March 23, 2017
‘Pianos and Strings Concert’ is March 25
The School of Music will present a “Pianos and Strings Concert” in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs.
The concert is at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, in Shryock Auditorium. Featured performers in the ensemble include members of the Southern Illinois Civic Orchestra with Edward Benyas, music director; the Southern Illinois Junior Orchestra with Victoria Moore, music director, and Southern Illinois Pre-College Piano Students with Reiko Schoen, coordinator. Avery Kerley is the assistant conductor, and Henry Nicolaides is piano technician.
The Illinois Federation of Music Clubs (IFMC) originated in 1916 as part of the National Federation of Music Clubs. This year, Carbondale hosted a junior festival, at which 215 students participated. The “Pianos and Strings Concert” is an opportunity for some of the festival pianists to perform with orchestral accompaniment. The performance includes five pianos on stage throughout the performance, with 10 piano players on each piece of music.
Benyas founded the Southern Illinois Civic Orchestra at SIU in 1996 as a training orchestra for the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra. College and other students, non-music faculty and community members participate in this orchestra.
The Southern Illinois Junior Orchestra is an entry-level orchestra the SIU School of Music established in 2013.