Date:
2/13/2009
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 575.562.2253
PORTALES—Eastern New Mexico University will host guest saxophone artist Allen Rippe from The University of Memphis on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Portales. His former saxophone student, Dr. Chris Beaty, associate professor of music at ENMU, will accompany him, along with Dr. Michael Sitton on piano and Eileen MacNaughton on viola. This performance is free to the public.
Rippe will perform “Two Tangos” by Astor Piazzola, “Sonata in C# for Alto Saxophone” by Fernande Decruck, four pieces from “Op. 83” by Max Bruch, “Romanian Folkdances” arranged by J. Michael Leonard, composed by Bela Bartok, and “Louder than Words” by Don Freund. “Louder than Words” will be performed by Rippe, Beaty and Sitton for this recital and for the North American Saxophone Alliance Region II conference in Albuquerque at University of New Mexico on Monday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. in Keller Hall.
Rippe will conduct a saxophone master class on Thursday, Feb. 19, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Chaves Hall, Room 119. He will also coach the saxophone majors during their applied lessons on Thursday and Friday.
Since 1978, Rippe has been a member of the faculty at The University of Memphis in Tennessee. While on leave in 1982–83, he performed with the Israel Philharmonic and the Jerusalem Symphony and taught in Israel for the Municipal Youth Band of Acre. He was commissioned to do many works for various people. His more recent commissions have included a chamber concerto for soprano and alto saxophones, “Shades of Mediterranean” by Turkish composer Tolga Ozdemir, followed by a large concerto for alto saxophone and winds, “Karpathia.” This piece may be heard at www.tolgaozdemir.com.
For more information, contact Kathi Fraze at 575.562.2377.