Northwestern University School of Music Faculty Recitals

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The vocal and instrumental mastery of some of the faculty members of the Northwestern University School of Music will be showcased on the Evanston campus this winter.

Both faculty recitals are open to the public and will be held in Lutkin Hall, 700 University Place.

Tenor Kurt R. Hansen, a senior voice lecturer, will present "Songs of Love and Longing" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, in Lutkin Hall. Hansen has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Omaha, St. Louis and Milwaukee symphonies, the Minnesota Orchestra and Music of the Baroque. His program will include Johann Sebastian Bach's "Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht"; the Chicago premiere of Joseph Thalken's "Songs of Love and Longing" for tenor, clarinet, cello and piano; and Gabriel Fauré's "La Bonne Chanson." Karina Kontorovitch will provide piano accompaniment and Stephen Alltop will conduct. Tickets are $9 for the general public; $7 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $5 for full-time students.

Clarinetist Steven Cohen, pianist Elizabeth Buccheri, hornist Gail Williams, soprano Sunny Joy Langton and harpist Elizabeth Cifani will combine their talents at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, in Lutkin Hall.

Cohen, an associate professor of clarinet, presented a recital and master classes at the China International Clarinet/Saxophone Festival in Beijing in August 2007. Buccheri, a piano and collaborative arts senior lecturer, recently spent her third summer at the Aspen Music Festival, where she is a senior coach in the Aspen Opera Theater. Williams, a horn professor, has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra. She is a founding member of the Chicago Chamber Musicians and Summit Brass. Langton, an assistant professor of voice, has performed as a soloist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and with orchestras and opera companies throughout Europe and the United States, making more than 100 television appearances on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio. Cifani, a senior harp lecturer, is the principal harpist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and is active as a soloist, chamber musician and recording studio musician.

Their March 4 program will include Malcolm Arnold's Divertimento for clarinet, flute and oboe; Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Six Studies in English Folk Song"; Leonard Bernstein's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano; Louis Spohr's "Six German Songs" for voice, clarinet and piano; and Robert Kahn's Trio for clarinet, horn and piano. Tickets are $9 for the general public; $7 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $5 for full-time students.

For more information, call Pick-Staiger Concert Hall at (847) 491-5441. For tickets, call (847) 467-4000 or visit http://www.pickstaiger.org/