The residency will take place June 14-21 and marks Mason鈥檚 debut as the featured conductor of the festival, which will bring together American choral groups to perform in some of Europe鈥檚 most iconic musical settings.

鈥淭his is the first residency where I am the featured conductor, and I couldn鈥檛 be more honored,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 especially meaningful that I鈥檒l be conducting in Vienna, a city with such a rich musical legacy.鈥�

As part of the residency, Mason will conduct 鈥�Dixit Dominus鈥� by 18th-century composer Marianna Martines, a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn whose music has only recently begun receiving the recognition it deserves. The featured performance will take place Wednesday, June 17, at the historic Minoritenkirche in Vienna, with the Symphonischesorchester Wien and distinguished soloists.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a piece I鈥檝e especially enjoyed throughout my career,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淭he charm of performing Martines鈥檚 music in her home city, where there鈥檚 no record of it ever being performed in her lifetime, makes this an incredibly powerful moment. She was a woman composer in a time when that was rare, and to bring her work to the forefront in this setting feels like reclaiming part of that history.鈥�

The trip, organized through MidAm International, a division of MidAmerica Productions鈥攖he same organization Mason has twice conducted with at Carnegie Hall鈥攊ncludes guided tours of Vienna and Salzburg, visits to Mozart鈥檚 birthplace, Beethoven鈥檚 home, Sch枚nbrunn Palace, and St. Stephen鈥檚 Cathedral. A second, smaller chamber concert may also take place at Mullner Kirche in Salzburg.

Mason鈥檚 invitation to conduct is a direct result of her successful past collaborations with MidAmerica Productions.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e seen me work, they know I can run a rehearsal, and they offered me a choice of residencies in Europe,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ustria stood out for the music and the timing. I鈥檝e always wanted to do summer conducting in Europe, and this is a dream come true.鈥�

Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to join Mason for the trip, either as singers or as traveling companions to singers. Participants will be part of the Ozark Festival Singers, one of Mason鈥檚 affiliated ensembles. The Arkansas Chamber Singers, as well as an Arkansas high school choir, and musical groups from around the country will also join the performance.

Anyone interested in participating in the residency should contact Mason at ldmason@ualr.edu.

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The concert will take place in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall on UA 糖心视频logo鈥檚 campus.

This semester鈥檚 concert features performances by a number of UA 糖心视频logo Choirs鈥擟oncert Choir, Chamber Singers, Women鈥檚 Chorus, and Night Shift鈥攚ho will be performing selections by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and more.

While the UA 糖心视频logo Choirs have typically performed more contemporary pieces, Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities, shares what it means to perform works from the traditional canon.

鈥淓xploring these ideas reveals that we are not so different from those who lived and worked in other places in the world and in ages past,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淭o be human carries with it a sense of wonder and beauty, pain, relationships, artistry, inspiration, struggle, and triumph, and to share this music brings us closer together and closer to the brilliant human beings who dedicated their own lifetimes to composing it.鈥�

During rehearsals, Mason has found herself not only appreciating each piece among the selection, but also appreciating the excitement from students as they perform works from centuries ago.

鈥淭his is the music that welcomed me into the world of choral music, and sharing it with these singers has been a joyful journey,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淗earing students talk about how fun it is to sing Mozart or how enlightening it is to learn about Brahm鈥檚 ‘Requiem’ is rewarding, and it opens the door to enriching conversation with students.鈥�

鈥淐onversations From the Choral Canon鈥� is a free concert and is open to the public. For more information, contact the School of Literary and Performing Arts at 501-916-3291 or slpa@ualr.edu.

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The popular 鈥淰oces Omnes鈥� concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building at UA 糖心视频logo.

Special guest performers include choirs from 糖心视频logo Central High School, Parkview High School, and Sheridan High School. These choirs will perform CPA (Choral Performance Assessment) programs in preparation for their upcoming CPA competitions.

鈥淲e are looking forward to welcoming these singers to campus to share the stage with us in an evening of enriching choral music,鈥� said Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities at UA 糖心视频logo. 鈥淕ood things are happening through the UA 糖心视频logo Music program, and it is exciting to provide this opportunity for high school choirs to perform prior to their CPA festival performances.鈥�

The concert will include selections to be performed by Randall Thompson, Rene Clausen, Roland Carter, Timothy Brown, Billy Joel, Paul Mealor, Jaakko M盲ntyj盲rvi, and more.

