Southeastern 2010 Alumnus of the Year returns to campus for Fanfare concert
Contact: Tonya Lowentritt
Date: September 25, 2012
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University's Department of Fine and Performing Arts will present "Margaret, Mathilde, Mary and More," a concert with 2010 Alumnus of the Year Donald George, tenor, and Lucy Mauro on piano. Made possible by the generous support of Southeastern's Student Government Association and the Arts and Lectures Committee, the concert is scheduled on Monday, Oct. 8.
Part of the department's guest artist recital series for Fanfare, the university's month long celebration of the arts, the free concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Pottle Auditorium. The performance will feature the vocal music of such women composers as Margaret Ruthven Lang, Mathilde von Kralik, and Mary McAuliffe, among others, as well as informative verbal commentary, said Kenneth Boulton, Fine and Performing Arts interim department head.
"Donald George and Lucy Mauro's visit to Southeastern holds great significance for the entire campus community," Boulton said. "Although Donald George is one of Southeastern's most prominent alumni and a member of the Southeastern Music Hall of Fame, it has been more than 20 years since he has appeared in concert as part of Fanfare. The recital is a 'must see' concert in every sense of the term for the entire region, including many loyal supporters of Fanfare and Southeastern."
"Margaret Lang, Mathilde Kralik and Mary McAuliffe are three women, from three different countries in three different eras – and all of them seemingly forgotten until Lucy and I went looking in archives and found them," said George, a native of Franklinton. "Margaret wanted to be forgotten and made every effort toward that goal in destroying all of her music that she could. Mathilde was beset by the collapse of her country, the Austrian Empire, and the loss of the family money in the aftermath of two world wars – her music lay forgotten in the Austrian National Library. Mary McAuliffe is a different story, as she wants her music known and performed, and we wish to help her achieve this goal!"
An internationally recognized tenor, George is an associate professor of voice at State University of New York (SUNY) Potsdam's The Crane School of Music. He earned his bachelor's degree in vocal performance at Southeastern in 1967 and his master's degree from LSU.
George has performed with many of the famous orchestras and conductors of the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, L'Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale Rai Italy, Radio France and the London Symphony and has recorded for Sony, Naxos, Phillips Classic and Bavarian Radio.
Mauro is an associate professor at West Virginia University. She is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where she received bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees and where she studied with Ann Schein and Julio Esteban.
Mauro frequently performs, conducts master classes, workshops and other presentations with George, specializing in such areas as developing musical expression and communication, the nineteenth-century German Melodram, and the art of collaborative performance. They have performed to much acclaim for colleges, universities, concert series and festivals throughout the United States and abroad.
Admission to the concert is free. For more information, call 985-549-2184.
