A concert by The King’s Brass this past Friday kicked off this semester’s Artist Series, a collection of world-class concerts by visiting performers.
Ian Riley, Graduate Assistant, said that the series began “by the desire from our faculty to bring world-class musicians to Houghton to expose our students to various artists.” He went on to add that “the Greatbatch School of Music is purposeful to provide a wide variety of styles, size, and instrumentation; by hosting these distinguished artists from a vast array of musical backgrounds, we are able to present unique, aesthetically satisfying music experiences to the greater Houghton community.”
The most recent artist series event, The King’s Brass, was an example of a large instrumental group. According to the group’s webpage, “For more than twenty years, The King’s Brass have performed over one hundred concerts each season with three trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, keyboards, and percussion.”
“In general, our distinguished artists fall into a few specific categories: large ensemble, chamber ensemble, or solo performance, with consideration given every year to the possibility of hosting an alumni artist,” Riley explained. “Again, the intention here is to represent the diversity of excellence in musical performance; vocal and instrumental, large and small, classical and contemporary, sacred and vernacular.”
This diverse selection of concerts has traditionally struck a popular chord with audiences. “The Artist Series concerts are currently attended by a fairly wide range of people,” reported Jessica Jennings, Constituent Programming and Event Specialist at Houghton. “A good number of community members purchase season tickets for Artist Series, as well as retired and current faculty and staff. Sometimes, depending on the concert, area churches or schools bring groups of adults and/or kids, and various concerts have attracted people from as far as Buffalo and Rochester.”
Jennings also noted that “Typically at least one of the concerts in the Artist Series schedule includes a Houghton grad.” This year, Bethany Brooks ’01, a collaborative pianist who continued her education at the Royal Academy of Music in London, will perform at the Brooks-Nebyu Duo concert in February.
“Artist are selected first and foremost based on the excellence of their performance, their professional experience, and the caliber of the performance repertoire,” Riley said. He later added that the School of Music has always attempted to solicit “A diversity of performing groups who have achieved the highest level of performance” and “world-class musicians from at home and abroad, each of whom adds to the rich and varied harmony of musical life at Houghton College.”
Artist series scheduled for this semester also include the Martin-Meliton Piano Duo and Otis Murphy. The former specializes in Spanish two-piano pieces, and has earned rave reviews for their immaculate synchronization and Martin’s bold, original transcriptions. Otis Murphy, a professor of the saxophone, has performed as a soloist and taught clinics across the globe.
The concerts have long been a respected and cherished part of Houghton history. “When our older alumni return to campus, their stories always include these concerts,” Jennings said. “For example, in the 60’s a large majority of the students attended each concert, and it was a popular date night option for budding romances.”
Tickets, which are typically $16 for adults aged nineteen or older, are free for students when they pick them up at the welcome desk during the week of the concert.