For more information, contact the UA 糖心视频logo School of Literary and Performing Arts at 501-916-3291.

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The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building. The UA 糖心视频logo Chamber Ensembles will perform pre-concert music beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The performers include the UA 糖心视频logo Choirs, solo vocalists, UA 糖心视频logo Clarinet and Flute Ensembles, and faculty from the School of Literary and Performing Arts.

鈥淭he event highlights the correlation between Shakespeare texts and their connection to song,鈥� said Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities. 鈥淔or centuries, Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays have been a fruitful source of texts for composers of song, both in choral literature and solo vocal repertoire. This event features vocal and choral settings of such texts from a variety of Shakespeare plays.鈥�

Students from Dr. Paul Crutcher’s Teaching English class have worked diligently writing program notes to represent the music and literary content, with editorial help from Dr. Kris McAbee, co-director of the School of Literary and Performing Arts. Music selections include songs from 鈥淭he Tempest,鈥� 鈥淗amlet,鈥� 鈥淎s You Like It,鈥� 鈥淭he Merchant of Venice,鈥� 鈥淭welfth Night,鈥� and more.

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The production, co-directed by Dr. Larry Smith and Kate Sain, features a concert staging of short opera works and beloved musical theatre scenes, each dealing with the idea of fortune in the game of life.

Performances are scheduled for Nov. 14-16 at 7:30 p.m in the University Theatre, which is located in the Center for Performing Arts (CPA) building on the UA 糖心视频logo campus.

Co-produced by both the music and theatre arts programs, these performances bring together a variety of disciplines from the School of Literary and Performing Arts. They also highlight the work of new faculty and staff at UA 糖心视频logo, as they feature scenic design work by assistant professor of theatre Karen Dauenhauer and technical director Robert Warner. The show includes musical direction by Dr. Nickolas Doshier, assistant professor of music, who conducts a 15-piece orchestra composed of Arkansas Symphony Orchestra musicians, community members, faculty, and students to accompany the vocal performances.

鈥淲hen Dr. Lorissa Mason approached Kris McAbee and me about linking production to a joint music and theatre-led opera class, we believed it was the right time to pilot this kind of integrated student opportunity,鈥� said Stacy Pendergraft, co-director of the School of Literary and Performing Arts. 鈥淒r. Nickolas Doshier鈥檚 incredible assemblage of the orchestra was an unexpected, delightful strengthening of the offering. In all of my 22 years experience here at UA 糖心视频logo, there has not been this kind of substantial instrumental support of live opera and musical theatre performance. It鈥檚 an ambitious, wonderful team effort across the board.鈥�

鈥淭hese innovations come only one year into the existence of the School of Literary and Performing Arts,鈥� said Dr. Sarah Beth Estes, Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. 鈥淭his remarkable achievement reflects the commitment of the faculty of the school to innovate opportunities for students and the care of the school directors in facilitating such opportunities.鈥�

The event is free, and no reservations are required. For more information, contact the School of Literary and Performing Arts at 501-916-3291 or email slpa@ualr.edu.

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Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities, Brent Foster II, a senior music education major, and the members of the UA 糖心视频logo Chamber Singers are all finalists in three different categories of the American Prize competition.

is the nation鈥檚 most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize competitions evaluate, recognize, and reward the best performers, ensembles, composers, directors, and administrators in the U.S.

Mason is a finalist for the American Prize in Choral Conducting 鈥� University. The faculty member said that she鈥檚 thrilled to be a part of a competition that she has watched many of her mentors and colleagues participate in over the years.

鈥淭he fact that I am on the list is an honor,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淚 am in the company of all my mentors and colleagues along with lots of great friends and colleagues who are still on the list. It鈥檚 a journey that we are all enjoying together. And without these wonderful students, I wouldn’t be conducting. I’m honored that my first journey through this American Prize process is with this group of college singers.鈥�

Foster is a finalist for the American Prize in Composition 鈥� Choral Division, College Student for the Concert Choir鈥檚 performance of Psalm 23.

