THIBODAUX – The Nicholls State University Camerata, a student string ensemble, will share the stage with a student orchestra from Great Britain’s University of Chichester for two performances in late March and early April.
Free and open to the public, the concerts will commemorate two Nicholls milestones – the official naming of the Mary M. Danos Theater (currently Talbot Theater) and the addition of a new Steinway piano to the Nicholls Department of Music, an All-Steinway program.
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, March 30, at Sacred Heart Church in Cut Off, La. – and at 8 p.m. Monday, April 2, in Talbot Theater on campus.
“The dedication of this theater is both a solemn and exciting event because Mary was such a gracious woman who made a difference in the lives of everyone connected with Nicholls,” Dr. David Boudreaux, vice president for institutional advancement, said. “She and her husband Al have been incredibly generous, endowing multiple professorships and scholarships. We are especially gratified that the upcoming joint performances will feature a piece written by Crispin Ward, the visiting orchestra’s conductor, honoring the theater’s late namesake. Mr. Ward named his piece ‘Grand Mary’ – a fitting title, indeed.”
Boudreaux said he expects the performances to be “win-win events for everyone, because students from both sides of the Atlantic will be able to learn from each other, enrich each other and entertain the people of the Bayou Region, all at the same time.”
For additional information about the Department of Music, go to www.nicholls.edu/perform.