Baylor Convocation Nov. 21 to Honor Steven Stucky

by Richard Veit

The music of composer Steven Stucky will be featured on a convocation at Baylor University at 4:10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in Meadows Recital Hall.
Stucky graduated from Baylor in 1971 with a bachelor of music degree, then earned his master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees from Cornell University, where he now serves as professor of music and chairman of the Department of Music. From 1988 through 1992 he was composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, working closely with music director André Previn and his successor, Esa-Pekka Salonen.
His works have been performed worldwide, and he has received commissions from many of the major American orchestras, including the Minnesota Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Following opening remarks from Stucky, Thursday's program will present three of his compositions. The "Two Holy Sonnets of Donne" were written in 1982 on a commission from David DeLoach, then concert and promotion manager of the Baylor School of Music. They will be sung by soprano Christine Schadeberg, who in 1992 and 1993 served Baylor University as visiting professor of voice. Also appearing in the sonnets will be Doris DeLoach, professor of oboe, and Jane Abbott-Kirk, associate professor of piano.
"Notturno" dates from 1981 and is scored for alto saxophone and piano. It will be played by Michael Jacobson, associate professor of saxophone, and Brian Marks, lecturer in piano.
The final work on the program, the "Serenade for Wind Quintet" from 1990, will be performed by the Baylor Woodwind Quintet-Helen Ann Shanley, associate professor of flute, DeLoach, professor of oboe, Richard Shanley, professor of clarinet, Kenton Moore, assistant professor of bassoon, and Margaret Robinson, assistant professor of horn.
This convocation is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Baylor School of Music at 755-3991.