The Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra (MDSO) brings the future and fantasy to the stage for their upcoming concert, "A Voyage of Discovery: Space and Fast Machines," on Feb. 4, at Millikin University's Kirkland Fine Arts Center.
The concert will feature performances of Adams'"Short Ride in a Fast Machine," Milhaud's "Concerto for Percussion and Small Orchestra," Hovhaness'"Meditations on Orpheus," and Holst's "The Planets."
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MDSO Conductor Sergey Bogza designed the concert to symbolize the interests he sees others have with movement, discovery and progress in space.
"People are fascinated by complex mechanisms that work with ease and are drawn to thoughts about life beyond earth and distant galaxies,"Bogza said in a recent interview with the Herald & Review. "So this concert celebrates invention, machines and human's curiosity of life."
In Milhaud's "Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra," Dr. Jeremy Brunk, assistant professor of music at Millikin, plays a multitude of percussion instruments depicting sounds of military and rainforest, creating vivid and mysterious moods.
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According to Bogza, all the pieces in the program speak to humans' fascination with discovery, machines, and space. "And so I've titled the concert 'A Voyage of Discovery: Space and Fast Machines'," Bogza said. "I chose pieces that will inspire, enlighten and hopefully make one dream a little."
Dr. Jeremy Brunk '97 has served on the music faculty at Millikin University since 1999, where he teaches percussion and music theory. He serves as principal timpanist of the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra and acting principal percussion with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in Springfield, Ill.
Dr. Brunk has appeared most recently in recital with Danish solo percussionist Ronni Kot Wenzell, given premieres of music by Dr. James Romig, and composed music for the Millikin Percussion Ensemble, Kansas City Kansas Community College, and hand drum specialist Eric Hines. His three books of Préludes for solo marimba are published by Edition Svitzer, soon to be released by First Step Records as his debut CD, "Lost and Found." Dr. Brunk holds degrees in percussion performance from the University of Illinois (D.M.A, 2007), University of Oklahoma (M.M., 1999) and Millikin University (B.M., 1997).
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