Academics
Arts
The Pittsburg State University Music Department will host the Southeast Kansas Regional Solo & Ensemble Festival in McCray Hall on April 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sixteen schools from across Southeast Kansas will attend the festival this year and perform before judges in both solo and ensemble categories. Performances are open to the public but those viewing may enter only between performances.
Bring your lawn chair, have fun, and unwind at the free GoPitt!Fest Party on April 6 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts parking lot, 1711 S. Homer. This event will feature three local bands, food trucks, and a beer garden.
At 5 p.m., The Little Green Men, an extraterrestrial band from outer space, will perform their unique blend of funk fusion including original tunes and covers.
At 6:30, Stone Country will perform their unique sound of country music that is “rock solid.”
At 8 p.m., Bill & Monica’s Excellent Adventure, also known as BAM, will perform a mix of high energy anthems from the ‘90s.
This event is free and open to the public.
The Pitt State Dance Minor Program will showcase its program with the annual Dance Symposium and Performances on April 10 in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, 1711 S. Homer.
This year’s event is called “MOVE!”
A symposium in the lobby will begin at 5:30 p.m. Students will showcase the ways dance and art relate and impact lives in engaging booths and displays.
At 7 p.m., student performances will be held in the Linda and Lee Scott Performance Hall. More than 60 students will perform in various dance numbers featuring a variety of styles.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Music Department will host the nationally touring performance group Axiom Brass at 7:30 p.m. on April 12 in McCray Hall as part of the Solo & Chamber Music Series.
Described as “exceptional ambassadors for classical music” and “innovative programmers,” Chicago-based Axiom Brass designs concert experiences for audiences that stretch the imagination and expand sensibilities.
Their concerts regularly pair original works by composers such as Augusta Read Thomas, George Walker, and Joan Tower with early musical translations by Barbara Strozzi, Claudia Francesca Rusca, Leonora Duarte, and rousing tangos by Astor Piazzolla.
The only brass ensemble to ever win the Fischoff Educator Award, their interactive teaching style has led to residencies at the Grand Tetons Music Festival and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, as well as being featured as ensemble-in-residence for the National Brass Symposium.
Tickets are free to with valid Pitt State ID; $10 for youth under 18 and those over 65; and $15 for the general public.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the PSU Ticket Office, Room 107 in the Garfield Weede Building, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, by calling the Ticket Office at 620-235-4796, or online at www.pittstate.edu/tickets
They also may be purchased at the door 30 minutes prior to each concert, based on availability.
The Pitt State Wind Ensemble, directed by Associate Professor Andrew Chybowski, will perform its final concert of the season in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, 1711 S. Homer, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on April 16.
The concert will explore the theme of finding a home in life. The composers on the program deal with issues of losing their home, longing for home, and ultimately creating a home for themselves.
The program will include Frank Erickson's landmark Second Symphony for Band, a tribute to the displaced indigenous people of South America by composer Shelley Hanson, and a jazzy concerto that will feature the Pitt State trumpet studio.
The concert is free and open to the public.
The Music Department will host the State Large Ensemble Festival at McCray Hall on April 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fourteen schools from across Southeast Kansas will attend the festival this year and perform before judges in both solo and ensemble categories. Performances are open to the public but those viewing may enter only between performances.
Pitt State Theatre will produce “Dial M for Murder” in the Dotty and Bill Miller Theater in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, 1711 S. Homer St., at 7:30 p.m. April 18-20 and 2 p.m. April 20-21.
Margot and Tony Wendice have a troubled marriage because she hides a secret and he’s a jealous man who married her for her money. Tony hatches a plan to murder Margot, but when his plot goes awry, he scrambles to not get caught. Will he get away with the perfect crime or will justice be served?
An adaptation of the original play that influenced Alfred Hitchcock’s famous film, the play contains plot twists and turns to keep audience members on the edge of their seats.
The cast features alumni and current students: Megan Reed (Pittsburg) and Drew Cormier (Coffeyville) play Margot and Tony. Amiah Roberts (Girard) plays Maxine Hadley.
The cast also includes Stirling Luckey (Milwaukee) as Lesgate, Eli Bell (Coffeyville) as Inspector Hubbard, and Gavyn Nybakken (Cottage Grove, Minnesota) as the BBC Radio Host.
Tickets are free with a valid Pitt State ID. They are $14 for the public and $9 for under 17 or over 64. Tickets can be purchased in person at the PSU Ticket Office, Room 107 in the Garfield Weede Building, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, by calling the Ticket Office at 620-235-4796, or online at www.pittstate.edu/tickets
They also may be purchased at the door 30 minutes prior to curtain, based on availability.
The Music Department will host the long-running Mid-America Music Festival in McCray Hall on April 20 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Nearly 2,000 students from nearly 70 schools and private studios, totaling more than 800 entries of large ensembles, small ensembles, trios, duets and solos, will participate.
Students will perform for judges throughout the day in a range of venues across campus. University music students and faculty will provide assistance.
The Music Department will host a Vocal Music Recital in McCray Hall on April 21 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Students from the voice studio of Assistant Professor Lydia Bechtel will perform songs from hit movies, including Titanic, Barbie, Shrek, 9 to 5, A Star is Born, Sister Act and more.
The recital is free and open to the public.
The Pitt State Jazz Ensemble will perform its final concert of the season on April 24 at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, 1711 S. Homer, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The concert will feature one of the most sought-after trombonists in the nation, Andy Martin of Los Angeles. He’s been featured as leader or co-leader on 12 albums with other top jazz artists, and is well known as a lead player and soloist for virtually every big band in L.A., including the Tom Kubis Band and bands led by Quincy Jones, Matt Cattingub, and Sammy Nestico.
He also has been a prominent trombonist for commercial recordings and live theater. He’s appeared regularly on TV soundtracks for Family Guy, American Dad, and King of the Hill, and soundtracks for more than 150 major films.
The concert will be directed by Professor Todd Hastings. It is free and open to the public.
Additionally, a master class and a Q&A session will be held with Martin that day — an ideal opportunity for high school and college students from throughout the region. Contact Hastings for more information.
