Monday, April 16, 2012

MCTC Choirs present A Spring Choral Concert May 4

Minneapolis Community and Technical College will present a Spring Choral Concert featuring the MCTC Concert Choir and Vocal Ensemble Friday May 4 at 7:30 pm in the Whitney Fine Arts Theater, 1424 Yale Place, on the MCTC campus in downtown Minneapolis. The concert, directed by Dr. Elizabeth Pauly and accompanied by Christopher Wolter will include compositions and arrangements by Eric William Barnum, Nick Page and Rollo Dilworth.  Songs will be sung from all over the world, in languages ranging from Mandarin to French.  The choirs will be joined at this event by special guests Thomas Reimer, percussionist and Julie Johnson, flutist. A reception in the Fine Arts lobby will follow immediately after the concert. Light refreshments will be served.  Children are welcome.  Admission to this concert is free, but the choirs ask that you bring a non-perishable food donation that you may deposit in the marked bins outside the theater.  Food donations will go to the Hennepin County Emergency Food Network. 

Monday, April 9, 2012

MCTC Music Department Fine Arts Festival Events 2012

Collaborations Concert: April 18th, Noon -2:00 T- Building, skyway by the coffee stand. A meeting of musicians at MCTC, students participating in the applied music program are invited to “play a song or two” with their peers and faculty members. MCTC instrumental students study a variety of instruments including; guitar, bass, voice, percussion, keyboards, accordion, woodwind and string instruments. The student musicians are joined by members of the music faculty and guests.

Open Concert and Master Guitar Class with guest artist Dean Magraw: Thursday April 19 Noon-1:30, Multi Purpose Room Helland Center. This is an unique opportunity for all at MCTC to hear a performance by renowned guitarist Dean Magraw and to experience how his insights inspire guitar students. Dean Magraw’s life as a guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer reveals an artist uniquely consistent in his ability to rise to the highest level of musical expression in a dazzling array of contexts.
Dean’s passion transcends all perceived musical boundaries, yet the vital essence of his distinctive style is ever present, whether he’s performing and recording as a solo artist, leading his own ensembles such as the experimental jam band Eight Head, or collaborating with such notables as Japanese shamisen prodigy Nitta Masahiro, classical violinist Nigel Kennedy, South Indian vocalist and vina virtuoso Nirmala Rajasheker, epic songstress and storyteller Ruth MacKenzie, Irish supergroup Altan, radio and film celebrity Garrison Keillor, jazz bassist Anthony Cox, and countless others.

Ensemble Concert, Monday April 23 at 7:30 PM Whitney Fine Arts Theater. From “classical” to modern form and many styles in between, the various will take you on “a musical survey”. The groups include chamber music and the jazz ensembles. Musical direction and context is provided by the vestal Yolanda Williams. 

Music Student Recital: Thursday April 26 at noon, Whitney Fine Arts Theater. This event showcases the musical talents of MCTC students participating in the applied music program.

Music Faculty Recital: May 1, 7:30 PM Whitney Fine Arts Theater. Featuring the diverse knowledge and skills of the MCTC Music faculty and joined by special guest artists. This event presents a sampling of the vast skills and styling of the creative faculty members.

Spring Choir Concert, May 4 at 7:30, Whitney Fine Arts Theater. Showcasing the MCTC College Choir and Vocal Ensemble, the concert, directed by Dr. Elizabeth Pauly and accompanied by Christopher Wolter will include compositions and arrangements by Eric William Barnum, Nick Page and Rollo Dilworth.  Songs will be sung from all over the world, in languages ranging from Mandarin to French.  The choirs will be joined at this event by special guests Thomas Reimer, percussionist and Julie Johnson, flutist.


