The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach will present a series of 16 separate student, faculty and guest artist performances from May 2-12. The Inaugural Cole Conservatory Festival will feature 10 days of musical events in varied venues on the CSULB campus and throughout Long Beach. The festival provides a terrific opportunity for the Conservatory to celebrate this new step in its evolution with its current patrons, and to introduce itself to area music lovers who might not be familiar with the breadth and scope of the music programming offered by the Cole Conservatory.
Several of the concerts will take place in the Carpenter Center on campus, one of the most acoustically effective halls for enjoying musical performances in the Southland. On May 8 at 8pm, the Wind Symphony, Symphonic and Concert Bands will perform in a program that features the evocative “Ra!” by David Dzubay, ballet music from Massenet’s opera “Le Cid,” “Exultate” by Samuel Hazo, and a musical tribute to Rosa Parks written by Mark Camphouse.
The special Mother’s Day concert at 4:30pm on Sunday, May 11, features a program – selected and conducted by Johannes Müller-Stosch – which includes Chabrier’s “Espana,” Respighi’s “Pines of Rome,” and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, performed by special guest artist Martin Chalifour – concertmaster for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Chalifour will also be working with the string students in a special private Master Class during his time in rehearsal at the Cole Conservatory.
The final concert of the Inaugural Cole Conservatory Festival is a Gala Concert on Monday, May 12 at 7pm, a tune-filled sampling of the terrific musical flavors found in Cole Conservatory concerts – swinging jazz, the sweeping sounds of a full orchestra, favorite standards sung by the jazz choir, award-winning pianists, and a fanfare played by a combined concert band more than 200 players strong.
The Inaugural Cole Conservatory Festival runs May 2-12, and further details regarding the events that will take place during that time can be found at www.csulb.edu/coleconservatory. Tickets to all Cole Conservatory of Music events, as well as all Festival events can be purchased at (562) 985-7000 or by visiting www.csulb.edu/coleconservatory.