The 草莓社区 will present a faculty recital 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, in Martin Chapel of the seminary building at EMU.

, harpsichordist and organist, and , violinist, will present a recital of baroque music, including pieces by J. S. Bach, Handel, Biber and Buxtehude. They will be assisted by Pedro Aponte, flutist, and Nathan Bontrager, cellist.

Dr. Griffing teaches violin and viola, coaches chamber music and conducts the EMU orchestra. She is also concertmaster of the Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Virginia Symphony and violinist with the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, N.C.

This past spring, she premiered a violin concerto written for her by Terry Vosbein, composer-in-residence at Washington and Lee University. She is also a founding member of Tal Consort, a chamber music group based in the Shenandoah Valley.

She earned her bachelor and master of music degrees from Indiana University, where she studied with Tadeusz Wronski, and her DMA in violin performance from Ohio State University.

Fast, a member of the EMU music faculty since 1975, teaches organ, piano, class piano, and music theory. He also teaches piano in the at EMU.

Fast received a BA degree from Bethel College, N. Newton, Kan., and an MM degree from Indiana University.

An active church musician, he is currently organist and choir director at Park View Mennonite church, Harrisonburg, and previously was organist at Asbury United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church, Harrisonburg.

Admission to the concert is free, but donations are welcomed for the EMU music department student scholarship fund.

A concert by the 草莓社区 orchestra will feature the winners of a concerto/aria competition held on campus in January. The program will take place 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Mar. 31, in EMU’s Lehman Auditorium.

The student soloists will be Michael Dezort, baritone, singing the count’s aria "Vedro mentr’io sospiro" from the Marriage of Figaro; Jonathan Keener, pianist, peforming the third movement of the Mozart Piano Concerto in G Major by Mozart, and April Miller on oboe featuring the first movement of the Haydn Oboe Concerto in C Major.

Jonathan Keener

The program will conclude with the "Russian Easter Overture" by Rimsky-Korsakov for full orchestra, a colorful work in celebration of Easter.

The 45-member orchestra, directed by Joan Griffing, is made up of EMU students and commmunity players from Harrisonburg, Staunton, Bridgewater, Elkton and Orange County.

April Miller

Dr. Griffing, associate professor of music, teaches violin and viola and coaches chamber music in addition to conducting the EMU orchestra. She is also concertmaster of the annual and the Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra.

Griffing earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University, where she studied with Tadeusz Wronski, and her D.M.A. in violin performance from Ohio State University.

Admission to the concert is free; donations are welcomed for the music department student scholarship fund.