EIU Media Relations

EIU Music Ensembles to Celebrate New French Double Harpsichord

The Eastern Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Collegium Musicum and Camerata Singers are joining forces to celebrate the official unveiling of Eastern Illinois University's new French double harpsichord.

The concert is set for 4 p.m. Sunday, March 29, in the Doudna Fine Arts Center's Dvorak Concert Hall. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and EIU employees, and $5 for students. Seating is reserved, and early ticket purchase is recommended.

The harpsichord, designed in the style of French 18th-century work of Hemsch and Blanchet, was built by Yves Beaupré in Montreal, Canada. Its addition to the EIU music department was made possible by a generous gift from Herbert and Jane Lasky.

The new instrument will be featured throughout the concert, which will be directed by Richard Robert Rossi.

Baroque favorites will be performed by Mark DeGoti on trumpet and Derek Maninfior on harpsichord. In addition, "Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, BWV 1050" by Johann Sebastian Bach will be performed by Rebecca Johnson on flute; Maureen Murchie, violin; and Richard Robert Rossi, harpsichord.

In addition, EIU concerto winner Emily Miller will perform two arias: “Près des remparts de Séville” from "Carmen" by Bizet and “Non so piú cosa son” from "Le Nozze di Figaro" by Mozart.

In the event of inclement weather, coat check will be available. The concert is co-sponsored by the Charleston Area Charitable Foundation, other ESO sponsors and the EIU Department of Music.

To purchase tickets or to arrange accommodations for persons with special needs, contact Doudna Fine Arts Patron Services at 217-581-3110 or doudnatix@eiu.edu, or visit the Doudna Fine Arts Center Box Office. The Doudna is located one block west of Ninth Street at Garfield Avenue on the EIU campus. Free parking is available in any of the university lots at the corner of Ninth and Garfield and immediately south of the center.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center is a division of the EIU College of Arts and Humanities. For more information, please see http://www.eiu.edu/doudna.