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Enormous Ensemble to be Featured in Upcoming WT Symphony Orchestra Concert
Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu
CANYON, Texas — A record-breaking ensemble will perform in the West Texas A&M University Symphony Orchestra’s next concert.
Nearly 100 musicians—including the Amarillo College Chamber Orchestra—will join forces for “Together” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus. Admission is free.
“This collaboration celebrates the partnership between our two ensembles,” said Dr. Mark Bartley, WT’s Lilith Brainard Professor of Music and director of orchestral activities. “Music students from AC often transfer to WT to complete their bachelor’s degree, and many of our WT graduates now play as community members of the AC Chamber Orchestra. It’s a thriving ecosystem for the musicians.”
Dr. Tina Carpenter, professor of music, will be featured on Edward Elgar’s “Romance for Bassoon and Orchestra.”
“When Tina, who began teaching here in 1986, said this would be her final year at WT, we knew we had to seize this last opportunity to showcase her remarkable artistry,” Bartley said.
The program will also include works by Ludwig van Beethoven, William Grant Still, Gustav Holst, and Charles Gounod. Ensemble Next also will make a special appearance to perform music of Luigi Boccherini.
Ensemble Next offers select students weekly lessons with Evgeny Zvonnikov, WT’s Harrington lecturer in violin, as well as masterclasses with guest artists and performance opportunities across the region, state and beyond. Ensemble Next has performed with the WT Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Music Amarillo in its first two years.
Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $110 million.
About West Texas A&M University
WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.
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