Concerts will raise money for scholarships

February 05, 2007

Concerts will raise money for scholarships

by Sun Min

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Sit back, relax and enjoy an afternoon of beautiful chamber music while raising money for a good cause. The Southern Illinois Chamber Music Society (SICMS), which is associated with Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Music, will hold public concerts at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 17, at the historic Sesser Opera House and at 3 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 18, at the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship, 105 N. Parrish Lane. Tickets for the Saturday concert are $8 for adults and $5 for those over 60 and under 15. Tickets for the Sunday concert are $13 for adults and $2 for those over 60 and under 15.

The musicians will pay tribute to Czech composers Antonin Dvorak, Leo Janaek and Bedrich Smetana. “They’re incredible pieces of music and they each tell a story,” said Eric Lenz, assistant professor of cello and member of the SICMS.

Proceeds go to scholarships for School of Music students enrolled in string and keyboard programs.

“The chamber music society plays a really important role in our school of music,” said Melissa A. Mackey, member of the SICMS board and SIUC assistant professor of bassoon and music history. “The group has provided substantial amounts of scholarship money, which in turn has helped us recruit a much stronger string department. Some of these students will be performing in the concerts on the 17th and 18th, so the public will get a chance to see what good work these students have been doing.”

Those scholarship winners are Benjamin D. Schantz of Sterling, a sophomore studying violin; Laura Dorkota of Hungary, a graduate student in violin; Alexandre T. Francois, III of Kankakee, a sophomore studying cello; and Janka Z. Mekis of Hungary, a graduate student in violin and viola.

The recitals will also showcase School of Music faculty members Michael Barta on violin, Meng-Chun Chi on viola and Lenz on cello.