The festival is for students from 7th to 12th grade.  Campers will choose from tracks in voice, band (brass, woodwind, and percussion), or strings (violin, viola, cello, and bass).  Campers can also choose from elective classes which include fiddling, guitar, songwriting, bagpipe, ukulele, music therapy, and organ. The daily schedule will include ensemble rehearsals, technique class, practice time, recreation time, and much more.  

Scholarships covering full-tuition, half-tuition and $100 discounts are available from the V.J. Wilkins Foundation. Participants may choose to be overnight or commuter campers. Overnight campers will be housed in Wallingford Hall with 24-supervision. 

The guest artist-in-residence will be Injoy Fountain. Fountain is a Wichita local and an in-demand performer on the regional, national, and international stage. Favorite regional credits include Celie in “The Color Purple” (Roxy’s Downtown), and Justice in “Rock of Ages” (Music Theater Wichita). While living in New York City, Fountain performed regularly with four-time Tony nominee Condola Rashad in addition to making her off-Broadway debut. She looks forward to returning to NYC this July to headline her second off-Broadway show at the Green Room 42. Other national credits include touring with Post Modern Jukebox and being a contestant on The Voice (season 17, team Kelly). Fountain has also enjoyed performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, notably in a production of “Rent” under the direction of Anthony Rapp. She is the director of Injoy Fountain Academy, a youth performance academy based in Wichita. Fountain is represented by Evolve Talent Management NYC.

For more information or to register for the Summer Music Festival, call Brittany Donals, director of camps, conferences, and events, at (620) 229-6141, email brittany.donals@sckans.edu, or visit the website at www.sckans.edu/musicfestival.  

Learn More about Summer Music Festival

This event began in 2017 and has been held annually since as a music education outreach program for elementary schools throughout Cowley County.  The Honor Choir will include over 70 students and be joined by various guest musicians throughout the day. 

“The SCC and I look forward to sharing our enthusiasm for singing with the 2024 Elementary Honor Choir once again on Tuesday,” says Nikki Kirk, director of the Southwestern Children's Choir. 

The concert program offers a time to pause and consider what it means to hold a space sacred.

“The music speaks to sacred spaces that are constructed, the sacred space of the natural world around us, and the sacred space that exists between persons,” says Simon Hill, director of choral activities and voice at Southwestern College.  “The program concludes with the question of what is required of us to maintain these spaces and what our role in restoring sacred space, land, and relations might look like. This program does not offer answers but, like prayer, hopes to inspire reflection that leads to action. These perspectives are shared through repertoire representative of various faith and cultural traditions while featuring eight languages and a broad span of musical styles.”

The concert is sponsored by Gail Burden, OD.

This year’s Winterfest is a collaboration between the Southwestern Children’s Choir, Builder Band-Its, A Cappella Choir, and the South Kansas Symphony (SKS).  Conducting the program will be Simon Hill, director of choral activities and voice; Nikki Kirk, director of the Southwestern Children’s Choir; Jeremy Kirk, director of bands, and Michael Christensen, SKS conductor.

The program will feature Dr. James Leland providing organ accompaniment of Christmas Carol Hymn Singing in addition to Deanne Wehmeier accompanying the A Cappella Choir.  The concert will include the SKS, A Cappella Choir, and alumni performing F. Melius Christiansen’s “Beautiful Savior.” Other selections will range from traditional to contemporary. The concert will conclude with Dan Goeller’s “Christmas Carol Sing-Along.”

“This program features a cornucopia of concert selections across various genres, each with their own take on the idea of feasting,” says Simon Hill, director of choral activities and voice at Southwestern College.

Soprano Jordan Burford is looking forward to sharing this concert with the community.

“There is something for everyone,” Burford says. “All of our pieces are great, and all have something to offer and challenge us as musicians; this SC choir concert is one not to miss.”

Hill says that one piece that has become a standout favorite among the group is Sydney Guillaume's “Tchaka.”

“This piece truly shows the challenge of being part of a collegiate choral program,” says Lena O'Quinn, an alto of the choir. “I hope the audience enjoys hearing ‘Tchaka’ as much as we enjoy performing it.”

The Southwestern Children's Choir is a choral ensemble for students in Cowley County and the South Central Kansas region. According to Kirk, the goal of the Southwestern Children’s Choir is to provide a collaborative and welcoming environment for the development of lifelong music skills and appreciation. 

“There will be performance opportunities throughout the year including the Southwestern Elementary Honor Choir, Winterfest, and more,” Kirk says. “Register today to join the music-making fun.” 

To register, go online at Southwestern Children's Choir Registration or register in person at rehearsal on September 5.

Sunday, April 16 at 3 p.m., Messenger Recital Hall in Darbeth Fine Arts Center at Southwestern College, free admission—Amber Peterson's private violin and piano students, ranging in age from middle school to college, will be performing. Highlights include the prelude from Bach's “Partita No. 3,” Monti's Csardas, and the first movement of Vivaldi's “Spring.”

Sunday, April 23, at 3 p.m., Messenger Recital Hall in Darbeth Fine Arts Center at Southwestern College, adults $5, children $2, free for SC faculty, staff, and students—The Community Music School's Pre-College String Ensembles and Southwestern College's Williams String Ensemble will present a recital of chamber music. The groups will play a wide variety of music, ranging from eclectic styles to a Strauss polka and Halvorsen's Passacaglia.

Sunday, April 30 at 3 p.m., Richardson Performing Arts Center, adults $10, children $5, free for SC faculty, staff, and students—The South Kansas Symphony will present their spring concert, “Voices of Spring,” sponsored by Larry and Linda Hahn.  The concert will feature the 2023 Concerto Competition winners (sponsored by The Trust Company of Kansas - Stephen English). Samuel Shook and Ryan Byun will perform movements of the Sibelius and Mendelssohn violin concertos respectively. The symphony will also perform “Voices of Spring” by Strauss and selections from “Kanza.” Additionally, John Baker, oboist and board president for the symphony, will present a pre-concert lecture on “Kanza” at 2 p.m.

