FARMINGTON — As part of the kick off for University of Maine at Farmington’s Arts Week, the UMF Collegium Instrumental Ensemble will hold a concert at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, April 23, in Nordica Auditorium in Merrill Hall.
The ensemble, a musical model that includes band, orchestral and other ensemble works under a single musical performance entity, was launched at UMF in the fall of 2015 as a new chapter in the long and fruitful history of collaborative university-community music making. This innovative and flexible musical grouping is led by Eric Thomas, whose commitment to eclecticism and passion for music of all kinds is well suited to the unique and experimental community of music making at UMF and in the community.
This concert will feature performances from both the orchestra and wind ensemble. The wind ensemble will be performing works by the influential late Renaissance and early Baroque composer Girolamo Frescobaldi and the more contemporary José Franco and Michael Gandolfi.
The orchestra will be performing selections from Ludwig van Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. They will also be performing “Bittersweet Victory,” composed by Collegium member Soren Nyhus. Nyhus submitted this piece at the age of 15 to a composing competition sponsored by Noteflight, where it was performed as one of three finalists.
Thomas was the assistant conductor and mentee of Sarah Caldwell who appointed Thomas as principal conductor of the Opera New England Orchestra. He has had posts as assistant conductor of the Phillips Exeter Orchestra, interim conductor of the Phillips Academy Andover Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Longy School of Music Youth String Orchestra, guest conductor of the Bangor Symphony, the Colby College Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Maine Faculty Cadenzato Chamber Ensemble.
Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and free for children and UMF students with student I.D. For further information, contact Matthew Houston at matthew.houston@maine.edu.
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