Five performances from Nov. 15-Dec. 16 include jazz orchestra, concert choir and several small group ensembles
The Times
Bucks County Community College, an All-Steinway School and accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music, is showcasing student talent in a series of concerts this fall.
Four free-admission concerts will take place on the campus at 275 Swamp Road in Newtown. The final concert, featuring Handel’s Messiah, is a ticketed event in collaboration with the Friends of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church in nearby Solebury.
The first concert, which takes place Thursday, Nov. 15 at 12:15 p.m., features a combination of a Performance Class Recital and the Classical Chamber Ensembles. The Performance Class Recital features recipients of BCCC’s music scholarship coordinated by Professor Steven Bresnen. The Classic Chamber Ensembles are under the direction of faculty member Len Pierro. The concert takes place in the Presser Music Room, located in the Music & Multimedia Center.
The music continues on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. with the Concert Choir and Percussion Ensemble in the Presser Music Room. The Concert Choir is under the direction of Professor Rochelle Reed. The Percussion Ensemble is under the direction of faculty member Mark Pultorak.
The Chamber Jazz Ensembles take the stage on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 12:30 p.m. in the Presser Music Room. The ensembles, under the direction of Professor Michael Hoffman, consist of piano, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, drums and vocals.
The upbeat sounds of the Bucks County Community College Jazz Orchestra are next on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kevin and Sima Zlock Performing Arts Center, located in the Gateway Center building on the Newtown campus. Under the direction of Professor Jeff Baumeister, the group performs music ranging from big band to swing and modern jazz. The theater is equipped with audio-loop technology for the hearing impaired.
Finally, the college’s Madrigal Singers, under the direction of Professor Rochelle Reed, will join the Trinity Church Friends of Music Concert on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 6587 Upper York Road in Solebury. The Madrigal Singers will accompany the Trinity Choir and a 16-piece orchestra in a performance of Handel’s Messiah, including Reed as a soprano soloist. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, and can be purchased online at trinitysolebury.org.
The concerts showcase the music education program available through the Arts Department at Bucks, whose School of Music offers a two-year associate degree in music that transfers to top universities across the nation. Classes are now forming for the spring semester. To learn more, visit bucks.edu/music or call 215–968–8425.
