The Arts at USU: April 2024 Events

For the Caine College of the Arts, April means a variety of entertaining and spectacular events across jazzy music, Shakespeare, student art exhibitions, a number of concerts and recitals, and more. As one of the busiest times of the year for the CCA, there’s plenty to do and see. Read below for more details about these coming events.

Caine Ensembles

April 2, 7:30 p.m.
Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall

The Caine Ensembles concert, presented twice a year, showcases some of USU's finest musicians. Come enjoy top-tier chamber music performed by the Caine Brass Quintet, Caine Percussion Ensemble, Caine Saxophone Quartet, Caine String Quartet, and Caine Woodwind Quintet.

Communitas Lecture Series: Keltie Ferris

April 4, 5 p.m.
Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall

Keltie Ferris is an abstract painter living in Brooklyn, New York. He earned a BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and an MFA from the Yale School of Art. The Communitas Lecture Series is a set of visiting artists, scholars and designers. This series is free and open to the public.

Music Scholar Series: Dr. Megan Lavengood

April 5, 4 p.m.
Caine Room, Family Life Building

What is "our music"? As an institution in the Intermountain West, USU is located in a place associated with many different kinds of music. The decisions we make about which of these we foreground have profound implications. What do our students deserve to learn? Which faculty have the responsibility — or the right — to teach each repertoire? And how, as a university, do we define the collective “us” we seek to serve? Megan Lavengood is an associate professor and area director of music theory at George Mason University, where she teaches undergraduate core theory and graduate courses in advanced theory topics. Her research primarily deals with popular music, timbre, synthesizers and recording techniques. She has also published on video game music, music theory pedagogy and public music theory.

Kings, Lovers & Fools: A Faculty Voice Recital

April 6, 5 p.m.
Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall

Kings, Lovers & Fools — A faculty voice recital featuring Thomas Glenn, tenor, and Amy Glenn, pianist.

Jazz Jams

April 9, 7 p.m.
TSC/HUB

This concert will feature the Caine Jazz Combo along with a guest artist and jazz students from the Department of Music performing standard jazz tunes. The jam session is open to all and people are encouraged to bring their instrument and join in.

Communitas Lecture Series: Evangeline Griego

April 11, 5 p.m.
Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall

Evangeline Griego is a veteran independent filmmaker, director and media activist who made her feature-length documentary directorial debut with the film God Willing. The Communitas Lecture Series is a set of visiting artists, scholars and designers. This series is free and open to the public.

USU Opera Presents: L’elisir d’Amore

April 11–13, 7:30 p.m.Caine Lyric Theatre

One of the highlights of the bel canto repertoire with its sublime music and humorous plot, Donizetti’s comic opera L'elisir d'amore follows the attempts of the hapless Nemorino who relies on a fake love potion to win the beautiful Adina's hand in marriage. Performed by USU voice and orchestra students. Sung in English for maximal humoral effect.

The Tempest

April 12-13 & 17-20, 7:30 p.m.
April 13, 1 p.m.
Morgan Theatre, Fine Arts Building

Magic, secret identities and conflict abound inn William Shakespeare's The Tempest. Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm and torment the survivors of a shipwreck, including the King of Naples and Prospero’s treacherous brother, Antonio. Prospero’s slave, Caliban, plots to rid himself of his master, but is thwarted by Prospero’s spirit-servant Ariel. The King’s young son Ferdinand, thought to be dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter Miranda. Come experience the intrigue, the magic, and see for yourself how all will resolve.

Spring Chamber Music Recital

April 15, 7:30 p.m.
Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall

This concert showcases the students of the USU String and Piano Programs. Students dedicate their semester to the intensive study of masterpieces from the chamber music repertoire under the guidance of the Fry Street Quartet and the USU piano faculty. This concert will include the works of Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Dvorak and Schubert.

Symphonic Band

April 18, 7:30 p.m.
Daines Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building

Concerts are part of the band large ensemble curriculum. As capstone events, they typically occur twice per semester. Students are required to participate in these events as a large part of their grades, and these concerts are the culmination of several weeks of classroom rehearsals.

Other Events with More Information to Come

USU Percussion Ensembles
April 1, 7:30 p.m.
Daines Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building

Guitar Ensembles
April 8, 7:30 p.m.
Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall

Big Bands
April 10, 7:30 p.m.
Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall

Chamber Ensembles and Cache Wind Symphony
April 11, 7:30 p.m.
Daines Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building

Cache Symphony Orchestra
April 13, 7:30 p.m.
Daines Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building

MFA Thesis Exhibition
April 15-19, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tippetts & Eccles Art Galleries, Fine Arts Building

Organ Area Student Recital
April 15, 7:30 p.m.
Daines Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building

Spring Choral Concert
April 16, 7:30 p.m.
Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall

USU Symphony Orchestra
April 17, 7:30 p.m.
Daines Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building

Wind Orchestra
April 19, 7:30 p.m.
Daines Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building

Watch for coming events and updated descriptions by checking the online CCA events calendar.