Music Department Announces March Concert Lineup

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The month of March will bring a variety of interesting and varied performances to the stages of Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall and Baird Recital Hall on the North Campus.

Magnus Martensson, visiting assistant professor of music and music director of the UB Symphony Orchestra and the Slee Sinfonietta, will present another side of his musical talent on March 7, presenting "Piano Music and Comedy" at 8 p.m. in Baird Recital Hall, 250 Baird Hall.

Quite by accident, Martensson turned into a comedian/pianist during a 2003 concert in Victor Borge Hall in New York City, performing in front of an enthusiastic audience that included members of the late Borge's family. Since then, Martensson has appeared in Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas, and critics have called his act both "hilarious" and "clever."

The program will include a mixture of solo piano music.

Tickets are $5 for general admission and free for UB students with ID.

Esteemed local pianist and UB faculty member Stephen Manes will perform the seventh concert in his third-ever presentation of the entire cycle of Beethoven piano sonatas at 8 p.m. March 19 in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall. The concert is entitled "Moonlight" for the famous sonata that is featured in the program,

The cycle, which is being presented in eight concerts, approximately one per month on selected Monday evenings, thus far has received rave reviews.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students.

Heard, UB's faculty ensemble, will perform at 8 p.m. March 28 in Lippes Concert Hall. The concert will be preceded by a lecture at 7:30 p.m. moderated by Marc McAneny, adjunct instructor in the Department of Music. The program will be announced at the concert.

Tickets are $5 for general admission and free for UB students with ID.

The centerpiece of Lippes Concert Hall, the Fisk Organ, will be on display as Russell Patterson presents an organ recital at 8 p.m. March 30.

A native of Allentown, Penn., Patterson has served for 20 years as director of music and organist at the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, in Philadelphia. He has performed extensively as an organ recitalist, accompanist and conductor.

He earned a bachelor's degree from UB and a master's degree from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J.

Tickets for the Patterson concert are $12 for general admission; $9 for UB faculty/staff/alumni, senior citizens and WNED members with card; and $5 for students.

Tickets for all Department of Music events can be obtained at the Slee Hall box office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the Center for the Arts box office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and at all Ticketmaster outlets, including Ticketmaster.com.

For more information, go to http://www.slee.buffalo.edu .