Moser, Degnan to hold recital

Sarah Klein, Contributing writer

On Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. in the Walker Recital Hall, Mercyhurst’s D’Angelo Department of Music will begin its Faculty Recital Series with a performance by Jonathan Moser and Kellan Degnan.

Moser is the D’Angelo Department of Music’s violin instructor and the director of the Mercyhurst Civic Orchestra.

Degnan, who is new to the department this semester as the cello instructor, is also the cello instructor for the Suzuki music program on campus as well as a member of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra.

The two will perform three duets together and one solo piece each.

One of the duets for violin and cello is by Bohuslav Martinu, one is by Erwin Schulhoff and one is by Japanese-American composer Paul Wiancko.

Degnan’s solo piece is by Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng.

Moser’s solo piece is by Johann Sebastian Bach.

While Moser notes that Bach is a much older composer than the other contemporary composers on the recital, he says that it was a conscious choice he made to put the older work with the new.

He says that composers will often reference older works when writing new ones.

Cellist Degnan is looking forward to playing newer, more contemporary music for his first faculty recital here at Mercyhurst.

Degnan says that he is most excited for the pieces by Paul Wiancko and Bright Sheng, as “the performance of contemporary music is one of (his) highest priorities in (his) musical life.”

This recital is free to all students and the public.