Poff to kick off school of music's Performing Arts Series
High Lyric Baritone Jay Poff (pictured) will open the School of Music's Performing Arts Series.
Courtesy of Lee University Office of Public Relations.
October marks the beginning of this year’s Performing Arts Series hosted by the School of Music.
Musicians of various genres will perform and host masterclasses for Lee students. Dean of the School of Music William Green said the Performing Arts Series is an excellent opportunity for students to hear from performers around the world.
“The series brings a lot of variety and opportunity to hear music that might not usually be programmed in our area,” said Green.
The series is getting a little revamping this semester. According to Green, the selection process has changed, bringing in a wider spectrum of guest performers.
“The series has become broader, bringing a larger variety of offerings to the campus,” Green said. “The artists are now selected by a committee in the School of Music with recommendations from the School of Music faculty.”
The first musician to kick off the series this semester is Lee alum Jay Poff, an award-winning baritone performing a showcase concert of Broadway and cabaret music. Students and others interested can hear this selection on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Squires Recital Hall.
“During his time at Lee, Poff was involved in and toured with the Lee Singers,” Lee's press release said. “[He] also performed with the Lee University Chorale and Lee’s Opera Theatre.”
Along with his history of performing at Lee, Poff has 25 years of church and community theater performances. According to the press release, he has also won four Huntsville Wing awards for his performances.
Assistant Professor of Music Nathan Warner said allowing students to hear and learn from musicians with ample talents was at the heart of the series.
“The idea was to present outstanding artists with an international reputation to help set out students for performance excellence,” Warner said.
School of Music students, like junior music major Caitrin Anderson, have expressed their excitement for the upcoming series. Anderson said she appreciated having such high caliber artists perform for free for students.
“The chance to see a professional in the field on campus is normally expensive,” said Anderson. “But [the Performing Arts Series] makes it accessible.”
The concerts are open to the public and are a great venue for all students to attend, according to Director of Music Events Rachael Sutton. Sutton encourages non-music majors to hear from Poff and the future artists in the Performing Arts Series.
Poff’s performance and every Performing Arts Series concert are free events, but tickets are required due to limited seating. Tickets are available at the Dixon Center Box Office or on Showclix.
The Performing Arts Series will host five nights of musical performances. For more details regarding the concert dates visit Lee’s music events calendar.
For other inquiries contact the Lee University School of Music at music@leeuniversity.edu or (423) 614-8240.
