Southeastern's Spring Concert set for April 1 | Arts & Culture

The Southeastern Louisiana University Chamber Orchestra will present its spring concert April 1 at 7:30 p.m. The concert – entitled “Awakening” – will be held in Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond and will feature the music of Vivaldi, Shubert, and Rossini, along with other composers. Yakov Voldman, professor of violin and director of the Southeastern Chamber Orchestra, will conduct the orchestra.

Iya Tsyrkot, Southeastern violin performance graduate student from the Ukraine, will serve as the soloist and concertmaster for the Chamber Orchestra concert. Tsyrkot will perform “Improvisation” by Ernst Bloch, a piece that Voldman says is romantic, very passionate and often performed by world famous violinists.

“Iya is one of the best violin students in my studio,” Voldman said. “Her playing has good sound, musicality and technical skills. I am sure the audience will enjoy her performance.”

The piano soloist for the concert is Zhaolei Xie, a junior from China pursuing a bachelor of music in piano performance. Xie will perform Franz Liszt’s “Concerto No. 1” in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra.

“Zhaolei won first place in the Young Artist Division of the Tourgee DeBose National Piano Competition in Baton Rouge in 2006,” said David Evenson, head of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. “He was also a winner in the college division of the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, which led to his New York City debut. He has studied piano in the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia.”

Trumpet soloists for the concert are Marcy Mayeux and Brandon Perkins both from Slidell. A master of music student at Southeastern, Mayeux has served as principal trumpet of the Southeastern Wind Symphony, Southeastern Jazz Ensemble I, and the Southeastern Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed with the Southeastern Faculty Brass Quintet and has played in various honor bands, including the Louisiana Intercollegiate Honor Band and the Louisiana All-State Band.

A senior music education student at Southeastern, Perkins has performed with the Wind Symphony, Chamber Orchestra, Symphonic Band and the Spirit of the Southland Marching Band. He was also a member of the Louisiana All-State Band and All-State Jazz Band.

Tickets are available for open seating through the Columbia Theatre box office, 220 East Thomas Street, which is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and one hour before the performance. General admission tickets are $10 for adult and $5 for senior citizens, Southeastern alumni, faculty, and staff. Southeastern students are admitted free with student identification. For more information on tickets, contact the Columbia Theatre box office at (985)-543-4371.