African American Cultural Center at APSU to celebrate 20-year anniversary

Clarksville, TN – Nearly two decades ago, the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center opened at Austin Peay State University, with the author of “Roots,” Alex Haley, speaking as part of opening ceremonies.

At that time, in early 1991, the African American Cultural Center (AACC) was the answer to the frequently expressed wish among many on campus to have a special place for African-American students and faculty to focus on their contributions to the culture and heritage in the U.S.

That is still the case today, 20 years later. Although the center was operational in 1991, it did not bear its official name until November 1992, when it was named in honor of Daniel, the first black student to enroll at the former Austin Peay State College when the institution was still an all-white school. For the college, the end of segregation ended in 1956 when Daniel applied to the graduate school and was admitted. He received a Master of Arts in Education in 1957.

[Read more]

APSU’s Gateway Chamber Ensemble Recognized on Grammy Nomination List

Clarksville, TN – Last week, the Grammy Award nominations were announced, and some of the expected names – Jay-Z, Lady Gaga and Eminem – were at the top of the list. But the Grammys recognize more than simply pop music, and if you were to scroll down that list, you would see the category for “Producer of the Year, Classical,” and the name Blanton Alspaugh.

Alspaugh’s name might not carry the weight in some circles as say a Lady Gaga, but in the classical music world, he’s a respected and revered producer. And, according to the Grammy website, one of the reasons he was nominated this year for a coveted Grammy Award stems from his work producing the first album for a chamber ensemble founded by several Austin Peay State University music faculty members. That group, the Gateway Chamber Ensemble, was also considered for nominations in three other categories, including “Best Small Ensemble Performance.”

[Read more]

Rockin’ Holiday Concert Comes to APSU December 3rd

Clarksville, TN – A holiday show titled “Silent Night” might conjure up images of a dignified and serious performance, but a new concert by that name coming to Austin Peay State University next month promises to be a more casual, pop-infused holiday experience.

“Silent Night – An Evening of Holiday Music,” which begins at 7:30pm on December 3rd in the Music/Mass Communication Concert Hall, will showcase a band featuring Allison Campbell and David Alford on vocals, Paul Carrol Binkley on guitar, Tony Nagy on bass, Matt DeVore on drums and David Steinquest, APSU professor of music, on percussion. The performance will also include special guests Stanley Yates, professor of music, on guitar, Desiree Dolan on vocals and the APSU Percussion Ensemble. [Read more]

Gateway Chamber Ensemble Concert to Feature Renowned Flutist William Bennett

Clarksville, TN – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s Flute concerto in D minor is a dazzlingly complex and powerful piece of music. The work is not often performed because of the challenges it presents potential players. So when Clarksville’s Gateway Chamber Ensemble decided to include the piece on the program for its second concert of the season, it enlisted the renowned British flutist William Bennett to accompany them.

“He is probably the greatest living flute player and teacher,” Dr. Gregory Wolynec, APSU associate professor of music and director of the ensemble, said. “He’s going to be here for 10 days as part of the Acuff Residency, and he volunteered his services to do the spectacular concerto by C.P.E. Bach, who may be the most famous of Johann Sebastian Bach’s children.”

[Read more]

Misunderstood genius of composer Schumann explored at upcoming APSU concert

Clarksville, TN – In the late winter of 1854, German composer Robert Schumann entered an insane asylum, which abruptly ended his creative career. He died two years later, and critics often cited his late works as being erratic and incomprehensible.

“People think he went mad, therefore there’s no value in his later music and that it’s full of mistakes or lack of creative inspiration,” Ming Wang, assistant professor of music at Austin Peay State University, said. “I had the same opinion toward Schumann when I was a student.”

But about five years ago, under the influence of his music professors at Yale, Wang began an intensive study of the composer. Within a few years, his opinion drastically changed. [Read more]

World Renowned “Genius” Artist Meredith Monk Coming to APSU

Clarksville, TN – Last week, most major news outlets spent a few minutes highlighting the winners of the 2010 MacArthur Foundation Genius Awards. The recipients were individuals who, according to the Foundation, “have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits.”

The MacArthur Fellows, as the winners are known, are rewarded with $500,000, which is considered an investment on their future accomplishments. They have gone on to become some of the country’s top artists and creative talents.

[Read more]

APSU’s Yates to Give Guitar Recital October 5th

Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University guitar professor Dr. Stanley Yates will perform a faculty recital at 7:30pm, October 5th, in the Music/Mass Communication Building Concert Hall.

The concert is free and open to the public.

[Read more]

Award-winning Ying Quartet Brings Music to Clarksville

Clarksville, TN – In the early 1990s, four highly trained classical musicians moved to a small farming town in Iowa and set up shop as the community’s resident quartet. The Ying Quartet, as the group was known, received a National Endowment for the Arts grant for the groundbreaking experiment of integrating music and creative activities into the everyday life of the town of Jesup.

Residents heard the group perform haunting and powerful classical works at schools, churches, banks and inside their own homes. They viewed the arts differently after those two years, and the experiment went on to become a model for future NEA projects.

[Read more]

Japanese cultural events coming to APSU this fall

Two upcoming Global Govs Passport Series events at Austin Peay State University will give students and area residents an intimate taste of Japanese culture this fall.

At 5:00pm on September 28th, the Japanese Consulate in Nashville will host a music and dance performance by the group Global Culture Nasu in the campus’ Music/Mass Communication Building Concert Hall.

“The performers will be in full blown kimonos and playing traditional Japanese instruments,” Dr. David Nelson, assistant professor of history and Asian studies at APSU, said. [Read more]

New CD by APSU’s Gateway Chamber Ensemble Lauded by National Music Magazine

Classical music aficionados were surprised last month when they picked up the latest issue of Fanfare Magazine and read that a chamber ensemble out of Clarksville had recorded the definitive version of Mozart’s “Wind Serenade in B flat” and Richard Strauss’s “Wind Serenade in E flat.” Music critic Jerry Dubins even said the recordings by this previously unknown group ranked above the performances by prominent ensembles from New York, London and around the world.

The Gateway Chamber Ensemble, which consists of Austin Peay State University faculty members and professional musicians from around the region, released its first CD, “Wind Serenades,” in March, and critics with Fanfare Magazine, one of the genre’s pre-eminent publications, immediately took note of the recording’s high quality.

[Read more]

« Previous Page