March Music Festivals Resound at UCM

By Jeff Murphy, February 26, 2020

WARRENSBURG, MO – If you’re yearning to welcome the spring with great music and you missed the 45th Annual Central Missouri Jazz Festival last weekend, don’t worry. Following some late February events, the month of March at UCM Music is also chock full of performances events to satisfy every taste.

Start by celebrating Leap Year with the third annual Claude T. Smith Invitational Band Festival on Saturday, Feb. 29. Featured guest conductor and composer Frank Ticheli will lead the UCM Wind Ensemble in a performance of his Acadiana, a stirring tribute to the spirited music and history of Cajun Louisiana. For more information, visit UCM Bands’ Facebook page. Also, come celebrate Black History Month with the UCM Choirs’ Black History Concert on Thursday, February 27, showcasing the music of African-American composers with a free pre-concert lecture by University of Nebraska professor Dr. Marques Garrett.

March proper begins with MOXsonic (Missouri Experimental Sonic Arts), happening all day and evening March 5 -7 at venues across the UCM campus. Celebrating its third consecutive year at the university, MOXsonic is a truly international festival of curated performances, installations, papers, and workshops by leading artists, performers, scholars, and music technology innovators from around the globe. Co-directed by UCM music faculty Dr. Jeff Kaiser, Dr. Elisabeth Stimpert, and Dr. Eric Honour, MOXsonic has placed Warrensburg on the world map and at the cutting edge of creative music and sound. Visit moxsonic.org for the full lineup of free events.

Classical music lovers can hear UCM Distinguished Music Alumna Dr. Carolyn True in a solo piano recital on Monday, March 2, followed the next week by Catherine French and Nina Andrews, who perform the violin sonatas of Beethoven on Monday, March 9 at Hart Hall. The UCM Symphony Orchestra featuring Concerto and Aria Competition winner Janelle Sharp, trumpet, performs on Friday, March 13 at Hendricks Hall. Visiting artists Brendan Betyn, percussion and the Fort Leonard Wood Jazz Combo grace the Hart Hall stage on March 3 and 4. And don’t miss outstanding student recitals and performances this month by Solara Martin, Kirstin Clark, Carly Jones, UCM pianists, and more.

The month of March roars out in style with the 2020 President’s Gala at the Kauffman Center. This sold-out event benefits the School of Visual and Performing Arts and features American Idol and UCM alumnus David Cook, together with UCM President Roger Best and student and faculty performances from theatre, art, dance, and music.  Visit the Gala webpage for event details, or if you wish to donate. Celebrate with us as we help the next generation of young artists and thinkers explore and enrich the arts at UCM.