News

'Christmas at Luther' television program wins Emmy award

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:55:56 -0600

DECORAH, Iowa – Luther College’s nationally recognized “Christmas at Luther” holiday concert television program has earned an Emmy award for Twin Cities Public Television, the producer of the 2008 program that was aired by PBS Television as a PBS Holiday Special in December.

TPT won a regional Emmy award for “Best Special Event Coverage” for the program. “Christmas at Luther - Night of Glory, Dawn of Peace,” which was broadcast nationwide on more than 100 public television stations in December 2008 as a PBS Holiday Special.

The Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences selected the TPT television production of “Christmas at Luther” as the best special event coverage (other than news or sports). NATAS recognizes excellence in television with the Emmy award in the categories of news, sports, daytime, public service and technology.

Led by Dianne C. Steinbach, executive producer, arts and cultural productions, the TPT production team included Jeff Weihe, director; Joe Price Cunningham, lighting designer; Mich Griffin, audio and sweetening; John Kendall, production manager; and Skip Davis, on line editor.

The Luther production team included Craig Arnold, professor of music, artistic director; Jennifer Self, coordinator for music marketing, production and administrative arrangements; and Kendall Thompson and Tom Henning, programming technicians, lighting and technical support.

Twenty NATAS chapters across the United States conduct awards competitions to recognize excellence in regionally produced shows. Founded in 1955, NATAS is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry.

The NATAS Emmy awards are recognized as the gold standard of achievement in the television industry.

PBS has announced that it will broadcast the “Christmas at Luther” program nationwide again this year in its December holiday package to all PBS-affiliated stations. PBS will release the program Friday, Dec. 18, 10 p.m. Eastern Time and 10 p.m. Pacific Time; Saturday, Dec. 19, 5 p.m. Eastern time and 5 p.m. Pacific Time; and on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Check local public television listings for broadcast dates and times in your area.

“Christmas at Luther - Night of Glory, Dawn of Peace” is a dramatic production featuring the performances of more than 600 Luther student musicians. Vocal and instrumental ensembles and massed choirs present traditional holiday carols and sacred Christmas choral anthems, performing in one of the nation’s top college concert halls, the Luther Center for Faith and Life.

The concert included performances by Nordic Choir under the direction of Craig Arnold, Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Daniel Baldwin, Cantorei under the direction of Linda Martin, Christmas Brass and Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Frederick Nyline, Cathedral Choir and Aurora under the direction of Sandra Peter, Collegiate Chorale and Norsemen under the direction of Timothy Peter, Luther Ringers under the direction of Gregory Peterson, and the Christmas Flutes.

Organist is Gregory Peterson, and faculty accompanists included Du Huang and Xiao Hu, piano; Juan Tony Guzman, guitar; and Jacquelyn Venter Ridder, harp. Ann Sponberg Peterson is the narrator.

“Christmas at Luther’s” powerful and moving music is complemented by the magnificence of the Center for Faith and Life in its Christmas decoration and the choreography of the ensembles, including the stunningly beautiful candle-lighting hymn that slowly bathes the entire hall in the glow of hundreds of singers’ sequentially lighted candles. The spectacular visual power and majesty of Christmas at Luther is even more striking in 2008 through the high-definition television production of Twin Cities Public Television.

Luther College is a liberal arts college with a long and nationally recognized tradition of excellence in music education and performance. Each year, more than 6,500 people attend the Christmas at Luther performances on the Luther campus.

“Christmas at Luther - Night of Glory, Dawn of Peace” DVDs and CDs can be purchased on-line at http://music.luther.edu/recordings.

Luther College Homecoming concert Oct. 4

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:52:16 -0600

DECORAH, Iowa – Three Luther College music ensembles will present a Homecoming concert Sunday, Oct. 4, at 1:30 p.m. in the Center for Faith and Life on the Luther campus (http//www.luther.edu).

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

Performing ensembles include Concert Band, Nordic Choir and Symphony Orchestra.

The Luther College Concert Band is composed of 65 members. It was one of the nation’s first music organizations to tour nationally and internationally.

The band’s annual performance tours have taken the group coast-to-coast in the continental United States, twice to Hawaii, six times to Europe and three times to Japan and East Asia. Frederick Nyline, professor of music, conducts the band.

Concert Band will perform “Masquerade” by Vincent Pereschetti and “Humoresque on Swanee” by John Phillip Sousa, arranged by Keith Brion.

