Simon Carrington to guest-conduct PLU’s Choir of the West
Pacific Lutheran University’s Choir of the West will perform under the direction of Simon Carrington, one of the world’s foremost choral conductors, as the featured ensemble for the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) Conference, to be held in Portland, November 12-14. The choir will give…
Choir of the West receives high honors in global ranking
The Choir of the West placed 6th in a global ranking of Mixed Collegiate Choirs and overall 25th in Choirs, according to the international organization, Interkultur . “This is a recognition where Choir of the West represents the university and our country well on the world stage,”…
PLU Lecturer wins Seattle competition
Erik Steighner, who teaches applied saxophone at PLU, was one of four solo winners in the 26th annual Frances Walton Competition. In addition to prize money, Steighner will go on a six-day winner’s tour September 13-18, 2015. When Erik Steighner was preparing to compete in…
PLU Jazz Day in Seattle May 3
Jazz music is a dish best served live and in person. A fusion of African-American, European-American and international musical traditions, jazz is known for its energy, creativity and ingenuity. Its iconic founding fathers and mothers are revered as some of the greatest improvisational artists in…
Ron Gerhardstein joins PLU music education faculty after extensive career
Ron Gerhardstein joins PLU music education faculty after extensive career As a music educator for the past 18 years, Ron Gerhardstein has taught instrumental and vocal music in both public and private settings in Washington, Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Now, as a new PLU faculty…
Regency Voices features two compositional perspectives of ‘The Prodigal Son’
On Friday, March 6, PLU’s Regency Voices ensemble presents two musical realizations from Debussy and Sullivan of the iconic story of the Prodigal Son as part of the 2015 SOAC Focus series on perspective. The concert in Lagerquist Concert Hall, features Janeanne Houston, soprano, James…
Nordic Journey: Organ Music From Scandinavia visits PLU March 1
On Sunday, March 1, at 8pm, join organist James D. Hicks for Nordic Journey: Organ Music From Scandinavia in Lagerquist Concert Hall, Mary Baker Russell Music Center. Over the past several years, Hicks has intensively researched a relatively unknown and unexplored corner of the organ…
Q&A: Meet John Paul, PLU’s new Department of Music Chair
Meet John F. Paul, the new Chair of the Department of Music and Associate Professor at Pacific Lutheran University. Before joining the PLU family at the start of the 2014-15 school year, Dr. Paul served for 13 years as Chair of the Department of Music…
Pacific Northwest high school students visit PLU for Northwest High School Honor Bands
On January 9 and 10, 2015, Pacific Lutheran University welcomed 250 high school students to Mary Baker Russell Music Center for Northwest High School Honor Bands. Students came from more than 80 schools in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Ed Powell , associate professor of music…
PLU opera opens Handel’s ‘Alcina’ this January
Travel to Alcina’s island for a story of magic, enchantment and song. This January, surround yourself with magnificent music when Pacific Lutheran University Opera performs Handel’s Alcina on the Karen Hille Phillips Mainstage. There are four opportunities to view the production: January 22, 23, and…
The PLU Wind Ensemble tours Tennessee this month
Features world premier of work by PLU composer Gregory Youtz PLU’s University Ensemble is stretching its legs this January as 47 talented Lutes will be performing at venues in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The ensemble will feature the world premier of For Those Who…
December 14 concert shows brass program’s strengths
If you want to see (or hear) the quality of the PLU’s brass program, look no further than the Lyric Brass Quintet concert on Sunday, December 14 in Lagerquist Concert Hall at 8pm. The Lyric Brass Quintet is comprised of PLU’s brass faculty: Edward Castro…
Be a part of the Journey
Why Music Scholarships Matter – in students’ own words To many students, PLU is a dream, and financial aid and scholarships make it a reality. Hear students talk about their journey to PLU and how music scholarships have made the difference. To address demand for…
Inaugural Christmas Music Scholarship Concert premieres Saturday, December 13
New concert fills need for additional campus performances Pacific Lutheran University’s annual Christmas Concerts are a beloved seasonal celebration on campus and across the Northwest. This year, more than 150 students will perform the world premiere of Oregon composer Robert Kyr’s Christmas Oratorio in Seattle,…
Student Composition Wins Statewide Competition
Taylor Whatley’s Original Piece, ‘Fanfare Giocoso,’ Premieres at LUCO’s Season-Opener Seattle’s renowned Lake Union Civic Orchestra (LUCO) opened its 20th anniversary season with pieces by Mozart, de Falla, Respighi—and Whatley. That’s Taylor Whatley ’15, a Music Composition major at Pacific Lutheran University. And his original composition,…
Cosmosis: combining the art of music with the inquiry of science
In Cosmosis , the final 2013 SOAC FOCUS Series Event, musicians and scientists explore how failure can empower us to pursue knowledge and success. The three-part event will take place in Lagerquist Concert Hall in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center on Saturday, May 11, 2013…
Lute Plays Piano ‘Up Close with the Masters’
A Q&A With Natalie Burton ’13 By Sandy Deneau Dunham, PLU Marketing & Communications Music and Chinese Studies major Natalie Burton graduated magna cum laude from PLU in 2013, but she might have taken her most high-profile class just this year: an “Up Close With the…
Black History Month Concert kicks off 2014 SOAC Focus Series on Entrepreneurship
On Thursday, February 20, the 2014 SOAC Focus Series on Entrepreneurship will kick off with the Black History Month Concert in Lagerquist Concert Hall. Directed by David Deacon-Joyner, the concert plays tribute to the entrepreneurship of African-Americans featuring the legacy of their music, literature, and…
A Midsummer Night’s Dream first opera set in the Karen Hille Phillips Center
Fairy high jinks, true love and bewitching spells will play out on stage at the Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts January 23-26 when PLU’s Opera series presents Benjamin Britten’s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Originally premiered in 1960 at the Aldeburgh Festival, Britten’s evocative…
PLU choral conductor winner of The American Prize for 2013
Pacific Lutheran University’s professor and choral conductor, Richard Nance, was named the winner of The American Prize for 2013. Richard Nance is the Director of Choral Activities at Pacific Lutheran University where he has worked since 1992. At PLU, Nance conducts the Choir of the…
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