by Gabe Chester, Public Relations Intern
Cedarville University’s annual Masterworks Concert will be held Friday, March 29, from 7-9:30 p.m. in the Dixon Ministry Center Jeremiah Chapel.
Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for students and senior citizens; there is no cost for children under 12. Tickets are available online or at the door.
The concert will feature Cedarville’s wind symphony and orchestra groups playing challenging literature of tremendous artistic value, also known as Masterworks.
“Masterworks gives students and faculty in the music department an opportunity to tackle some heavier repertoire than we typically would in our normal concert series,” said Dr. Chet Jenkins, assistant professor of music and director of wind symphony and jazz band.
What makes the upcoming concert unique is that Cedarville participated in the commissioning of one of the pieces to be performed. Cedarville, with approximately 60 other schools, commissioned David Maslanka, a well-known American composer, to compose a work that will be played by the wind symphony. Maslanka passed away shortly before finishing Symphony No. 10, “The River of Time,” but it was eventually finished by his son, Matthew.
Jenkins will give a more in-depth prelude and history about Maslanka’s symphony at 6:30, just prior to the start of the concert.
“The Maslanka piece is a very heavy piece of music,” Jenkins explained. “He was ill, fighting his own cancer, and the first movement is dedicated to his wife who was terminally ill and passed while he was still writing. It’s filled with a lot of weight and sadness.”
The orchestra, conducted by guest conductor Luis Biava of the New Albany Symphony, will perform Beethoven’s “Triple Concerto,” featuring Cedarville professor Carlos Elias on the violin, Cole Tutino on the cello and Andrea Arese-Elias on the piano. Both “River of Time” and the “Triple Concerto” are roughly 40 minutes in length.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,193 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.