Nordic Choir, a 72-voice a cappella ensemble, is the flagship choral ensemble of Luther College. The choir features 72 mixed voices performing sacred choral works of a variety of periods and styles. Craig Arnold, professor of music, directs the choir.

Nordic Choir has made numerous national and international concert tours. The choir has also recorded extensively, releasing at least one CD each year.

One of the top college orchestras in the Midwest, the 85-member Symphony Orchestra tours yearly throughout the United States and maintains a three-week residency in Vienna, Austria every four years.

In addition to presenting regular concerts featuring the masterworks of orchestral literature, members of the orchestra perform with the Luther College choirs at the annual Christmas at Luther performance. Daniel Baldwin, associate professor of music, conducts the orchestra.

The Luther Orchestra will be performing “Billy the Kid ballet suite” by Aaron Copland and “Dance Episode ‘The Great Lover’ from ‘On the Town’” by Leonard Bernstein.

The event will also include the presentation of the Carlo A. Sperati Award, the Weston H. Noble Award and the Theodore Presser Scholarship.

Luther's Armstrong to perform instrumental recital Sept. 25

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:55:12 -0600

DECORAH, Iowa – Heather Armstrong, assistant professor of oboe at Luther College, will perform an instrumental recital on Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in Noble Recital Hall in the Jenson-Noble Hall on the Luther Campus (http://www.luther.edu).

The program titled “Oboe+2” is open to the public with no charge for admission.

The recital will feature the premier piece “Sticks and Stones” for oboe, flute and clarinet written for the Talus Trio by Luther professor Brooke Joyce. The Talus Trio is composed of Heather Armstrong, Michael Chesher, and Carol Hester.

The recital will also feature works by Madeline Dring, Charles Loeffler and Randall Thompson.

Also Accompanying Armstrong are Luther faculty members Du Huang and Spencer Martin.

Armstrong holds the bachelor’s degree in music from Houghton College, the master of music and the doctor of musical arts degree from the Eastman School of Music.

She began teaching at Luther in 2006, where she teaches oboe, theory, and double reed methods.

Armstrong plays with the Lacrosse and Waterloo-Cedar Falls symphonies. She was recently appointed as principal oboe in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony. She has also played principal oboe for the Southern Teir Symphony and has made appearances with the Erie and Binghampton Philharmonic Orchestras, the Cayuga and Rochester Chamber Orchestras, and a series of concerts with the Olean Chamber Music Society.

Armstrong was recently given an Ylvisaker grant from Luther College which helped to fund the Talus Trio. The trio performed in Appleton and Black River Falls, Wis. and Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Murasaki Duo to perform recital Oct. 10

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:42:35 -0600

DECORAH, Iowa – The Murasaki Duo, consisting Luther College faculty members Eric Kutz and Miko Kominami, will perform a recital on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. in Noble Recital Hall in the Jenson-Noble Music Hall on the Luther campus (http://www.luther.edu).

The program is open to the public with no charge for admission.
The recital will feature a piece recently premiered in Malibu “Peccavi Duo” by Maria Johnson and made possible by funding from of Guy Johnson of Decorah.

The recital also features works by Alberto Ginastera, Astor Piazzolla and Robert Schumann.

Also accompanying the duo are Luther faculty members Jubal Fulks and Spencer Martin.

Kutz, associate professor of music holds the bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in music from Rice University, the master of music and the doctor of musical arts degree from the Juilliard School.

Kutz began teaching at Luther in 2002, where he teaches cello.
During the summer Kutz performs with the Grant Park Symphony in Chicago. He has also played principal cello for the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Juilliard Orchestra. He has also made appearances at the Lincoln Center, the Tchaikovsky Institute and performed tours of Canada, England and Switzerland.

Kominami, adjunct faculty in music, holds the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in music from the Juilliard School.

She began teaching at Luther in 2002, where she teaches piano and music theory.

Kominami has been hailed as a “virtuosic and musicianly performer” by the New York Concert Review. She has toured North America, and played with both the Murasaki Duo and the Chester String Quartet. She has received numerous awards including a Canada Council of Arts grant and first prize at the Concert Soloists Competition in Philadelphia.

Luther's Kanakis to perform voice recital Sept. 13

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:53:12 -0600

DECORAH, Iowa – Karen Kanakis, assistant professor of music at Luther College, will perform a voice recital Sunday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in Luther’s Noble Recital Hall in the Jenson-Noble Music Hall (http://www.luther.edu).

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

The recital will feature works of J.S Bach, Enrique Granados, Miguel Sandoval, Giuseppe Verdi, Pauline Viardot, and Alexander Zemlinsky.

