On May 15, faculty and staff members, along with their guests, gathered at the Memorial Union Ballroom for an awards dinner recognizing 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service to Michigan Tech.

Associate Professor of Theatre Debra Bruch was recognized for 25 years of service.

Emeritus Professor of Art Mary Ann Beckwith was recognized for 40 years of service.

Read more at Tech Today.

Watch a video of the Concert Choir in Bosnia. (Video courtesy of Debra Bruch.)

http://youtu.be/ronSQKuy02Q

T.V. coverage of Monday’s choir concert (MICHIGAN TECH CONCERT CHOIR – KONCERT U SABORNOM HRAMU U TREBINJU 13. MAJA 2013.) includes a playlist of choral segments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJvkC7IRTQ4&list=PLv_lK26dTMP5ZRcxdjnt7Q-9K94RLUGbQ

Fall 2012 3.99-3.50
Borel, Corinne P JR SEMP
Guess, Austin B JR SFET
Koch, Anthony K FR SFSD
McCloskey, Luke T FR SFSD
Nellis, Daniel S FR SFAT
Putzig, Renata M SR SFAT
Rocco, Jacqueline M JR SFET
Scott, Jason A SO SFET
Stack, Victoria M SO SFSD
Trevino, Christopher A SR SFSD
Villa, Andrew B JR SFSD

Research Excellence Fund Awards Announced

The vice president for research is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Research Excellence Fund Awards, and would like to thank all of the review committee members for participating in this important internal award process.

In the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, Kalen Larson received a Scholarship and Creativity Grant.

Read more at Tech Today.

2012-13 Concert Season finishes with “Springtime Voices”

The first half of the concert will feature the Chamber Choir, “conScience,” a 12-member, student-only, auditioned ensemble, and focuses on what director Jared Anderson calls “Aspects of Imagination.”
The chamber choir’s selections will include the six chansons of Paul Hindemith, “staples of the chamber choir repertoire,” according to Anderson.

The second part of the concert will feature the Concert Choir, an 85-member group split about equally between students and community members, and will feature “a real eclectic mix” of songs. The first set is a “mystical kind of set,” including “Lion of the Heart,” another setting of a Rumi text composed by J. David Moore, as well as a piece called “Past Life Melodies” by Australian composer Sarah Hawkins.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Nick Blecha.

Welcome Spring with “Springtime Voices” at the Rozsa!

According to Jared Anderson, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at Michigan Tech, “…the concert will include both sacred and secular music from peoples and places around the globe–with a mix of traditional classical standards to more contemporary music for the stage and concert hall.”

From Tech Today.

Program Dates: May 28 – June 21, 2013

The application deadline for the 2013 program is MAY 1st.

Learn more about A Beautiful Intensive.

CELEBRATE ‘TRADITION’ WITH THE BELOVED BROADWAY MUSICAL “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF”

The Tech Theatre Company and Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra present one of the most-loved Broadway musicals of all time, “Fiddler on the Roof,” this Thursday, April 18th through Saturday, April 20th, at 7:30 PM, in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan Technological University. “Fiddler on the Roof,” is a timeless tale of a father trying to maintain traditions at odds with modern culture. “Fiddler” features music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on “Tevye and his Daughters “(or “Tevye the Milkman and Other Tales”) by Sholem Aleichem. The story centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his family and Jewish religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives.

According to Director Roger Held, “Economic depression, threats of war, ethnic hatred and violence grab at Tevye’s shirt sleeve as he makes his way through the world caring for his family and horse, seeing his children married well, and dreaming of a better life. Tevye is “every man,” every one of us who share hope, joy, and heartache.” Local radio personality Mark Wilcox makes his Tech Theatre Company debut in the lead role of Tevye. The original Broadway production of the show, which opened in 1964, had the first musical theatre run in history to surpass 3,000 performances.

By Bethany Jones.

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ at the Rozsa Center

To put it simply, “Fiddler” tells the story of Tevye, who, in order to make his five daughters happy, foregoes tradition and allows them to marry the men they choose, with unforeseen consequences. On top of this, Tevye must also deal with antisemitic threats.

Director Roger Held said “Fiddler on the Roof” is a show that’s been talked about being performed in this area for a while but hadn’t had the opportunity to get it off the ground until now.

Read more at Mining Gazette, by Scott Viau.

“Fiddler on the Roof”
Classical musical to be performed on the Rozsa stage next week

Renowned as one of the world’s favorite musicals, “Fiddler on the Roof” brings to life a story about the goodness and oddness that life has to offer.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Travis Pellosma.

From Tech Today.

Symphony and Concert Band Present a Concert Inspired by Water!

Is water important in your life? This Friday, April 5, at 7:30 PM, The Michigan Tech Superior Wind Symphony and Campus Concert Band will present, “An Homage to Water,” at the Rozsa Center. The concert will be directed by Mike Christianson and the SWS will perform original works inspired by: oceans, ice, rain, rivers, glaciers, ships and sailors, by great composers such as George Friederich Handel, Clare Grundman, John Mackey, George Gershwin, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Robert Russell Bennett.

Tickets are $12.75 for adults, and free for Michigan Tech Students. To purchase tickets, call 7-2073, go online at http://www.rozsa.mtu.edu , or visit Ticketing Operations at Michigan Tech’s Student Development Complex. SDC box office hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Please note the Rozsa Box Office is closed during regular business hours, and will only open two hours prior to show times.

From Tech Today.

Superior Wind Symphony to welcome pianist Cameron Kardel, Campus Concert Band and Sax Quartet for final concert of the season.

On Friday, April 5, the MTU Superior Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Mike Christianson, will present their final concert of the season. The concert is entitled: “An Homage to Water”, and almost all of the music has been composed in tribute to water, and what happens in and around it. The Concert is at 7:30PM at the Rozsa Center for Performing Arts, Houghton, MI. The admission is $12.75 but is free for Tech students.

The program will consist of:

Campus Concert Band
William Latham: Brighton Beach
Clare Grundman: Fantasy on American Sailing Songs
Frank Ticheli: Shenandoah
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Sea Songs
John Mackey: Undertow

Sax Quartet
John Mackey: Strange Humors

Superior Wind Symphony
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Cameron Kardel, Piano solo
George Frederick Handel: Water Music Suite
Robert Russell Bennett: The S.S. Eagle March

Cameron Kardel is a senior Chemical Engineering major at Michigan Technological University.

The Superior Wind Symphony is the premier wind band at Michigan Technological University. It is an auditioned ensemble that performs multiple concerts and tours yearly.

Campus Concert Band is a non-auditioned ensemble that meets and performs in the spring.

The Saxophone Quartet is: Randall Bufanda, Matt Kiekinveld, Claire Allison, and Danielle Terry, with special guest Matthew Jones on percussion.

From Mike Christianson.

Elaine Bromka. Photo by John Puric.

The Visual and Performing Arts Department and the Visiting Women & Minority Lecture Series host Emmy Award – Winning Elaine Bromka. Ms. Bromka will visit classes in the Visual and Performing Arts Department and will offer a a monologue development workshop, and a free public performance of her play, Tea for Three followed by a talk-back session. All are invited to these events. Sponsored by the Visiting Women & Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series, which is funded by the President’s Office and a grant to the Office of Institutional Diversity for the State of Michigan King-Chavez-Parks Initiative.

Ms. Bromka will discuss, among many topics, the entrepreneurship necessary to self-produce her production for Off-Broadway.

The monologue workshop will be Wednesday, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, at McArdle Theatre. Attendees should bring a memorized monologue.