Saturday, May 6, at 7 p.m., at Island Park in Winfield. To commemorate Winfield's 150th anniversary, the South Kansas Symphony will perform “Kanza,” with narration by Larry Hatteburg. The community is invited to come support the local musicians as they celebrate Winfield's history.  There is no admission charge to attend.

“The notion of the dark night of the soul has many connotations, but at its core it is a movement from a ‘here’ to a ‘there,’” says Simon Hill, director of choral activities and voice at Southwestern College.  “The concert explores the uncertainty, difficulty, and resiliency of the journey through the dark night.”

According to Hill, the highlights of the program include Benjamin Britten's “Rejoice in the Lamb,” works by Elaine Hagenberg, and of course, F. Melius Christiansen's “Beautiful Savior.”

At 3 p.m., in Messenger Recital Hall, the Pre-College String Ensembles and Southwestern College's Williams String Ensemble will be performing. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children. (All SC faculty, staff, and students can attend for free.)

Immediately following the ensemble concert, private students of Amber Dahlen Peterson (from the Community Music School and Southwestern College) will be featured in a free studio recital at 4 p.m., also in Messenger Recital Hall.

In both performances, audiences will enjoy some holiday favorites, as well as more classical repertoire.

The concert is sponsored by Gail Burden, OD.

This year’s Winterfest is a collaboration between the Southwestern Children’s Choir, SC Jazz Band, A Cappella Choir, and the South Kansas Symphony (SKS).  Conducting the program will be Amber Peterson, associate professor of music; Simon Hill, assistant professor of music; Nikki Kirk, director of the Southwestern Children’s Choir; and Jeremy Kirk, associate professor of music and division chair of performing arts.

The program will also feature James Leland providing organ accompaniment of Christmas Carol Hymn Singing.  The concert will open with the SKS, A Cappella Choir, and alumni performing F. Melius Christiansen’s “Beautiful Savior.” Other selections will range from traditional, contemporary, and jazz Christmas music. The concert will conclude with Dan Goeller’s “Christmas Carol Sing-Along.”

The concert will feature the A Cappella Choir and the SC Singers.

“The program considers what we witness in our own creative spirit, in the world around us, and how this witness manifests through song,” says Simon Hill, director of choral activities and voice at Southwestern College.

A Cappella Choir will be joined by Grace Ringers, the handbell choir at Grace United Methodist Church, and the Southwestern Children’s Choir.  Grace Ringers are directed by Anthony Gropper and Nikki Kirk directs the Southwestern Children’s Choir.

According to A Cappella Choir director Amanda Li, they will perform a program of sacred music in a variety of styles, reflecting on the joy and hope brought about by the sacrifice and resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

SC Students Cameron Carter, Jacob Giger, Carter Humphreys, and Sean Whitney are featured as soloists in the centerpiece of the concert: “Five Mystical Songs” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The concert will be accompanied by organist Dr. James Leland and pianist Katie Miller.

“The Student Artist of the Month is an award given by the performing arts division faculty, which recognizes a student’s positive attitude, work ethic, quality of work, dependability, and their effective work with others,” says Jeremy Kirk, chair of the performing arts division. 

Bate is a senior from Winfield and is the daughter of Seth and Jenny Muret-Bate.  She is majoring in math education. Bate plans on teaching in Kansas following graduation. Currently, she is student teaching at Oxford Jr./Sr. High School.

During her time at Southwestern, Bate has been involved with A Cappella Choir, SC Singers, Campus Players, EdBuilders, and Pi Gamma Mu.

“Some of my favorite college memories include stage managing ‘Mac Beth’ last fall and singing a featured part in the opera that A Cappella put on for Homecoming this year,” Bate says.

Amanda Li, assistant professor of voice and director of choral activities and voice at Southwestern College, says Bate has shown her versatility this year balancing her student teaching along with her singing.

“Emma is an avid chorister and has been an exemplary member of both A Cappella Choir and SC Singers,” Li says.  “With her rich and silky tone, she sang as one of the three Spirits (‘The Magic Flute’) in our opera scenes concert last Spring and played the role of Second Witch in our Fall production of ‘Dido and Aeneas.’ Though Emma is in her student teaching semester, she continues to contribute to our vocal program by being part of SC Singers – both her passion and skills for choral singing have been a tremendously positive force for us all.”

Allyson Moon, director of theatre at Southwestern College, says that Bate has made herself and others better while at Southwestern. 

“Emma is an excellent example of a student who understands the value of being liberally educated and has taken full advantage of the opportunities this educational approach offers,” Moon says.   “As an individual who is talented on many fronts, Emma has included A Cappella Choir and Campus Players as parts of her regular endeavors.  The students and teachers in both the class and the organization have benefitted from her ongoing commitment to and leadership in performing arts.”

Bate is grateful for the professors at Southwestern College. 

“I want to take this opportunity to thank Ed Loeb, Joshua Robinson, Amanda Li, J.K. Campbell, Bob Gallup, and all my other wonderful professors here at SC,” Bate says.  “Thanks to them, I've grown as a mathematician, teacher, and artist, and I now have the self-confidence to believe in my own skills. All of them were what made my experience at SC so great.”

High school string students from Winfield, Arkansas City, Derby, El Dorado, and Independence will rehearse with Southwestern College faculty and students throughout the day. The festival will conclude with a performance at 6 p.m., in Richardson Performing Arts Center. The El Dorado High School Orchestra, conducted by Kevin Monroe, will be the featured guest orchestra. Dr. Joshua Robinson, assistant conductor of music theatre at Southwestern College, will also be the featured soloist with the 2022 Honor Orchestra.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Some musical selections will celebrate the upcoming holiday, Dia De Los Muertos, including “Night in Mexico,” “Huapango del Oso,” and Music from “Coco.”

