Levon Ambartsumian, Franklin Professor of Violin in the University of Georgia's Hugh Hodgson School of Music, has been named a Regents Professor, effective July 1.

Congratulations to Crystal Wu and Brett Pardue, winners of the 2015 Atlanta Music Club Auditions!

Wu, a master's student of Hugh Hodgson School of Music professor Richard Zimdars, won the Graduate Piano Division, taking home a $2,000 prize. Pardue, a master's student of professor Frederick Burchinal, won the Graduate Vocal Division ($1,000 prize).

Congratualtions to Hodgson School alumnus David Glover (BMus '04), who was recently appointed Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony. Glover comes to the symphony from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, where he spent two years as Assistant Conductor.

In addition to UGA, Glover holds a degree in violin performance from Boston University and a master's degree in instrumental conducting from Indiana University.

Photo courtesy of ncsymphony.org

The UGA Percussion Department has one of the finest collections of professional level instruments in the country as well as state of the art performance facilities and an abundance of dedicated practice space for percussionists.

We have a total of 8 dedicated practice spaces for our students:

Kathryn Wright, opera coach at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, will present the final Hodgson Faculty Series recital with tenor Lawrence Bakst at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18. Tickets to the performance, which takes place in Ramsey Concert Hall, are $10, $5 for UGA students with ID.

The program will feature works for tenor and piano by Franceso Paolo Tosti, Martha von Sabinin, Friedrich von Flotow, Giuseppe Verdi, Gaspare Spontini , Ferdinando Paer, Ludwig von Beethoven, and Richard Wagner.

Hugh Hodgson School of Music faculty and graduate students present the latest entry in the 2^nd Thursday Scholarship Concert Series on Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Tickets for the performance are $18/$5 for students and can be obtained via the UGA Performing Arts Center box office.

The UGA British Brass Band will present a Spring Festival on Tuesday, March 17 at 8:00 pm in Hodgson Concert Hall. The ensemble, led by former New York Philharmonic principal trumpet Philip Smith, performs traditional and contemporary in the classic British Brass Band tradition.

Student musicians from the University of Georgia will perform concerts and a master class for high school students during the inaugural UGA Sounds Across Georgia tour in Perry and Americus.

The UGA Sounds Across Georgia opening series, featuring student musicians in the Hodgson Wind Ensemble, will be held at Perry High School’s Theatre for the Performing Arts on Feb. 20, and at the Rylander Theatre in Americus on Feb. 21. Both concerts start at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

The University of Georgia Opera Theatre presents L’Amico Fritz, Pietro Mascagni’s whimsical tale of 19^th century romance, at the university’s Fine Arts Theatre on Feb. 20 and 21 at 8 p.m., with a special matinee performance on Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $18, or $5 for UGA students with ID, and are available from the Performing Arts Center box office, via phone at 706/542-4400, and online at www.pac.uga.edu.

Congratulations are in order for the UGA saxophone and keyboard studios!

Four students from the UGA saxophone studio took top prizes in the 2015 Southern Division of the Music Teachers National Association Competition.  The MILK Saxophone Quartet—comprised of students Gabriel Piqué (senior), Michael Turner (MM), Brandon Quarles (senior), and Shawna Pennock (DMA)—took first prize in the Chamber Music Wind category, with Piqué also taking first place in the Young Artist Woodwind division.