Spring 2014 won’t be a semester lacking in musical endeavors if the music department continues with its back-to-back performances.
Led by department chair Larry Honda and staffed by many hard-working instructors spanning the fields of music with piano, brass, jazz and classical courses, the performances began Jan. 26 and will continue every month until May.
One recent performance was a chamber music performance grounded by Fresno City College music instructor John Hord.
The adjunct instructor was accompanied in his Feb. 1 performance by flute and a mezzo-soprano singer.
Hord referred to the program of seven pieces as being “a wonderful set of harmonies.”
Flutist Pamela Ellzey, a member of the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra, and opera singer Terry Estabrook, who has worked for several opera houses and works as a music director in Fresno, performed alongside Hord with pieces ranging from Mozart, Debussy and Bach. Hord’s chamber music performance is only one of many events slated for the semester.
There are more than 20 distinct events lined up. Most will take place in either the FCC Theatre or the OAB Auditorium. The performances are planned and orchestrated by the faculty members. Honda still finds the time to get involved with almost every event.
“I’m just an interested listener, so in that way I’m involved with all of them; I’ve been to all of their concerts at some point,” Honda said.
Honda is also very excited for the semester’s new batch of performances – so much so that he can’t pinpoint his favorite.
“I’m like the mom, I can’t love any one child [more],” he said.
For Mark Ross, an FCC student in attendance at the Feb. 1 chamber music performance, the prospect of having a variety of shows to attend this spring is appealing.
“I think it’s really good for the college to expand the music department to have shows like this,” he said. For a list of FCC music performances and information, contact the Theater Box Office.