'Live and Free' concerts offer variety

The "Live and Free" concert series is exactly what it sounds like: World-class performances of live music to attend for free on campus. \nAt 8 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday all semester, the Bloomington and IU community will hear performances by various ensembles in the IU School of Music. Jazz band concerts are Monday nights, Band and Wind Ensemble concerts are Tuesdays and the Orchestras perform Wednesday nights in the Musical Arts Center.\nThe first week of concerts began Sept. 27 with a performance by the Jazz Ensemble under the direction of David Baker. The ensemble performed pieces by jazz songwriters Sammy Nestico, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones and others, including two original pieces written by Baker, who has been at IU for 38 years.\n"All these pieces are personal favorites," Baker said. "They are also educational." \nEach of the nine pieces had at least one soloist, and most had several. \n"We have soloists in virtually every seat," Baker said. "They are already one of the best bands I've had." \nToday, the Jazz Ensemble will be conducted by Brent Wallarab.  \nThe first Tuesday concert was performed by the IU Wind Ensemble under the direction of Stephen Pratt, who has been at IU for 21 years.\nAll the selections for the wind ensemble were written by 20th-century American composers, including pieces by Aaron Copland, Jennifer Higdon and John Philip Sousa.\nPratt said students should come to the concerts because the music is interesting and the Wind Ensemble is one of the finest groups of its kind in the nation.\nThis Tuesday David Woodley and Douglas Stotter will conduct the Symphonic and Concert Bands in their performance of several classical pieces including Wagner's Lohengrin: Introduction to Act III, J.S. Bach's Prelude, Chorale and Fugue in G Minor and Grainger's children's march Over the Hills and Far Away.\nThe first Wednesday concert was performed by the Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of guest conductor Xian Zhang. Zhang just became an assistant conductor at the NY Philharmonic.\nThe orchestra had eight total rehearsals with Zhang before the concert.\nIt performed two pieces, Ma Mere l'Oye, by Maurice Ravel and Pyoter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64.\n"I picked these pieces because they are some of my favorites," Zhang said.\nThis Wednesday, the MAC will play host to the University Orchestra under the direction of George Crumb, a guest composer. The orchestra will play Crumb's original piece, A Haunted Landscape, as well as Schumann's Symphony No. 2. \n"This series is conducted by world-class conductors, and a great way for people to get to know a world-class music program for free," said Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for the School of Music. \nThere is more information on upcoming concerts at www.music.indiana.edu by following the Fanfare link.\n-- Contact staff writer Lena Stouppe at mstouppe@indiana.edu.