Surrounded by family and friends, in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada peaks, Gary Gilroy was presented with an original musical score, “Pulsing Onward – A California Pastorale,” by James M. David, in honor of his life in music.
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The Contemporary Dance Ensemble will present six unique repertory dance works that explore themes of social activism, nonsensical rules and regulations, abstract visions infused with deep human emotions, family bonds, belonging and a nostalgic look at the 1980s.
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“It’s about seeing the light in my students’ eyes when they accomplish something they didn’t think possible. That joy—theirs, not mine—became my spark.” ~ Kirstyn Olsen
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FOOSA Philharmonic, a collaboration between the Youth Orchestras of Fresno (YOOF) and California State University, Fresno, announced their recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, released by Tonsehen, has been made Grammy-eligible and is currently awaiting First Round Voting for a potential nomination in the “Best Orchestral Performance” category.
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The “Department of Music” at Fresno State has changed its name to the “School of Music.”
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For the first show of the Fall 2024 semester, Professor of Composition Dr. Benjamin Boone joined us while in Ireland – after spending a year as a United States Fulbright Scholar in Limerick.
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Internationally-acclaimed percussionist, composer, educator and performing artist Terry Longshore presents his “balance | flow” tour, an exhilarating evening of music, animation, virtual-reality video, electronic audio and integrated lighting, creating a dynamic experience that has been enjoyed by audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
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Under the guidance of Dr. Nathan J. Sobieralski, the Fresno State trumpet ensemble achieved third place in the 2024 International Trumpet Guild Conference, Chamber Music Division.
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As part of their Fall 2023 campus project update, Facilities Management released an update on the new concert hall for the College of Arts and Humanities.
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Dr. Arthur E. Huff, professor emeritus of Music, passed on January 12, 2023, in Fresno, California. He was 94 years old.
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The Fresno State Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Richard Giddens, Jr., will perform along with the ensemble “Jazz Camp,” featuring four widely recognized jazz musicians, Keyon Harrold, Brandon Eugene Owens, Gerald Clayton and Damion Reid.
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The Fresno State Symphony Orchestra kicks off its four-concert series for the 2022-23 season with two new Department of Music piano faculty members Dr. Peter Klimo and Dr. Michael Krikorian.
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Michael Krikorian returns to his alma mater, Fresno State, as he joins the Department of Music as an Associate Professor.
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This is one of the rare occasions in which the Fresno State Concert Hall is used as it was originally designed.
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We are excited to welcome Peter Klimo as he joins the Department of Music as Assistant Professor of Piano. He teaches applied piano lessons, accompanying, piano pedagogy, piano literature and class piano III.
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Get jazzed up as the Fresno State Music Department presents its upcoming events for the Fall 2022 Semester.
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The competition is open to all currently enrolled Fresno State English and Creative Writing undergraduate and graduate students.
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Students from around the western United States will compete in the West Region Day of Percussion, a competitive solo and ensemble festival offered by the Percussive Arts Society on Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30.
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The Fresno State Symphony Orchestra 3 presents a night of “Bohemian Romance” at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 5 at the Fresno State Concert Hall. Guest conductor Tomasz Golka will lead the orchestra while Dr. Thomas Loewenheim is featured on the cello.
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The Fresno State Symphonic Band invites the community to attend their first concert of 2022.
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The community is welcome to enjoy an evening with the “Jazz Big Bands at State.”
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Dozens of men, women, children, elderly and sick were packed in each cattle car – so tight they couldn’t move. As the train pulled to a stop, the clunks and rattles gave way to the sound of an orchestra along the tracks. They had arrived at Auschwitz.
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Live music is back and the Fresno State Department of Music has announced their events for Fall 2021 and many of their events for Spring 2022 semesters.
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Conductor Thomas Loewenheim leads a stellar string orchestra in a lush, romantic program full of passionate works from the early 20th century for the first public music performance at Fresno State since March 2020.
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“I aim to… inspire my students to achieve their impossible, and embrace the opportunities to mentor new teachers who are beginning their journey.” ~ Jeffrey Larose
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Two Fresno State poetry students and five music composition students have been selected as finalists in the fourth annual Art Song Festival competition which will take place on Feb. 26 and 27 on Zoom.
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In an annual tradition, the Fresno State choirs directed by Dr. Cari Earnhart and Fresno City College choirs, directed by Julie Dana, combine for “Walk in Peace: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History Month” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 26 on YouTube.
