Two fall concerts at LCCC will highlight jazz, female musicians

CHEYENNE, Wyoming – Laramie County Community College will spotlight local jazz talent and women composers during two free fall concerts, showcasing diverse musical voices.

The “Locally Sourced Jazz” concert, offering music by regional composers presented by LCCC Jazz, will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25. “Ladies First,” featuring the LCCC Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29. Both events will be in the Surbrugg Prentice Auditorium on the Cheyenne campus. The concerts are free, open to the public and will last about 90 minutes.

In the Music Department’s first time presenting the program, “Locally Sourced Jazz” will feature work by jazz composers in Wyoming and northern Colorado. The LCCC Jazz Band performance will include familiar pieces by trombonist and band leader legend Glenn Miller, including “Moonlight Serenade” and “Little Brown Jug.” Additionally, the world premiere of an original composition by Logan Vanderlaan, Pine Bluffs Junior and Senior High School director of bands, called “What’s the Point” will be featured. The evening will also include the LCCC Faculty Jazz Quintet playing a few tunes from great regional jazz musicians, including the original “Come Rain or Come Shine” from LCCC jazz voice and piano instructor Julie Koenig’s 2021 album “Renaissance Woman.”

“The ‘Locally Sourced Jazz’ concert is a unique and remarkable event, giving audiences a chance to see how jazz is thriving among composers, arrangers and musicians in our region,” said Mike Lange, LCCC Fine Arts director. “We know jazz fans will recognize some of the evening’s tunes and will walk away impressed by things they haven’t heard before.”

The second concert in a week will highlight women’s contributions to music. Despite women’s important contributions to music, concert programming still doesn’t feature as many women composers as their male counterparts. To highlight their outstanding contributions, the “Ladies First” concert will feature historical and contemporary work by women composers.

“We wanted to highlight the small percentage of female composers in the music world, a result of historical barriers that limited their opportunities,” said Dr. Frank Cook, LCCC music instructor and director of bands. “While those barriers have been broken in many ways, we still don’t program enough music by women composers. (LCCC Chamber Orchestra Director) John Fritz and I thought it would be great to showcase either all female composers or prominent female members of our ensembles, leading to the creation of ‘Ladies First.’”

The first half of the concert will be performed by the Chamber Orchestra, featuring works by Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann. Fritz will lead the group in performing Mendelssohn’s "Song Without Words" and Schumann’s “Prelude and Fugue.” Works by contemporary female composers, including Soon Hee Newbold, will also be highlighted. In addition, student cellist Mercy Wuehler will perform the first movement of Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1.

A rousing second half of the concert will showcase the wind ensemble, performing Vincenzo Bellini's "Sinfonia in E-flat" with Lindsay Bird Reynolds, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra executive director, as soloist. A special highlight includes the world premiere of “Savannah!: A Quasi March,” a piece commissioned by LCCC’s Wind Ensemble and Cook, written by Nancy Williams. This new work will also be featured in the Veterans Day concert. The program will also include works by Florence Price, Anne McGinty, Carol Britton Chambers and Julie Giroux.

For more information about the “Ladies First” concert and LCCC’s music programs, contact Dr. Frank Cook at fcookFREELARAMIE or 307-778-1306. Individuals needing assistance to attend events can contact the LCCC Office of Student Accommodations at 307-778-1359. Julie Koenig’s album “Renaissance Woman” and several other catalogue offerings are available on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music.