Sesquicentennial Wrap Up
Music Faculty, Students Celebrate with West Coast Alumni at Disney Hall
Mickey wasn’t there. Neither was Goofy. But on September 10, 2006, 25 talented students and faculty members from the School of Music took the stage at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles – the perfect venue for a showcase concert to wrap up Michigan
State University’s Sesquicentennial celebrations.
“There was something for everyone,” said Ruth Charles, member of the West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) and School of Music alumna (’47), who was in charge of the music portion of the celebration. From jazz selections to a tuba solo, Charles made sure that there was music for all ears in the audience of more than 250.
“The West Coast Regional Council was challenged by the university to put together a celebration for the 150th year anniversary,” Charles said. “We have never had to plan an event of this magnitude before and only had a year.”
Craig Murray, also a member of the WCRC and a key player in making the Disney Hall event a reality, thought that the performances were absolutely incredible and impressed the audience.
“It was gratifying to have helped organize a high-class event in a prestigious setting in front of so many MSU dignitaries and high-powered alumni,” Murray reported.
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| (Left to right) President Lou Anna K. Simon and Disney Hall Architect Frank Gehry joined Honorary Co-Chairs Andrea Van de Kamp and Eli Broad before the concert. |
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“The School of Music has world-class talent and those who know it want to broaden the awareness,” said Rebecca Surian, the school’s director of development. “Many alumni indicated that they had not realized the School of Music could produce a performance of this caliber,” she said. “What a tremendous opportunity it was for our talented faculty and students to represent MSU on the West Coast. Our MSU alumni were thrilled with the chance to tour the Disney Concert Hall,” said Surian.
The building, which opened in 2003 due largely to the successful fundraising efforts of two Spartans, Eli Broad and Andrea Van de Kamp, was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, best known for his Guggenheim Museum in Balboa, Spain.
Gehry, known for his concern with space and how to use the context of the building in his designs, presented a lecture to those who attended the event about how he planned the design for Disney Hall with sound and music in mind.
An anonymous donor made it possible for 40 recent MSU graduates to attend the event. “I was extremely thankful for the chance to attend such an impressive event and it made me proud to be a Spartan,” said Lauren Ford, a 2006 advertising, public relations, and retailing graduate. “Socializing with so many high-powered alumni and MSU dignitaries like President Simon was really amazing.”
“Our goal was to have a remarkable and memorable performance that would provide for an opportunity for MSU alumni to feel exceptionally proud of their alma mater,” said School of Music Director James Forger. “Our expectations for the event were indeed surpassed, which was evidenced by the warm audience response received by faculty and student performers alike.”
According to Craig Murray, “the School of Music, along with the entire university, shone brightly on a very big stage. It was thrilling to see and hear the reactions of the audience, most of whom had no inkling of our world-class talents,” he said.
For more information about the West Coast Regional Council, contact Venice Peek, MSU West Coast Regional director, at (949) 492-9300 or via email at peekv@msu.edu.
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