College to Present "A Celebration of New Music"

Westminster College will present "Voices from Within: A Celebration of New Music" concert Wednesday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. in Orr Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.

Compositions by Westminster music faculty and students will be featured, along with works by guest composer Robert Rollin.

Senior music education major Susan Davidson has two compositions on the program: "Peregrine," with pianist Dr. Nancy Zipay DeSalvo, Westminster associate professor of music; and "Tanglo," with Westminster students Patrick Dolan on clarinet, Claudia Brown on viola, and Christopher Granger on piano.

Davidson is a daughter of Christopher and Lori Davidson of Renfrew and a graduate of Butler Area High School. Her composing career began at a young age with songs for guitar, piano, and voice. She is involved in a variety of musical ensembles and performing groups at Westminster.

Freshman music education major Anthony Pezzelle's "Pax Eterna" will be performed by a group of Westminster students and music faculty: students Kelly Cholewa (flute); Jennie Smith (oboe); Dolan and Jerianne Larson (clarinets); Christina Mongelli (bass clarinet); Sara Zebley (violin solo); Brown and David Rankin (violins); Caroline Reina (viola); and Christopher Mills (bass). Faculty include DeSalvo on piano; Dr. Daniel Perttu, assistant professor of music theory and composition, on bassoon; and Jason Howard, visiting lecturer of music, on cello.

Pezzelle is a son of Natalie Pezzelle of Monessen and graduate of Belle Vernon Area High School. He has played piano for five years and composed for just over two years.

Sophomore music major Rhiannon Snyder composed "A Blackbird's Descent," which will be performed by Zebley on violin and Westminster adjunct music faculty Jeffrey Wachter on piano.

Snyder is a daughter of Donald and Yvonne Snyder of Imperial and a graduate of West Allegheny High School. This is her first composition.

Junior music education major Douglas Swanson's "Metaphors" will be performed by DeSalvo on piano.

Swanson is a son of Douglas Swanson of Greenville and a graduate of Greenville High School. He is involved in Westminster's Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Orchestra.

Westminster faculty compositions include Perttu's "Towers of Dalmatia - A Fantasy," performed by DeSalvo on piano and adjunct music faculty James Flowers on saxophone.

Perttu, who joined the Westminster faculty in 2008, is the music theory program coordinator. He earned an undergraduate degree from Williams College, two masters from Kent State University, and doctorate from Ohio State University. His compositions have been performed regionally, nationally, and internationally in arts festivals, concerts, conferences, and solo recitals. His peer-reviewed articles have been published in three journals. He was recently commissioned by the Johnstone Fund for New Music at the Columbus Foundation and is working on a commission for chorus and orchestra from the Shenango Valley Chorale in Sharon.

Howard's "Lullaby" will be performed by his siblings, Ethan on violin and Terez on piano. He will be joined by siblings Ethan and Esther on violin and Jeremy on viola for his composition "String Quartet No. 4."

Howard, who has been with Westminster since 2007, earned undergraduate and master's degrees from Youngtown State University. He is a doctoral candidate in music theory and composition at Kent State University and a member of the Youngstown Symphony and Warren Philharmonic Orchestras. He has received commissions for compositions or arrangements from Grammy nominee John Turk, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra bassist Micah Howard, the Dana Chamber Orchestra, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, and the Steubenville High School Orchestra.

Rollin's "Two Contrasts for Two Pianos" will be performed by DeSalvo and Roman Rudnytsky.

Rollin is professor of music and chair of composition at the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University. His works have been performed or broadcast on six continents and have been required jury pieces in the U.S., France, and South Africa. He is founder and coordinator of the International Dana New Music Festival and conductor of the Dana Festival Chamber Orchestra.

Contact Perttu at (724) 946-7024 or e-mail perttude@westminster.edu for additional information.