The Queen City Bass Quartet, including Hillsboro resident Gabe Gilliland (second from right) will perform Oct. 24 at the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington.
Submitted photo
Building upon the success of last year’s inaugural Wilmington College Chamber Music Series, WC’s Music Department announces the four programs planned for the 2023-24 season.
First is the WC Music Faculty Showcase on Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m., which, like the entire series, will be held at the historic Murphy Theatre in downtown Wilmington. Featured will be pianist Dr. Brianna Matzke and mezzo-soprano Stacey Rishoi, who will perform five songs highlighting the love sonnets by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, winner of the 1971 Nobel Prize in literature. The second half of the program will be presented by the Queen City Brass Quartet, which features trombonist Dr. Evan Hatter, assistant professor of music at WC. This opening program is free of charge.
“The series is bringing something beautiful to people’s lives and for a lot of students it’s their first chance to see classical music,” said Matzke, associate professor of music and area coordinator for fine arts at the college. “The community’s support has been tremendous. Last year was really great. It’s an amazing experience to hear music in a beautiful space like the Murphy Theatre.”
Subsequent events in the season will be a concert by the groundbreaking, professional choral group, Cincinnati Fusion Ensemble, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m.; the Janus String Quartet, Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m.; and a chamber ensemble from the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, April 9, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are these programs are $10 and available via the Murphy Theatre website and at the door. Students will be admitted free of charge.
Matzke added that each event will include outreach that might feature a post-concert talk, a visit to local schools or a master class/workshop for WC students
Matzke expressed her appreciation for the public and private gifts that made the Chamber Music Series possible, which this year includes support from the city of Wilmington and Bill and Penny Kincaid. “It’s a unique scenario, a very special thing,” she said. “I don’t know of a lot of cities that support the arts like this.”
Submitted by Randall Sarvis, senior director of public relations, Wilmington College.
