Category: Music

“Ana’s Angels” Benefit and “Challenge Donation” Combine at the Rozsa Family Christmas Celebration

The goal is to get 1,000 people to the Rozsa Center next Friday, Dec. 21, in support of the Olsson family, for a very special community Christmas celebration and benefit.

The Youth Dance Program (YDP) and the Rozsa Center present a family holiday event and Ana Olsson Benefit.

Evening highlights include an original presentation of “The Night Before Christmas” by the students of the YDP along with select members of the Dance Team and Cheer Team, followed by a screening of the Walt Disney Studio’s 1983 film, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” in the Rozsa theater, and an Ana Olsson Benefit Bake Sale and Silent Auction in the Lobby, from 7 to 10 p.m. The dance and movie will begin at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $8.

Read more at Tech Today, by Bethany Jones.

“A CHORAL MOSAIC” AT THE ROZSA

The first half of the concert features conScience: Michigan Tech Chamber Singers performing for the first time in the Rozsa Center. They will perform the music of Paul Hindemith as well as settings of folk tunes from Poland, Finland, and Estonia.

According to Jared Anderson, D.M.A., Michigan Tech.’s Director of Choral Activities, “This concert will be the first time that the newly formed group, conScience: Michigan Tech Chamber Singers has performed in the Rozsa Theatre.”

Read more at ABC10, by Burns.

“A Choral Mosaic” at the Rozsa this Saturday

This will be a beautiful performance by the Tech Concert Choir and conScience: Michigan Tech Chamber Singers, performing a special concert that includes the repertoire that will be performed in May on tour to Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia.

Read more at Tech Today, by Bethany Jones.

Christmas often brings families together, and father-son duo Milt and PJ Olsson have combined their varying musical talents to release a Christmas album, “Joy.”

Four years in the making, “Joy” unites the classical arrangements of Milt – the former Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra director – with the Grammy-nominated engineering and production skills of PJ. The result is a modern take on classic holiday favorites.

The album includes music sung by the Michigan Tech Concert Choir in 2006 with rhythm added to it.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Zach Kukkonen.

“Joy! Holiday Sounds with a Twist”

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Corey Saari.

As the world’s best selling string quartet, HSQ plays classically influenced arrangements of Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, Nirvana, and more. Wireless Magazine says: “One listen will change the way you hear both classical and pop music.”

The HSQ will be the featured guest artist for the 2nd Keweenaw Honors String Festival, with high school string players from Houghton, Negaunee, Marquette, and Escanaba joining the string quartet and KSO in clinics, masterclasses, rehearsals, and the closing concert. The public is invited to the following events during the Festival (all on the Rozsa stage):

*4-6 p.m. Masterclass with HSQ and student musicians (Friday, Dec. 7)

*1-2 p.m. Q&A with HSQ (Saturday, Dec. 8)

*7:30-9:30 p.m. KSO/HSQ/Festival Combined Concert (Saturday, Dec. 8)

Read more at Tech Today.

Hampton String Quartet and KSO at Rozsa

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Alex Saari.

Rock and classical music collide
HSQ joining forces with KSO, high school musicians

The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra will open Saturday night’s concert with a performance of a pair of the movements of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” as well as a world premiere by composer Elizabeth Meyer. HSQ will then take the stage and perform a variety of rock classics from Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Zach Kukkonen.

Hampton String Quartet Rocks the Rozsa
Saturday night, local string players were honored to perform with the Hampton Rock String Quartet

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

See the Rozsa stage transformed into an intimate jazz-club atmosphere for the Jazz Showcase: Backstage at the Rozsa. The Rozsa stage will become a jazz lounge with cocktail tables and cash bar, and of course hot jazz provided by two Michigan Tech jazz ensembles: the Jazz Lab Band and the Research and Development Big Band, with special guest performances both nights by Mike Christianson, the new Michigan Tech Director of Bands.

Read more at Tech Today, by Bethany Jones.

Backstage at the Rozsa: Jazz Showcase

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Alex Saari.

Campus Jazz Band takes the Rozsa

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

With the combined talent of over 60 musicians, the musical director says the goal of “From Russia with Love” is to tell a story.

“‘Sleeping Beauty,’ ‘Antar Symphony,’ the Shostakovich Symphony, the fascinating history of the mockery of the Stalin regime through a symphony. It’s a compelling program and a compelling educational program and its musical merit is very compelling,” Neves said.

The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra performances:

Norway-Vulcan Performing Arts Center Thursday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets $10 and $5 for students

Marquette’s Kaufman Auditorium Saturday, October 27 at 7 p.m.
Tickets $12 for adults and $5 for students

Escanaba’s William Oliver Auditorium Sunday, October 28 at 2 p.m.
Tickets $10 adults $5 for students

Read more at Upper Michigans Source, by Gabrielle Mays.

A day to celebrate the Keweenaw

This year, students were greeted by crowd favorite tunes by the Michigan Tech Pep Band, and a rock band eventually took the stage to pump out popular music from the last decade.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Stacey Kukkonen.

Interspersed throughout the season are also numerous local classical music concerts, with multiple concerts by the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra, which will also perform with the Hampton [Rock] String Quartet. Jazz aficionados can attend the Jazz Showcase in the fall or the Don Keranen Memorial Jazz Concert in the spring, and there will also be a pair of choral concerts by the Tech Concert Choir and the Michigan Tech Chamber Singers.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Zach Kukkonen.