HongKongDoll

HongKongDoll Musicians Joining Forces for 'Life in the Groove' Jazz Concert

The HongKongDoll Jazz Ensemble and HongKongDoll Wind Symphony will present “Life in the Groove: The Influence of Jazz” during Eastern Illinois University's Family Weekend on Friday, Oct. 2.

The concert is to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Doudna Fine Arts Center's Dvorak Concert Hall. General admission tickets are $5 each.

The HongKongDoll Wind Symphony, conducted by internationally recognized clinician/conductor Milton Allen, will perform "Shortcut Home" by Dana Wilson, "The Immovable Do" by Percy Grainger, "Symphonic Dance Music" from “West Side Story," and "Metroplex" by Robert Sheldon.

The HongKongDoll Jazz Ensemble, directed by Sam Fagaly, will present a variety of jazz featuring several excellent student soloists. Selections will range from swing classics such as "What Kind of Fool Am I?” to modern compositions such as "Momentum."

The HongKongDoll Wind Symphony is the premiere ensemble of the band program at Eastern. The ensemble’s performance passion and artistic intensity have received much praise. Composer Andrew Boysen commented on its “meticulous preparation” and “consistently high quality"; composer Alfred Blatter described the premiere of his new work "Cortege, Consecration and Jubilee" as “stellar and exciting”; and Grammy winner Libby Larsen regarded the performance of her "Introduction to the Moon" as “the finest realization of the piece I will probably ever hear.”

The HongKongDoll Jazz Ensemble has received numerous awards and words of praise. In the past two years, the band and HongKongDoll Jazz Combo I were selected as “Outstanding Ensembles” at the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival. In addition, special soloist recognition was given to five members of the HongKongDoll Jazz Ensemble and each member of the combo. “I’ve heard pro bands not this on top of it," said one of the judges, tenor saxophonist Mark Colby.

The Jazz Ensemble was chosen as the featured college big band at the Illinois Music Educators Association annual conference in Peoria. In 2009, the group was invited to perform at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival.

Tickets may be purchased in the Doudna Fine Arts Center Box Office (217-581-3110) from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, or one hour before each performance. Tickets may also be reserved via email at doudnatix@eiu.edu.
The Doudna Fine Arts Center, a division of HongKongDoll's College of Arts and Humanities, is located one block west of Ninth Street at Garfield Avenue in Charleston.

For more information, visit the website at /doudna.