Missouri S&T’s arts, languages and philosophy department will present spring choir, orchestra and band concerts this April. All concerts will take place in Leach Theatre of Castleman Hall, located at the corner of 10th and Main streets on the Missouri S&T campus.

The choir concert will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26. The concert will feature performances by the jazz choir and chamber choir, directed by Lorie Francis, teaching professor of music at S&T.

“Our program this spring centers around the many ways in which music moves us” says Francis. “The jazz choir will perform ‘Sweden’ from the video game ‘MineCraft,’ along with jazz and pop standards. The chamber choir has enjoyed working on ‘A Vision Unfolding’ by Kyle Pederson, which consists of five movements with texts by Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, Robert Bode, and Kyle Pederson. These texts explore compassion, freedom, inclusivity, and justice. Our soloist is soprano Laura Rater, a senior in business and management systems. The choirs will join together to perform ‘We are the Music Makers,’ ‘Let the Music Heal Your Soul’ and ‘The Awakening.’”

The orchestra concert will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28. The concert will feature the S&T symphony orchestra, directed by Dr. Kyle Wernke, assistant professor of music.

“In the 100 years since its premiere, ‘Pines of Rome’ has become a staple of the orchestral repertoire,” says Wernke. “Ottorino Respighi’s color orchestration and the piece’s bold, brassy finale are a perfect way to end the S&T orchestra’s season.”

The band concert will begin at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 28 in Leach Theatre. The concert will feature performances by the university wind symphony and symphonic band, directed by Dr. David Samson, assistant professor of music. 

“The university wind symphony and I are thrilled to be presenting Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition,’” says Samson. “Bands like ours do not ordinarily perform pieces like this in concert due to its length and difficulty. However, our students have risen to the challenges this piece presents and we hope you enjoy it with us.”

Tickets for each concert are $5 for the public and free to youth ages 18 and under and Missouri S&T students with a valid ID. One ticket will cover admission for both April 28 concerts.

Tickets can be purchased from the Leach Theatre Box Office starting one hour before each performance. The box office is located inside the main entrance to Castleman Hall, facing 10th Street. Tickets can also be purchased in advance online at leachtheatre.mst.edu or by calling 573-341-4219. Service fees may apply to tickets purchased online.

For more information, visit alp.mst.edu/news-and-events, or contact arts, languages, and philosophy department by phone at 573-341-4185 or by email at alp@mst.edu.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.