This concert will also feature the 2021 South Kansas Symphony Concerto Competition Junior Division finalist, Sophie Deng. The 15-year-old is a Stillwater, Okla., native and has already received many recognitions, including membership in the 2021 National Youth Orchestra and first place prizes for the OKC Orchestra League Keith Competition, the American Protegé Concerto Competition, the American Protegé Piano and Strings Competition, and the ENKOR International Strings Competition. She will perform the third movement of Dvorak's “Cello Concerto” in b minor. 

“The concert will conclude with a traditional favorite for our younger audience members: ‘The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra’ by Benjamin Britten,” says Amber Peterson, SKS director.  “This piece is an excellent introduction to all the sections of a symphony orchestra, and includes special features of all the instruments. Dr. Joshua Robinson (assistant professor of musical theatre at Southwestern College) will narrate this piece.”

Tickets for the performance are $10 for adults and free for all children, and can be purchased at the door. Costumes are encouraged for all and door prizes will be awarded.

Season tickets will also be available for patrons who wish to purchase tickets at a discount and have reserved seating for most of the symphony and pre-college string ensemble concerts ($35 for adults and $10 for children). Tickets for the symphony's Chamber Gala, the annual fundraising event, will also be available for purchase as well for $40 per person.

Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” based on Virgil’s “Aeneid,” tells the ill-fated story of the Queen of Carthage and the Trojan Prince. Love blossoms between the two as Dido welcomes the shipwrecked hero on shore. The royal couple embarks on a hunting trip to celebrate their union but is interrupted by a heavy storm conjured by the Sorceress and the Witches, who conspire for Dido’s downfall. As the couple returns, a spirit disguised as Mercury lures the duty-bound Aeneas to sail to Italy. To the witches’ delight, the prince set sail to build Rome, leaving the grief-stricken queen to proclaim that now Aeneas is gone, she must die.

“The SC music department is proud to present one of the most beloved operas of all time for the 2021 Homecoming Kaleidoscope program,” says Jeremy Kirk, division chair for performing arts.  “The collaborative efforts among faculty, students, alumni, and community members have been truly inspiring.”  

Amanda Li, music director for the opera and will play the role of Dido, says that the challenge of performing a full opera is challenging and exciting.

“Following our successful choral ‘OPERAtion’ in the spring semester, we decided to take up the challenge to perform a full opera for this year’s Kaleidoscope Concert,” Li says.  “The sublime music in ‘Dido and Aeneas’ provides an excellent vehicle for this heartbreaking tragedy, while the vocal demands and scale of the opera is uniquely suited to our membership with SC Singers playing the major roles and A Cappella Choir as the opera chorus. In any case, what better time than the Halloween weekend to see a coven of witches casting their spells on stage.” 

Director Joshua Robinson has been impressed with how the students have tackled the challenge of performing this opera.

“The ensemble plays an integral part in the piece and it has been so rewarding to witness many of our students rising to the challenge in their first encounter with opera,” Robinson says.  “I am very excited to present this collaboration to the Winfield community.”

Southwestern College senior Maya Damron plays the role of Belinda as well as being the costume designer.

“I am super excited for this show,” Damron says. “Not only is it my first opera to perform in, it’s also my first to design for. My design, inspired by the aesthetics of dark academia, dresses the ensemble in posh attire that masks their destructive ploy and Dido in a beautiful gown with a crisp and goddess-like fit, designed and handmade by Jamieson Campo (plays the role of Sorceress).”

“The Student Artist of the Month is an award given by the performing arts division faculty, which recognizes a student’s positive attitude, work ethic, quality of work, dependability, and their effective work with others,” says Jeremy Kirk, chair of the performing arts division. 

Miller is a junior from Arlington and is the daughter of Suzanne and Delmar Miller.  She is majoring in piano performance with a minor in theatre. She is a Pillars Scholar and felt right at home at Southwestern on her first visit.

“I came to Southwestern for a music camp; there was just something about the campus that made me feel at home,” Miller says.  “I then got to work with the music instructors.  Working with them was very influential.”

Miller stays busy at SC as she has been in most theatre productions including “Fun Home” and “Bright Star” last year.  She performs with the orchestra and choir and plays piano for the weekly chapel service and for the Worship Outreach team.  Her next theatre performance will be in November when the theatre department presents “Mac Beth.”

“A quintessential liberal arts student, Katie Miller, has an attitude for learning,” says piano professor Tim Shook.  “Katie delves deeply into any subject matter she studies. Faculty members trust her excellence in musicianship, studies, and activities campus-wide. Her hallmark characteristic—collaboration—supports fellow students, the faculty members, and the entire performing arts division. The distinction of the Student Artist of the Month aptly describes her contribution to Southwestern College.”

Miller hopes to attend graduate school after Southwestern, in particular, the Royal Academy of Music in London.  Her future plans are to teach music at a small college.

Students will be performing a movement from Bloch's “Concerto Grosso” for string orchestra and piano obbligato, Meyers' “Ghosts of Brandenburg,” “Tamburetta” by Jarzebski, a selection from Mozart's “Piano Quartet in g minor,” and Telemann's “La Putain Overture.”

To celebrate Homecoming week, a recording of the dress rehearsals will be streamed on the Performing Arts at SC Facebook page at the original performance time of Oct. 29, at 5 p.m.

The 35-minute program will feature well-known classics such as Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” as well as pieces that, according to director Amanda Li, uplift us in this time of struggle. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment that guarantees and protects women's constitutional right to vote, the sopranos and altos will present excerpts from Gwyneth Walker’s “The Spirit of Women.”

“Our very own sweet Adelines group, The Sweet Jinxes, will be making its debut performance,” Li says.  “The Williams Quartet as well as SC’s Percussion Group will also make a guest appearance to accompany part of the program.”

