Asbury Music Students Present Spring Concerts
March 14, 2024
The Asbury University Music Department will finish the school year with nearly two dozen concerts including orchestral music, handbells, jazz, and more. View the concert schedule here. Four seniors will perform their recitals in the Jameson Recital Hall:
- Grace Monsanto ’24 (voice): March 21 at 7:30 p.m.
- Caleb Simmons ’24 (composition and guitar): April 1 at 7:30 p.m.
- Grace Chang ’24 (voice): April 22 at 7:30 p.m.
“Our Music Department provides students with opportunities to make connections with professors, to receive private lessons, to participate in chamber ensembles, and ultimately grow in their faith and skills,” said Music Department Chair Dr. Mark Schell.
The Music seniors share about their upcoming recitals.
“My recital is centered around dreaming: sleep, love, longing, and even the seasons,” Monsanto said. “One of the larger sets is Frauenliebe Und Leben by Robert Schumann. The song cycle describes a woman’s lifelong relationship with her husband. It’s truly some of the most beautiful music, and I am so excited to share it with everyone.”
“Since I am a composition emphasis, I have composed for some large groups including the Asbury Jazz Ensemble, a string quintet and piano piece, and a combo group to close out the end,” Simmons said. “One of my compositions, ‘Takin a Stroll Down Streets of Gold,’ is my favorite because it describes a joyful time of celebration. I am thankful to Dr. Flanigan and the Jazz Ensemble for their willingness to learn the piece given its many moving parts.”
“My recital will have Handel, Mozart, and Brahms, and I am especially excited for the Massenet pieces with a collaboration of cello and voice,” Chang said. “I am thrilled to share the music of these remarkable composers throughout different musical periods.”
Asbury Music majors continue to excel. In January, Levi Smith ’25 recently won the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) composition contest for his piece, Rebirth. Conducted by Asbury Instructor of Composition Dr. Johnie Dean, Smith’s piece performed at Whitney Hall (Kentucky Center for the Arts), as part of the All-State Collegiate Choir and All-State Collegiate Band Concert on Feb. 8.
Last fall, Asbury University Music students received awards from the Kentucky chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Award recipients included Grace Monsanto ’24 (1st place: Senior Classical), Grace Chang ’24 (2nd place: Junior Classical), and Donovan Chung ’26 (2nd place: Sophomore Classical) with semi-finalists Trueman Livingston ’25 (Junior Musical Theater) and Gentry Osbourn ’27 (Freshman Classical). The mission of NATS is “to advance excellence in singing through teaching, performance, scholarship, and research.” Learn more: www.nats.org.
The Asbury University Music Department offers a Music major (with emphases in composition and arranging, instrumental performance, pre-music therapy, vocal performance, and church music leadership), a Music Education major (with emphases in general music education, instrumental music education, vocal/choral education, and combined instrumental/vocal education), and a Music minor. Learn more: https://www.asbury.edu/academics/departments/music/.