• March 6, 2006

  World premieres, Simon Estes highlight "President's Concert" in Omaha

• Two premieres and a special appearance by international opera star Simon Estes will be showcased during Iowa State University's "President's Concert" on Sunday, March 26, at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha, Neb.
  
  The concert will be held at 3 p.m. with a reception for Iowa State alumni and friends held at 1 p.m. at the facility.
  
  The Iowa State Singers, the 65-voice premiere vocal ensemble, will present the official premiere of The Early Bird, a new work by composer René Clausen. The piece is a setting of a poem by Ted Kooser, U.S. Poet Laureate and 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner. Kooser is a 1962 alumnus of Iowa State and a resident of Lincoln, Neb.
  
  The concert will feature performances by the Iowa State Singers, the ISU Wind Ensemble and the ISU Symphony Orchestra.
  
  During their portion of the program, the Wind Ensemble will also present a world premiere, "A Cyclone Fanfare," written by Jeffrey Prater, professor of music at Iowa State.
  
  Estes, the F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Artist in Residence in Iowa State's Department of Music, will appear as a soloist on two selections with the Wind Ensemble ("Elijah" by Felix Mendelssohn, and "Without a Song" by Youmans, Rose and Eliscu) and once with the Symphony Orchestra. Estes will sing "King Philip's Aria" from Verdi's Don Carlo with the orchestra.
  
  "The President's Concerts have spread interest for the music program across campus," said James Rodde, the Louise Moen Professor of Music and director of choral activities. "It's nice to have other University-wide activities surrounding this event and realize the Department of Music is the catalyst that will draw the ISU colleges and alumni together.
  
  "It shows that the department plays a vital role in student life on campus both now and in the future."
  
  Iowa State President Gregory Geoffroy and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Michael Whiteford will speak and be in attendance at both the concert and reception. The Ames Children's Choir will be featured in the lobby prior to the concert.
  
  Reserved seat tickets for the concert are $15 per person. A combination concert/reception ticket is $25 for ISUAA members and $30 for non-members. All tickets are available through the Holland Performing Arts Center.
  
  Ticket information is available from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at 515-294-7742.
  
  This is the third "President's Concert" that the Department of Music has sponsored in recent years. Previous performances were held in Minneapolis and Chicago.

ISU Wind Ensemble

Iowa State Singers