Baylor Celebrates Mozart's 250th Birthday

On Jan. 27, 1756, one of the supreme geniuses in the history of music -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- was born in Salzburg, Austria. To mark the 250th return of this auspicious date, the Baylor University School of Music will present a gala concert, featuring wind players, vocal soloists, two major choirs, a piano soloist and orchestra.
The Mozart Birthday Celebration will take place on the composer's birthday at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, in Jones Concert Hall in the Glennis McCrary Music Building.
The concert will open with the Allegro movement from Mozart's Wind Serenade in C minor, K. 388. The performers, conducted by Director of Bands Kevin Sedatole, will be oboists Doris DeLoach and Euridice Álvarez, clarinetists Richard Shanley and Victor Chávez, hornists Jeffrey Powers and Stephen Dark, and bassoonists Matthew Morris and Corey Fleeman.
Jeffery Ames, assistant professor of choral music, will conduct the Baylor Symphony Orchestra and vocalists in two songs: "Basta, vincesti...Ah, non lasciarmi," K. 486a (sung by soprano Deborah Williamson, Director of Vocal Studies), and "Mentre ti lascio, o figlia," K. 513 (sung by baritone Kelly Anderson). Dr. Ames will also lead a performance of Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus," K. 618, with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra and Choral Union.
Following intermission, Associate Professor of Piano Jane Abbott-Kirk will be the soloist in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453, with graduate conductor Gary Casity leading the Baylor Symphony Orchestra.
The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Baylor School of Music at (254) 710-3991.