Michael Dezort A concert by the Eastern Mennonite University orchestra will feature the winners of a concerto/aria competition held on campus in January. The program will take place 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Mar. 31, in EMU’s Lehman Auditorium.
The student soloists will be Michael Dezort, baritone, singing the count’s aria "Vedro mentr’io sospiro" from the Marriage of Figaro; Jonathan Keener, pianist, peforming the third movement of the Mozart Piano Concerto in G Major by Mozart, and April Miller on oboe featuring the first movement of the Haydn Oboe Concerto in C Major.
Jonathan Keener The program will conclude with the "Russian Easter Overture" by Rimsky-Korsakov for full orchestra, a colorful work in celebration of Easter.
The 45-member orchestra, directed by Joan Griffing, is made up of EMU students and commmunity players from Harrisonburg, Staunton, Bridgewater, Elkton and Orange County.
April Miller Dr. Griffing, associate professor of music, teaches violin and viola and coaches chamber music in addition to conducting the EMU orchestra. She is also concertmaster of the annual Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival and the Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra.
Griffing earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University, where she studied with Tadeusz Wronski, and her D.M.A. in violin performance from Ohio State University.
Admission to the concert is free; donations are welcomed for the music department student scholarship fund.