Season Preview: A look at AC & WT's music departments' 2017-18 offerings

chip chandler

• Published on August 21, 2017 • Last modified on February 13, 2020

AC and WT music departments have a packed year of concerts.

By Chip Chandler — Digital Content Producer

Major anniversaries of Amarillo-area music education mainstays will be celebrated at Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University in the coming year.

WT's school of music will celebrate its 100th anniversary in a series of major concerts throughout the 2017-18 school year, and Amarillo College's Suzuki Program will commemorate its 40th anniversary in Amarillo at events Sept. 1 and 2.

WT's music centennial will be marked at the following concerts:

Fall Faculty Showcase Recital, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall
WT Symphony's live performance of a new score by B.J. Brooks during a screening of The Mark of Zorro, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, Northen Recital Hall
WT Choirs and Symphony's Christmas concert, 4 and 7 p.m. Dec. 3, Northen Recital Hall
Faculty Grand Recital, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26, Northen Recital Hall
Showcase of Music, 7:30 p.m. March 2, Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St. in Amarillo (admission charge)
WT Symphony and Choirs concert, 2:30 p.m. April 15, Northen Recital Hall
Second Annual Russian Music Festival, 3 p.m. April 22, Northen Recital Hall
Student Honors Recital, 7:30 p.m. May 1, Northen Recital Hall
WT Symphonic Band concert, 8 p.m. May 2, Northen Recital Hall

The school's calendar is filled with other concerts and recitals, too:

Helen Blackburn faculty flute recital, 5 p.m. Sept. 3, Northen Recital Hall
Jeremy Lewis faculty tuba recital, 3 p.m. Sept. 8, Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall
Tina Carpenter and Susan Martin Tariq faculty bassoon and percussion recital, 3 p.m. Sept. 17, Northen Recital Hall
Choong-ha Nam faculty piano recital, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28, Northen Recital Hall
Fall choir concert, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19, Northen Recital Hall
Opera workshop, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Northen Recital Hall
Irene Ravitskaya guest piano recital, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9, Northen Recital Hall
WT concert and symphonic band concerts, 6 and 8 p.m. Dec. 6, Northen Recital Hall
Chamber Choir Christmas concert, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, Hill Chapel
Piano Festival concert, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9, Northen Recital Hall
WT Opera, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 and 24, Northen Recital Hall
WT Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25, Northen Recital Hall
Spring choir concert, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27, Northen Recital Hall
WT concert and university band concert, 6 p.m. May 2, Northen Recital Hall

Concerts are free except as noted. Call 806-651-2840.

At Amarillo College, the Suzuki 40th Anniversary Celebration begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 with a cookout at the AC Music Building.

Festivities continue with a play-in at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 2 at the Globe-News Center.

The centerpiece of the celebration is a 40th anniversary concert at 6 p.m. Sept. 2 at the Globe-News Center. Featured artists include Annie Chalex Boyle, Keith Redpath, Hannah Kendle Dowell, Joshua Kendle and Barbara Barber, daughter of AC Suzuki co-founder Helen Gerald. Also performing will be current student groups, featured student and teacher alums, and more.

All events are free, but donations will be accepted. Call 806-371-5346.

Other concerts throughout the year will celebrate the AC student, faculty and alum ensembles, and renowned musician, songwriter and AC graduate J.D. Souther will perform in conjunction with his awarding of the AC Distinguished Alumni award.

Concerts will include:

Guest pianist Brytner Evangelista, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki student solo recital, 7 p.m. Sept. 26, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki student solo recital, 7 p.m. Oct. 24, Concert Hall Theatre
Distinguished Alumni concert with J.D. Souther, TBA Oct. 26
AC Concert Choir fall concert, 4 p.m. Oct. 29, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Concert Band fall concert, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6, Concert Hall Theatre
Guest pianist Bernardo Santos, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki performance, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 11, Barnes & Noble Bookseller, 2415 Soncy Road
Amarillo Master Chorale fall concert, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11, location and cost TBA
AC Suzuki fall orchestras and ensembles concert and AC Chamber Orchestra concert, 3 p.m. Nov. 19, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki student solo recital, 7 p.m. Nov. 21, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Jazz and Vocal Jazz fall concert, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Concert Choir carols concert, 4 p.m. Dec. 3, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 1601 S. Georgia St.
AC Suzuki student solo recital, 7 p.m. Jan. 23, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki play-in concert, 9:30 a.m. Feb. 3, Concert Hall Theatre
Badgeriety, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki student solo recital, 7 p.m. Feb. 27, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki annual group recital, 3 p.m. March 4, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki student solo recital, 7 p.m. March 27, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Jazz & Vocal Jazz spring concert, 7:30 p.m. April 10, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Concert Choir spring concert, 7:30 p.m. April 12, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Chamber Orchestra and AC Suzuki spring concert, 3 p.m. April 15, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Concert Band spring concert, 7:30 p.m. April 16, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki student solo recital, 7 p.m. April 27, Concert Hall Theatre
AC Suzuki play-in concert, 9:30 a.m. April 21, Concert Hall Theatre

In addition, the Master Chorale will perform Dec. 16 for Amarillo Symphony's Holiday Pops concert and April 27 and 28 in a symphony concert featuring Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms.

Concerts are free, except as noted. Call 806-371-5340.

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Chip Chandler is a digital content producer for Panhandle PBS. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and on Facebook.