KSU’s School of Music will host its 11th annual “Collage Concert” on Saturday, Feb. 4, to raise scholarship funds for both current and future students.
The concert, which differs every year, will consist of a mix of soloists, chamber groups and large performing ensembles. The performance will take place in the Morgan Concert Hall of the Bailey Performance Center, not only on the stage, but also in the hall and up in the galleys.
Dr. Stephen Plate, director for the School of Music, said there are more than 250 performers in the concert, including students, faculty and staff.
“It’s a piece for the eyes, the ears, the mind and the soul,” Plate said. “A rapid-fire program of diverse works presented as flowing vignettes. There are special lighting and stage designs that combine to create a truly unique and special performance. I’m proud of our students and faculty.”
The goal, he reminded, is to benefit current and prospective students.
“The importance of this performance is that we all come together and lend our time and talent for the purpose of the raising money toward scholarships,” Plate said. “It’s something that both the community and our faculty and staff look forward to.”
There will be two chances to see the concert: a matinee showing at 3 p.m. followed by an evening showing at 8 p.m. Each show will last around one hour and 15 minutes, including the intermission.
Each performance will range anywhere from one and a half to five minutes long. Plate said students and staff have been practicing daily since the start of the semester.
“The performances are deliberately interspersed, and the fast pace of the event is purposefully done,” Plate said. “This collage is the best indicator of the work that is being done in the music department on a daily basis.”
Sarah Muncy, a KSU alumnus, said she attended “Collage Concert” her freshman year and was impressed.
“I’ve been to see Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts before, so I’ve seen a lot in regards to these kinds of things,” Muncy said. “It was a while ago, but I remember the atmosphere was inviting, and I recall a lot of respect from the audience in regards to the players. It was cool to experience an institution like KSU doing something like that.”
Plate insisted that attendees bring friends and family, as the concert is appropriate for all ages.
“As of this week, we have raised $20,000 from individual, family and corporate sponsors who think that our students are worth it,” he said.
After the cost of production, all the proceeds from the concert will go toward scholarship funds for students in the School of Music.
“The ‘Collage Concert’ has a deep history, and in a fast-paced environment like Kennesaw State, the credit for the original creation of the event goes to a lot of people,” Plate said. “It’s obviously worthwhile and effective to the purpose of raising money for scholarships. We feel like it’s a gift to the institution and the university.”
The cost for tickets, lowered from last year, ranges from $15 to $30 depending on seating and whether the purchaser is a student or a veteran. Morgan Concert Hall can seat just over 600 people.
Tickets will be available for purchase at the box office an hour prior to each showing, but they can also be purchased ahead of time at http://arts.kennesaw.edu/music/collage.php, along with the choice to proactively choose your seats. Beginning Feb. 1, KSU students can buy one ticket and get another free using the promo code BOGO17.
