Crane School of Music Kicks Off Semester with Virtual Faculty Gala Concert

SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music Opens 2020-21 Academic Year with Faculty Gala Concert, Livestreaming on Sept. 8

Potsdam, NY (09/04/2020) — SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music will open the 2020-21 academic year with the traditional Faculty Gala -- in a very nontraditional format. This year's gala concert, highlighting Crane's world-renowned faculty of scholars and teaching artists, will be fully virtual.

The Faculty Gala will stream live online on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m., on Crane's YouTube channel and Facebook page. The links and program information are available at http://www.potsdam.edu/cranelive.

In keeping with public health precautions, no live audiences will be allowed for Crane School of Music performances this year, which will all stream online. The Faculty Gala will weave together selections that have either been recorded at home or at Crane in recent days, along with live performances from the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall stage.

"This year's gala features work from the classical canon as well as works that represent gender and racial inclusivity in the arts. Specifically, the selections on this concert feature many compositions by underrepresented groups, pieces reflecting stylistic diversity, and pieces whose title, text or programmatic content reflect this concern," said concert organizer Dr. Lonel Woods, co-chair of music performance at Crane. "It is our hope that this performance helps us to realize The Crane School of Music's stated mission of 'being a community of musician-educators committed to fostering a vital musical society,' while also embracing the diversity and inclusive nature of the arts."

The Sept. 8 performance will include works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy, Jules Massenet and Giuseppe Verdi. The concert will also highlight the contributions of women and composers of color in the arts. Works by Margaret Bonds, John Carter, Duke Ellington, Marguerite D'Harcourt, Jennifer Higdon, Nathalie Joachim, Florence A. Maunders and Michio Miyagi will help illustrate the diversity and inclusivity of the classical arts.

The performance will officially introduce new or visiting faculty to the Crane stage, including Brianne Borden (trumpet), Brian Dunbar (flute), Christopher Hernacki (trombone), Christine Hoerning (clarinet) and Clark Hunt (trumpet).

Additional performers include:

• Brass faculty: Lauren Becker (horn) and Charles Guy (tuba)
• Guitar faculty: Douglas Rubio
• Keyboard faculty: Rosemarie Suniga
• Piano faculty: Ling Lo, Julie Miller and Young-Ah Tak
• String faculty: Marie-Elaine Gagnon (cello)
• Voice faculty: Margaret Chalker (soprano), Donald George (tenor), Kathleen Miller (soprano), Colleen Skull (soprano), Lonel Woods (tenor)
• Woodwind faculty: Julianne Kirk Doyle (clarinet), Anna Hendrickson (oboe), Carol Lowe (bassoon) and Jill Rubio (flute)
• Virtual guest artist: Andrea Grant (piano)

To see this and other upcoming livestreaming performances at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, visit http://www.potsdam.edu/cranelive.

About The Crane School of Music:

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution. For more information, please visit http://www.potsdam.edu/crane.

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