Music Department to Present Free Concerts

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Budget-conscious music lovers at UB can find much to keep them busy in February.

The free monthly Brown Bag Concert, which will take place at noon on Tuesday in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall, North Campus, will feature a performance of Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók.

Rarely performed due to its technical and logistical complexity, this piece features four musicians with two grand pianos and seven percussion instruments creating a huge, unfolding rhythmic sound that captivates and intrigues. It will be performed by Bryan W. Boyce (piano), Ivan Docenko Jr. (piano) and Bradley J. Fuster (percussion) of the Buffalo State College Music Department, and Dinesh Joseph, assistant principal timpanist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Coordinated by UB faculty member Cheryl Gobbetti-Hoffman, the Brown Bag series of free, informal concerts presented during the lunch hour allows patrons to catch a glimpse of the kind of programming offered on a regular basis by the Department of Music. Patrons are encouraged to bring their lunch and enjoy a complimentary cup of Starbucks coffee. Each attendee will receive a pair of complimentary tickets to a more formal concert within the following month.

The lineup of free music events also includes the following student concerts:

• Junior Recital: Erin Waite, flute, 8 p.m. Feb. 15, Baird Recital Hall, 250 Baird Hall, North Campus.

• Junior Recital: Rebecca Sheppard, soprano, and Kofi Hayford, bass-baritone, 8 p.m. Feb. 16, Baird Recital Hall

• Honor's Presentation: Tracy Stepien, soprano, and Sarah Ajaeb, soprano, 3 p.m. Feb. 23, Baird Recital Hall

• Flute Studio Recital: Students of Cheryl Gobbetti-Hoffman, noon Feb. 26, Baird Recital Hall

• UB Symphony Orchestra: Christian Baldini, conductor, 8 p.m. Feb. 27, Lippes Concert Hall, Slee.

• Voice Studio Recital: Students of Tony Arnold and Alex Hurd, noon Feb. 28, Baird Recital Hall.