Meridian Arts Ensemble give concert Thursday

By Elena Ponce, '07

As part of the Rosch Musical Arts Series at SUNY Fredonia, the award-winning Meridian Arts Ensemble will present a concert Thursday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall. The performance will conclude the group’s four-day residency with the Fredonia School of Music, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

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Tickets are available through the Central Ticket Office in the Williams Center (716-673-3501) at $14 per student and $28 for adults. Group discounts are available.

The Meridian Arts Ensemble is a virtuosic sextet of brass and percussion that loves to inspire, entertain and blur the boundaries of genre. This concert will involve familiar pieces from the standard repertoire as well as new works with a South American rhythmic flair, including highlights from its upcoming ninth CD release, “SubTropics.” The program even includes Meridian's signature finale by the legendary Frank Zappa.

Members are John Ferrari (drums), Dan Grabois (horn), Benjamin Herrington (trombone), Brian McWhorter (trumpet), Jon Nelson (trumpet), and Fredonia School of Music professor Raymond Stewart (tuba).

Beginning as a brass quintet, the group was founded in 1987. Gaining recognition for its unique style and exciting performances, the group added a percussionist and went on to win a number of awards including the 1990 Concert Artists Guild New York Competition First Prize and multiple adventurous programming awards. The ensemble has performed in over 10 countries, 49 states, and a number of club venues including New York’s The Knitting Factory, the Cooler, the Kitchen; Black Cat in Washington, DC; and the House of Blues in Los Angeles.

Except for the concert which requires admission by ticket only, all events during the four-day residency that take place in Rosch Recital Hall are free and open to the public.