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Displacement and dispersion loom large in the Armenian collective memory, as seen through their music and the work of the composer and musicologist Komitas. A longing to reclaim elements of lost culture pervades the Armenian diaspora, where Home is reconstituted in exile.
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This semester, just two live music ensembles are permitted to meet face-to-face at Fresno State amide the COVID-19 pandemic. We talked to the students and faculty to see how these courses worked, the challenges and how we may experience more live music in the near future.
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In normal times, for a couple of weeks leading up to the start of the Fall semester, the buildings’ empty halls begin to come alive as the Bulldog Marching Band assembles for their annual Band Camp. The sounds of drums reverberate off walls around the campus as student musicians prepare to entertain during the back to school festivities and ensuing football season.
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When the in-person classes became impossible, Boone and Allaire moved to Zoom’s virtual environment. To the surprise of everyone involved, that move made the experience better.
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Fresno State Music Department graduate student, Christopher Rodriguez, has advanced to the semi-final round in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) “2020 National Student Auditions.”
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Music composition student Christian Cruz, who will graduate with a master’s degree in music composition, has won the “Volterra Project Composer Award.”
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It’s class time for one of the Fresno State choral ensembles. Students arrive from their homes through small video windows that pop up on the online meeting screen.
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It was hot! It was the summer of 2018 in the city of Accra, about 400 miles north of the equator, and Benjamin Boone and the Ghana Jazz Collective had gathered in the UVSL recording studio — a white concrete building down one of the many dirt side roads. Even with the high-tech equipment, to get clean recordings, the studio had to turn off the air conditioning during recording sessions.
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During the winter break, music students Marina Malcolm and Christopher Rodriguez presented at national conferences. Dr. Maria S. Briggs-Okunev was also with them and presented.
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A renowned Russian dramatic baritone, Dr. Belov has been praised by the New York Times as “A baritone with a rich mellifluous voice…Mr. Belove sounded particularly fine, singing with urgency and soulful pathos.”
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Guest artists and members of “Imani Winds” Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboist, and Monica Ellis, bassoonist, will teach and perform.
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The Feb. 22 concert will feature music by pianist Michael Krikorian, violinist Armen Derkevorkian, and cellist Garik Terzian. Lauren Movsesian, Colette Compton, and Clarise Compton will perform vocal selections, accompanied by Derrick Lowe.
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The Fresno State Symphonic Band will perform a unique mix of historic and contemporary pieces under the direction of Steve McKeithen at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the Concert Hall.
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A holiday tradition returns as the Fresno State Symphony Orchestra performs a special concert for the holiday season with traditional favorites including Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus Overture,” the famous waltz “Under Thunder and Lightning” (Unter Donner und Blitz), and the “Radetzky March.”
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Kenny Broberg, an international award-winning pianist, will perform works by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Franck and Medtner at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 22, at the Concert Hall as part of his 2019 tour with dates in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Read MoreRomantic songs and poetry reading mingle for a romantic evening of Russian art song at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 15 in the Fresno State Concert Hall.
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A prizewinner of national competitions and soloist in venues around the country, Fresno State professor of flute Elisa Moles will perform a faculty recital at 7 p.m., Nov. 8 in the Wahlberg Recital Hall.
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The Horn Studio Recital will feature a new composition for horns by Fresno State student Alexander Gooch.
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A free on-campus performance of the children’s opera “Lucinda y las Flores de la Nochebuena” will be performed at 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Concert Hall. Parking is $5.
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An eruption of the senses in a journey through life’s indulgences, Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” is among the most popular pieces for classical music concert-goers. The opening, ‘O Fortuna, is immediately recognizable as the backdrop to many scenes in movies, television and commercials invoking drama unparalleled by other musical numbers.
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This year, Fresno State is proud to welcome Prof. Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, one of the most notable musicians of his generation and respected mentor. He was Professor of Cello at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, President of the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Japan, Music Director of Kirishima International Music Festival, and is currently the President of the famed Suntory Hall in Tokyo. He is a recipient of the National Academy of Arts Prize in music by the Emperor, Japan’s Medal with Purple Ribbon, the highest honor in Japan, and was awarded Person of Cultural Merit in 2013.
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In 1974, a young boy sent in a mail order for the “10 Albums for a Penny” promotion from his TV guide. The rest is history.
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The event will showcase 27 percussion music majors and minor performing solos on marimba, timpani and snare drum.
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The community is invited as we celebrate the rich diversity of music from an instrument with a multiplicity of forms and sonority during two Guitar Festival concerts.
