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The Las Positas College music department is set to fill the halls with melodies this spring and summer through a series of eight concerts on campus.
Included in the season are performances by student-musicians as well as visiting artists including saxophonist Dayna Stephens and a professional string group called Friction Quartet.
For those who have never been to a concert at the college, “I think they’ll be impressed by the caliber of shows, the caliber of our instruments and the caliber of our students,” music department coordinator Daniel Marschak said. “We’re very proud of our students.”
Kicking off the season is a collaborative concert including two LPC ensembles — one trained in improvisation and the other in jazz – in combination with world-renowned saxophonist Dayna Stephens and a local big band called East Bay Jazz High School All-Stars.
Guest artist Stephens is set to perform some of his original compositions with the high school and college students.
This will be the first show with this particular combination of musicians, said Marschak, who is also LPC director of composition, jazz combos, music theory and piano.
“We’re really lucky that it worked out. He’s a busy guy!” he said of Stephens’ participation in the show.
The LPC improvisation lab and LPC jazz ensemble featuring Stephens and the East Bay Jazz High School All-Stars is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., March 6 at the campus’ Black Box Theater.
Next up is a performance by the LPC jazz ensemble, directed by Mario Silva.
As the ensemble’s main concert for the semester, student-musicians will perform an eclectic set of songs ranging from American classics and beyond.
The jazz ensemble show is set to begin at 7 p.m., April 24 and will be located at the LPC Mertes Main Stage.
The following month, the school’s chamber choir and vocal jazz ensemble called BayBop, are set to perform together for the LPC choral concert at 7 p.m., May 8 at LPC Mertes Main Stage.
The variety show will include contemporary choral music as well as some classics, including baroque and renaissance styles, director of choral and vocal studies Andreas Preponis said.
Next up is the LPC orchestra concert at 7 p.m. May 15, wherein small groups of self-directed students will perform ensemble pieces and combine forces in a finale piece at the Mertes Main Stage.
In year’s past, the performance has included a saxophone trio, a brass quintet, percussion ensemble, rock band as well as harp and base duos, Preponis said.
The students in this show have taken part in what is considered a hybrid orchestra class at LPC, which allows them to choose performance music in small groups in addition to the music played class-wide.
The following weekend, LPC will be hosting the jazz combos concert at 7 p.m., May 17 at the Mertes Main Stage for their first solo show.
Similar to the orchestra concert, the jazz combos will feature small groups of student-musicians who each perform 20-30 minute sets based on their chosen theme.
In years past, Marschak said the combos have paid homage to artists like Stevie Wonder and conceptual subjects like grief.
“You’ll have to attend the concert to find out what themes were chosen this semester!” the LPC website states.
At the end of May, San Francisco-based string quartet Friction Quartet is scheduled to perform two shows premiering original pieces by LPC composition students and music faculty.
“It will be music no one has ever heard before, come to life,” Marschak said. “We’ve had ensembles in residency, but it’s never been exactly like this where the faculty have composed for the group.”
Among the instructors creating the music are Marschak, Preponis, Diana Cefalo and Connor Moen.
Performances by Friction Quartet are set at 7 p.m. on May 21-22 at the Blackbox Theater.
During early summer, LPC is also hosting the culmination performance for its high school jazz camp, featuring music from the saxophonist and composer Benny Golson who died last year.
The concert follows an intensive four-day course with LPC music faculty and alumni where students learn about topics including improvisation, music theory, rehearsals and performance.
“It’s a way for us to engage high school students in the area and a lot of them end up being music majors at Las Positas College,” Marschak said of the camp.
The high schoolers are scheduled to perform to the public at 7 p.m., June 26 on the Mertes Main Stage.
Tickets for all concerts are available for purchase at laspositascollege.edu. All proceeds are returned to the music program to pay for expenses like hosting guest artists and instrument repair.
