Nazareth University

Nazareth University music composition student Aaron Soltis '25 is heading to Atlanta, Georgia, in March for the world premiere of the string orchestra arrangement of The Odyssey of a Seafarer - one of his musical compositions. The Dodgen Middle School Chamber Orchestra from East Cobb, Georgia, will perform Soltis' piece at the American String Teachers Association Conference on March 21.

Each year, undergraduate majors from the Nazareth College Music Department compete in the Concerto/Aria Competition for the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra and Nazareth College Wind Symphony. The four 2017 winners were Brandon McCardle (trumpet), Hadley Strelau (mezzo soprano), Ben Reisinger (baritone), and Victoria Moore (saxophone). The winners were recognized during two recent concerts.

Students from the Nazareth College Department of Music's Opera Workshop and Symphony Orchestra are pleased to present a full production of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief at 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 27 and Saturday, January 28 in the Callahan Theater. The students will reprise the production at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 4 at the Lyric Theatre, in a double bill with Menotti's The Telephone, featuring Rochester Lyric Opera artists.

Several Nazareth College voice students were recognized by the Central New York-Finger Lakes Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (CNYFL-NATS) during its annual Student Audition on October 29, 2016 at Ithaca College. The awards celebrate high standards of vocal art. Students from throughout the region competed in classical and musical theatre categories.

Baritone Ben Reisinger, a student in the Nazareth College Music Department, has been named a 2016 finalist for the Voice/Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Award-college/university opera division (men) of The American Prize. The American Prize is a series of national competitions in the performing arts that recognize the best recorded performances by ensembles and individuals at various levels.

Twenty vocal music and musical theatre students and alumni from Nazareth College's Music and Theatre & Dance departments have been selected to sing backup at Josh Groban's upstate New York tour stops. The students were invited back by Groban's national music director after performing with Groban in Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse in October, 2015. The upstate New York tour stops are at the Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, Monday, July 25, 7:30 p.m.; and the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Tuesday, July 26, 7:30 p.m.

Nazareth student Claire Malboeuf wins an ADDY for her design work in Rochester.

The Nazareth College Theatre and Dance Department and Theatre League are pleased to present "Grease" – the three-time Tony Award-nominated musical about 10 working-class high school seniors, that is as popular today as when it premiered in 1971 – as the fourth and final show in the department's 2015-2016 production season. The show will run for one weekend only: April 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. and April 17 at 2 p.m.; in the Callahan Theater at Nazareth College Arts Center. "Grease" features a student cast, orchestra, and crew.

The Nazareth College Department of Art is pleased to present its 2016 Student Art Show, beginning March 29–April 17, with an Artists Reception and Awards Ceremony on April 8. The exhibit showcases some of the Art students' finest work, as both galleries are filled with hundreds of pieces in a variety of media and styles, including ceramics, drawings, illustrations, jewelry, metalsmithing, paintings, photography, prints, sculpture, and more. Some pieces will be available for purchase.

The Nazareth College Foreign Languages Department will present GARDENIAS, an original, multilingual play by department faculty member, Dr. Candide Carrasco, that will be performed in English with some French, Spanish, and Italian. The performance is recommended for audience members age 12 and up. GARDENIAS runs Friday, February 26, 2016, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, February 27, at 2:30 p.m., in the Callahan Theater at the Nazareth College Arts Center GARDENIAS features a largely student cast and crew.

The Nazareth College Theatre and Dance Department and Theatre League will present "Tribes" — Nina Raine's critically acclaimed play about a comically dysfunctional family — as the third show in the department's 2015-2016 production season. The show will run February 12, 13, 19, and 20 at 8 p.m.; and February 14 and 21 at 2 p.m., in Studio Theatre A48 at the Nazareth College Arts Center. "Tribes" features a student cast and crew.

Students from the Nazareth College Department of Music's Chamber Singers, under the direction of professor Mark Zeigler, conductor, present their fall recital — G. F. Handel's MESSIAH — on Sunday, November 22, 2015. Lecturer Yi-Wen Chang will serve as accompanist; Daniel Halbstein will serve as graduate assistant conductor. Handel's MESSIAH holds an extraordinary place both among the composer's works and in the history of Western music — no other work has met with the same wide and enduring response. The event takes place at 3 p.m. in Linehan Chapel, and is free and open to the public.

Students in the Nazareth College Department of Music's Concert Choir, under the direction of lecturer Yunn-Shan Ma, conductor, present their fall recital — ENGLISH AND FRENCH CLASSICS — on Sunday, November 8. The concert's program will feature masterworks from the French and English choral literature, including works of Duruflé, Saint-Saëns, Britten, Parry, Finzi, and Fauré. The event takes place at 3 p.m. in Linehan Chapel, and is free and open to the public.

Students in the Nazareth College Department of Music's Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of assistant professor Kristen Shiner McGuire, present their fall recital on Monday, November 23. The Nazareth College student musicians will be joined by the Brockport High School Percussion Ensemble (Victoria Valente, conductor). The concert's program will feature works by Chris Crockarell, Dan Moore, Jim Scheuer, Ivan Trevino, and Christopher Rouse. The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. in the Wilmot Recital Hall, and is free and open to the public.

