Keene State music faculty demonstrated their musical abilities during the Woodwind Faculty Recital on Friday, March 24 in the Redfern Arts Center Alumni Recital Hall.
This year’s annual performance consisted of adjunct professor Robin Matathias on flute, Staff Pianist Hugh Keelan, Clarinetist Stephanie Jenkins, Dr. Craig Sylvern on saxophone, and Bassoonist Diane Lipatito.
Starting off the program was American Composer Eric Ewazen’s ‘Sonata No. 1 for Flute and Piano’ which featured Matathias and Keelan.
Following that, Sylvern performed alongside Jenkins for Gregory Wanamaker’s ‘Zippy,’ a piece written about a chipmunk Wanamaker befriended in his backyard.
“[During] the COVID-19 pandemic, I spent a great deal of time on my back deck and in my backyard trying to perfect my grilling technique and feeding the birds,” Wanamaker said in the program notes. “There was this one chipmunk named Zippy… As soon as she saw me, she would come running over to climb up my leg or the railing to sit in my hat (on my head) and collect her food.”
Photographs of Wanamaker with Zippy appeared on a screen behind the performers as the piece was being performed.
Sylvern said that this piece was interesting as, “It’s supposed to represent the kind of energy and heartbeat of a chipmunk.”
Additionally, American Composer Libby Larsen’s ‘Concert Piece for Bassoon and Piano’ was performed by Lipartito with Keelan accompanying.
Matathius and Jenkins returned to the stage afterward to perform English Composer John Rutter’s “Three American Miniatures.”
Following a brief intermission, Sylvern performed a piece written for him by American Composer Allen Molineux titled, ‘Capricious Moments for Tenor Saxophone and Piano.’ “I’m playing a piece that was actually written for me that I don’t think has ever been performed,” Sylvern said. “He wrote it for me during COVID actually, he sent me an email and said, “‘Hey, how would you like if I wrote you a piece?’”
Additionally, composer William Fletcher’s ‘Suite Vernaculaire’ was featured in the program and consisted of five movements performed by Jenkins and Keelan.
Closing the night was “All I See Is You” composed by Dave Koz and Brian Culberston and arranged by Russ Peterson. Sylvern mentioned that while he was putting together the program he noticed that, “all the pieces that we are playing, all the composers are still living.”
Sylvern said that the most rewarding part of the experience is, “actually working with the people that I’m working with… they’re all just fabulous musicians as is Hugh Keelan the pianist, so that’s the best part is collaborating with the other performers and getting to play new pieces.”
Nicole Dumont can be contacted at
ndumont@kscequinox.com
“It’s supposed to represent the kind of energy and heartbeat of a chipmunk”
DR. CRAIG SYLVERN
MUSIC DEPARTMENT FACULTY
