Three masters of musical craft perform this Friday in “The Custom of Bees.” Dr. Emily Loboda of ETSU, Dr. Sheldon Johnson of Radford University and Dr. Kyle Hutchins of Virginia Tech will be performing a saxophone trio repertoire.
None of the three are strangers to the spotlight. Loboda has experience working both solo and in groups, such as Interrobang, a percussion-saxophone duo. A saxophonist since the 5th grade, she has performed as a soloist with orchestras from Michigan to North Carolina and as a chamber musician from Colorado to Virginia.
Johnson has played many recitals and concerts, including the St. Olavfestdagene in Norway, the U.S. Navy Band’s International Saxophone Symposium, The Treetop Chamber Music Society’s subscription concert series and as a part of the University of South Carolina’s “Southern Exposure” series.
Hutchins, likewise, is a prolific artist. He’s performed everywhere from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Composer James Dillon described him as “a performer of real energy and brilliance.” He currently teaches saxophone classes and directs the VT Jazz Club Band.
The recital will be called “The Custom of Bees” by Joey Crane, and according to the artist herself, is a contemporary piece created last summer, made up of several solos leading to a spectacular ending in performance.
“It’s a very different piece,” Loboda said. “It uses a lot of vocalization and uses the saxophone in a lot of different ways than you would normally hear in a classical saxophone recital.”
Admission to the event is free and open to the public. The concert will be held on campus in the Mathes Recital Hall on Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m.