The concert is open and free to students and faculty of the college as well as the community. A livestream of the performance will be broadcast on the Southwestern College Performing Arts Facebook page.

Full refunds will be issued for any student who had already signed up.

For specific questions, contact Brittany Donals, director of camps and conferences at Southwestern College, by email at Brittany.Donals@sckans.edu.
 

The festival is for students ages 13-18.  Campers will choose from tracks in voice, instrumental (strings, brass, woodwind, and percussion), piano, and #skillz (no prior music experience needed).  The daily schedule will include ensemble rehearsals, technique class, practice time, recreation time, and much more. 

“Whether you are a beginner who loves to make music or you are a serious, all-state caliber musician, the Summer Music Festival has a place for you,” says festival dean Timothy Shook.  “Our camp is a great opportunity to interact with your peers and work with award-winning educators at our camp on the beautiful campus of Southwestern College.”

The tracks are led by:
• Voice—Amanda Li, director of choral activities and voice at Southwestern, and Joshua Robinson, assistant professor of musical theatre at Southwestern.
• Instrumental—Amber Peterson, assistant professor of music at Southwestern College, the Mazie Barnett Kilmer Chair for String Education, and the conductor of the South Kansas Symphony, and Hans Judd, Arkansas City Middle School band director and high school assistant band director. 
• Piano— Timothy Shook, festival dean and chair of the division of performing arts at Southwestern College.  Shook also operates a large independent piano studio in Wichita.  Aidan Wells Filbert, instructor of piano and staff collaborative pianist at Southwestern.
• #Skillz—Nikki Kirk, music educator in the Arkansas City Public School District where she teaches kindergarten through fifth-grade general music and serves as the chair of elementary music for the district.

Through the support of the Wilkins Foundation of Cowley County, George Cole Family, and anonymous donors, the all-inclusive cost for the week-long festival is $450.  Scholarships are available that cover the full tuition, half tuition, or $100.  The performance-based scholarship application is due by March 31; the V.J. Wilkins full-tuition scholarship application is due by May 1.

For more information or to register for the Southwestern College Summer Music Festival, call Brittany Donals, director of camps, conferences, and events, at (620) 229-6141, email brittany.donals@sckans.edu, or visit the website at https://www.sckans.edu/other/summer-music-festival.  
 

Approximately 70 high school music students will be on campus throughout the day, working with Southwestern College music faculty and students. These nominated students come from Winfield, Arkansas City, Ponca City, Derby, El Dorado, Independence, Wichita, and Goddard.

At 6 p.m., the Honor Orchestra will accompany Amanda Li, the college's new director of choral activities and voice. The concert will also feature this year's guest orchestra from Winfield High School, conducted by Southwestern College alum Ashton Humbert.

“We appreciate The Trust Company of Kansas and Stephen English for sponsoring this concert,” says Amber Peterson, South Kansas Symphony conductor and assistant professor of music at Southwestern College.
 

Participants in the Elementary Honor Choir Day were chosen by their local school music teachers to represent each school. Music teachers each chose six students. Schools represented from USD 470 were Jefferson, C4, Roosevelt, France Williard, Adams, and IXL. Schools represented from USD 465 were Country View, Whittier, Lowell, and Irving. Students from Central Burden USD 462 also attended. The choir was directed by Nikki Kirk of USD 470 and accompanied by Marsha Granberry.

The Elementary Honor Choir Day was made possible by a generous grant from Legacy Foundation of Winfield.

The CMS at Southwestern College offers a wide range of private lessons and ensembles for all ages. Private lessons are ongoing and the CMS has openings for all instruments and voice with a wide range of lesson times available.

JourneyKids Choir is a choral ensemble for children in grades three through eight that offers performance opportunities throughout the school year. The choir meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., in Darbeth Fine Arts Center, room 207. Enrollment is always open to new participants.

For more information about any classes or ensembles that the CMS offers, email director Michelle Zakharov at cms@sckans.edu or visit the CMS website at https://www.sckans.edu/other/community-music-school/about/

“Featuring pieces in English and German, as well as Japanese, the program will take us on an amorous journey through the seasons with a repertoire that includes Baroque part songs, choral classics, and well-known contemporary show tunes,” says Amanda Li, director of choral activities and voice at Southwestern College.

This year's concert, sponsored by Phil and Mary Jarvis, is titled “Once Upon a Dream,” and will feature music from many princess movies, including “Moana,” “Frozen,” “Tangled,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Snow White,” and “Anastasia.” Princess Pros Entertainment of Wichita will be on hand before and after the performance, allowing children the opportunity to meet and take pictures with princesses.  Audience members of all ages are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and door prizes will be given away.

Season tickets for the South Kansas Symphony and Southwestern College Youth Symphony are available now (adults - $50 and children, age 5-18, - $30). By purchasing season tickets, guests may attend all eight concerts (excluding the Chamber Gala) at a reduced price and have reserved seating.  For more information or to purchase season or individual concert tickets, call the performing arts office at (620) 229-6272. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
 

The concert will feature music from movies. The orchestra's graduating seniors are: Andrea Johnson, Joshua Massey, Aideen Tessmer, and TJ Ziegler, Winfield; Jacob Shepherd, Arkansas City; and Sarah Winzenried, Derby.

The SYS is open to middle and high school students who play string, wind, or percussion instruments. Auditions for the 2019-2020 season will be held on Saturday, May 18. Registration is currently open, and there are openings in all sections. For more information on auditions, contact Ismail Farid by email at ismail.farid@sckans.edu or (620) 218-1178).

The Southwestern College Youth Symphony program provides musical training and performance opportunities to talented students in South-Central Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The youth symphony program strives to maintain a rich heritage of classical music in the region. The ensemble encourages students to achieve musical excellence, function as members of a team, and appreciate the talents of peers in the ensemble. Many musicians make lasting friendships with other members of the orchestra.
 

