BRISTOL, Tenn., Sept. 26, 2018 — King University will host the Des Amis Chamber Music Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2, in the Memorial Chapel on the main campus. This event is open to the public and free-of-charge.
“We are delighted to welcome the Des Amis Chamber Music Ensemble to King University,” said W. Patrick Flannagan, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of music and director of choral activities at King. “Their debut performance at the 2018 Virginia Highlands Festival was well received and will be featured in the 2018-19 Tusculum University Acts, Arts, Academia Series. We look forward to hearing them perform the classic works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Bill Douglas, Jean Sibelius, and Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as the work of local composer Evelyn Pursley-Kopitzke.”
A recently formed ensemble, Des Amis is comprised of Eugene Jones, clarinetist, Cherylonda Fitzgerald, cellist, and Wayne Johnson, pianist. The trio’s performance will feature “Pleiades,” a single-movement work made popular by Pursley-Kopitzke, a composer of chamber ensembles, art songs, choral, and orchestral music who is a native Tanzanian and now resides in Blountville, Tennessee.
Pursley-Kopitzke was originally commissioned by Jones to compose the work as a benefit for the American Cancer Society. The work, a duet for clarinet and euphonium with a piano accompaniment, is based on the legend of the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology, represented by the constellation of the Pleiades.
For more information, contact Flannagan at [email protected] or (423) 652-4846.
King University is a Presbyterian-affiliated, doctoral-level comprehensive university. Founded in 1867 as King College, the University offers more than 90 majors, minors, pre-professional degrees and concentrations in fields such as business, nursing, law, medical and health sciences, pharmacy, education, and humanities. Graduate programs are offered in business administration, education, and nursing. A number of research, off-campus learning opportunities, and travel destinations are also available. King University is a NCAA Division II and a Conference Carolinas member with 25 varsity sports. For more information about King University, click here. King University does not discriminate against academically qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, or disability. King University is certified by SCHEV to operate in Virginia. King’s primary location in Virginia is Southwest Virginia Community College, 724 Community College Rd, Cedar Bluff, VA 24609.