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Stanek is a Flute Professor at Willamette and Corban Universities, Oregon known for performances with Oregon Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Eugene Opera, and Vancouver Symphony.
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The Fresno State Wind Orchestra and the Clovis High Wind Ensemble will perform under the direction of Dr. Gary P. Gilroy, Esmeralda Rocha Lozano, and guest conductor Michael J. Corrigan at 8 p.m., Oct. 3 in the Fresno State Concert Hall.
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It was the early 1990s in New York City when Professor of Piano Andreas Werz found himself in Steinway Hall tasked with purchasing three pianos for Fresno State. Even though he was surrounded by first-rate instruments, he struggled to find that perfect one worthy of the world-class musicians he was bringing to campus for the Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concert Series.
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It was late July 2016 in Philadelphia when FOOSA Musician Kelvin Diaz Inoa made his decision. He packed his red 1999 Ford Focus with a few small personal belongings and his cello and hit the road. He didn’t know much about where he was going. All he knew was he had finally found the teacher and mentor he had been searching for…
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“The motto of the festival is to bring the world to Fresno, and then Fresno to the world.” ~ Dr. Thomas Loewenheim
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Born in Locarno, Switzerland, and a protégé of the great Alfred Brendel, Francesco Piemontesi rose to international prominence after winning prizes at several major competitions including the 2007 Queen Elisabeth in Brussels.
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The concert marks the beginning of the Chamber Singers and Concert Choir Spring Choir Tour and will include be something for everyone with music by Poulenc, Palestrina, Whitacre, Forrest, Kverno and more.
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With a heavy Indian music influence, the Arohi Ensemble’s “ragajazz” repertoire features original compositions and improvisations with influences from Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, jazz and western chamber music.
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The community is invited as the Fresno State Wind Orchestra and the Fresno Pacific University Wind Ensemble perform at the 40 annual Dr. Lawrence R. Sutherland Wind Festival Gala Concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 in the Fresno State Concert Hall.
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Fresno State’s Middle East Studies Lecture, Performance and Film Series, and Global Music Series presents “An Evening of Iranian Classical Music” featuring Behrouz Sadeghian playing the Santur, accompanied by Faramarz Amiri playing the Zarb and Daf at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 8 in the Alice Peters Auditorium (PB191).
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After obtaining an injury to her hand, cellist Patricia Fronda was inspired to advocate for greater awareness of injury in the performing arts. She has now redirected her efforts towards the field of occupational therapy and hopes to provide musicians with more specialized treatments.
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The public is invited to the Fresno State Holiday Choral Concert “Here We Come A-Caroling” 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 9 in the Concert Hall. Tickets are $12 general, $8 seniors and $5 for students. Music includes traditional holiday music and carols. The show will feature performances by the Fresno State Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Masterworks Chorus […]
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The Fresno State Symphony Orchestra, directed by Dr. Thomas Loewenheim, will present its second concert of the season “From Russia with Love” on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 8:00 p.m. in the Department of Music Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 general, $10 for employees and seniors and $5 for students. The concert will present three beautiful works […]
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It had been nearly 20 years since the last Fresno State Jazz Festival, and after a day of performances by visiting schools, the main concert began in the Fresno State Concert Hall on the evening of Nov. 29. Richard Giddens, Director of Jazz Studies for the Fresno State Department of Music directed the Fresno State […]
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The Fresno State Jazz Orchestra, Fresno State Wind Orchestra, and Bulldog Marching Band combine for the “Band Spectacular” at 8 p.m., Monday, Nov. 19th at the Fresno State Concert Hall. The fall tradition continues as three of Fresno State’s finest ensembles unite for an evening of music both inside the Concert Hall and on the […]