The concert is sponsored by Larry and Linda Hahn.

Winners from the annual Concerto Competition are traditionally featured at this concert. The 2019 competition, held in March, was sponsored by The Trust Company of Kansas - Stephen English. This year's junior division finalists will be recognized, with the first and second place winners also performing on the concert:

• Elizabeth Kim, junior division winner, alto saxophone, 11th grader from Manhattan High School
• Sharon Sun, junior division second place, violin, seventh grader from Robinson Middle School (Wichita)
• Anna Burford, junior division third place, flute, 12th grader from Park City.

The concert will feature Kim performing “Tableaux de Provence” and Sun performing “Fantaisie Ballet,” following the “Don Giovanni Overture” by Mozart.

Also joining the symphony will be Southwestern College's Choral Union and A Cappella Choirs, conducted by Aaron Knodle. The entire Mozart "Requiem" will be performed in the second half of the concert, featuring guest soloists Carter Tholl (soprano), Sable Strout (mezzo-soprano), Logan Barat (tenor), and Phillip Lopez (baritone).
 

The following students will be featured:
•           Joefirkus Giat (Southwestern College music education major)
•           Katherine Lenz (Winfield High School)
•           Mary Grace Matias (Winfield High School)
•           Julia McMains (Southwestern College music education/performance major)
•           Alyssa Patrick (Southwestern College music education major)
•           Jacob Shepherd (Arkansas City High School)
•           Lani Stoddard (Southwestern College music major)

The recital will also include selections performed by Peterson and the Williams String Quartet.

The “Light It Up Blue” concert is in conjunction with World Autism Awareness Day, which is held on April 2 each year. The concert is a celebration of neurodiversity and aims to raise awareness, start discussions, and help form connections within the community. 

Performing groups sharing during the evening include Music by Mosaic, Journey Kids Choir, Southwestern College Percussion Group, and the SC African Drum and Dance Ensemble. 

“Attendees are encouraged to wear blue to show their support for our neurodiverse community,” says Jeremy Kirk, assistant professor of music at Southwestern College.
 

Southwestern College President Brad Andrews and his wife, Trish, will host the event.  The concert is sponsored by Joan Fenema Jones.

Winterfest is a collaboration between A Cappella Choir, JourneyKids Choir, the South Kansas Symphony, the Southwestern College Choral Union, and the Southwestern College Percussion Ensemble. Conducting the concert selections are Jeremy Kirk, assistant professor of music; Nikki Kirk, JourneyKids Choir; Aaron Knodle, assistant professor of music; and Amber Peterson, assistant professor of music, along with James Leland providing organ accompaniment.

According to Knodle, the A Cappella Choir, the Choral Union, and JourneyKids Choir will offer both traditional and contemporary selections, the Percussion Ensemble will present arrangements with both swing and Latin rhythms, and the South Kansas Symphony will offer several variations of “Sleigh Ride.”

“We will conclude the concert with the combined choral and orchestral forces presenting F. Melius Christiansen’s ‘Beautiful Savior,’ Dan Forrest’s arrangements of the ‘Huron Carol’ and ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful,’ and Dan Goeller’s ‘Christmas Carol Sing-Along,’” Knodle says.
 

The Wichita Symphony Orchestra begins the 2018-2019 Masterworks Season on Sunday, Sept. 16, with Beethoven’s “Violin Concerto,” featuring violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Brahms’s “Symphony No. 3,” and Berlioz's “The Corsair Overture.”

“This Brahms work is absolutely one of the most impactful symphonic works to me,” says Tim Shook, chair of performing arts at Southwestern.  “The program is inviting, beautiful and varied.  Join us on Sunday, Sept. 16.”   
           

For more information about the concert, go to https://wichitasymphony.org/events/beethoven-brahms-berlioz. 

To sign up, contact the performing arts office at (620) 229-6272 by Friday at 5 p.m.  The division asks for a donation of $10 to cover the cost of car rental, mileage, and gas.  

“We meet at Darbeth Fine Arts Center on the Southwestern College campus around 1 p.m. on Sunday,” says Aidan Wells Filbert, president of ToneBuilders.   

Select students have earned the honor to present solo performances based on the previous semester’s jury exam scores.  Students performing include Hannah Breshears, voice; Joefirkus Giat, piano; Scarlet Green, voice; Kaela Massey, voice; Ondreya Seahorn, voice; Jack Warring, voice; Aidan Wells Filbert, piano and marimba; and Leslie Wofford, flute.

“We are extremely proud of these students and their growth,” says Jeremy Kirk, chair of Southwestern’s music department.  “We hope the community will join us in celebrating their achievements.”

The scholarship was established in 1995, thanks to the generosity of Maud Wyatt’s bequest made in 1961 to support the work of KICF. The scholarship recognizes students who exhibit that same commitment to the value of a private college education in Kansas.

“Aidan sees the freedom he has in a liberal arts education and takes full advantage of the opportunities that freedom provides,” says Tim Shook, division chair for performing arts at Southwestern College.  “He views it as a means for developing his talent into a world class musician and person of character.”

For the first time this year, the foundation is awarding 19 individual scholarships to students at each Foundation member institution. Recipients are all full-time, degree-seeking students on the cusp of graduation, and each has demonstrated excellence in academics, character, and leadership. These students maintain GPAs of 3.5 or above while being active on their campus and contributing to their respective communities.

“Aidan doesn’t just get good grades,” Shook continues. “As a piano performance major and talented musician, he loads himself with academic work and takes that work beyond simple assignment completion.  I see as his advisor that he delves into subjects deeply to find new information to learn, working across disciplines to enhance his work by bringing in other influences.”

