Department of Music to open
Faculty Recital Series for 2007-08

Sept. 20, 2007 --  The Department of Music at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro will present the first concert in the 2007-2008 Faculty Recital Series featuring Neale Bartee, Lauren Schack Clark, Dale Clark, Robin Dauer, Joy Fiala, Ken Hatch, E. Ron Horton, Richard Jorgensen, and Ed Owen on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fowler Center, Riceland Hall.  This popular series of concerts began in 2004 as a venue to showcase the artist level faculty at ASU.

The concert will include performances of "Images I for Piano" by Claude Debussy, "Suite for Horn and Piano" by Karen Griebling, "Concert Piece No. 2 in D minor, Opus 114 for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano" by Felix Mendelssohn, "Adagio from "The Limpid Stream," Opus 39" by Dmitri Shostakovich, "My Spirit Be Joyful" by Johann Sebastian Bach, "Scherzo" by John Cheetham, and "Roundabout" by Brian Rhodes.

The compositions of Impressionist composer Claude Debussy are a welcome addition to any concert program.  Audience members familiar with his famous Clair de Lune and La Cathédral engloutie will recognize the fluid, atmospheric, hazy sonorities and beautiful melodies that characterize his style.  The second movement of Images, Hommage a Rameau, has been called one of the most beautiful pieces written for piano since the last sonatas of Beethoven.  Dr. Lauren Schack Clark will also present this work at an upcoming recital at Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville.

The Suite for Horn and Piano by Karen Griebling was commissioned by horn professor Dr. Robin Dauer with a grant from the International Horn Society.  This challenging five-movement work was premiered last spring at the Southeast Horn Workshop in Athens, Georgia.  Additionally, Dr. Dauer received an invitation to perform this composition at last summer's International Horn Society Workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.  Composer Karen Griebling is currently Chair of the Music Department at Hendrix University in Conway, Arkansas.

Dr. Neale Bartee is Professor of Music at Arkansas State University, where he teaches trombone and conducts the ASU Concert Orchestra.  He joined the faculty in 1973 and is a charter member of the ASU Brass Quintet.  In addition, he is Music Director of the Delta Symphony Orchestra which is located in Jonesboro and serves the Northeast Arkansas region. He also toured Russia in 2003 with a trombone ensemble from the International Trombone Association.  He is Past President of the Arkansas Music Educators Association and continues to be active in music education projects in the state.

Lauren Schack Clark is Assistant Professor of Piano and Keyboard Activities Supervisor at Arkansas State University. She performs frequently as a soloist and collaborative artist. Recently, she was selected to perform at the 2005 TCU-Cliburn Institute Teachers Session in Fort Worth. She is President of the Delta Music Teachers Association, chair of the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association Chamber Music and Young Artist Competitions, and has served as Secretary of The Massachusetts Music Teachers Association and the Greater Memphis Music Teachers Association.  She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Boston University, a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern University, a Graduate Diploma from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Hartt School of Music.

Dale Clark is Adjunct Professor of Bassoon at Arkansas State University.  Formerly a Boston Lyric Opera bassoonist he has recently performed with Orquesta Sinfonica in Monterrey, Mexico and was a guest artist in 2004 at Berklee College of Music in Boston and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.  His articles have been published in the Double Reed and his compositions, lectures and performances have been presented at conferences of the International Double Reed Society.  He earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Master of Music from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University.   Dr. Clark is a former faculty member of Boston Conservatory, Atlantic Union College, and the University of Memphis.  His teachers include Gary Echols, Keith McClelland, and Dr. Matthew Ruggiero.

Robin Dauer is Associate Professor of Horn at Arkansas State University. He received the Bachelor of Arts from Miami University and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.  He is currently a member of the ASU Brass Quintet and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Dauer's recordings include Horn Americana, works for horn and piano by American composers, Souvenir, French pieces for horn and piano, both available from Mark Recordings, and the recently released Alan Hovhaness: Music for Horn, Voice, and Strings on Centaur Records.  At Arkansas State, he conducts the horn ensemble, student chamber ensembles, and teaches music appreciation.

Joy Fiala joined the Arkansas State University faculty in 1998. She teaches Music Methods and Materials for Elementary Education Majors, Methods and Materials for Music Education Majors, Music Fundamentals, Theory I, Aural Theory, Fine Arts Musical, and Applied Piano. In addition she serves as a faculty and student accompanist. Mrs. Fiala received the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Dominican University and the Master of Music Degree from DePaul University.  While teaching on the secondary level she developed a high school class piano curriculum which was spotlighted at an Illinois Music Educators State Conference.  She is currently working toward incorporating Suzuki philosophy and piano practices within the music education curriculum she teaches at Arkansas State University.

Ken Hatch, Assistant Professor of Music, has taught clarinet and saxophone at ASU since 1983.  In addition to studio teaching, he coaches chamber music, teaches instrumental technique classes for music education majors, and conducting. He presently performs as clarinetist and saxophonist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little Rock.  Mr. Hatch holds the Bachelor of Music Degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of North Texas, and the Master of Music Degree in Clarinet Performance from Baylor University. He has done post-graduate work at Florida State University and Michigan State University.

Dr. E. Ron Horton, Director of Jazz Studies, joined Arkansas State University in 2006. He currently directs The Tribe (ASU's premier Jazz Band), The ASU Jazz Lab Band, and The ASU Pre-Collegiate Jazz Band. He also teaches Private Improvisation Lessons, Fine Arts Musical, Introduction to World Music, and he supervises the ASU Jazz Festival during the Spring Semester. In addition to Jazz Studies, Dr. Horton specializes in composition, arranging, and ethnomusicology. As a music professional, he played Lead Trumpet, Jazz, Solo and was a clinician for the United State Air Force Band of the West.  Dr. Horton's degrees include a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Music from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas.
 
Richard Jorgensen is Professor of Music at Arkansas State University where he teaches trumpet. He joined the music department faculty in 1975 and is a founding member of the Arkansas State University Brass Quintet. As a charter member of the International Trumpet Guild, he has performed at several international conferences.  Mr. Jorgensen has been Principal Trumpet of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra since 1976. With that group he performs more than 50 concerts each year in Little Rock and other cities around the state.  He is also First Trumpet with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet and Solo Trumpet with the Arkansas Bach Chorus.  In the summer, Mr. Jorgensen is the Concert Manager for the Interlochen Arts Festival in Michigan.

Ed Owen is Assistant Professor of Music at Arkansas State University where he serves as Coordinator of Graduate Studies, teaches Applied Tuba and Euphonium, and conducts the ASU Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble and Brass Choir.  He currently performs as Principal Tuba of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and Brass Quintet, the Delta Symphony Orchestra, and the ASU Brass Quintet.  He received the Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Arkansas Tech University (summa cum laude), the Master of Music in Tuba Performance and Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

The audience is encouraged to visit the Bradbury Gallery during intermission.  The current exhibition is entitled Faculty Biennial and offers a look at what is currently being created by members of the ASU Department of Art.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more details, please call the Department of Music at (870) 972-2094.
 

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