UNCA Music Department Begins Spring Concert Season

A variety of jazz and swing programs highlight the start of the UNCA Music Department’s spring concert season.

California-based jazz pianist Mark Levine will explore the intricacies of jazz theory and improvisation and their application to jazz piano styles at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, in Lipinsky Hall room 018. A $5 donation to benefit the Music Department will be suggested at the door.

The Asheville Gentlemen, made up of UNCA and Mars Hill College faculty, will give a behind-the-scenes look at jazz music and musicians at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, in Lipinsky Auditorium. The quintet will explore the origins of jazz styles, including Dixieland, ragtime, swing, Latin, and more. A $5 donation to benefit the Music Department will be suggested at the door.

A community Hornfest, under the direction of UNCA assistant professor Jacqueline Ekstrand, will be held Sunday, Feb. 6. Musicians interested in performing will rehearse from 1-3 p.m. with an informal concert to follow at 7 p.m. in Lipinsky Auditorium. Musicians are invited to bring music from their collections for the ensemble performances. There will be no charge for participation; the concert is free. For more information, contact Ekstrand at 828/251-6530.

A Valentine’s Day Sock Hop will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13, in Justice Center. The big band swing dance will feature the music of the 18-piece UNCA Community Jazz Band. Eliot and Meredith Zaiken will provide swing dance lessons at 6:30 p.m. A $5 donation to benefit the Music Department will be suggested at the door.

The Third Annual UNCA Winter Big Band Jazz Festival will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, in Lipinsky Auditorium. The concert will feature the award-winning 35-piece Wren High School Jazz Band, Daniel High School Jazz Band, and jazz bands from Brevard College and the University of South Carolina. Refreshments will be served between shows. A donation of $6 will be suggested at the door.

For more information, contact the UNCA Music Department at 828/251-6432.

Media Contacts:

• Charles McKnight, UNCA Music Department Chair and Associate Professor, 828/251-6489
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant, 828/251-6526