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What started as a jazz project between two Fresno State colleagues has earned the respect of Downbeat Magazine readers who rank “The Poetry of Jazz” the number three Jazz Album of the Year in the 2018 Readers Poll. The poll results appeared in the December 2018 issue and praised the performance of Pulitzer-winning poet laureate […]
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Congratulations to music performance major Emma Hill who received the Senior Cello award at the 2018 CalASTA (California American String Teachers Association) State Solo Competition on Oct 20 at the Ann E. Pitzer Center on the UC Davis campus. At the competition, 43 competitors were divided into Novice, Junior and Senior divisions. According to CalASTA […]
Read MoreThe Fresno State Jazz Orchestra directed by Richard Lloyd Giddens Jr. and the Fresno State Jazz Ensemble directed by Craig VonBerg will come together for a spooky night of music for the “Jazz-O-Ween” concert presented by California State University, Fresno. Event Details Time & Date: 8 p.m., Oct. 31 Place: Fresno State Concert Hall Tickets: […]
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The 21st Annual Sierra Cup Classic will be held at the Bulldog Stadium on 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 3 at Bulldog Stadium. The event is open to the public and tickets are $15 general, $10 for seniors and children under 12 at the gate. The performances will continue all day and will finish with the final scoring […]
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The “Cello Fresno Gala Concert” will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Concert Hall. The performance represents the culmination of the 2018 Cello Fresno Festival which runs Nov. 1-3. Tickets are $15 general, $10 Seniors and employee, $5 for students. Cellists from the Central Valley, as well as California, Nevada, and Indiana, […]
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Indian slide guitarist Pandit Debasis Chakroborty will be performing with special guest Dr. Lovely Sharma on sitar, accompanied on the tabla by Pandit Shashanka Bakshi at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23 in the Wahlberg Recital Hall located in the Music Building at Fresno State. General admission tickets are $15 and will be available for purchase […]
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According to family, local jazz drummer, teacher, and musical mentor Brian Hamada passed away on August 10th, 2018. Brian’s daughter, Madeline Hamada said on Facebook, “For the past few years, my family has privately and quietly struggled through my dad’s battle against cancer. Whether you knew about our journey or not, we thank you for […]
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While CSU Summer Arts Program wrapped up last weekend at Fresno State, several students are still in Germany where they are learning from world-famous opera singer Bo Skovhus as part of the Romantic Lied program in Germany. Fresno State music professor Dr. Anthony Radford is there with a group of 29 students. Here’s what he had […]
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The Fresno State Department of Music will present the Art Song Festival this weekend at Fresno State. The two-day festival — taking place on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24 — will feature performances by students, faculty and guests including two-term U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera. Joe Moore interviewed Briggs about the Art […]
Read MoreThe Bulldog Pride Fund at Fresno State has established two new, annual scholarships to be presented for the first time in the 2018-19 academic year: the Eartha Kitt Vocal Performance Award and the Larry Newsome Theatre Arts Award.
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As we approach the end of the semester, we look back at what has been another eventful month in the College of Arts and Humanities. Here are the top 5 stories from the month of November.
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Fresno State’s scholarship brass ensemble, the Clendenin Brass Quintet, will perform its fall recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, in the Fresno State Concert Hall.
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“Voice and Silence: Women in Opera and Philosophy” is a lecture-recital scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, in the Fresno State Concert Hall. In this collaboration between the Department of Music and the Department of Philosophy, soprano Dr. Maria Briggs and philosopher Dr. Tina Botts will explore the role of women in operatic dramas and philosophy.
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The International Cello Festival will take place from Oct. 5 through 8 on the Fresno State Campus, taking the final gala concert into the community at the Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall. The festival focuses on talent from the Central Valley taking part in three days of intense master classes, cello ensemble rehearsals, two concerts and more.
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It’s been an eventful second month of the semester, and we’ve been busy celebrating the successes of our students and welcoming our new faculty and staff to the college!
