On September 28, at 7:00 p.m., Dr. Brian R. Utley, Assistant Professor of Music, Saxophone at Stephen F. Austin University will perform An Evening of 20th Century Saxophone Music, in the Q.M. Martin Auditorium. Dr. Ron Petti, Director of Accompanying at SFA will accompany Dr. Utley on the piano. The Carthage Music Club and the Panola College Instrumental Music Department are co-sponsoring this event and there will be no admission charge to the public.
Dr. Utley teaches applied saxophone, saxophone chamber music, courses in music theory, and performs in the SFA Faculty Jazz Combo. He received the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in saxophone performance, with a minor in music theory, from Louisiana State University. He also holds the M.M. degree from L.S.U. and the B.M. summa cum laude from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.
Recent performances for Dr. Utley include the World Premiere of Stephen Lias's Five Characters from David Copperfield at the World Saxophone Congress XIII, held in July 2003 at the University of Minnesota. He also performed Ingolf Dahl’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Orchestra with the SFA Wind Ensemble in October 2002. Dr, Utley has performed at Stephen F. Austin State University, Murray State University, the University of Oklahoma, the World Saxophone Congress XII (Montreal), the 43rd Annual Meeting of the College Music Society (Toronto), the 2001 and 2002 Chamber Music in the Pines Festivals, and numerous Regional and National Conferences throughout the South. Utley has also been a member of the Orchestra of the Pines, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, the Jackson (TN) Symphony Orchestra, and the Evansville (IN) Symphonic Band.
Dr. Utley is a frequent guest performer with the Stone Fort Wind Quintet and is also co-founder of and soprano saxophonist with the Red Stick Saxophone Quartet. This award-winning ensemble has performed at numerous venues and campuses nationwide, and has been featured with the LSU Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Sinfonietta.
Accompanist Dr. Ron Petti joined the faculty of the Department of Music at SFA in 1999. He teaches courses and applied lessons in piano accompanying and is the accompanist for many ongoing events in the Department of Music including choral ensembles, opera productions, student recitals, and faculty and guest artist recitals. Dr. Petti has presented master classes in piano, served as an adjudicator in piano competitions, and has concertized throughout the Midwest and southern states.
The Carthage Music Club is an affiliate of the National Federation of Music Clubs and the Texas Federation of Music Clubs. Community sponsors of this event help support the Carthage Music Club Scholarship for music study at Panola College.
“I encourage the community to join us for a very special evening,” said Mike McGowan, Professor of Music at Panola College. “I have had the opportunity to hear Dr. Utley and Dr. Petti perform and know that everyone who attends will enjoy themselves.” For additional information please call 903-693-2027 or 936-591-9075.