4/11/24

By Kristin Pisano

HAYS, Kan. - FHSU’s Department of Music and Theatre will present its sixth-annual FHSU New Music Festival on Friday and Saturday, April 26-27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center. Complimentary tickets will be available in the lobby 30 minutes before each concert or in advance at the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Friday evening concert will feature the music of current FHSU composition majors and the works of FHSU alumni with degrees in music composition from FHSU. Some works included in the program are “Imposter Syndrome” for woodwind quintet by alumnus Nathan Northrop, “Violin Fantasia” for violin and piano by Timothy Rolls, and “Electronic Bird Set” by student Garrett Cole. The concert will be performed by music students, faculty, and the Fort Hays Singers under the direction of Dr. Terry Crull.

The Saturday concert will present an evening of the music of Andrew M. Rodriguez. The musical language of Rodriguez is both raw and dramatically expressive. His music combines a personal history and love of indie rock with a traditional education in composition and is often expanded upon with live electronics.

As part of the New Music Festival, under the direction of Dr. Kristin Pisano, Rodriguez will give a lecture entitled “Thoughts on a Contemporary Career in Music” on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Malloy Hall, room 115, on the FHSU campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The evening performance on Saturday will feature the world premiere of Rodriguez’s “Melt Cycles” for flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, percussion, piano, violin and cello. This work was commissioned by the FHSU New Music Ensemble, an ensemble of FHSU music faculty who share a passion for the music of living composers.

The annual FHSU New Music Festival aims to engage, educate, and inform the community about new music.

 “It’s very exciting that Andrew Rodriguez will serve as composer in residence for the 2024 festival, and we eagerly anticipate the world premiere of ‘Melt Cycles,’” Pisano said. “Both concerts are filled with exciting, diverse, and beautiful music.”

Performers at this concert are Brian Buckstead, violin; Ben Cline, cello; Gustavo do Carmo, piano; Hilary Shepard, flute; Kristin Pisano, clarinet; Mark Northup, alto saxophone; and Ryan Pearson, percussion.