Nine Unique Concerts Highlighting Pima Music Ensembles
Tucson, Arizona - The Pima Community College Music Department presents eight concerts showcasing the different ensembles and groups that Pima offers. Each ensemble performs a different repertoire that exhibits what the students have learned through the spring semester.
- Wednesday, May 8, 7 p.m. – Jazz Ensemble
- Friday, May 10, 7 p.m. – Mariachi
- Saturday, May 11, 3 p.m. – Orchestra
- Saturday, May 11, 7 p.m. – Guitar Ensemble
- Sunday, May 12, 3 p.m. – Chorale & College Singers
- Monday, May 13, 7 p.m. – Percussion Ensemble
- Tuesday, May 14, 4 p.m. – Opera/Musical Theater Workshop
- Tuesday, May 14, 7 p.m. – Concert Band
- Wednesday, May 15, 6 p.m. - Jazz Improv
May 8, 7 p.m., Jazz Ensemble
This concert will feature the PCC Jazz Ensemble directed by (and playing trumpet) Scott Black. The ensemble will be performing music by Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Pima lead trombone player Roger Wallace. The band will feature Billy Rubash playing Johnny Hodges’ solos, a ballad solo by Roger Wallace. Performances feature solos that students have worked very hard on to meet the challenges of the music. Please, come enjoy the band’s mission to promote the “Feeling of Jazz.”
May 10, 7 p.m., Mariachi - “Celebrar El Día de Las Madres Mexicanas”
Join in celebrating and honoring our beloved Mothers, Mothers-in Law, Grandmothers and Aunts on May 10 for Pima’s “Mexican Mother’s Day Serenade Concert.”
Mariachi Azteca de Pima College, directed by Roberto Martinez, will perform celebratory songs in observance of “Mexican’s Mother’s Day,” as well as traditional and contemporary mariachi compositions representative of the folkloric mexican music art form.
May 11, 3 p.m., Orchestra
PCC Orchestra, directed by Anne Grimes, D.M.A.,presents an afternoon concert with music featuring an array of styles and genres, including works by Vaughn Williams, Vivaldi, Kabalevsky, and Bach, and some popular movie music, including “Lord of the Rings.” Please, come and enjoy our semester’s work.
May 11, 7 p.m., Guitar Ensemble
PCC Guitar Ensemble, directed by Michael Lich, will perform works showcasing rhythm and pulse, including Andrew York’s “Monster Beat,” Clarice Assad’s “Dusty Grooves” and Michael Lich’s new work “Elysium.” The concert will features the Guitar Ensemble, Angulo/Narcho Guitar Duo, Bottorf/Iskandar Guitar and Violin Duo, and a return performance by the Fusion Quartet. Please, join us for this riveting evening of guitar music.
May 12, 3 p.m., Chorale & College Singers
PCC Chorale & College Singers, directed by Jonathan Ng, D.M.A. will showcase their musical talents. The chorale will enchant the audience with renditions of “Hold Fast to Dreams” (LaBarr) and “The Lily and the Rose” (Chilcott). The select mixed-voice a cappella College Singers will present a diverse repertoire, including a 20th-century part-song “Sing Me to Heaven” (Gawthrop), “If Music be the Food of Love” (Dickau), Chinese composer Chen Yi’s two arrangements of Japanese and Chinese Folk Songs – “Sakura” and “Fengyang Song,” the choral music classic “The Heavens are Telling” from “The Creation” (Haydn); and British composer John Tavener’s version of “The Lamb.”
The final section of the concert will bring together the Chorale & College Singers to perform “As the Rain Hides the Skies” (Hagenberg), “Dies Irae” (Lukas), “New Year” (Rutter) and “Bound For the Promised Land,” accompanied by piano-four-hand (Wilberg).
May 13, 7 p.m., Percussion Ensemble
The PCC Percussion Ensemble, directed by Trevor Barroero, D.M.A., presents its spring concert, “Unity,” an exciting and educational event answering the complicated question “What is a percussion instrument?” Each piece on the program will highlight a different instrument, ranging from traditional instruments, such as marimbas, claves, cajons, djembes and congas, as well as more unusual instruments, including mixing bowls, cheese graters, whisks and wooden utensils. The program covers a diverse array of styles, including standard repertoire by Steve Reich and Ivan Trevino, traditional tunes from Mexico arranged for three musicians on a single marimba, and the world premiere of an octet piece composed specifically for the Percussion Ensemble. Come join the fun. This performance is certain to be exhilarating for audience members of all ages and backgrounds.
May 14, 4 p.m., Musical Theatre Workshop
PCC Musical Theater Workshop, directed by Anne Grimes, D.M.A., will perform several musical scenes from recent and classic musicals, featuring student-selected and student-directed scenes and choreography, including “One Day More” (Les Miserables), “Good Morning Baltimore” (Hairspray), “The Cat and the Moon” (Lord of the Rings), “He Lives in You” (Lion King), “Be Our Guest” (Beauty and the Beast), “Anyway the Wind Blows” (Hadestown), “I Know It’s Today” (Shrek), “Singin’ the Same Line” (In Pieces) and several other popular theatrical highlights.
May 14, 7 p.m., Concert Band
The PCC Concert Band, under the direction of Victor Valenzuela, will present a diverse program encompassing various styles and genres, from Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in F major to two marches of John Philip Sousa. This is a program you will not want to miss. Please, come support these fine young musicians.
May 15, 6 p.m., Jazz Improv
Pima Jazz Improv, under the direction of Scott Black, perform old and new Jazz standards with stylish and melodic improvisation.
Pima’s music program provides education and training in both classical and popular music, with classes in theory, history, piano, guitar, studio instruction and sound production. Its musical ensembles are choir, band, orchestra, jazz band, mariachi, guitar ensemble and percussion ensemble. Course offerings are consistent with the first two years of a bachelor’s degree in music from Arizona’s state universities, and the program has a reputation for quality instruction and caring faculty.
What: Pima Music Department presents Spring 2024 Music SeriesWhen: May 8-15, (various times)
Where: Pima Community College – West Campus Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam Road
Cost: $6/$5, except Musical Theater Workshop and Jazz Improv are free and open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at pima.edu/arts or at Pima Arts Events-Eventbrite.