Accompanying Kanakis will be Luther faculty members Jubal Fulks, Eric Kutz, Spencer Martin, Jessica Paul, Gabriel Shuford, Richard Tirk and Luther senior Eric Malmquist.

Kanakis holds the bachelor’s degree in music cum laude from Missouri State University, the master of music degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and the doctor of musical arts degree in voice performance from University of North Texas.

She began teaching at Luther in 2004, where she teaches voice and opera.

In addition to appearances with the “Lucia di Lammermoor”, “La Traviata” and “Le Nozze di Figaro,” she has also taught at Missouri Southern State University and Texas Women’s University. She has held teaching fellowships at Stephen F. Austin University and the University of North Texas.

Kanakis was named one of six “Young Leaders” across the nation by the National Association of Singers of Teaching in 2008.

Luther College announces sale on ensemble recordings

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:09:59 -0600

DECORAH, Iowa – Luther College Music Department is holding a sale of several Luther College recordings on CD.

The CDs now on sale include Nordic Choir’s “Everlasting Light,” “I Will Sing to the Lord” and “I Sing as I Arise Today” and Symphony Orchestra’s “Luther College Symphony Orchestra.” Each CD is $12, including shipping and handling.

The “Christmas at Luther 2005” DVD is also on sale. The cost of the DVD is $15, including shipping and handling.

A complete listing of each CD’s tracks and online ordering information is available at the Luther College Music Recordings website, http://music.luther.edu/recordings. Recordings can also be purchased through the Luther Book Shop, (888) 521-5039.

Luther College is home to one of the largest collegiate music programs in the world with seven choirs, three orchestras, three bands, two jazz bands and nearly 1,000 student musicians. The college’s touring ensembles perform around the world and have won praise for their excellence.

Concert Band to perform Showcase concert May 23

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:42:51 -0600

Concert Band will perform Saturday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m. in the Center for Faith and Life, following the Commencement ceremonies.

The concert, a prelude to the ensemble’s fifth tour of Japan and China May 27- June 9, is open to the public with no charge for admission.

The Concert Band will perform selections including “Zampa” by L. J. Ferdinand Hérold, arranged by Van der Beek; “Shenandoah” by Randal Alan Bass; “Little Fantasy on an American Hymn” by David Holsinger, with Luther freshman Teresa Procter as vocal soloist; “The Restless Soul” by Daisuke Ehara; “Streets of Honor March” by Daniel Kallman; “A Weekend in New York” by Philip Sparke; “Dances from The Oprichnik” by P. I. Tschaikovsky, arranged by John Bourgeois; “Silhouette” by Roger Cichy, with Rachel Haug as flute soloist; “Roma Sacra” by Luigi Zaninelli; “Night and Day” by Cole Porter, arranged by Daniel Raney ’92, with Procter as vocal soloist; selections from “Hello Dolly” by Jerry Herman, arranged by John Cacavas and Daniel Raney, with Luther senior Adam Erdmann and Procter as vocal soloists; and “Divertimento” by Leonard Bernstein, arranged by Clare Grundman.

Conducted by Frederick Nyline, professor of music at Luther, the Luther College Concert Band is one of the oldest touring organizations in the nation. In the past 125-plus years of existence, the Luther College Concert Band has performed all around the world including such venues as Avery Fisher Hall, the Lincoln Center; the Tivoli Garden, Copenhagen; and the Bergen International Festival, Bergen, Norway. Concert band also performed in Japan in 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2005. In May 2009, concert band will conduct its fifth tour to Japan.

Nyline conducts the Luther College Concert Band, Varsity Band and the Wind and Percussion Ensemble. He also teaches advanced instrumental conducting.

Luther music ensembles to perform Brahms' "A German Requiem"

Tue, 05 May 2009 14:10:38 -0600

The Luther College Cathedral Choir, Collegiate Chorale, Nordic Choir and Symphony Orchestra will perform Johannes Brahms’ “A German Requiem” in concert on Friday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Hall of the Center for Faith and Life.

Tickets to the performance are free for Luther students, faculty and staff; $15 for adults and $8 for students.   For complete ticket information, telephone the Luther College Box Office, (563) 387-1357, open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; extended hours Thursdays; open until 7 p.m.

The concert will be conducted by Daniel Baldwin, Luther professor of music and conductor of the Symphony Orchestra.

Brahms’ “A German Requiem”, most of which was composed between 1865 and 1866, is among the best known and most frequently performed choral-orchestral works.

