What: The 2016 University of North Texas College of Music Gala, Heroes and Villains of the Stage, featuring the Symphony Orchestra and student vocalists.
When: 4 p.m. Oct. 9 (Sunday).
Where: Margot and Bill Winspear Performance Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35E, Denton. The event also will be streamed live at https://recording.music.unt.edu/.
Cost: $25 each. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Murchison Box Office at 940-369-7802.
Parking: Free parking will be available in the lot next to the MPAC, with overflow parking available in lots 4 and 26. View the UNT parking map.
More information: For a complete list of UNT College of Music events, including faculty and student recitals, visit the College of Music online calendar and connect with the College of Music on Facebook and on Twitter at @UNTCoM.
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- The 2016 University of North Texas College of Music Gala, Heroes and Villains of the Stage, will feature a selection of songs from popular operas including Don Giovanni, La Traviata, La Bohème and Hamlet. The annual benefit, which will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 9 (Sunday) in Margot and Bill Winspear Performance Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35E, will feature the Symphony Orchestra and student vocalists. Funds raised will support music student scholarships.
"The gala concert is very important to the College of Music for two reasons," said David Itkin, director of orchestral studies and conductor of the gala performances. "It's a great showcase for some of the top talent in the college and it's a time for our donors and the public to see what amazing things go on here."
The gala is the College of Music's largest fundraiser of the year and helps guarantee scholarships for hundreds of UNT music students. It also helps ensure the college can remain competitive and continue to attract some of the top musicians in the world. John W. Richmond, new dean of the College of Music, affirms the importance of merit-based music scholarships.
"As several of UNT's direct competitors for music students – the Curtis Institute, the Colburn School and the Yale School of Music among them – are fully endowed institutions, it is essential that the UNT College of Music work diligently to grow its scholarship resources," Richmond said. "Attracting the world's finest student musicians to Denton will help to ensure that UNT's global leadership position in professional music will strengthen."
Itkin says the audience will enjoy the variety and selection of songs. "We select the music around both the theme and the particular talents of our top students," Itkin said. "I'd say it's going to be about the most fun anyone could have in 80 minutes."
Tickets for the concert are $25 each, with proceeds going to student scholarships. The concert is free for UNT students with valid ID. Students must pick up their tickets in person at the box office. Purchase tickets online at the www.thempac.com or by calling the Murchison Performing Arts Center Box Office at 940-369-7802. Free parking will be available in the lot next to the MPAC, with overflow parking available in lots 4 and 26. View the UNT parking map. The performance will be streamed live.
About the UNT College of Music
The UNT College of Music is one of the world's largest and most respected comprehensive music schools. The college offers fully accredited degrees from the bachelor's to doctoral levels and is home to the world's first jazz studies program. The music faculty is made up of internationally acclaimed artists and scholars in composition, conducting, ethnomusicology, music education, music history, music theory and performance. The College of Music enriches the community by producing more than 1,000 diverse concerts and recitals annually. Distinguished UNT music alumni can be found around the globe in impressive, award-winning careers across a wide-range of music professions.