What started on a sour note ended with a sweet pitch when the AURA Contemporary Ensemble held its “Set in Stone” concert, which featured compositions from world-renowned contemporary composers and up-and-coming UH musicians Monday at the Moores Opera House.
Directed by Michelle Blair and associate professor of composition Rob Smith, the concert opened with “Rock and Roll” by Eric Stokes, which featured four men entering from the corners of the stage and creating music with river stones and gravel. The audience didn’t seem to be entertained and several people were heckling the performance from the back of the room.
Anna Weesner’s piece “Light and Stone” made up for the rocky start as musical arts doctoral candidate Ingrid Gerling’s use of the violin highlighted the piece. Combined with her violin skills and her use of the piano and clarinet, the eerie 1950s Alfred Hitchcock sound brought the piece together.
Perhaps, the best performance of the night was by harp performance senior Hope Cowan as she played a unique fairytale-like tune on the harp in Paul Stanhope’s piece “The Arch Window.” Despite the near empty theater, Cowan’s performance received the most applause and a few standing ovations.
“Set in Stone” also premiered Houston Baptist University composition graduate Desmond Ikegwuonu’s energetic and fast-paced piece, “New Work.” Bryant Beauchamp energized the room with an amazing solo cello performance.
Special guest composer Brian Herrington, whose works have been previously performed by London’s Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra, premiered “A Circle of Stone” as cellist Daniel Saenz and percussionist music composition and music education senior Adam Beard blended their talents to create a melancholic atmosphere in their music.
The concert ended with Smith’s performance of David Dzubay’s “Kukulakan II”, named after the Mayan feathered-snake deity. The composition conjures images of ancient rituals. While a small hiccup occurred when a cello spring broke, the piece continued to a positive reception minutes after and closed the show.
arts@thedailycougar.com