Green Bay, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Music program will be presenting two concerts during the first week of May. Both concerts will be free to the public. On Monday, May 2, the Music program will hold its annual Chamber Ensembles Concert at 7:30 in Fort Howard Hall at the Weidner Center. Then on Wednesday, May 4, the final concert of the season will be presented by the Jazz Ensembles with a special appearance by the John Salerno Orchestra. This concert will start at 7:30 and be held in University Theatre, Theatre Hall. Both concerts are general admission and tickets are not necessary to attend.
The Chamber Ensembles will feature a Woodwind Ensemble under the direction of Professor Eric Hansen and consist of students Aliya Hammer and Danielle Wolf, flutes, Madison Bjorkman and Alexis Singletary, clarinets, and Emily Pitzer, bassoon. The Woodwind Ensemble will perform a wide variety of music including, “Legend of Zelda” Medley and Eric Whitacre’s “October.” In addition to the Woodwind Ensemble, the concert will also feature the New Music Ensemble under the direction of Professor William Sallak. Students making up the New Music Ensemble are: Joseph Antilla, Andrew Braley, Madelyn Davies, Jackson Evans, Rainy Lampone, Riannon LeCaptain, Aidan Lowery, Sam McClurg, Joshua Paustian, Grace Prust, Kyle Seidl, Abby Van Pay, and Deanna Yashinsky. The New Music Ensemble will perform Cobra by John Zorn as well as Selections from “Tierkreis” by Karlheinz Stockhausen.
The Jazz Concert will feature Jazz I & Jazz II as well as Vocal Jazz under the direction of Professors Adam Gaines and John Salerno. In addition, the concert will include a special performance by the John Salerno Orchestra. The concert will include selections such as: “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by Cole Porter, “Lady is a Tramp” by Rogers and Hart, and “Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel, along with several others.
In addition to being the last concert of the season, the Jazz Concert will also be the last concert for Professor and professional musician John Salerno who, at the end of the semester, will be retiring from UW-Green Bay after thirty years. Over the years, Salerno has taught saxophone, composition, jazz ensemble, and other jazz-related classes at UW-Green Bay educating hundreds of students and future professional musicians. Under his direction, the UW-Green Bay Jazz Ensemble has played at the Montreux and North Seas Jazz Festivals in Europe. As a professional saxophonist, Salerno has worked with a variety of notable artists and groups, including: The Jacksons, The Spinners, Englebert Humperdinck, Roberta Flack, and Joe Williams. Salerno is also a published composer and arranger and several of his arrangements will be performed at this concert.
Both concerts will be held on the UW-Green Bay, Green Bay Campus, located at 2420 Nicolet Drive. Both concerts are free, open to the public, and general admission seating and do not require any ticket or advance reservation. For more information about this or other upcoming music events, please visit www.uwgb.edu/music/events.
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving 9,276 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and 95,000 continuing education learners each year. We educate students from pre-college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. UW-Green Bay is the fastest-growing UW school in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
About the Weidner Center for Performing Arts
UW-Green Bay’s Weidner Center for the Performing Arts is known for its elegant design and the acoustic excellence of its 2,000-seat main hall, Cofrin Family Hall. It also houses two smaller performance spaces, the Fort Howard recital hall and the Jean Weidner Theatre, along with a dance studio and Grand Foyer. The Weidner Center has a distinct benefit in being part of a leading institution of higher learning. The Center is a home for UW-Green Bay Music and Theatre and Dance programs, community events and productions, and performances by visiting artists and touring companies. Beyond the large-scale touring productions that grace the stage, the Weidner Center also focuses on scholastic development, programming, and an impactful education series—Stage Doors. For more information on the Weidner Center, visit WeidnerCenter.com, 920-465-2726, 800-895-0071, or follow ‘Weidner Center for the Performing Arts’ on Facebook, Twitter (@WeidnerCenter) and Instagram (@weidnercenter).
