Gershwin’s iconic "Rhapsody in Blue" is highlight of Wind Ensemble’s March 5 concert
Music faculty member Dr. David Sutanto serving as featured piano soloist
Article by: Melinda Eddleman
You may not know the title, but you’ve heard the musical composition. George Gershwin’s iconic piece that mixes classical and jazz has been part of 20th century movie soundtracks and United Airlines commercials as well as concert performances around the world.
Rhapsody in Blue premiered in New York City in February 1924; and 96 years later, Del Mar College’s (DMC) Music Department will present what is considered an “American classic” during a concert on Thursday, March 5. The performance features the DMC Wind Ensemble with faculty member and pianist Dr. David Sutanto serving as soloist and Dr. Abel Saldivar Ramirez conducting the ensemble.
Gershwin’s Rhapsody is considered one of America’s most famous works to come out of the 20th century. The piece is a favorite for audience members everywhere, among musicians and non-musicians alike, so I hope the Corpus Christi community will attend our performance of this musical gift.
The FREE concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Richardson Performance Hall, located on the East Campus at Baldwin and Ayers. For more information, contact Dr. Ramirez at 698-1608 or aramirez136@delmar.edu.
Music selections will also include La Forza Del Destino by Verdi and A Slavic Farewell by Agapkin. The Calallen High School Wind Ensemble will also showcase their talent as part of a musical program featuring these notable compositions.
During his career, Dr. Sutanto has performed across the United States and in the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan. He has even performed in the Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City. The DMC professor of piano is an active performer as a soloist and chamber musician, including duo-piano with DMC colleague and wife Dr. Shao-Shan Chen. As a collaborative pianist, Dr. Sutanto has worked with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Sarah Chang, Julius Baker, Erick Friedman, Anthony Gigliotti and Dorothy DeLay. He is also the principal pianist for the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Ramirez, a DMC associate professor of music, also has many credits to his name, including his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall and serving as a conductor of the International Honors Wind Symphony at the Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in conjunction with the center’s 50th anniversary celebration. He has held director and chair positions with the University of Illinois School of Music and California State University in Los Angeles and as an educator with a 5A high school in Texas. Dr. Ramirez maintains a highly active schedule as a consultant, clinician and adjudicator for orchestras, wind ensembles and marching and jazz bands from across the United States and abroad.
Learn more about these two DMC Music Department faculty members by visiting http://delmar.edu/offices/music/faculty.html.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.