Shook described Wells Filbert as curious, an explorer in an environment of adult professionals who encourage him to stretch as far as he is willing.  During the coming year, for example, he plans to take advantage of opportunities offered at Southwestern College to dig further into music composition or conducting. 

Wells Filbert is president of ToneBuilders (an SC organization for ensemble participants), and regularly serves as music director or assistant music director of Southwestern’s theatre performances. 

Located in Topeka, the Kansas Independent College Foundation is a nonprofit organization that develops and enhances the competitive standing of its 19-member independent, non-profit, regionally accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and strives to assure opportunity and choice in higher education for all students. For more information on the Foundation, please contact Jesyca Hope at 785-235-9877 or jesyca@kscolleges.org.
  

“For those who want to ride with others and avoid driving in the Wichita traffic, this offer affords an enjoyable enhancement to the concert,” says Tim Shook, chair of the Division of Performing Arts at Southwestern College. 

“The services are provided by members of the college’s performing arts division student organization, ToneBuilders, which allows students to benefit from the experience and opportunity to make community connections and outreach,” says Aidan Wells Filbert, president of ToneBuilders.

Concert dates include Sept. 16, Oct. 28, Nov. 11, Jan. 27, Feb. 17, Mar. 17, and April 14.  

To sign up, contact the performing arts office at (620) 229-6272 by Wednesday at 5 p.m. before each concert.  The division asks for a donation of $10 to cover the cost of car rental, mileage, and gas.  

“We meet at Darbeth Fine Arts Center on the Southwestern College campus around 1 p.m.,” Wells Filbert says. 

Vance will be the guest artist for the 2018 Cole Family Summer Music Festival at Southwestern College. The annual festival, this year held from June 10 to June 16, brings high school students to campus for a week of music-making and exploration in collaboration with Southwestern College music faculty, students, and guests. Students will also have the opportunity to work with Vance this summer.

Vance is the recipient of Scotland’s 2017 Royal National Mòd “Sutherland Cup” in Scottish fiddle, and was the youngest to win the U.S. National Open Scottish Fiddling Championship in 1999 and 2001.
Vance has performed and taught internationally, serving as a guest lecturer at the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy, appearing as guest artist for the 50th Anniversary of the Armagh Piper’s Club at the William Kennedy Piping Festival, and being selected as a featured soloist at the 2017 Scottish Royal National Mòd in Fort William.

He holds a graduate degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and has performed with Seattle-based Pacific Music Works, Early Music Vancouver, Northwest Sinfonietta, mandolinist John Reischman, vocalist Nadia Tarnawsky, Alex Fedoriouk, uilleann piper Eliot Grasso, and composer Stephen Rice.

In addition to being a founding member of Celtic Ensemble Dréos and World Music Ensemble Alchymeia, Vance is a composer with a distinctive melodic and harmonic vocabulary, having given the world premiere of his original composition “Gael Storm” for fiddle and orchestra with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra at Severance Hall. Vance was music director and violin soloist for the world premiere of “Odyssey of These Days,” a work composed by Eliot Grasso, and presented at the Hult Center in Eugene, Ore., as a musical response to a set of nine paintings by Wesley Hurd that deal with loss, grief, and hope. Recently, Vance worked with his Celtic ensemble, Dréos, to compose, arrange, and perform music for the world premiere of Ballet Fantastique's “Sleepy Hollow.”

In addition to having a well-established international career as a violinist and fiddler, Vance is also emerging as a traditional Gaelic singer, having been ranked third in the Skye and Sutherland Open Competition at the 2017 Royal National Mòd.

“Aaron Knodle brings the energy, credentials, and skills to take the choral program from where Dr. Brian Winnie has built it over the past four years and move it forward in artistry and viability,” says Tim Shook, SC’s division chair for performing arts. “Knodle understands the choral program in the liberal arts setting.”

Knodle earned a bachelor of music in organ performance and a bachelor of arts in music education from Luther College, as well as a master’s degree in choral conducting from Boston University.  His conducting influences are Ann Howard Jones from Boston University and Earl Rivers from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He will complete his DMA in choral conducting from the University of Cincinnati - College Conservatory of Music in December.
           
Knodle has been active as both a conductor and accompanist in the years leading up to this appointment. As he completes his doctoral degree he has been assistant conductor at the University of Cincinnati - College Conservatory of Music, sharing in the conducting duties of the chamber choir. He has been music director for five annual musical theatre performances at the Starlight Playhouse (Camp Starlight), and was music director at the Dance Gallery of South Dakota Musical Theatre Department. He is currently director of music at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, and accompanist of the Cincinnati Children’s Choir.

The ukulele camp will be under the direction of Nikki Kirk. Kirk is a music educator in the Arkansas City public school district, where she teaches kindergarten through fifth grade general music, and is an active member of NAfME and ACDA.  Kirk also serves as the director of music at the First Presbyterian Church of Winfield.  Kirk is in her 10th  year of teaching and has taught general music, band, and choir in the public schools of Kansas and in her home state of West Virginia, and served as an instructor at Coffeyville Community College.          

The ukulele camp is $30 for current CMS students and $35 for non-CMS students. Participants must be at least eight years old and all participants must have their own ukuleles. Music is provided. All experience levels are welcome. For questions or to enroll, contact the CMS at cms@sckans.edu or visit www.sckans.edu/cms. 

The SC Percussion Ensemble will present their spring concert on Tuesday, May 1 at 7 p.m., in Messenger Recital Hall, located in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center.  

“The first half of the program will feature the work ‘Process,’ a piece that exemplifies the differences in processing for both neuroatypical and neurotypical persons,” says Jeremy Kirk, director of bands and percussion at Southwestern College. “The second half of the program will feature an island vibe with the Percussion Pops Ensemble performing tunes of Jimmy Buffett, Jimmy Cliff, and many more.”  

