Published: November 05, 2009 08:43 pm         

ISU Symphony Orchestra to perform Thursday

TERRE HAUTE — The Indiana State University Symphony Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the newly renovated auditorium in University Hall on ISU’s campus.

Three winners of the annual Paul W. Hagan Concerto/Aria Auditions will perform with the University Symphony.

The concert will begin with one of the greatest works of Rossini, his Overture to “The Barber of Seville.”

Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme” will be performed by cellist Christian Schrock, a sophomore from Covington.

Schrock is a junior majoring in cello performance at Indiana State. He is an honor student as well as principal cellist in the University Symphony. He also has been a section cellist for the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, a regional professional orchestra, since 2007. Schrock won the Allan Keller Young Artist Competition in 2007, which led to a solo appearance with the Lafayette Symphony. He is active as a freelance artist and maintains a private cello studio.

Tara Cody, a senior from Avon, will then sing “Chi il bel sogno” from “La Rondine” by Puccini, and “Glitter and Be Gay” from “Candide,” by Leonard Bernstein.

Cody is a senior majoring in choral and general music education. While a student at ISU, she has been a member of several ensembles, including Concert Choir, Women’s Glee Club, Sycamore Singers and Opera Workshop. She has placed in several National Association of Teachers of Singing Competitions at both the state and regional levels and is also a recipient of the Gertrude F. Meyer scholarship. Cody has been chosen twice to perform in the annual Honors Recital.

Kurt Baer, a senior from Terre Haute, will then join the orchestra for a French work by Darius Milhaud, “Scaramouche” for saxophone and orchestra.

Baer is a senior pursuing a liberal arts degree in music. During his stay at ISU, he has been involved with several university ensembles, including the Wind Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combos and Basketball Band. He is a Presidential Scholar, member of the Honors Program, and a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society. He has twice been selected to perform for the Indiana State University Honors Recital. As the soprano saxophonist of the Nomine Saxophone Quartet, Baer has performed in the Terre Haute area, Chicago, and in Thailand for the 15th World Saxophone Congress.

The concert will conclude with “Buckaroo Holiday” from Aaron Copland’s ballet “Rodeo.”

The concert is free. Call (812) 237-2771 for more information.