Lee University School Of Music To Present “Masterworks”

  • Thursday, April 11, 2019
Lee University Masterworks 2018
Lee University Masterworks 2018

The Lee University School of Music will present its annual “Masterworks” concert on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Conn Center. This year’s program, “Opera’s Greatest Hits,” will include a variety of arias, ensembles, and choruses. The performance will be conducted by Robert Bernhardt, artist-in-residence at Lee and director of Lee's Symphony Orchestra, along with several of Lee’s graduate conducting students.

The concert will feature student and faculty soloists from Opera Theater and will also feature Choral Union, Chorale, and the Symphony Orchestra. The ensembles will perform excerpts from many well-known and popular operas, such as Mozart's “The Magic Flute,” Gilbert and Sullivan's “The Mikado,” Verdi's “La Traviata,” and even the “Bridal Chorus” from Wagner's “Lohengrin.”

“I am so delighted to be working with students and faculty in this concert,” said Mr. Bernhardt. “As a devoted lover of opera and great singing, for me this is a joyful evening of beautiful music among friends. It’s intended as much for opera lovers as it is for those who’ve never been to an opera, and even for those who think they don’t like opera. I guarantee that every member of the audience will know the majority of these great melodies, even if they don’t know where they came from, and we want it to be fun, informal, and entertaining."

The evening will also include the announcement of Lee University's recipient of the Presser Scholarship, an annual award given to students who demonstrate outstanding accomplishments in music performance at accredited colleges and universities across the country.

Lee University Choral Union is a blend of both music and non-music majors, and it specializes in choral music and major masterworks.

Lee University Chorale is an ensemble of vocalists who are selected by audition. An emphasis is placed on the diversity and breadth of traditional choral literature.

Lee University Opera Theater is an ensemble of vocalists who are selected by audition. They perform one major opera a year, and a selection of opera scenes each semester.

The Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble of select instrumentalists, performs one major concert each semester. Its musicians frequently perform in opera, choral, and other concerts on campus.

Mr. Bernhardt joined Lee's School of Music in the fall of 2011. He also serves as music director emeritus and principal pops conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera (CSO) and principal pops conductor of the Louisville Orchestra and Grand Rapids Symphony. He is a frequent guest conductor for the Boston Pops and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

The concert is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public.

For more information, contact the School of Music at 614-8240 or music@leeuniversity.edu.

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