Concerts to feature U. faculty

The University of Utah launches a new concert series tonight. Titled Sundays@Seven, the concerts feature members of the U.'s school of music.

"This is the first time that faculty members have had a venue to perform together," said series director Amy Leung.

The idea behind the series came from Robert Walzel, director of the school of music. "Bob wanted to give us the opportunity to play together," said Leung, a cellist who joined the faculty this year.

The series kicks off tonight at 7 in Libby Gardner Concert Hall with an all-baroque concert. The program consists of J.S. Bach's Cantata No. 202 ("Weichet nur, betrubte Schatten"); Dietrich Buxtehude's Sonata op. 1, no. 3, in A minor; and Jan Zelenka's Trio Sonata no. 5 in F major.

Zelenka was a contemporary of Bach who is now all but forgotten. Yet he wrote some delightful works. "His trio sonata is cool and has some very catchy tunes," Leung said.

Performing tonight will be violinist Lynnette Stewart, oboist Robert Stephenson and bassoonist Lori Wike, all members of the Utah Symphony, as well as members of the U. faculty — Carol Ann Allred, soprano; Hasse Borup, violin; Robert Baldwin, viola; Leung and Elliott Cheney, cello; and Brady Allred and Vedrana Subotic, harpsichord.

All of the concerts on the series will be short, between 60 and 90 minutes, Leung said. "We start early and they're not very long, so people can bring their families with them. And parking is a lot easier on campus on a Sunday."

As of now, there are a total of four concerts scheduled for the series' first season, but that could change. "We might be adding some more later," Leung said, adding that Walzel's hope for the series is that faculty members who have an urge to perform a particular work can have the venue at their disposal. "We're going to be flexible in programs and in the number of concerts we present."

The second concert slated for the series takes place in October. With the rather cryptic title "Bobby, Pablo and the Divas," it needs some explanation. "That was (Walzel's) idea," Leung said. "He's Bobby, and (pianist) Paul Dorgan is Pablo. The divas are the female voice teachers here." The program includes vocal music and works for clarinet and piano.

In November, Ralph Vaughan Williams' song cycle "On Wenlock Edge" and Franz Schubert's "Der Hirt auf dem Felsen" are on the program. Performers include tenor Robert Breault, soprano Shawna Gottfredsen and clarinetist Kathy Pope.