Percussion Ensemble Presents Hall of Mirrors
Published: December 05, 2022 | Author: Kol Gibson | Read Time: 3 minutes
Southern Utah University’s Department of Music announces the Fall Percussion Ensembles Concert Hall of Mirrors, under the direction of Dr. Lynn Vartan, on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. in the Thorley Recital Hall. Featuring guest artist Andrew Heglund, the concert is free and open to all.
This concert is entitled Hall of Mirrors because each piece will show a new and different perspective on music, like a mirror’s reflections. Dr. Andrew Heglund, a University of Nevada, Reno professor, will perform as a guest artist on two large pieces, “My Heart Declares a Holiday” by the Earthworks group, an odd meter jazz fusion adaptation, and “Palta” by percussionist Bob Becker. 
“The audience should expect to be taken on a journey,” explains Percussion Performance major Sheldon Stevens. “All of these experimental pieces really open your eyes to what is out there and form a great foundation for me to appreciate all sorts of music. I think people will be surprised by some of the pieces and the sounds we are able to create.”
Another special piece that will be performed is called “(I am becoming) shaded of myself” by Kristian De Leon, which was part of a commissioning project called the Southern California Marimba 2022 New Works Initiative. About this piece, the Initiative says, “This past year, a lot of us were soul-searching, unlearning and learning, and strengthening unheard voices. We were inspired to find some of the best composers we know and love–who represent various walks of life and cultures–and commission them to expand the marimba repertoire.” The Percussion ensemble will be joined by a group of three SUU Dance department students, led by sophomore Dance major Taylor Tumminia.
“I love collaborating with other departments,” shares Dr. Lynn Vartan. She continues, “Taylor has choreographed the movement for her and her colleagues to perform with us. It should be quite magical!”
The variety of performances showcased in Hall of Mirrors is representative of the eclectic and diverse field of Percussion, which Dr. Vartan works tirelessly to prepare her students for. “Exploring different types of music and unusual or experimental pieces helps me see that there is a lot more than just the classic marimba duets,” shares Tyler Lorenzen, a freshman music major from Herriman, Utah. “I love how these pieces have been bent and contorted like a hall of mirrors and how they have helped me to create bonds with my fellow students and improve our abilities as percussionists.”
Gain a new musical perspective with SUU’s Percussion Ensemble by taking in Hall of Mirrors on Monday, December 7th at 7:30 p.m. For more information about the Arts at SUU, visit www.suu.edu/arts.
About the College of Performing and Visual Arts
The College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 41 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM, BMEd) degrees in art, design, dance, filmmaking, music, and theatre. It includes graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 900 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year and is affiliated with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Center for Shakespeare Studies. Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) making SUU the first public university in the state of Utah to be accredited by all four associations. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.
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