The SC Jazz Band and Jazz Combo will present “An Evening of Jazz” on Thursday, May 3 at 7 p.m., in the Richardson Performing Arts Center located on the main level of the Christy Administration Building. 

According to Kirk, the concert will feature jazz standards from Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and more, along with modern funk charts.  

“Both concerts will feature a wide variety of styles,” Kirk says. “From totalism to tropical and cool jazz to funk, there is something for everyone.”  

There is no admission charge for both concerts and the community is encouraged to attend.

This performance is sponsored by Larry and Linda Hahn.

“This concert will be an excellent close to an outstanding season,” says Amber Peterson, South Kansas Symphony conductor.  “Come show your support for your talented friends and family.”

Jonathan Lee of Winfield is the 2018 senior division winner. He will perform the first movement of Hummel's “Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra.” Lee is a freshman music education major at Southwestern. 

The junior division winner is Sarah Smith, a senior from Maize High School. She will perform the Finale from Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B minor.  Next year, Smith will be pursuing majors in cello performance and music education. Aidan Wells, this season's assistant conductor as well as Smith's accompanist for the competition, will conduct Smith's concerto with the symphony.

Other finalists from this year's competition will also be recognized: Sarrah Sultz (second place senior division finalist), Taylor Herrman (second place junior division finalist) and Riley Ziegler (third place junior division). 

Besides accompanying the winners on their concerto, the symphony will be performing “Fugue in C minor” by Bach/Elgar and Symphony No. 5 "Reformation" by Mendelssohn. 

The 2018 South Kansas Symphony concerto competition was sponsored by Phyllis Bigler.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for children (5-18), and free for Southwestern College faculty, staff, students, and youth symphony members and children under five. 

According to Jeremy Kirk, assistant professor of music at Southwestern College, the “Light It Up Blue” concert is in conjunction with World Autism Awareness Day, which is held on April 2 each year.  

“The concert is a celebration of neurodiversity and aims to raise awareness, start discussions, and help form connections within our community,” Kirk says. 

Performers include the Southwestern College Percussion Group, Journey Kids Choir, Aidan WellsFilbert, Kaela Massey, and several community members.  

“This concert is actually not about music; it is about connecting with others and celebrating differences through music,” Kirk says.  “Students have been learning about the autism spectrum and exploring processing differences through music, and I could not be more proud of them.”

The concert will also feature the world premiere of Kirk’s latest composition for percussion ensemble, “Process.” 

“’Process’ is a work that exemplifies the differences in processing for both neuroatypical and neurotypical persons,” Kirk explains.  “There are times of joy, confusion, discomfort, and celebration within the piece.  The final movement invites audience participation and is a chance for everyone to connect and embody Ubuntu.  Ubuntu is an African philosophy that speaks to the interconnectedness of all humans.  To put it simply, ‘I am me because of we.’”

The event is sponsored by Jane Duncan and Craig and Diana Duncan.

According to Amber Peterson, SKS conductor, the Chamber Gala is an important fundraiser for the community/college orchestra.

“Come enjoy an afternoon of chamber music, performed by symphony musicians, as well as hors d'oeuvres, wine, and a silent auction,” Peterson says.  “We are grateful for the venue donation of The Barns at Timber Creek.”

The following businesses have donated items or services for the silent auction: Wheat State Winery, Gottlob Lawn and Landscaping, Rubbermaid, Quail Ridge Golf Course, Shindig’s Bar and Grill, Buchanan Enterprises, Madeline Norland Massage/Reflexology, Alecia Hendricks Massage Therapy, Southwestern College, and College Hill Coffee.

Tickets for the event are $40 per person ($25 of which is tax deductible). Reservations are required and limited seating is available. For more information or to reserve a seat, contact Ashton Humbert at Southwestern College at (620) 229-6272.

Music teachers will select the top six students in participating schools and convey information about the Elementary Honor Choir Day to the students and their parents. The cost is $7 per student (if paying online, a $0.50 service charge is added).  This includes lunch, two snack breaks, a t-shirt, music, a CD/digital recording of the music to practice with before the day, and transportation from school to SC to start the day.

“This event is an opportunity to have six of the top students from each elementary school in the Winfield and surrounding area schools join together to share their musical gifts and love of music,” says Brandi Young, director of the CMS. "Thank you to all of our sponsors, and a special shout out to the Legacy Community Foundation Grant for funding more than half of this day.""

The selected elementary students will have the opportunity to explore technique skills, discover new music, and work with others. 

Nikki Kirk will be the director of the choir. She is a music educator in the Arkansas City public school district where she teaches kindergarten through 5th grade general music.  Kirk also serves as the director of music at the First Presbyterian Church of Winfield and is adjunct instructor of music at Southwestern College.  Kirk has more than 10 years of experience teaching and has taught general music, band, and choir in the public schools of Kansas, in her home state of West Virginia, and at Coffeyville Community College.  As a performer, she has performed at the National Trumpet Competition in Washington, D.C., and performed as a trumpet and vocal soloist at educational events in the eastern and midwestern regions of the U.S. She is an active member of NAfME and ACDA, as well as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the region.

Marsha Granberry will be accompanying Kirk and the Elementary Honor Choir.  Granberry has taught music education in Leon, Wichita, and Rose Hill, as well as at Wichita State University and Southwestern College. 

The registration deadline is Monday, Jan. 8.  For more information about the Elementary Honor Choir Day, visit online at www.sckans.edu/cms.

The Musical Theatre Ensemble and Broadway Builders will present “Broadway Backwards” on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., in Richardson Performing Arts Center. 

“The concert will feature songs that each soloist would usually never perform due to it being of the opposite gender, race, or character type,” says Brian Winnie, director of choral activities and voice at Southwestern College.   

SC Singers will present “Forward March” on Friday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m., in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center. The concert will feature both group numbers and soloists performing popular contemporary songs. 

