TAMIU Music Majors Perform at International Saxophone Symposium
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) music students recently performed at the 43rd International Saxophone Symposium at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.
Members of the TAMIU Saxophone Studio delivered two distinct performances at the international music Symposium. Students performed under the direction of Dr. Sarah V. Hetrick, TAMIU assistant professor of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences’ department of Fine and Performing Arts.
The first recital included the talents of the Gente Saxophone Quartet, which includes undergraduate music students Gustavo Olguín, soprano saxophone and Music Education major; Diego Domínguez, alto saxophone and Music Performance major; Christian Mendoza, tenor saxophone and Music Education major, and Arturo Alvarez, baritone saxophone and Music Education major.
The quartet performed “Introduction et Variations sur une Ronde Populaire” by composer Gabriel Pierne and “Inkling” by composer Roshanne Etezady.
A second performance included members of the saxophone quartet and music students Rosemarie Cruz, alto saxophone and Music Education major; Johnathan Guardiola, alto saxophone and Music Education major, and Brisa Chavez, alto saxophone and Music minor.
The saxophone ensemble and Hetrick performed the improvisatory graphic score “From the Other Place” by composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, who has composed music for films and television shows like Joker, TÁR, and Chernobyl.
The performances at the international Symposium were made possible after student and faculty-crafted proposals were submitted to the Symposium’s programming committee, Dr. Hetrick explained.
“We were all very excited to perform, as this is the first time that TAMIU has been represented at this international Symposium,” said Hetrick, “The students rehearsed throughout the winter break to be prepared for these performances. The performances were both well received and attended, and we look forward to applying and performing again in the future.”
For Alvarez, performing at an international showcase was an unforgettable experience.
“I had the opportunity to share the stage with my peers and professor, who I admire very much. Being at TAMIU is a key factor in how I was able to harness and improve […] my abilities as a saxophonist. With the help of our one-and-only department chair, Dr. James Moyer, and our wonderful dean Dr. Claudia San Miguel, we were able to have an experience of a lifetime. Hopefully, it will not be our last,” said Alvarez, “A big thank you to them and our saxophone professor Dr. Sarah Hetrick for always supporting and guiding us on our musical journey.”
Dr. Moyer, chair of the department of Fine and Performing Arts and associate professor of Music, noted the significance of this achievement and how these opportunities underscore the talents of the University’s students and faculty.
“For TAMIU to have the exposure of a performance invitation at an international Symposium and convention is a tremendous opportunity for our students and faculty to gain recognition outside of Laredo and the South Texas region,” said Moyer, “Very few student groups are selected through the process in the large music events. We feel our students are competitive at programs two-to-three times our size, and the quality of our faculty enables them to excel to this level.”
Currently, TAMIU offers a Bachelor of Music Education and a Bachelor of Music in Performance. Students can also pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Double Major. A Music minor is also available.
For more information on the degrees available through the University’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts, visit https://go.tamiu.edu/fpa.
A full list of upcoming performances and events at the University’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts is available at go.tamiu.edu/fpaevents.
For more event information, contact the University’s department of Fine and Performing Arts Events Hotline at 956.326.3044 for recorded information, or visit offices in the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts, room 217.
Pictured, from left-right are Dr. Sarah Hetrick, Arturo Alvarez, Diego Dominguez, Gustavo Olguin, Christian Mendoza.