October 11, 2006

(Columbia, MD) – The west wing in the Howard Community College (HCC) Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center is the new home of the HCC Music Department.  At the entrance to this wing is the intimate, acoustically-engineered John G. Monteabaro Recital Hall.  For the college community and music lovers throughout the region to celebrate the grand opening of this exceptional new performance space, the HCC Music Faculty is performing an inaugural concert on Wednesday, November 1, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.  The concert program includes works for strings, voice, piano duo and trio.  Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 seniors, and $5 student with ID.  Seating is limited so ticket reservation is encouraged by contacting Dr. Kristina Suter at 410-772-4510 or Dr. Deborah Kent at 410-772-4914.  Visit the HCC website at www.howardcc.edu/music for a complete list of upcoming performances.

HCC music faculty scheduled for the grand opening concert include Deborah Kent, Kyle Coughlin, Octtava Piano Duo, Gemini Piano Trio, Accordare Piano Duo, Melissa Lindon, Yoon-Nah Cho, Marian Buck-Lew, David Rybczynski, Judith Cavendish, Bruce Casteel, and Nedje Douyon performing music by Finzi, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns, Schubert, Schumann, Wagner, and more. 

The HCC music department has developed a reputation as a first-class comprehensive program that provides opportunities through the academic division and the noncredit Musical Arts Center (MAC) for all ages and abilities to pursue "music for a lifetime."  Growth in enrollment, with an increase of 15% in the credit music program during the last year alone, is primarily attributable to the quality of the HCC music faculty.  Many of the approximately 40-member faculty hold doctoral degrees in music.  In addition to being outstanding teachers, most are accomplished artists that actively perform concerts, master classes, and lecture-recitals in major cities throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe.  The new instructional facilities and performance space of the HCC Horowitz Center will allow the music department to continue to attract outstanding faculty, further expand learning and performing opportunities, and ultimately enrich and entertain the community.

Note:  Faculty Photo and/or individual bios available upon request