Brahms assembled the libretto for the “Requiem”, taking verses from 11 different Biblical and Apocryphal books. Four of seven movements are based on scriptural texts which are organized according to a distinctive structure or pattern: a statement of misery, affliction or sadness is followed by uplifting and comforting words. The oratorio’s other three movements express joy in the contemplation of heaven and hope and comfort for the living and dead.

The Symphony Orchestra consists of 79 student musicians representing a variety of academic majors.

Nordic Choir, the 72-voice flagship choral ensemble of Luther College, is conducted by Craig Arnold, Luther professor of music.

Cathedral Choir, composed of 90 singers from the college’s sophomore class, is conducted by Sandra Peter, Luther assistant professor of music.

Collegiate Chorale, featuring 85 mixed voices of select junior and senior singers, is conducted by Timothy Peter, Luther professor of music.

Opera students to present Strauss's 'Die Fledermaus' May 8-9

Mon, 04 May 2009 09:19:08 -0600

Luther College’s students of the spring semester opera performance class will present two performances of Strauss’s Die Fledermaus Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, 7:30 p.m. in the Main Hall of the Center for Faith and Life. Tickets are $10. For complete ticket information, telephone the Luther College Box Office, (563) 387-1357, open Monday-Friday, 9-10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; extended hours Thursdays: open until 7 p.m.

Die Fledermaus (The Bat) is a Viennese operetta in three acts composed by the “Waltz King” Johann Strauss. This charming comedy, which takes place in Vienna 1850, is full of deception, lust, laughter and champagne!
Gabriel von Eisenstein is due to serve a prison sentence. While preparing for his leave, he is paid a visit by Dr. Falke, who convinces Eisenstein to delay his sentence. Instead, the two men will spend the evening at Prince Orlofsky’s masked ball. Falsely announcing his departure for jail, Eisenstein says a teary-eyed farewell to his wife Rosalinda and their chambermaid, Adele.

While Orlofsky’s guests are enjoying themselves at the party, Dr. Falke’s prank begins to unfold. He is seeking revenge against Eisenstein, who once left him stranded in a bat costume.

While Falke entertains the prince with his domestic comedy “The Revenge of the Bat,” Rosalinda, disguised as a Hungarian countess, sets out to test her husband’s faithfulness.

The production is directed by David Judisch, Luther professor of music, and will be sung in English.

    The cast of the Friday production of “Die Fledermaus” includes: Rachel Barkel, Ryan Deignan, Brett Epperson, Brent Gerike, Henry Hammond, Beth Jeddeloh, Lindsey Johnson, Matt Myers, Steve Rosas, Dave Schmitt and Jenny Ward.

    The cast of the Saturday production of “Die Fledermaus” includes: Tyler Best, Gary Danciu, Rachel Grippen, Henry Hammond, Drew Hillertz, Mandy Inhofer, Laura Krumm, Matt Myers, Emily Moore, Zach Owen and Matt Tschimperle.

Jonathon Struve and Jessica Paul to perform baritone and piano recital May 9

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:47:04 -0600

Jonathon Struve, baritone, and Jessica Paul, piano, will present a faculty recital Saturday, May 9 at noon in the Noble Recital Hall.

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

The program will feature 20th century British art songs, including four folksong arrangements by Benjamin Britten, various selections by Roger Quilter, and Arthur Somervell’s song cycle “A Shropshire Lad,” with poetry by A.E. Housman.

Struve is currently serving as alumni guest lecturer in voice at Luther. He graduated summa cum laude from Luther in 2002. Struve holds the master’s degree in vocal performance from Northwestern University and is pursing a doctoral degree in vocal literature from the University of Iowa.

Struve has appeared in opera and in recital at the University of Iowa and Northwestern University, most recently as Stephano in the University of Iowa’s production of Donizetti’s “Viva la Mama” in May 2008.

A proponent of new music, Struve has taken an active role in premiering pieces by graduate composition students at the Center for New Music at the University of Iowa. Two pieces were chosen to be performed at the Midwest Composer’s Symposium 2007 and 2008.

Paul, an associate professor of music at Luther, holds the bachelor of music degree in piano performance from Northwestern University. She earned the master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees in vocal coaching and accompanying at the University of Illinois.

Paul is frequently engaged as a collaborative pianist and guest clinician, and she has worked with such opera companies as the Pittsburgh Opera Theatre, Opera Theatre of Illinois, National Opera Company, Cleveland Opera Theatre, Virginia Opera Association, Lake George Opera Festival, Cedar Rapids Opera, and Pine Mountain Music Festival.

