Reminder: Musser Festival

Just a reminder about the upcoming Musser festival at Northwestern University next weekend.

Clair Musser's Legendary 1933 Chicago
World's Fair Marimba Orchestra Extravaganza

"Clair Musser: A Historical Perspective," 9 a.m. Saturday, April 8, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Historian Dana Kimble will lecture on legendary marimba virtuoso and onetime Northwestern University music faculty member Clair Messer. Admission is free.

Percussion Master Class, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 8, Pick-Staiger Rehearsal Room. Marimba and percussion artists Leigh Howard Stevens, Gordon Stout, She-e Wu and Bob Becker will present a master class. Admission is free.

"Clair Musser's Legendary 1933 Chicago World's Fair Marimba Orchestra Extravaganza," 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 8, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. In a highlight of the 1933 "Century of Progress" Chicago World's Fair, legendary marimba virtuoso and Northwestern University faculty member Clair Musser performed arrangements of classical orchestral masterpieces with his 100-member marimba orchestra. Pick-Staiger will assemble a monumental marimba orchestra to celebrate and recreate this
historic concert.

The program will feature a screening of vintage Clair Musser film footage, as well as performances of Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever," Smetana's "Dance of the Comedians," the Andante from Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, Sibelius' "Finlandia" and music from Bizet's "Carmen." The event will be presented with the support of the instrument company Malletech. Gordon Stout and Michael Burritt will conduct. Tickets are $14 for the general public; $10 for seniors and Northwestern faculty and staff;
and $5.50 for students.