The College of Music’s beloved Joanne and Bill Church West Circle Series begins its 14th season with a commemorative program titled, “Celebrating Jewish Identity in Music,” Monday, October 16th at 7:30 p.m. in the MSU Auditorium’s Fairchild Theatre. 

For centuries, composers have drawn inspiration from the rich traditions of Jewish music in their works. This concert celebrates the diversity of that inspiration and features music that honors Jewish identity, expresses solidarity with Jewish musicians, and commemorates the tragedy of the Holocaust. 

A concert guide for the event will introduce performances and offer insightful background about featured composers and the Jewish culture and history that inspired the music they wrote. The event’s program includes: Violin and piano duos of Ernest Bloch’s “Nigun” from Baal Shem: Pictures of Hassidic Life, and The Theme from Schindler’s List by John Williams; a four-cello ensemble performance of Kol Nidrei by Max Bruch; and Dmitri Shostakovich’s famous Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57. [Click here for tickets]

Featured artists from the MSU College of Music include Suren Bagratuni, cello; Dmitri Berlinsky, violin; Deborah Moriarty, piano; Eric Nowlin, viola; I-Fu Wang, violin; Pochen Chang, cello; Yu-Chen Lin, cello; and Myeonggyun Noh, cello.

Additional upcoming West Circle Series Concerts for the 2023-24 season include:

• Rachmaninoff at 150, Monday, December 4th, 7:30 p.m., Fairchild Theatre, MSU Auditorium, Generously sponsored by April Clobes and Glen Brough
• Happy Birthday, Mozart!, Monday, January 22nd, 7:30 p.m. Fairchild Theatre, MSU Auditorium, Generously sponsored by Ann, John and Abby Lindley
• Puccini: Con Amore, Monday, April 8th, 7:30 p.m. Fairchild Theatre, MSU Auditorium, Generously sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Roy Meland

The entire West Circle Series is underwritten by Joanne and Bill Church, and Celebrating Jewish Identity in Music is generously sponsored by Trustee Emerita Dee Cook in memory of her husband Byron Cook.

Reserved seating for this and other concerts in the Joanne and Bill Church West Circle Series are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors (age 60 and older), and $7 for students and those under 18 with valid ID, and can be purchased online (music.msu.edu), by calling (517) 353-5340, or at the door. More information on these and other events in the 2023-24 season can be found at music.msu.edu/events.

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Press materials

View or download the press release (PDF)
Contact Michael Sundermann, 517-353-2043, sunderm7@msu.edu 

The Joanne and Bill Church West Circle Series consists of four concerts each season and takes place in the MSU Auditorium’s Fairchild Theatre.