Students in the Nazareth College Department of Music's Wind Symphony and Campus Band, under the direction of assistant professor Jared Chase and lecturer Steven E. Zugelder, will present their fall recital, FABULOUS FIRSTS on Sunday, November 15, 2015. The program will feature first compositions for wind band by some of its most prominent composers, including Percy Grainger, Gustav Holst, Alfred Reed, and Eric Whitacre. The concert takes place at 3 p.m. in Linehan Chapel, and is free and open to the public.

The Nazareth College Theatre and Dance Department and Theatre League are pleased to present "Floyd Collins" -- a musical inspired by the true story of a man in search of his American dream -- as the second show in the department's 2015-2016 production season. The show will run November 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 8 p.m.; and November 15 and 22 at 2 p.m., in Studio Theatre A48 at the Nazareth College Arts Center. "Floyd Collins" features a student cast, crew, and orchestra.

The Nazareth College Department of Music's 2015-2016 Concert Series continues with its annual concert/food drive Halloween Spooktacular on Friday, October 23, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wilmot Recital Hall. The concert will feature timely music as well as the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, face painting, games, and a costume contest.

The Nazareth College Theatre and Dance Department and Theatre League are pleased to present "The Beaux' Stratagem," in the delightful style of Comedy of Manners. This is the first mainstage show in the department's 2015-2016 production season. The show will run October 16, 17, 23, and 24 at 8 p.m.; and October 18 and 25 at 2 p.m., in the Callahan Theater at the Nazareth College Arts Center. This romantic comedy complete with 18th century costumes and swordplay will provide Rochester theatergoers with a rare treat. "The Beaux' Stratagem" features a student cast and crew.

Twenty vocal music and music theatre students from Nazareth College's Music and Theatre and Dance departments have been selected to sing backup at Josh Groban's upstate New York tour stops at the Palace Theatre, Albany, New York, Saturday, October 3, 2015; the Landmark Theatre, Syracuse, New York, Tuesday, October 6; and Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, New York, Wednesday, October 7. Nancy Strelau, associate professor in professional practice/auditions and instrumental coordinator/orchestra conductor in the Nazareth College Department of Music will also join Groban on stage as a violinist. Strelau is serving as vocal contractor for the tour appearances.

The Nazareth College Theatre and Dance Department has announced the winners of its department awards for the 2014-2015 academic year. The awards were presented at the end of the College's spring semester.

Students in the Nazareth College Department of Music's Jazz Ensemble (Michael Sapienza, interim director; Wills McKenna, graduate assistant) present their final concert of the 2014-2015 season on Thursday, April 23, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wilmot Recital Hall. The evening's program will feature works by Thad Jones, Don Menza, Charles Mingus, Bob Mintzer, Sammy Nestico, Radiohead, Chuck Sayre, and Fred Sturm. This event is free and open to the public.

The Nazareth College Department of Music has announced the winners of its department awards for the 2014-2015 academic year. The awards were presented at the department's annual convocation at the end of the spring semester.

The Nazareth College Art Department announced the winners of its department awards for the 2014-2015 academic year. Student winners received their awards during the reception for the annual Student Art Show at the end of the spring semester.

Students in the Nazareth College Department of Music's Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of assistant professor Kristen Shiner McGuire, present their final concert of the season on Tuesday, April 21. The Nazareth student musicians will be joined by the Honeoye Falls High School Percussion Ensemble (Brian Wilkins, conductor). The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, 2015 in the Wilmot Recital Hall. The evening's program will feature works by John Cage/Lou Harrison, Anthony Cirone, Mark Ford, George and Ira Gershwin, Murray Houllif, and Dan Moore. This event is free and open to the public.

The Nazareth College Art Department will present "Interdimensionality: A BFA Thesis Exhibition by Madalyn LaCava," from Friday, April 24-Friday May 1, 2015, with an opening reception Friday, April 24 from 6-8 p.m.

The Nazareth College Department of Music's Wind Symphony, conducted by assistant professor Jared Chase, will present its season-ending recital, OF THIS EARTH, featuring student Nick Sutton, winner of the College's Wind Symphony Concerto Competition. This performance is free and open to the public.

The Nazareth College Department of Art's annual juried Student Art Show, featuring the work of more than 60 undergraduate students and Art Education graduate students, is on display in the department's two galleries through April 19, 2015.

Students in the Nazareth College Department of Music's Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of assistant professor Nancy Strelau, present CREATING THE IMPRESSION Friday, April 10. In addition to nearly 75 student musicians, the performance will feature student conductor S. SHADE ZAJAC. The concert takes place Friday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the College's Linehan Chapel. The evening's program will feature works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, John Williams, and Ottorino Resphigi. This event is free and open to the public.

Students in the Nazareth College Department of Music's Chamber Singers and Concert Choir will team up to present EVERYTHING MOZART on Sunday, April 19, at 3 p.m. in the Linehan Chapel. The concert will be conducted by Nazareth faculty Mark Zeigler, Rebecca English, and Brian Stevens, and will feature "Regina Coeli, K. 276;" "Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618;" "Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K. 339;" and "Coronation Mass in C Major, K. 317." This program is free and open to the public.

Students in the Nazareth College Department of Music's Campus Band, Wind Symphony, and Wind Ensemble will team up to present OF THIS EARTH on Sunday, April 12, at 3 p.m. in the Linehan Chapel. In addition to nearly 75 student musicians, the performance will feature two student conductors: NICOLE DARLING and RAHMY ELTOURY.