Bemidji State University’s Department of Music will host a concert of its Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band and a recital by senior Erik Bergsven on Oct. 27-28.

Erik Bergsven vocal recital
On Oct. 27, Bergsven, a senior from Bemidji, will perform a vocal recital as part of the requirements for his bachelor’s degree in music. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Thompson Recital Hall of Bemidji State’s Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex; it is open to the public free of charge.

Bergsven, a tenor, will perform fourteen pieces in French, German, Italian and English. These pieces are from a variety of composers, including Gabriel Fauré, Robert Schumman, Stefano Donaudy, Guiseppi Verdi, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Stephen Sondheim. The chosen music pieces center mostly around the themes of nature, love, journey, and self-discovery and according to Bergsven reflect his own college journey of self-discovery.

Wind Ensemble / Jazz Band
Bemidji State’s Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band will hold a post-tour home concert on Sunday, Oct. 28. The two-hour concert will begin at 3 p.m. in the main theatre of Bemidji State’s Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex.

Tickets for the concert are $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens; students are admitted free.

The bands at Bemidji State University have a long-standing tradition and are recognized throughout Minnesota as some of the finest programs in the region. The Wind Ensemble is Bemidji State’s select wind band. Its repertoire includes many of the exciting contemporary wind band pieces as well as 20th Century concert band classics.

The Wind Ensemble is open to all BSU students and rehearses three days per week. The ensemble takes an annual band tour with its concerts performed at many of the major high school music programs in the area. Recent tours include performances in Winnipeg and Minneapolis.

Now in its 32nd year of existence, Bemidji State University’s Jazz Band is an auditioned group of student musicians. The group practices twice weekly and throughout the years has been accompanied by some of the greatest names in Jazz – including Rich Matteson, Bobby Shew, Steve Turre and Frank Mantooth. Each year, the Jazz Band tours regionally and has traveled as far as Mexico and Hawaii.

The BSU Jazz Band is directed by Dr. Del Lyren, and participating students may earn up to two credits per semester of participation.

For more information on this performance, please contact Bemidji State University’s Department of Music at (218) 755-2915.