USU Guitar Students Give Spring Concert in Caine Performance Hall

LOGAN — The annual spring Guitar Ensembles concert is Monday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall on the Utah State University campus. The concert honors retired professor Mike Christiansen, founder of the guitar program at USU, and features sets by four different guitar ensembles and a guitar trio.

The first electric guitar group, coached by Drew Rogers, will play Ashokan Farewell, a piece by Jay Ungar, as well as renditions of Van Morrison’s Moondance and The Beatles’ Day Tripper. The next electric ensemble, coached by Corey Christiansen, will perform a variety of jazz standards, including the Oliver Nelson tunes Yearnin’ and Stolen Moments.

The guitar trio, also coached by Corey Christiansen, will perform a variety of student arrangements from the standard jazz repertoire, as well as Guardian Angel, an Al Di Miola piece from the album “Friday Night in San Francisco.”

Austin Weyland’s acoustic guitar ensemble will be playing Coleur Milonga by Thierry Tisserand, Irish Folk Melody by Jeremy Sparks and Lennon/McCartney’s Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

Mike Christiansen was the director of the guitar program for 39 years. He has received a number of accolades including the 2006 ASTA Utah Chapter Collegiate Educator of the Year Award and the U.S. Carnegie Professor of the Year in 2012. He is a widely respected clinician, performer and teacher, and keeps a busy schedule working with students and music departments around the world. He also stays busy performing as a soloist, sideman or band leader. Currently, Mike maintains his busy schedule of performing and teaching and works as director of curriculum for Consonus Music.

Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 seniors and youth, $5 USU faculty and staff and free for USU students with ID. For more information and tickets, visit the CCA Box Office located in room L-101 of the Chase Fine Arts Center on USU’s campus, call 435-797-8022 or go online at cca.usu.edu.