UCA Centennial Orchestra Concert September 23rd

Tickets are on sale now for the University of Central Arkansas Centennial Orchestra Concert at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall.

The concert, conducted by Israel Getzov, music director of the Conway Symphony Orchestra and assistant professor of music at UCA, is set for 4 p.m. Sept. 23. It will feature the UCA Chamber Orchestra, Conway Symphony Orchestra and guests, the Fujian Chamber Orchestra from Fuzhou, China. The concert will feature a world premiere of a Fanfare celebrating UCA's Centennial, composed by UCA alumnus Zachary Stanton.

The Chinese delegation will include 34 musicians, graduates of the major Chinese conservatories, said Dr. Jeff Jarvis, chair of the Department of Music at UCA. He said the orchestra would play classical Chinese music and Chinese art music with traditional Chinese instruments, such as bamboo flute and the stringed instrument the erhu as solos.

"Fuzhou is a small town of 3 million across the straits from Taiwan," Jarvis said. "Izzy (Getzov) met these folks a few years ago. He's their principal guest conductor. The last three summers, he has taken three or four UCA students to play with the orchestra."

"We have a relationship with East China Normal University through our international programs office," Jarvis said. "We have three students on campus from that music school, and this friendship with Fuzhou. Mr. Cao would like them to come here and learn the nuances of Western music. We're working on that."

The head of music at East China Normal, a former conductor of the Shanghai Philharmonic, will come to UCA to play a concerto in October. Jarvis and Getzov will return to China in January to make plans to send 10-12 UCA music faculty to do summer residencies at a prime venue in Shanghai.
In February, the East China Normal student orchestra will appear in Conway, Arkadelphia and Memphis.

Tickets, $25 for the general public, $15 for the UCA community and $10 for UCA students with I.D., are on sale at the Reynolds Box Office. Hours for the box office are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Or tickets are available by phone at 450-3265 or (866) 810 0012 or at www.uca.edu/tickets.

For more information, call the Office of the Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communication, at (501) 450-3293 or e-mail gayles@uca.edu.