Thursday, February 28, 2013

Euphonium and Piano at Carver Hall


One of the elite brass soloists of the world, euphonium player Adam Frey (www.euphonium.com) is presenting a recital with BU professor Charisse Baldoria (www.charissebaldoria.com) on the piano.  The concert is on Thursday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall.  It is free and open to the public.

A native of Atlanta, Adam Frey has soloed with orchestras around the world, from the Boston Pops, to the US Army Orchestra, to Finland’s Vaasa Symphony Orchestra.  A champion of the euphonium, he has more than seventy works that have been composed or specifically arranged for him. 

Frey is the president of The Euphonium Foundation Inc., a non-profit, and artistic director of the International Euphonium Institute.  He has published articles internationally and served as assistant editor of the Euphonium Source Book, a text dedicated to all things euphonium.

An adjunct professor of Euphonium at Georgia State University and Emory University,   Frey received his musical training at the University of Georgia and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.

Dr. Charisse Baldoria, pianist, has performed in six continents and won awards in international competitions, including the San Antonio, Hilton Head Island, and Sydney international piano competitions.  A soloist and collaborative artist, she recently performed solo piano repertoire with a dancer, a painter, and a performance artist here at Bloomsburg University.   


Baldoria first came to the United States as a Fulbright scholar from the Philippines and earned her masters and doctorate from the University of Michigan.  She directs the piano program at Bloomsburg University.

The program includes the Concerto in C Minor by Telemann, The Yellow Rose of Texas Variations by Lewis Buckley, the Rule Britannia variations by John Hartmann, and other works for euphonium and piano.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Taste of the Arts: BU Dance Minors prepare

BU Dance Minors: Legendary Director/Choreographer Bob Fosse is known for his quirky, witty, sizzlin' numbers.  From the popular Broadway musical Chicago, students Christina Davis and Amber Michael perform a dance reconstruction of Fosse's "Hot Honey Rag."


An afternoon of free entertainment, A Taste of the Arts, is planned for the Moose Exchange in downtown Bloomsburg, Saturday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal Arts, the event is organized by the university’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts, which helps to promote the arts in the community. Join us!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Talking Liberal Arts

There must be something in the (bracing) February air. Just yesterday I received links to two recent articles about the value of a liberal arts education, a subject of literally daily conversation here in the College of Liberal Arts offices in Centennial Hall. In fact, only this morning I had the pleasure of exchanging views on this very topic with an external reviewer who is here to examine our (excellent) philosophy program. We discussed the short-sightedness of focusing narrowly on career preparation in higher education, and he pointed out that our country's strength has historically been in innovation (economically, technologically, culturally), yet many current policy decisions seem to work against fostering an educational environment that promotes innovative, creative thinking.

The first article, recommended by a former colleague, is an opinion piece from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette titled "What is knowledge worth? A liberal arts education has enduring value."

The second, recommended by colleague in the department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, is titled "Theater Education Programs Are in Demand for Workforce Creativity."

Do you want to know a secret? I don't mind talking about the value of a liberal education in terms of career preparation ... especially if we're talking about careers, and not just jobs, and preparation, and not just training. Lots of evidence suggests that a liberal arts education is the best career preparation available.

Food for thought, I hope, on a Monday morning. Check both of these links out and let us know what you think!

--Jim Brown, Dean

Thursday, February 14, 2013

A Taste of the Arts!


BU College of Liberal Arts hosts visual and performing arts showcase

BLOOMSBURG — An afternoon of free entertainment, A Taste of the Arts, is planned for the Moose Exchange in downtown Bloomsburg, Saturday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal Arts, the event is organized by the university’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts, which helps to promote the arts in the community.
Dr. Clickard rehearses the BU Jazz Ensemble
Students and faculty in the art and art history, English, and music, theatre and dance departments will showcase their talents in the Moose Exchange. While art exhibitions, theatrical productions, dance performances, recitals and other musical events, all open to the public, are held throughout the academic year, most of these events take place on campus.  A Taste of the Arts, now in its second year, brings students’ talents to a central venue for the community to enjoy, said James Brown, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
“We had a spectacular response last year,” Brown said. “There were more than 500 people in attendance, and the interaction with community members was wonderful. We hope to entertain even more local residents at this year’s Taste of the Arts.”
The idea behind the event is to offer a variety of arts experiences with new performances beginning every 10 minutes. A Taste of the Arts will feature music by the Jazz Ensemble and Husky Singers, dance and theatrical performances, and poetry readings, along with fine arts exhibitions, demonstrations and talks.
“Over the past year, the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts has hosted several programs at the Moose Exchange in an effort to reach out to the community,” Brown said. “A Taste of the Arts is a distinctive event and our students and faculty are looking forward to participating in it once again.”
Visitors may attend any portion of the three-hour program. Refreshments will be available. Details can be found on the CVPA website, www.bloomu.edu/cvpa.
For information, contact Nawal Bonomo, assistant to the dean, College of Liberal Arts, (570) 389-4725 or nbonomo@bloomu.edu.