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As summer comes to an end, our students, faculty and alumni are tying a bow on what has proven to be a productive, award-winning summer season for our Bulldogs. Here are the top five stories from the month of July. Alumni Wind Ensemble heads to Spain The Alumni Wind Ensemble hit the road to Spain […]
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It’s funny where we find inspiration. Playing video games as a child, Michael Krikorian‘s interest in pursuing music was sparked by the musical scores of the games he played. Later, he took a Summer Arts class in scoring for visual media. That connection with teachers he met there led him down a path that resulted […]
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Music and journalism project focuses on understanding other cultures ~ By Kathleen R. Schock, excerpted from the June issue of the Fresno State Magazine, Photos by Cary Edmondson View Photo Gallery Growing up in Stockton, Chris Carreon watched a lot of movies. Big blockbusters like Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Back to the Future. He […]
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Evo Bluestein, a longtime folk musician and music educator in the Fresno area, has published a book called “Road to Sweet’s Mill: The West Coast Folk Music Revival in the 1960s and ’70s.” The book, published by The Press at California State University Fresno, provides a rare glimpse into a regional folk subculture of the […]
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Renowned artists flock to the community to teach and to engage ~ Article by Lisa Maria Boyles, Illustrations by Joel Beery, excerpted from Fresno State Magazine Pick an art, any art. There’s a good chance it will be taught, performed or shared during two special programs offered this summer to provide community access to some […]
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~ By Lisa Maria Boyles, communications specialist for the College of Arts and Humanities Fresno State has three 2017 Fulbright recipients, all of whom are from the College of Arts and Humanities. Two faculty members and a student have won the prestigious awards, which will take them to other parts of the world. Alice Daniel, […]
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Dr. Anthony Radford, associate professor of voice and opera in the Department of Music, was one of four faculty and staff recipients of the 12th annual Outstanding Advisor Awards on May 4. This year’s recipients were selected from a group of 23 qualified candidates nominated by students and colleagues, and announced by Vice-Provost Dennis Nef and […]
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Sixteen students in the College of Arts and Humanities Honors Program presented the projects resulting from their research on Friday, May 12, before an audience of family members, friends and faculty mentors in the Music 160 lecture hall. Dr. Honora Chapman, associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and director of the […]
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~ Reprinted from FresnoStateNews.com After a 10 year respite, the Fresno State Gospel Music Choir resumed this spring with a course that features a spring concert from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Concert Hall in the Music Building. The free, public spring concert, presented by Africana Studies and the Department of Music, will […]
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Photo above: Dr. Bradley Hufft and his wife Ellie Choate from their wedding day. Fresno State’s national and state flags will fly at half-staff on Sunday, May 21, in memory of Dr. Bradley Hufft, a professor in the Department of Music who died in April. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at College Community Church, […]
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~ By Tom Uribes, reprinted from FresnoStateNews.com Dr. Benjamin Boone, professor in the Department of Music, has been awarded Fresno State’s 2017 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, announced Dr. Lynnette Zelezny, Fresno State’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Seven faculty members were selected for the Promising New Faculty category of the Provost’s […]
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Armenian musician Richard Hagopian, an internationally recognized master of the oud, will present a lecture called “Maqam Musics of the Middle East: Armenian Traditions” at 4 p.m. on Thursday April 27, in the Alice Peters Auditorium (PB 191) of the Peters Business Building. This free public event is part of the Middle East Studies Lecture, Performance […]
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Here is the video from this today’s performance (event begins at about 7 minutes): Here is the video from the evening performance (event begins at about 3:30 minutes): Photo: The Fresno State Chamber Singers rehearse with Dr. Benjamin Boone ahead of their performance at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on April 26 in celebration of U.S. […]
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~ Video: The Musica Viva Quartet perform “Hurricane,” an arrangement for string quartet by Dr. Brad Hufft. Performing are Susan Doering and Daniel Hang on violin, Claudia Shiuh on viola, and Dieter Wulfhorst on cello. UPDATE: Services for Dr. Brad Hufft will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the College Community Church, Mennonite […]
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The Department of Music presents Fresno State piano majors in concert for their annual spring recital at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 23, in the Wahlberg Recital Hall. The students will perform works by Haydn, Mozart, Brahms, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Debussy and Warren. The cost of admission $5 for all seats. INFO: 559.278.2337.
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A concert by local musician Evo Bluestein and friends will launch a new Music of America Concert Series at Fresno State. The concert will coincide with Earth Day, at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 22, in Wahlberg Recital Hall. Performers will include Bluestein, Terry Barrett, Barry Shultz, Patricia Wells-Solarzano and Agustin Lira, Two for the Road and The Gilly Girls. […]
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~ By Tom Uribes, reprinted from FresnoStateNews.com Fresno State music major Tiffanie Trujillo has advanced to the New York Lyric Opera’s National Competition that will be held April 28 on Broadway in New York City. Trujillo, 21, of Fresno, qualified during the semi-final round in the classical category in Division 1 (ages 18-28) held March […]
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KFSR radio kicks off its spring 2017 pledge drive on Saturday, April 1. KFSR is a listener-supported, non-commercial public radio station licensed to and operated by Fresno State. KFSR plays the music you won’t hear anywhere else. KFSR is the only jazz radio in Fresno. KFSR is your exclusive home of the blues. All donations are tax-deductible […]
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The College of Arts and Humanities and the Department of Music present “Saxes at State,” featuring internationally acclaimed saxophonist Greg Banaszak at 8 p.m. Monday, April 3 in the Wahlberg Recital Hall. “Saxes at State” will include a masterclass and performances by Fresno State saxophone majors. Banaszak will be accompanied by JoungMin Sur on piano. Banaszak will perform a combination of […]
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The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 