, South America and the Caribbean, performing with and backing up musicians and acts such as the Dirty Dozen Band, Dizzy Gillespie, Jim Schwall of the Siegal-Schwall Band, Buddy Rich, Donald O'Connor, comedian David Brenner, Debbie Reynolds, and Jack Jones.

From 1987-96 he led the Tom Bourcier Trio and later performed with the Bourcier, Julin, and Wolff ensemble that released its Live at St. Andrews" CD in 2000. He performs with singer/songwriter Robin Lee Berry on "Going Driftless," a 2002 Red House Records retrospective of Greg Brown songs performed by female artists. His first solo piano CD, "Steps," was released in 2002 and his "Portals" tango suite CD will be released in 2008 on the independent label 2 Moons Records.

Gullion has won international acclaim as a jazz performer and composer. In 1988, he was selected with Cedar Walton, Rufus Reid and Victor Lewis for jazz trombone legend J.J. Johnson's new quintet that made several U.S. tours.

Gullion has toured the world with various acts, playing first in New York and then moving to Spain where he performed with the Spanish jazz group Clunia on tour and for their CD " Carpe Diem." He also performed for several broadcast concerts, worked and recorded with the avant-garde ensemble the Baldo Martinez Quartet, and launched the Tom Gullion Trio.

He moved to Chicago in 1995, quickly became part of the jazz scene, and recorded two CDs, "Cat's Cradle" and "Greens and Blues," with some of Chicago's top performers, including guitarist John Moulder, bass player Rob Amster and drummers Steve Gillis and Paul Wertico.

Since 2002, Gullion has lived in Viroqua while he has honed his skills as a composer, began performing on 1920s vintage Conn saxophones, and launched Project Fourth Stream, an experimental-music duo with pianist/composer William Neil.

The Family Weekend concert series begins with a matinee performance by Luther's Concert Band at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.
   
The series continues at 7 p.m. with the Family Weekend Concert, a collaboration of six student music ensembles -- Aurora, Cantorei, Cathedral Choir, Collegiate Chorale, Norsemen, Varsity Band, and Wind and Percussion Ensemble -- in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.

Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Band will conclude the evening of performances at 8:45 p.m. in the college's Dahl Centennial Union Dining Hall.

The Luther College Concert Band was formed in 1878, beginning the college's long-standing tradition of band excellence. Conducted by Frederick Nyline, the group is one of the oldest touring organizations in the nation and ranks among the country's outstanding college bands.

Aurora, conducted by Sandra Peter, was established in 1981 and is comprised of 100 first-year women. Aurora performs on and off-campus for worship services, participates in the annual Christmas at Luther concert and Dorian Vocal Festival, and presents a spring concert.

Cantorei, conducted by Linda Martin is a choral ensemble of approximately 85 women. The choir performs throughout the year at campus worship services and concerts, at Christmas at Luther, Homecoming and Family Weekend. Cantorei is conducted by Linda Martin.

Cathedral Choir, conducted by Sandra Peter, is composed of 90 select sophomore singers.

Collegiate Chorale, conducted by Timothy Peter, is composed of select junior and senior singers. The choir features 85 mixed voices performing sacred choral works of a variety of periods and styles. Collegiate Chorale sings at Chapel and Sunday worship services, and takes part in the college's annual Christmas at Luther celebration.

Norsemen, conducted by Timothy Peter, is the first-year men's choir consisting of approximately 90 men. Besides performing at the annual Christmas at Luther performances, the Norsemen also assist in Sunday and daily chapel worship, and present a spring program.

The 100-member Varsity Band is conducted by Frederick Nyline. The Band appears at a variety of events throughout the year including Chapel services, Family Weekend events, Dorian Band Festival, and its own formal concert each semester.

The Wind and Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Frederick Nyline, consists primarily of outstanding first year and sophomore students. In addition to Family Weekend performances and Dorian Band Festival performance, the Wind and Percussion ensemble gives a full concert each semester.

The Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Juan Tony Guzman, tours both nationally and internationally. Recent tours include the Dominican Republic, Brazil and the upper Midwest, including appearances at the International Market Square reception and dance in Minneapolis. The repertoire of the Jazz Orchestra ranges from early jazz to contemporary compositions and arrangements.

The Jazz Band, conducted by Tom Bourcier, is an auditioned ensemble that performs both on and off campus.

The program is open to the public with no charge for admission.
The recital will feature works of Handel, Faure, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Finzi, Quilter and Douglas Moore.

Jessica Paul, Luther associate professor of music, will accompany Whitfield on the piano.                                                                           
Whitfield holds a bachelor's degree from Butler University, a master of music degree from Wichita State University, and a doctor of musical arts degree from Louisiana State University.

He began teaching at Luther in 2003, where he teaches studio voice and opera workshop.                                                                                     
In addition to appearances with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre and the Peoria Bach Festival, he has also taught and performed at the Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival for the past three summers.

Also an active stage director, Andrew directed "The Ballad of Baby Doe" for Utah State University in April 2006.

Paul holds a bachelor of music degree from Northwestern University, and a master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees from the University of Illinois.

She is the former principal conductor and artistic director of the Dorian Opera Theatre and is currently a vocal coach, collaborative pianist and teacher of accompanying at Luther.                                                         
Paul's research projects include the study of art song of Lithuania and the vocal works of women composers, specifically twentieth century American composers.