What: The annual University of North Texas College of Music Gala, this year titled A Symphonic Celebration of Popular Song, will feature jazz alumnus and trombonist Tom "Bones" Malone of Blues Brothers and CBS Orchestra fame and classical saxophonist Eugene Rousseau, who has performed in recital and with orchestras throughout the world. Malone and Rousseau will perform with the UNT Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Itkin.
When: 4 p.m. Oct. 12 (Sunday)
Where: Winspear Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Denton. The concert will also be streamed online.
Tickets: $25 each, with proceeds going to student scholarships. Free for UNT students with valid ID, who must pick up their tickets in person at the box office. Purchase tickets online at the Murchison Performing Arts Center website or by calling the Murchison Box Office at 940-369-7802.
More information: For a complete list of UNT College of Music events, including faculty and student recitals, visit the College of Music online calendarand the College of Music Facebook page.
DENTON (UNT), Texas – The University of North Texas College of Music Gala concert of popular musical favorites – such as Georgia on My Mind, Unforgettable and arrangements from Porgy and Bess – will not only entertain audiences but will benefit hundreds of music students.
The gala, the largest College of Music fundraiser of the year, helps to ensure the college can continue to attract the best young musicians in the world. Last year alone, 550 of the 1,600 music students at UNT received merit-based scholarships. This year's concert is at 4 p.m. Oct. 12 (Sunday) in Winspear Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Denton.
The concert this year features jazz alumnus and trombonist Tom "Bones" Malone and renowned classical saxophonist Eugene Rousseau performing with the UNT Symphony Orchestra. The program will appeal to a wide range of audiences with repertoire including instrumental arrangements of popular, musical theater and operatic staples.
Conducted by David Itkin, the UNT Symphony Orchestra will perform arrangements of music from Porgy and Bess, Tosca, South Pacific and Harlem Nocturne with Rousseau. With Malone, they will perform Georgia on My Mind, Unforgettable, Penny Lane, MacArthur Park and more. Both guest soloists will perform You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' together with the orchestra toward the end of the concert.
"Eugene Rousseau has a classical background and Tom Malone, a jazz background, but their collaboration with the orchestra on this concert will entertain the audience with a lively union of two genres of music," said Itkin. "This also helps UNT students experience diversity in their musical studies, which strengthens their talents and builds their versatility. Versatility is integral to becoming a professional in today's musical climate."
Malone, a College of Music and One O'Clock Lab Band alumnus, was an original member of the "Saturday Night Live" band who started working with the sketch comedy television show in 1975. That led to his inclusion in a televised skit series, subsequent movies and performances with the Blues Brothers band. In 1993, he joined the CBS Orchestra, the band for the "Late Show with David Letterman." He has performed and recorded with a wide variety of musicians – including Frank Zappa, Miles Davis and Steve Winwood – and has been heard on more than 350 records and more than 3,000 radio and television commercials.
"Tom Malone is an exciting soloist and multi-instrumentalist with the ability to play convincingly in different genres," said Jazz Studies Chair John Murphy. "While our program is focused on the jazz tradition and new music that grows out of it, we know that our students will make a living playing and composing in many musical styles. Tom's versatility is a good example for our students. The fact that he's here with the UNT Symphony Orchestra emphasizes that."
A world renowned classical saxophonist, Rousseau has performed across North America and on five continents since his Carnegie Hall debut. Rousseau's groundbreaking career has been marked by many firsts. He gave the first-ever solo saxophone recitals in the cities of Paris, Berlin, Vienna, London and Amsterdam. Rousseau also premiered numerous works written for him by well-known contemporary composers, including Libby Larsen, Claude Baker, Juan Orrego-Salas, Jindřich Feld, Bernhard Heiden, Frederick Fox, Don Freund and David DeBoor Canfield. Since 1972, Rousseau has been the Yamaha Corporation's chief consultant for saxophone research, contributing to the development of acoustic improvements in saxophones and mouthpieces.
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 Murchison Performing Arts Center website or by calling the Murchison Box Office at 940-369-7802. The concert will also be streamed online.
About the UNT College of Music
The UNT College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the country. More than 1,600 music students attend UNT each year, participating in more than 50 widely varied ensembles and pursuing specialized studies in performance, composition, music education or music scholarship. UNT faculty members and students have made appearances on the world's finest stages and have produced numerous recordings, many receiving Grammy awards and nominations. Distinguished UNT alumni can be found around the globe, in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities and schools.