Furman musicians present local concert, perform at international clarinet festival
July 10, 2019
Furman Clarinet Ensemble (FCE), a group of 16 student musicians, will present a concert Wednesday, July 24, at noon at the Carolina Music Museum, 516 Buncombe St., in Greenville.
The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to help cover travel costs associated with FCE’s upcoming trip to ClarinetFest, presented by the International Clarinet Association July 24-28 on The University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus.
The trip to ClarinetFest represents Furman’s first invitation to the largest and most prestigious clarinet festival in the world.
Led by Furman Associate Professor of Clarinet Cecilia Kang, the ensemble is made up of music majors and non-music majors:
• Jake Daniel, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Tristan de la Cruz, Powder Springs, Georgia (Class of 2019)*
• Ian Fonseca, Summerville, South Carolina
• Sam Hsieh, Tyler, Texas
• Sam Johnson, Greer, South Carolina
• JaneGrace Lowther, Fort Mill, South Carolina
• Erynn MacFarland, Greensboro, Maryland
• Matthew Martin, Pickens, South Carolina (away on an internship in Germany)*
• Destiny Meadows, Charleston, South Carolina (Class of 2019)
• Hindolo Murray, Goose Creek, South Carolina
• Gabrielle Phillips, Charleston, South Carolina
• Caitlin Roberson, Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Kayla Stone, Hanahan, South Carolina
• Miranda Thomas, New Castle, Pennsylvania
• Bryan Tran, Irmo, South Carolina
• Vanna Tsiknias, Gaffney, South Carolina
*Will not perform at ClarinetFest
In addition to Kang, Leslie W. Hicken, retired Furman director of bands and clarinetist, will serve as guest conductor. “It is an honor to be asked to join our clarinet ensemble for their performance at ClarinetFest. Dr. Kang has done an amazing job in building her studio with talented and motivated students. This is a proud moment for me and all of Furman University,” said Hicken.
For Kang and the FCE, the program of eclectic works to be presented at ClarinetFest is a result of the studio-wide theme “Living Music Initiative: Fostering 21st Century Global Musical Citizens.” Its goal, which is aligned with The Furman Advantage, is aimed at celebrating differences and raising awareness of diverse populations through the study of contemporary world music.
The Living Music Initiative also includes a service-learning component. FCE members have been actively engaged in a number of campus performances such as the Furman Single Reed Day, which attracts over 70 middle school and high school musicians from across the state each year. FCE also recently performed at the Furman Academic Awards, Furman Engaged! (a day set aside to celebrate undergraduate research and immersive learning experiences), for the residents at the Woodlands Senior Living Community, and for students at SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities.
For more information, contact Cecilia Kang in the Department of Music at 864-294-2117, and [email protected].