She is the former principal conductor and artistic director of the Dorian Opera Theatre. At Luther she serves as a vocal coach, collaborative pianist, and teacher of accompanying.

Strauss and Strauss to perform piano and violin recital May 2

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:41:33 -0600

John Strauss, piano, and Virginia Strauss, violin, will present a faculty recital Saturday, May 2 at 4 p.m. in the Noble Recital Hall.

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

The program will feature Trio in A Major, B. 448 by Ignaz Josef Pleyel, with Luther faculty member Eric Kutz, violoncello. This work is the most recent of a series of trios that the couple has researched, edited and computer-engraved for publication by Doblinger Verlag in Vienna, Austria, where Pleyel is a well-known composer.

The performance continues with Sonata in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2 by Beethoven and concludes with Sonata in A minor, Op. 105 by Robert Schumann.

J. Strauss is chairman and professor of music at Luther where has taught since 1975. Born and raised in New York, Strauss studied with Morton Estrin and Charles Rosen (both second-generation Liszt pupils) as well as with Joseph Schwartz and Paul Badura-Skoda.

He holds a degree in English from Oberlin College and the doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Texas-Austin.

J. Strauss has made numerous public radio and television broadcasts and has toured throughout the United States with the Oneota Chamber Players. His articles have appeared in such music periodicals as Clavier, The Musical Quarterly and Chamber Music America.

V. Strauss has taught violin and chamber music at Luther since 1975. Her teachers have included David Schneider, Paul Zukofsky and Leonard Posner, former concert master of the MBC Radio Symphony Orchestra under Toscanini.

V. Strauss in an active recitalist and a founding member of the Oneota Chamber Players, an ensemble which is heard on public radio and television, as well as in live performances throughout the United States. She performs as concertmaster of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.

The couple are coeditors of over a dozen works by Johann Baptist Vanhal, Georg Friedrich Fuchs and Johann Nepomuk Hummel for publishers Doblinger and H. Anderle (Vienna, Austria), and of the complete chamber music of Walter Rabl for A-R Editions (U.S.A.).

Karen Kanakis to give faculty recital May 2

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:33:45 -0600

Karen Kanakis, Luther College assistant professor of music, will present a faculty recital Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. in the Noble Recital Hall.

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

The recital will feature the music of Bach, Enrique Granados, Miguel Sandoval, Pauline Viardot, Giuseppe Verdi and Alexander Zemlinsky.

Luther music faculty members Eric Kutz, Jubal Fulks, Kathryn Reed-Maxfield, Spencer Martin, Richard Tirk and Jessica Paul, and Luther senior Erik Malmquist will perform on the recital.

Kanakis has performed many major roles in her wide-ranging repertoire, including the title roles in “Lucia di Lammermoor” and “La Traviata.”

Active in concert and oratorio, Kanakis has been a featured soloist with symphony organizations performing Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” Handel’s “Messiah,” Mozart’s “Exsultate jubilate,” Haydn’s “Die Schöpfung,” Brahm’s “Ein Deutches Requiem,” Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” and the Verdi “Requiem.” In June 2008 she made her Carnegie Hall debut in the Weill Recital Hall in a program of performing duos from the Luther music faculty.

A regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Kanakis has performed as an Apprentice Artist with both the Des Moines Metro Opera and the Utah Festival Opera Company.

She holds the bachelor of music cum laude from Missouri State University and the master of music from Stephen F. Austin State University. A Rotary International Graduate Scholar, Kanakis also studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Westfalen-Lippe in Detmold, Germany. She went on to the University of North Texas, winning the Concerto/Aria competition, and earned the doctor of musical arts degree in voice and opera.

Prior to joining the Luther faculty, Kanakis taught on the faculties of Missouri Southern State University and Texas Women’s University. She also held teaching fellowships at Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of North Texas. In 2008 she was named one of six “Young Leaders” across the country by the National Association of Singers of Teaching.

Norsemen and Aurora to perform spring concert May 1

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:22:26 -0600

Norsemen and Aurora, will present a spring concert Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for Faith and Life.

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

Norsemen will perform works by Boyd Bacon, Franz Biebl, Eugene Butler, Jester Hairston, Allister McGillivray and Harold Moyer.

Aurora will perform works by Maurice Duruflé, Ola Gjeilo, Daniel Hall, Kinley Lange, Libby Larsen, Otmar Machá, Steven Paulus, and arrangements by Nancy Grundahl and Moses Hogan.

