SMO children’s concert features ‘The Musical Forest’

The Southwest Minnesota Orchestra’s annual children’s concert is entitled “The Adventures of Squiggles T. Buglet in The Musical Forest” and will be held twice on Tuesday, April 10.

The concert will be shown to third- and fourth-graders in southwest Minnesota at both 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Schwan Community Center for the Performing Arts.

The concert features story, music and art by Dr. Christopher Kaufman, “one of my absolute oldest, dearest friends,” said Dr. Daniel Rieppel, director of the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra. “He’s a freelance composer in New York City. I met him the same week I met my (late) wife (Julieta Alvarado), in Cleveland, Ohio. He does a lot of these children’s concerts with his daughter, Sofia. He has a way of teaching music to young people in a way that’s very approachable.”

Also featured will be Jared Campbell, a Paynesville High School senior who won this year’s Student Concerto Competition.

The 10 a.m. concert is sold out, said Rieppel. There are some tickets remaining for the 1 p.m. concert. Tickets are $1 for children and their chaperones, and $12 for adults.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

SMSU African Night April 13

“African Night: A Night in Our Roots” will be held at Southwest Minnesota State University on Friday, April 13 from 6:30-10 p.m. in the SMSU Conference Center Upper Level.

This celebration of African culture is presented by the SMSU Black Student Union and African Student Association. Music, food, surprise performances, a fashion show and more will be included in the evening.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted for the Boundless Project.

African Night is sponsored by the Access, Opportunity, Success/Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Residence Life, International Student Organization and Office of Civic Engagement.

For more information and to RSVP, contact adeyemi.adelakun@smsu.edu or samuel.wreh@smsu.edu.

SMSU/Community Concert Band performs April 19

The SMSU/Community Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Chris Waage, will perform “Song & Dance” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 19, in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre.

The concert is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact the SMSU Music Program at 507-537-7103.