The student recital season at Gustavus Adolphus College begins in earnest this weekend with two joint recitals scheduled in Bjorling Recital Hall. Ben Christensen, tenor and Tony Bissen, baritone, join forces for their senior voice recital on Friday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. The voices of Amy Jahnke, soprano and Kathryn Casey, mezzo soprano will be featured in a junior recital on Sunday, March 8 at 1:30 p.m. Both recitals are free and open to the public.
With the assistance of pianist Beth Winterfeldt, Bissen and Christensen will present a combination of solo and duets. The program includes classic vocal works by Handel, Bizet, Brahms, Schubert and contemporary composers like Gerald Finzi, Roger Quilter, Frederick Loewe and Mel Brooks (yes, Mel Brooks). Bissen, a senior elementary education major, is currently completing his student teaching as well as preparing for this recital. Christensen is a senior geology and chemistry major. Both performers are members of the Gustavus Choir and study voice with Michael Jorgensen.
Sunday’s recital features the voices of mezzo soprano Kathryn Casey and soprano Amy Jahnke. They are accompanied by pianist Ashley Tibbetts and will be joined by marimbist Alli Linn. Like Friday’s recital, they will open with solo works by Schubert, Handel, Faure and contemporary works by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Allee Willis, Brenda Russell and Stephen Bray (The Color Purple). They will join to present Evening Prayer from Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel. Both study privately with Rebecca McConnaughey.
Student recitals at Gustavus are free and open to the public. A reception will follow the recital in the lobby.