Norsemen and Aurora will combine to perform works by Keith Hampton and Randall Thompson.

Gregory Peterson, assistant professor of music, will perform as a collaborative artist on the organ and Jessica Paul, associate professor of music, will perform as a collaborative artist on piano.

Area students in Norsemen and Aurora include Kelsey Klimesh (Calmar), Abigail Nance (Cresco), Ben Gardner, Jordan Humpal, and Teresa Procter (Decorah), Abby Kriener (Fort Atkinson), and Sarah Bieber (Waukon).

Sandra Peter is an assistant professor of music at Luther, where she directs Cathedral Choir (90 sophomores, mixed voices) and Aurora (98 first-year women). She also teaches introductory and advanced choral conducting.

S. Peter recently led All-State choirs in Minnesota, Colorado, North and South Dakota, honor choirs in New York, Virginia, Wisconsin and Illinois, and a choral/orchestral performance in Carnegie Hall. Upcoming engagements include the Concert Choir of the 2009 Lutheran Summer Music Academy and the 2010 High School Women’s Honor Choir of the Northwest Division of the American Choral Directors Association.

S. Peter holds degrees from Concordia College, the University of Arizona and the University of Iowa.

Timothy Peter, head of the music department and professor of music at Luther, conducts the Collegiate Chorale (90 juniors and seniors, mixed voices) and the Norsemen (98 first-year men).

He has conducted All-State choirs and festivals in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin, and abroad in Germany; Namibia, Africa; Oman, Middle-East; South Africa and South Korea.

T. Peter holds degrees from Luther College and the University of Arizona.

The Peters live in Decorah with their two teenage sons, Andrew and Michael.

Jazz Band to perform in concert April 28

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:35:42 -0600

The Luther College Jazz Band under the direction of Tom Bourcier will perform in concert Tuesday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.

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

The Jazz Band will perform “The Heat’s On” by Count Basie Band arranger Sammy Nestico, as well as Dizzy Gillespie’s classic, “A Night in Tunisia.” Rounding out the first half of the concert are Quincy Jones’ “The Witching Hour,” and a vocal arrangement of “Deed I Do,” made popular by Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Band.

The intermission portion of the program will feature music performed by the Luther College Jazz Quintet, a new ensemble created by Bourcier to highlight exceptional student jazz musicians and emphasize faculty/student collaboration in live performance.

Contemporary big band arrangements close the program with compositions by Herbie Hancock, Alan Brandt, Jeff Jarvis and an epic Bob Curnow arrangement of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays’ perennial hit, “The First Circle.”

Bourcier is an instructor of music at Luther, where he teaches improvisation, directs the Jazz Band, and serves as a composer and accompanist for the Luther theatre/dance department.

He has performed across the United States, Europe and the Caribbean in varying musical genres including jazz, classical, rock, folk and blues, avant-garde and improvisational. He is currently a member of the Bourcier, Julin and Wolff trio, performing original compositions in jazz, tango, and folk and blues styles.

Varsity Band and Wind and Percussion Ensemble to present concert April 22

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:21:42 -0600

The Luther College Varsity Band and Wind and Percussion Ensemble will perform a joint concert Wednesday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Center for Faith.

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

The Varsity Band and Wind and Percussion Ensemble are conducted by Frederick Nyline.

The band will perform “Fall River Overture” by Robert Sheldon, “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” by Elliot DelBorgo, “Air Force One” by Jerry Goldsmith and “Drive” by Thomas Bourgault.

The ensemble will perform “Spirit of the Pioneers” by James Curnow, “Chester” by William Schuman, “Chester Leaps In” by Steven Bryant, “National Emblem March” by E. E. Bagley and “A Bernstein Tribute” by Clare Grundman, conducted by student director Robbie Coe.

The Varsity Band, with approximately 100 student performers, appears at a variety of events throughout the year including chapel services, family weekend events and the Dorian Band Festival and its own formal concert each semester.

The Wind and Percussion Ensemble, with approximately 50 student performers, also performs during family weekend, Dorian Band Festival and performs its own full concert each semester.

Nyline, professor of music at Luther, teaches advanced instrumental conducting. Before joining the Luther faculty in 1973, Nyline served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota as associate director of bands and director of the University Men’s Chorus.

He has been a guest faculty member at the University of Illinois, and director of bands in the Austin, Minn., school system. He has served as guest conductor for the Musashino Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble in Tokyo Japan five times for three months at a time during the past 14 years.