Music Is In the Air

Don’t miss the college’s end of semester concerts in the beautiful new Mairs Concert Hall, a jewel box of a venue that’s part of the renovated and expanded Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center.

Friday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m., Macalester Choirs

Two choirs, the 50-voice Highland Camerata and the 35-voice Concert Choir, sing a broad mix of sacred and secular music form the Renaissance to the 20th century. This is the first full concert directed by Macalester’s new director of choral activities Michael McGaghie.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 8 p.m., Macalester Orchestra

Conducted by Mark Mandarano (in his first complete performance with the Macalester orchestra), this diverse concert will feature works by Schubert, Beethoven, Bach, Martinu, and Dvorak.

Friday, Dec. 7, 8 p.m., MacJazz

MacJazz, a 23-piece jazz band, will play music by Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Count Basie as well as some contemporary Brazilian music by Edu Lobo and Joan Griffith.

Saturday, Dec. 8, 8 p.m., African Music Ensemble

The Macalester African Music Ensemble, founded in 1987, performs traditional African music primarily from Ghana, but also from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Guinea, The Gambia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Sunday, Dec. 9, 3 p.m., Macalester Chamber Ensembles

The music will range from the classical to the present day and will feature many of Macalester’s most-talented student musicians. This concert will showcase an enormous range of small ensembles, from a flute ensemble to a Mozart piano quartet to a violin/piano duo.