Monday, February 27, 2012

Yale Women's Slavic Chorus in Twin Cities

The Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus brings the Slavic women’s vocal tradition to Minnesota on their
2012 spring tour. Traveling from Yale University, the Chorus joins musicians around the Twin
Cities to celebrate the state’s vibrant Slavic heritage.
Since 1969, the student-directed chorus has showcased the Eastern European women’s vocal
tradition, from the village folksong to the choral masterwork. The Slavic Chorus strives to maintain
the distinctive vocal techniques, striking rhythms, and surprising harmonies that make Slavic folk
music unique and exciting for listeners.
The Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus has performed on the concert stage across the country, and trains
with masters of traditional vocal technique in the United States and abroad. In recent years, the
group traveled to Croatia and performed in the Igra Kolo Folk Festival, and to Bulgaria, where they
studied vocal technique under master-singer Kremena Stancheva of the Bulgarian State Female
Vocal Choir.
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Tour Schedule
Monday, March 12 – Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus with Brass Messengers
7:00
The Ritz Theater
345 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis
Tickets: $12, preorder at www.ritzdolls.com
Touring from Yale University, the Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus joins local favorites the
Brass Messengers for a raucous celebration of everything Balkan. From Klezmer dance
music to Bulgarian love songs, these groups join forces to showcase the evolving tradition of
Eastern European folk music.
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Tuesday, March 13 – Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus
7:00 pm
St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church
515 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
Admission: Free
Touring from Yale University, the Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus sings songs from across
Eastern Europe. Presenting haunting songs of longing and joyful dances of youth, the Slavic
Chorus celebrates the vibrant Slavic vocal tradition.
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Thursday, March 15 – Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus and Orkestar Bez Ime
7:30 pm
Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar
308 Prince St. Saint Paul, MN 55101
Admission: Free
Touring from Yale University, the Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus joins local favorites
Orkestar Bez Ime for a celebration of everything Balkan. From Klezmer dance music to
Bulgarian love songs, these groups join forces to showcase the evolving tradition of Eastern
European folk music.
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Saturday, March 17 – Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus and Minnetonka Chamber Choir
2:00 pm
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, MacMillan Auditorium
3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN 55318
Admission: Free
Touring from Yale University, the Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus joins the Minnetonka
Chamber Choir to showcase Western and Eastern European traditions of women’s singing.
These choirs join forces to present an afternoon of musical exploration, from haunting
folksongs and joyful dances to great classical works for women’s voices.
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Saturday, March 17 – Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus
7:00
Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Archangel Michael Hall
956 Forest Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55106
Tickets: $10 general/$5 students and children

Touring from Yale University, the Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus sings songs from across
Eastern Europe. The Slavic Chorus celebrates the vibrant Slavic vocal tradition, from
haunting songs of longing to joyful dances of youth.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Normandale Community College Presents Concert Choir and Vocal Ensemble Concert

The Normandale Concert Choir and Vocal Ensemble will be presenting a concert of madrigals and more! Featuring works by Morley, Farmer, P.D. Q. Bach and Eric Whitacre.

Wednesday February 29th at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free - performance in the Lorenz Auditorium on the Normandale Community College Campus.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Lunchbreak Choir Member Craig Hergert's Essay on the Beatles

The Minneapolis Star Tribune just published MCTC Faculty member (and Lunchbreak Choir member)'s terrific essay on the 48th anniversary of the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. It is a great article, despite the fact that we now have it in writing that your choir director did not really know it all at the age of five. Check it out at: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/138965084.html

Monday, February 6, 2012

Winter Blues? How about a little singing to take them away?

Join MCTC music faculty members Liz Pauly and Sarah Greer along with the MCTC Choirs for a session designed to help chase away the winter blues. By the time you leave this session you will have learned several fun songs made to be sung in community, participated in group improvisations, and learned some breathing, posture and stretching exercises to help calm and relax your winter-weary body.




Singing for Stress Relief
Time: 10:30-11:45
Location: F2700
Date: February 23, 2012 - Student Success Day

This event is presented as part of Student Success Day on the Minneapolis Community and Technical College campus. 

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Great Concert at First Unitarian March 11

First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis will be presenting a fabulous concert on March 11. Some of our former MCTC choir members will be participating in this event as well. Check it out!!!