鈥淚 am truly humbled to be receiving this award for my arrangement of Psalm 23,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淚 am thankful that my university鈥檚 Concert Choir was able to premiere this work last year. And being in Chamber Singers challenges me to grow stronger in my musicianship as the repertoire is more advanced than the music selected for the other choirs.鈥�

The UA 糖心视频logo Chamber Singers are finalists for the American Prize in Choral Performance 鈥� University for their performances of 鈥淢agnificat鈥� (Durante), 鈥淥 Magnum Mysterium鈥� (Andrej Makor), 鈥淓lijah Rock鈥� (Moses Hogan), and 鈥淎 Boy and a Girl鈥� (Eric Whitacre).

Kaitlyn Kendrick, a senior music and music theory major and member of the UA 糖心视频logo Chamber Singers, said that being chosen as a finalist is an honor and a pleasant surprise.

鈥淲hen I saw the selections that were submitted, I was thrilled because those songs all meant something to us as singers, and we had many discussions about the music in rehearsal,鈥� Kendrick said. 鈥淚t’s nice to know that when you work hard on something and pour yourself into that, you are seen. It’s very affirming and humbling.鈥�

Kendrick also credited her participation in the UA 糖心视频logo Chamber Singers for making her the 鈥渕usician I am today.鈥�

鈥淭he music is challenging at times but so rewarding when you have a successful performance,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he music we sing in Chamber Singers is important and a reflection of the diversity in the music community internationally as well as in our ensemble. I look forward to chamber rehearsal three times a week, and I admire the people I get to sing with. I have never been more consistent with anything in my life than I have with my pursuit of music, and this ensemble definitely pushed me to pursue excellence in all my music. I strongly feel that 10 years from now I will look back on my time and performances with this ensemble with a lot of emotions and nostalgia. I truly love my fellow singers, my director, and our collaborative pianist so much.鈥�

Additionally, the UA 糖心视频logo Chamber Singers were also recognized as semi-finalists for the American Prize in American Music 鈥� Choral Division, but they did not advance to the finalist round.

The final winners of the American Prize competitions will be announced in the fall.

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Presented by Vox Anima London, the evening of music took place at Cadogan Hall on June 2 and celebrated the work of Paul Mealor, a renowned artist who recently composed music for the coronation of King Charles III, where various groups each performed a set.

The program included High Point University Chamber Singers from North Carolina, the featured acapella group Apollo5, and a collaboration between Una Voce at Wildwood Park for the Arts and Ozark Festival Singers, which included UA 糖心视频logo faculty and students.

Ozark Festival Singers is a community-based choir whose mission is to travel together and sing. With Mason and Gabe Lewis-O鈥機onnor serving as the conductors and co-artistic directors, Ozark Festival Singers perform across the U.S. and abroad. UA 糖心视频logo students who performed in London as part of the group were Cole Barber, Harris Hogue, Stacey Howard-Parchel, Kaitlyn Kendrick, Lawson Stiegelmeyer, and alumna Carmen Ramirez.

Music performed by the group included:

• 鈥淐eltic Heart鈥� by Paul Mealor
• 鈥淭hree Scottish Folk Songs鈥� by John F. Hudson
• 鈥淎gnus Dei鈥� by Joanna Gill
• 鈥淎ve Maria鈥� by Henrik Dahlgren
• 鈥淏lessing鈥� by Paul Mealor

Mason conducted the concert set performed by the Ozark Festival Singers.

鈥淐onducting on the Cadogan Hall stage was an honor, and to share it with these singers and with the composers of each of our pieces was a special opportunity,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淎s I prepared this music, I was able to communicate with each of the composers and understand their ideas behind their work.鈥�

The evening closed with the featured group Apollo5 and a combination of the choirs performing a world premiere of Paul Mealor鈥檚 newly commissioned piece for the festival 鈥淭hree Things鈥� with poetry by Grahame Davies.

With the Ozark Festival Singers open for others to join, Mason hopes to see UA 糖心视频logo students seek out new musical experiences.

鈥淭he UA 糖心视频logo music program itself has prepared our students with the skills to participate in such a group, where the music is learned largely independently with few and fast rehearsals and a short timeline for a high caliber concert,鈥� she said.

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