Free Concert in Pioneer Park!

The Berryville Library is excited to partner with the University of Arkansas Student Chamber Music Tour and the Berryville Community Center to present a free concert in Pioneer Park.

The concert will be on Monday, May 16, at 1 PM.  Pioneer Park is located right behind the Berryville Library.  In case of rain, the concert will be moved to the Berryville Community Center Auditorium.

Outer Limits Food Truck will make a special pop-up appearance at Pioneer Park from 11 AM to 2 PM on that day. They will be set up and selling a variety of chicken or steak wraps at Pioneer Park.  In case of rain, they will move to the Berryville Community Center parking lot.

The performance will last approximately one hour and feature the sounds of three student ensembles. This tour is the first of its kind and is designed to allow the students to perform at the highest caliber in a variety of community venues. Chamber music is an engaging and accessible form of music. The concert will have something for everyone!

The groups performing are:

Hawksbill Winds

The Hawksbill Winds is a student-based woodwind quintet at the University of Arkansas. Since its formation in the Fall of 2021, the ensemble has performed numerous times on the campus, and in the community of Northwest Arkansas. Hawksbill has performed standard works, as well as original compositions and works by underrepresented composers.

The name of the ensemble comes from the well-known scenic landmark of Hawksbill Crag in Northwest Arkansas. They strive to portray the serene feeling associated with nature, through an ensemble setting. Hawksbill Winds hopes to provide the community with an access point to the world of chamber music, through outreach and public performance.

The group consists of members from the Northwest Arkansas area: Abigail Short (Flute) from Greenwood, Lorilee Erdman (Oboe) from Prairie Grove , Olivia Harrison (Clarinet) from Bentonville, Josue Avelar (Bassoon) from Lowell, and Derrick Rassinier (French Horn) from Eureka Springs. Members of the ensemble have performed with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, the Fort Smith Symphony and Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as various ensembles around the campus.

The members of Hawksbill Winds are working towards various degrees at the University of Arkansas, including music performance, music education, and psychology.

Loblolly Brass Quintet

The Loblolly Brass Quintet is a student organized ensemble at the University of Arkansas. The mission of the quintet is to develop as professional musicians through diverse repertoire, mature performance opportunities, and collaboration.

The group is named after the Arkansas state tree to symbolize the home and roots of the ensemble. This group currently consists of two trumpets (Megan Park, Kyra Brockhausen), horn (Rachael Breitenstein), trombone (Ray Lenhart), and tuba (Brady Callicott). Members of this ensemble have performed with the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. Members of this group have also performed in the Lincoln Center, the Meyerson Symphony Center, Chicago Symphony Hall, and Washington D.C.

The ensemble enjoys playing many genres of music spanning from renaissance music to pop arrangements. Loblolly’s diverse repertoire aids in their mission to develop as musicians by providing a wide range of style and performance opportunities. In the fall of 2021 Loblolly had the honor of performing for the iconic Stilleto Brass Quintet, and has also regularly been featured on brass recitals at the University of Arkansas.

Castalia Saxophone Quartet

The Castalia Saxophone Quartet consists of two graduate students originally from Oklahoma and two undergraduate students from Arkansas. The graduate students, Dylan and Quintin, play soprano and baritone, and the undergraduate students, Tyler and Catherine, play alto and tenor. Formed this year, Castalia’s goal is to perform saxophone chamber music at an exceedingly high level. Their repertoire focuses on works originally composed for strings that has been transcribed for saxophone including works by Antonio Vivaldi, Eugene Bozza, Caroline Shaw, and Steve Reich.

The name Castalia has a double meaning. One comes from the castalia subspecies of a plant from the family Nymphaeceae, which is also commonly known as the Water Lily. The other comes from Castelia City, a location from the popular video game “Pokémon: Black and White”, which is a coastal metropolis based on New York City. As several members of Castalia are avid gamers, the combined namesake of the delicate beauty of the water lily and a town that is both memorable and relatable to members of Castalia. The name embodies what they hope to achieve in their performances – appreciation of beauty within the music being performed.

In addition to their time as chamber musicians, the members of the Castalia Quartet are also accomplished solo musicians. Their professional accolades include first place finishes in two different categories at the Arkansas Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) solo competition, performing in the University of Arkansas Honors Recital, and performing with guest artist, Dave Liebman.

This tour has been made possible through the Music75 initiative of the University of Arkansas Music Department, the University of Arkansas Band Program, and the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center Student Success Grant. For more information, please contact Katey Halbert ([email protected]).

For more information about the Concert in Pioneer Park, contact the library!