More than 200 performers will come together from across the university for one of Virginia Tech’s biggest music events, Exposition IV: An Appalachian Spring, on March 19 at 4 p.m. in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre.

All seven colleges across campus are represented by the diverse group of talented musicians making up the Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble, University Choirs, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and L2Ork, a Linux-based laptop orchestra. Smaller ensembles and soloists are featured as well, with music faculty and students performing side-by-side.

Exposition IV will be a fast-paced concert that takes full advantage of the acoustically engineered Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre in the Moss Arts Center. Ensembles, soloists, and chamber groups will make use of the aisles, stage, and other auditorium locations to create an immersive experience for the audience.

Jonathan Caldwell, conductor of the Wind Ensemble and a visiting assistant professor of music, describes the concert as a pastiche of different sounds, all coming together for one unique experience.

“Exposition IV features all aspects of the music department, including performance, education, composition, and technology,” he said. “It’s a busy day. It’s fun how hectic it is, but everyone is professional.”

The annual event showcases the talent, dedication, and hard work of Virginia Tech students and faculty from all majors across campus.

Included in this year’s lineup will be original music composed by Dwight Bigler, director of choral activities and an associate professor in the School of Performing Arts. Bigler’s pieces include “Three Appalachian Songs,a set based on folk songs historically associated with the Appalachian region. Also included will be a new version of the piece Bigler wrote for the installation ceremony of Virginia Tech President Tim Sands.

The annual concert raises money for Delta Omicron, a student organization that provides scholarships to music students at Virginia Tech.

One scholarship recipient, cellist Alex Fowler, a graduating senior from Vienna, Virginia, said, “Being able to perform in this year’s Exposition concert as well as receive a scholarship through Delta Omicron shows me the School of Performing Arts isn’t just investing in my education, but in the artistic mediums I wish to pursue as a career.”

Fowler further noted that receiving a scholarship will enable him to pursue summer studies at various music institutes, which will in turn allow him a successful transition into a graduate program next fall.

Highlights from last year’s concert, Exposition III: Resonance, can be seen in a short School of Performing Arts video created by Suzanna Brosey, who graduated from Virginia Tech last year with a music degree.

Tickets — which are $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors, and $5 for students — may be purchased online through the Moss Arts Center box office or by calling 540-231-5300 during regular business hours.

The Moss Arts Center is located at 190 Alumni Mall on the campus of Virginia Tech. Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street; in the Squires Student Center lot, located at the corner of College Avenue and Otey Streets; in the Architecture Annex Lot on Otey Street; and in the Perry Street/Prices Fork lots. Find more parking information online or call 540-231-3200.

Additional parking is available in the Kent Squire parking garage and the Farmers Market metered parking lot, both located on Draper Road. Additional downtown Blacksburg parking information can be found online.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please call Susan Sanders at 540-231-5200 or email her during regular business hours prior to the event.

Written by Willie Caldwell, a graduate student studing arts leadership and higher education at Virginia Tech

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