April 16, 2025 – Stone Ridge, NY – The SUNY Ulster Music Department will present its second and third concerts of the spring semester on Wednesday, April 30, and Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. The performances will be held in the Quimby Theater in Vanderlyn Hall on the Stone Ridge campus. These concerts are free and open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted.
The April 30 concert will feature the SUNY Ulster College/Community Band co-directed by Victor Izzo and Carla Newsome. Members include SUNY Ulster students, faculty, staff members, Community Members, Advanced Area High School and Middle School students, and Area Music Educators. They will be playing a variety of band literature including Cyrus the Great, Caccia and Chorale, Puszta, and Niflheim, and featuring Haven Kara Forte on marimba.
Also, on April 30, join us as we celebrate Victor Izzo, who has been the director of the College/Community Band since 2006. Vic may be stepping down as the long-time director of this concert, but he plans to continue to play with the group. He has had a tremendous impact on the SUNY Ulster music department, its instrumental music program, and music programs throughout Ulster County and beyond. His legacy will continue well into the future.
On May 8, the SUNY Ulster College Chorus, African Music Ensemble, and the Best Performances of the “Wednesdays@1:00” LIVE Music Series will take the stage. The performers are made up of primarily SUNY Ulster students, along with SUNY Ulster Faculty and Staff, as well as Community Members.
The College Chorus, directed by Janet Gehres and accompanied by Edward Leavitt, will feature an uplifting, eclectic program which includes music ranging from the English Renaissance to the Beatles, Folk Music from Ireland, French Canada, Kentucky, and music with texts from Native American poetry and East Africa. Paul Chambers and Anastasia Solberg are the special instrumental guests.
Also performing on May 8 is the Best Performances from the Spring 2025 “Wednesdays@1:00” LIVE Music Series voted by the Music Faculty.
The evening will conclude with the African Music Ensemble directed by Paul Chambers and will include Music from the Ivory Coast, Guinea, Ghana, and Nigeria, featuring the African instruments: Djembes, Ghanaian Bells, and Shakers.
For more information, contact Janet Gehres at gehresj@sunyulster.edu.
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