“This is always a wonderful night featuring the growth of all SC vocal students over the course of this semester, with powerful belting, beat-boxing, and tight harmony,” Winnie says. 

There is no admission charge for either show and the public is invited to attend. 

Titled "Almost There," the showcase focuses on musical theatre songs, including “I Miss the Mountains" from “Next to Normal,” “Adelaide's Lament” from “Guys & Dolls,” and “It Won't Be Long Now” from “In The Heights.”  Petrovich will also showcase her choreography and dancing abilities through tap, hip hop, jazz, modern, and contemporary styles, to songs “Faith” from the movie “Sing,” “Say You Won't Let Go” by James Arthur, and the "Saw" theme song.  

The recital will feature Aidan Wells-Filbert, accompanist; Ondreya Seahorn, soprano; and dance partners Kaela Massey, Tanner Schartz, Austin Davis, and Ryan Pangracs.  

A reception will follow the show in the lobby of Richardson Performing Arts Center.

The SCCU will perform at the Winterfest Concert on Sunday, Dec. 3. 

According to Brandi Young, executive director for the Community Music School (CMS), SCCU is a community and college ensemble that offers choral and vocal education and performance opportunities to a broad range of ages (16 and up) and experience levels. Project price for becoming a member of SCCU is $40 for adults and free for students.  The group is still accepting students. 

“SCCU is taking a new direction this year with being a project-based ensemble that will combine with the SC A Capella Choir for special projects and concerts,” says Brian Winnie, director of the SCCU.  “Rehearsals nurture the growth of all individuals through one-on-one instruction within the group setting, student internship collaboration, emphasis on vocal technique, and growth of musicianship skills. Performances maintain innovative programing, helping to stretch the choral art, community, and members.

SCCU believes in strengthening both Southwestern and Winfield's commitment to the fine arts and enhancing our historical choral legacy by bringing music back to the community.”

The CMS will host a winter recital on Wednesday, Dec. 13. A celebratory reception will follow the recital in the Darbeth lobby.  

“CMS recitals are an opportunity for each of our students to perform pieces for their parents and families,” Young says.  “This is a chance for the students to show their progress and celebrate all of their growth throughout the semester.” 

For more information, contact the CMS at cms@sckans.edu.  

Active in the creation and performance of new music for percussion, Burritt has built a reputation in chamber music as a percussion soloist and a concert marimbist. He has performed regularly at the Leigh Howard Stevens International Marimba Seminar and was a featured faculty performer at the 2007 and 2009 Zeltsman Marimba Festival. In April 2004, Burritt performed in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as member of the Hammers and Sticks Ensemble. Later that same year the Hammers and Sticks Ensemble released a CD on the Innova label.

Burritt has earned degrees from Ithaca College School of Music (bachelor of music in education and performance), Kent State University (master of music), and Northwestern University (doctor of musical arts).

As a percussion soloist, Burritt has been active performing percussion concertos by Maki Ishii, Steve Mackey, Joseph Schwantner, Michael Dougherty, David Maslanka, John Mackey, and James MacMillan. Burritt has recorded for guitarist Eric Johnson and recording artist David Byrne. Burritt’s first solo CD recording, “All Times Identical – New American Music for Marimba,” was released in November 2006. His second solo marimba recording, “Groundlines,” is available in iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Rdio, and Spotify. In August of 2015, Burritt released his latest recording via YouTube, featuring a video album of J. S. Bach’s 5th Cello Suite performed on the marimba. In 2009 and 2016, Burritt performed on two Grammy-nominated recordings, “Conspirare in Concert” and “Pablo Neruda: The Poet Sings,” both distributed world-wide on the Harmonia Mundi label.

The concert is a part of the The Cole Family Summer Music Festival, June 11-17.  The festival is a seven-day camp held at Southwestern College.  Campers study with college faculty while developing general musicianship and music skills in four areas of emphasis--choir, orchestra, band, and piano. 

For more information about the camp or the concert, contact Brittany Donley, director of camps, conferences, and events at Southwestern College, at (620) 229-6141, or visit the RPAC website.

Southwestern College is a private institution granting undergraduate and graduate degrees and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  About 1,700 students attend classes at the main Winfield campus, at six professional studies sites in Kansas and Oklahoma, or online around the world.

Buy Tickets

SCYS is accepting students who play the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, percussion, electric bass, and electric guitar.  

Concert dates for the upcoming season are Oct. 15, Jan. 28, and April 22.  All concerts begin at 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Ismail Farid at Ismail.Farid@sckans.edu or (620) 218-1178. 

The orchestras of the Southwestern College Youth Symphony program provide musical training and performance opportunities to talented students in South-Central Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The youth symphony program strives to maintain a rich heritage of classical music in the region. The ensemble encourages students to achieve musical excellence, function as members of a team, and appreciate the talents of peers in the ensemble. Many musicians make lasting friendships with other members of the orchestra. 

The recital will feature Stephen Butler, Eva Farid, the William's String Quartet, James Leland, and the South Kansas Symphony Chamber Ensemble. Repertoire includes pieces from J. S.Bach, Schubert, Vivaldi, Handel, Mascagni and Faurè. There is no admission charge and the public is invited to attend. A catered reception will follow the recital

The SC Jazz Band concert is on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 p.m., in the Richardson Perform Arts Center, located on the main level of the Christy Administration building and will feature music ranging from the standards of Miles Davis and Nat Adderley to contemporary music of Bruno Mars and the Foo Fighters.  

The Percussion Concert, which will feature the Percussion Ensemble and African Drum & Dance Ensemble, will perform on Thursday, April 27, at 7 p.m., in Messenger Recital Hall in the Darbeth Fine Arts Center.  The Percussion Ensemble will present works by John Cage, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass, while the African Drum & Dance Ensemble will perform traditional music and dance from West Africa.

There is no admission charge to either performance and the public is invited to attend.