The Kansas Wesleyan Music Department may very well be counting the days, as it has just one more semester before moving into a glistening, freshly renovated Sams Chapel.

According to KWU, the spring schedule will be just as varied and full as usual, with several local concerts for the community.

“It’s a great opportunity to take our music to venues throughout north-central Kansas,” said Dr. Bill Backlin, interim chair of the Music Department. “This past semester, we made innumerable friends while presenting concerts at and with area high schools. Now, we look forward to a semester that includes some of our trademark events, like the Salina Choral Festival and Salina Strings Day.”

The majority of the concerts this semester will be in Salina, except for a combined concert with the orchestra and Junction City High School in May. The slate gets underway this Friday when guest artist Tony Lu visits University United Methodist Church (UUMC) at 7 p.m.

The KWU choirs have concerts scheduled at UUMC and Trinity United Methodist Church, while the Philharmonic Choir will participate in the campus’ spring musical, “Working,” based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers. The Salina Choral Festival, featuring choirs from across the region, is slated for March 4 at the Stiefel Theatre in downtown Salina.

The orchestra will be equally busy. Its marquee event, Salina Strings Day, will be Feb. 15 at Kansas Highway Patrol Academy’s Gov. Joan Finney Auditorium, site of the former Marymount College. Concerts also are set for the orchestra, wind ensemble, and jazz ensemble throughout the semester at UUMC.

The choirs, orchestra and ensembles will be well-prepared for their performances. This past October, the Music Department moved into the Applequist Family Music Center on the first floor of Pioneer Hall. The space was completely renovated with updated studio spaces, practice rooms and faculty offices.

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To see the full Spring 2024 Fine Arts schedule, please visit www.kwu.edu/finearts.

Photo via Kansas Wesleyan University