Allegheny Ensemble Presents 'Kant and Cantatas' Friday, November 19

SALISBURY, MD---The Allegheny Ensemble—cellist Jeffrey Schoyen and violinist Sachiho Murasugi, with harpsichordist Gwen Toth and tenor John Wesley Wright—return to Salisbury University for a performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 19, in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall.
 
The ensemble presents a program on period instruments entitled “Kant and Cantatas: Aesthetics and Music of the German Baroque.” Its members perform vocal and instrumental chamber works by Bach, Handel, Telemann, Biber and Buxtehude. Joining them is Dr. Joerg Tuske of SU’s philosophy department, who reflects on the writings of 18th century philosophers such as Immanuel Kant.

Conductor of the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, Schoyen teaches cello and bass at SU where he is an associate professor. He has given concerts throughout the United States, Germany, Mexico and Spain, and received a Frank Huntington Beebe Grant to study in London with William Pleeth. He is also a Tanglewood Gustav Golden Award recipient. Schoyen has studied the Baroque Cello with Myron Lutske, Phoebi Carrai, and Anthony Pleeth.  He holds a D.M.A. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Murasugi has performed extensively as a professional orchestral and chamber musician. She has been concertmaster of the Sorg Opera Orchestra in Ohio and the Filarmonic del Bajio in Mexico. On baroque violin she has performed with early music groups around the country, including Magnificat Baroque Orchestra in San Francisco and Bach Cantata Period Instrument Ensemble in New York. Internationally, she has performed at early music festivals in Canada and Spain. Murasugi studied baroque violin with Michael Sand, Nancy Wilson and Stanley Ritchie and holds a D.M.A. from the Ohio State University.

Wright is the recipient of numerous awards, including prizes from the International MacAllister Awards, the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and the National Federation of Music Clubs. He is an American Traditions Competition gold medal winner and a member of the acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble. He enjoys recital and oratorio work, and has performed abroad including a televised concert for the Belgian Royal Family at the Royal Palace of Belgium and benefit concerts for the Japan International Volunteer Center.

Toth is one of only a handful of American conductors of historical performance ensembles and orchestras. She is the founder and director of New York City’s virtuoso period instrument ensemble, ARTEK. She has conducted at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London and at the Kaye Playhouse, Merkin Hall and BAM in New York City, among others. Internationally, she has performed at festivals in Holland and the Czech Republic.

Sponsored by the Department of Music, Fulton School, Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council and the Peter and Judy Jackson Music Performance Fund, the performance is free and the public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6385 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.