Daniel Mammola, an IT technician in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, was in a scooter accident early Monday morning. Tragically, he passed away yesterday afternoon from his injuries. St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in Cumming, GA (see address below) will be holding Mass for him tomorrow at 11 a.m. All are invited to attend.

http://www.stbrendansatl.com/

From an article in the Athens Banner-Herald, on Thursday, March 4:

Fischer taught the sax at UGA for 30 years and led the school’s saxophone quartet to national competitions. He toured the country, Europe and Asia playing both the alto and soprano saxophones and wrote more than 30 works for the instrument.

His son, Stephen, who holds three degrees from Georgia, now teaches his father’s classes and filled his shoes for leading the conference this week.

“I know how he taught, and I teach very similarly,” he said. “I’m trying to continue all that he built here.”

The Classic City Saxophone Quartet, a group made up of current UGA doctorate students who studied under Fischer, will play at his memorial service. So will the Globe Saxophone Quartet, made up of players who all got their doctorates from UGA.

The UGA saxophone orchestra also will play, performing a special rendition of “Georgia on My Mind.”

Stephen Fischer knows that his father would have enjoyed the music and the company.

“He was really proud of his students whether they stayed in music or not,” Fischer said. “He had a lot of friends everywhere.”

Please join us at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

And tonight, the UGA Jazz Band directed by Steve Dancz takes the stage at Hodgson Concert Hall in the Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.

The program will feature compositions by such greats as Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, Wayne Shorter, Jack Lawrence and Frank Loesser, and two works with arrangements by Fletcher Henderson.

The saxophones and brass will be joined by Joshua Gloster, guitar, Jason Royer, bass, and Spencer Smith, drums. Tonghts’ special guests are Tony McCutcheon, Brad Leali and Peter Sommer.

The performance is free and the public is invited to attend.

Hailed by conductors, musicians and audiences alike as a deeply transformative experience, Mahler’s Fifth is regarded as a rite of passage marking the experience and breadth of an orchestra. The 70-minute performance will feature principal trumpet Phillip Parsons playing the solo that opens the symphony.

“It has taken 16 years to build an orchestra that can play this repertoire,” said Mark Cedel, professor in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music and conductor of the orchestra. “The way that Mahler used every member of the orchestra and the things he has them do with their instruments is something which must be experienced in tandem with enjoying the music itself.”

The concert will begin with the world premiere of a saxophone concerto by Paul Hayden, a visiting artist and faculty member from Louisiana State University. This 20-minute performance will feature Griffin Campbell, also of LSU as soloist, visiting UGA in conjunction with the North American Saxophone Alliance biennial conference, which will be held on campus March 3-6.

Admission to the concert is free and the public is invited to attend.

The fun continues tonight with a performance by the UGA Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble which I am told will feature no less than five saxophone concertos.

7:30 p.m.

Hodgson Concert Hall.

Free.

University to close at 2 p.m. today.

The Concert and University bands are large concert bands made up of non-music majors. The University Band, conducted by James Henderson and John Schnettler will play the following:

Cajun Folks songs, Rush by Samuel Hazo, Kirkpatrick Fanfare, and Rhosymedre by Ralph Vaughn Williams.

The Concert Band, conducted by Josh Byrd and Amy Knopps, will perform the following:

Alligator Alley, Allerseelen, Moonside March, Viktor’s Tale and The Walking Frog.

Recital: Kyle Knab, Tuba – 3:30 pm

Edge Recital Hall

Recital: Stephen Braswell, Tuba; Kyle Sargent, Tuba – 5 pm

Edge Recital Hall

Recital: Amy Marinello, Bassoon – 6:00 pm

Ramsey Concert Hall

Recital: Milton Masciadri International Students – 6:30 pm

Edge Recital Hall

Tonight’s program;

Antiphonal Fanfare – Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn
Suite Francaise – Darius Milhaud
If thou Be Near – Bach/Reed
Noisy Wheels of Joy – Eric Whitacre
Divertimento – Vincent Persichetti
Variations on a Theme of Glinka – Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Dwight Manning, oboe
Fiesta del Pacifico – Roger Nixon

The music begins at 8 p.m.in Hodgson Concert Hall at the Performing Arts Center. Admission is free and, as always, the public is invited to attend.

The free performances, directed by DMA candidate Benjamin Dawkins, feature UGA students Kristen Blanton (DMA) mezzo-soprano, Chery Brendel (DMA) soprano, Meghan Taylor (Junior) soprano [Wednesday's performance], Lindsay Ferguson (MM) soprano [Friday's performance], Ryan Tucker (Senior) baritone and Daniel Youmans (Freshman), with Music by pianist Grant Jones (MM ‘09).

Here’s a sneak peak, from rehearsals last week.

Let’s Go!