Recitals 4 You

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Out of the Gate

Monroe Symphony Orchestra

September 13, 2025, at 7:00 pm

John Mason Hodges, Conductor

Hotel Monroe, Louisiana

PROGRAM

Brandenburg Concert No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049... JS Bach

Allegro

Andante

Presto (Gavotte)

Horn Concerto No. 2 in E flat Major, K. 417... WA Mozart

Rondo

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Faculty Showcase Recital

September 9, 2025, at 7:30 pm

Magale Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

PROGRAM included:

Invocation for Cello Solo ... Mel Powel (1923-1998)

Paul Christopher, cello

Passacaglia ... G. Handel & J. Halvorsen (1685-1759)

Andrej Kurti, violin & Sofia Tchetchelashvili, viola

Duo for Violoncello & Double Bass in D Major ... G. Rossini (1792-1868)

II. Andante molto

Paul Christopher, cello & Karla Gonzalez Bueno, double bass

Sunday, September 7, 2025

Flute Guest Artist Recital and Master Class

Dr. Elizabeth McNutt

Monday, September 8, 2025, at 7:30 pm

Magale Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

PROGRAM

Cassandra’s Dream Song (1970) ... Brian Ferneyhough (b. 1943)

Sintra (1969) ... Ursula Mamlok (1923-2016)

I. With Intensity

II. Very fast

III. Calmly

Vidimus Stellam (2020) ... Sungji Hong (b. 1973)

Enchanted Preludes (1988) ... Elliott Carter (1908-2012)

Nidi (1979) ... Franco Donatoni (1927-2000)

II.

PROGRAM NOTES:

The score of Cassandra’s Dream Song is constructed of two sheets of music: the lines of the first are to be played in sequential order with the lines of the second inserted, in any order, between them. Thus, the choices of the performer are integral to the form of the piece. The notation of the score is extremely dense and difficult to realize, especially as Ferneyhough asks for a great variety of timbres (many of which occur simultaneously). Some of the instructions given are contradictory, which is intended to yield unpredictable results. According to Ferneyhough's notes to the score, a “beautiful" performance is not the goal: the difficulties of this music should not be concealed by compromises or inexactitudes. Instead, a successful performance is one that rigorously attempts to reproduce as many of the details as possible, maximizing the various levels of intensity. By trying to realize the score accurately, certain "divergencies and impurities" will occur which are essential to the work.

According to Ursula Mamlock's publisher,Sintra is a typical Mamlok work. In this three movement composition, slow-fast-slow, the alto flute has fast cadenza-like passages, while the cello writing alternates between arco, pizzicato and snap pizzicato, with both instruments sharing unusual trills and vibrati. The dynamics are extreme and constantly shift. This piece also demonstrates her interest in palindromes, which she shared with many serial composers.

Vidimus Stellam for solo flute was commissioned by the National Flute Association to be performed by the semi-finalists at the Young Artist Competition. The Latin title translates to "We have seen His star" and pertains to the Biblical account of the star hovering above the birthplace of Christ. I wanted to create a sound that imitates the effect of a rapidly flickering star in the night sky; the way the starlight intensifies and changes its brightness in complex patterns. I explored this natural phenomenon with everchanging musical gestures of soft microtonal glissandi and pitch bends, and also in dynamic sections with jet whistles, harmonic sweeps, and harmonic climbings. It is dedicated to Elizabeth McNutt, experimental flutist and friend, who has been an inspiration for the piece. -S.H.

Enchanted Preludes is a birthday present for Ann Santen, commissioned by her husband, Harry, and composed in gratitude for their enthusiastic and deeply caring support of American music. It is a duet for flute and cello in which the two instruments combine their different characters and musical materials into statements of varying moods. The title comes from a poem of Wallace Stevens: The Pure Good of Theory, “All the Preludes to Felicity,” stanza no.7:

Felicity, ah! Time is the hooded enemy,

The inimical music, the enchanted space

In which the enchanted preludes have their place. — E.C.

Nidi centers around the same three pitches, and is characterized by small notes, mordents, trills, excessively contrasted dynamics, and extreme registral writing. In the second movement, Donatoni also explores the timbral possibilities of piccolo by including multiphonics and unusual tremolos.

Dr. Elizabeth McNutt, flutist

NSULA All-State Clinics

September 5, 2025, at 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Middle School All-State Clinics

Magale Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Recruiting at Natchitoches Central High School

Recruiting for Low Strings

Natchitoches Central High School

Lincoln Hall, Orchestra Director & Alum

September 2, 2025, at 7:45 am

Friday, August 29, 2025

NSULA All-State Clinics

High School All-State Clinics

Saturday, August 30, 2025, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Magale Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

PROGRAM for the NSU Faculty Concert at 11:00 am:

Duo in D major ... Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

II. Andante molto

Paul Christopher, cello and Karla Gonzalez Bueno, double bass

Cello sectionals with Mr. Christopher and Maira Avellaneda, graduate assistant

Monday, August 25, 2025

Ken Green Memorial Service

August 23, 2025, at 2:00 pm

Magale Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

Order of Service

Welcome and Opening Remarks ... Oliver Molina

Reflection ... Bill Brent

Eulogy Reading ... Kenny Green

The Downfall of Paris ... Traditional

Connecticut Halftime ... Traditional

NSULA Percussion Ensemble and Piccolos

Reflection ... Oliver Molina

Slideshow of Ken's photos through the years

Ken Green Percussion Endowed Scholarship ... Scott Burrell

Time to Share Your Favorite Memory

Ken Green Video

Closing ... Oliver Molina

About Kenneth H. Green:

Kenneth H. Green (May 26, 1961 - July 4, 2025) was a passionate and influential figure in music education, distinguished both as a performer and as a dedicated teacher. Born into a musical family in West Point, New York - his father being a longtime drummer in the United States Military Academy's Hellcats - Ken's passion for rudimental drumming was evident from a young age.

He honed his craft under the guidance of luminaries such as Nick Attanasio and John S. Pratt and played with various fife and drum corps across the Hudson Valley. Ken earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, where he studied with Jim Petercsak, and later received his master's degree from the University of Kansas.

Joining the faculty of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, in 1993, Ken devoted twenty-nine years to his roles as Associate Director of Bands and Professor of Percussion. During his tenure, he shaped countless students through his exceptional musicianship, unwavering dedication, and passion for percussion education. Throughout his career, Ken was not only a beloved educator but also a performer, arranger, clinician, adjudicator, and timpanist for the Rapides Symphony Orchestra in Alexandria, Louisiana.