Jan. 18, 2006 -- The Department of Music at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro will present the ensemble “Mainspring” in concert on Monday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Recital Hall.

The ensemble includes Matthew Murchison, Pamela Murchison, and Micah Burgess. ASU faculty members Ed Owen and Craig Collison will join the ensemble for this performance.

Mainspring was formed by Matthew Murchison and Pamela Murchison as a unique and flexible ensemble that presents concerts of world, folk, and original music. The ensemble fuses elements of Celtic, Latin, jazz, and classical music with an inventive instrumentation to create an exciting new sound.

Mainspring has performed throughout the United States and abroad, as well as at regional and national conferences, winning numerous awards and competitions. A typical concert may consist of traditional jigs and reels from Scotland and Ireland, Mexican serenades, sambas, a suite of Spanish folk music, an Armenian lament, or the group’s own entertaining original music.

Matthew Murchison regularly plays the euphonium with the River City Brass Band in Pittsburgh, Pa. He first performed as a soloist while in high school and has since performed throughout the country, winning national and international competitions. Matthew Murchison is a Yamaha Performing Artist and can be heard on his solo CD, “Everyone But Me.”

Flutist Pamela Murchison currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pa., where she maintains an active schedule of freelance teaching and performing. She is the proprietor of Murchison Flute Studios, and resides on the faculty of the Flute Academy of Pittsburgh. She has performed in the United States and abroad and has appeared on stage with such artists as James Earl Jones.

Burgess currently lives in Manhattan where he is pursuing a master’s degree in jazz studies from New York University. As a performer, Burgess has been hired to work with Eddie Mekka, star of television’s hit show “Laverne and Shirley.” He has also been hired to work with 1960s teen idols, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, and Danny and the Juniors. His recording credits include “Inside Al Gore’s Brain,” a comedy feature produced for National Public Radio.

Owen is assistant professor of music at ASU where he serves as coordinator of graduate studies, teaches applied tuba and euphonium, and conducts the ASU Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble and the 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. A native Arkansan, he received a bachelor of arts in music education from Arkansas Tech University, and a master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Collison, a native of Spokane, Wash., has been a member of the ASU faculty since 1998 and a member of the Arkansas Symphony since 1999. He performed with the U.S. Air Force Concert Band in Washington, D.C., from 1985-1996. In this capacity, he performed for presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Sr., Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Bill Clinton. Collison received his undergraduate degree from Washington State University and his master’s degree from the University of North Texas.

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