- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Concert Choir to perform “A Mosaic of American Voices”

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 19:17:40 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Diversity Council will co-sponsor a performance of “A Mosaic of American Voices” by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Concert Choir on Thursday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building. The performance will feature choral works from a diverse range of American composers including Eric Whitacre, Aaron Copland, and Ysaye Barnwell. Dr. Vicki Lind will serve as guest conductor, with piano accompaniment provided by Dr. Naoki Hakutani and Dr. Rolf Groesbeck and percussion from Groesbeck and Stephanie Gimenez. A small reception will follow the performance, which is free and open to the public. For more information, check out the

Music Department to present ‘Halle-boo-jah’ on Halloween

Janea Snyder — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 19:22:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Department of Music will present its annual Halloween-themed concert Halle-boo-jah at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 31, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building. Admission is free and open to the public. Halle-boo-jah will be directed by Dr. Bevan Keating, assistant professor of conducting and choral studies. Performers include members of the Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, vocal student soloists, and faculty members Diane Kesling and Dr. Michael Underwood. Musical selections will include “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel, “A Million Dreams” from “The Greatest Showman,” and classical selections by J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, and René Clausen. Attendees are welcome to wear costumes. For more information, contact the Music Department Office at (501) 569-3294.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock commencement ceremonies set for May 12

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 10 May 2018 15:28:25 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host three Spring 2018 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 12, in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Jack Stephens Center, located at South University Avenue and 28th Street.

An estimated 1,500 students have applied for graduation for spring and summer 2018.

The first ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. for the College of Education and Health Professions and the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology.

A second ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. for students in the College of Arts, Letters and Sciences; College of Business; and the College of Social Sciences and Communication.

The Commencement Brass Ensemble, the Ozark Highlanders Pipe Band, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Concert Choir will perform at both ceremonies.

Commencement for students in the William H. Bowen School of Law will begin at 7 p.m. Of the 105 law students who applied for graduation, approximately 90 will be participating in the ceremony. The Commencement Brass Ensemble will also perform at this ceremony. The Honorable Cody Hiland, the United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, will be the keynote speaker.

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association will host a commencement celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bailey Alumni and Friends for all graduates and their guests.

The Jack Stephens Center will open to guests at 8 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. prior to the daytime ceremonies and at 6 p.m. for the Bowen School of Law commencement. Guests are urged to arrive early to secure parking closest to the Jack Stephens Center.

More information is available on the Commencement website. There’s also an online site for guests, and a site for students participating in the Bowen commencement.

Graduating students should arrive one hour prior to the ceremony. A video for students offers more information.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock commencement set for Dec. 16

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 14:20:26 +0000

More than 1,200 students are expected to graduate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Saturday, Dec. 16. Commencement will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Jack Stephens Center on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. The Jack Stephens Center will open for guests at 8 a.m. Guests are advised to arrive early. Graduating students should arrive at least one hour early and meet in the Derek Fisher Court on the first level of the Jack Stephens Center. The Jack Stephens Center is accessible off 28th Street via Fair Park Boulevard or University Avenue. Guests are encouraged to park in the lots nearest the Jack Stephens Center — Lot 13, Lot 14, and Lot 16. However, all interior campus parking lots will be open during commencement, including the parking deck and Lot 8. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Jeremy Lane, will provide music for the academic processional. Featured music will be provided by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Concert Choir, led by Dr. Bevan Keating. Dr. Kathryn A. King, assistant professor of anthropology and the winner of the 2017 Ted and Virginia Bailey Foundation Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching, will give keynote remarks, followed by the conferring of degrees by Chancellor Andrew Rogerson. Immediately following the ceremony, a commencement celebration for the graduates and their guests will be held at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center with desserts provided by Community Bakery. Rogerson also will host a light breakfast and reception for faculty and staff from 7:30-8:45 a.m. in the Legends Room to celebrate ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees’ contribution to helping students succeed. Special seating will be available for guests with disabilities. For more information, please contact the Disability Resource Center at 501-569-3143.

Keating named artistic director of Wildwood Park for the Arts

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 14:48:01 +0000

Bevan Keating has one goal – to foster local artists from childhood through their professional careers. It’s a goal that Keating, director of conducting and choral studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, spends much of his busy life trying to accomplish. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Keating conducts the Concert Choir, the Chamber Choir, and the Community Chorus. He is also director of music and the arts at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock and founding artistic director for , a multidisciplinary performing arts company supported by Second Presbyterian. To these positions, Keating adds a new role as artistic director of . Keating previously served as artistic director of the Wildwood Academy of Music and the Arts, which he will continue to oversee. He is the park’s third artistic director since its founding in 1991. Over the past 26 years, Wildwood Park has provided a home in west Little Rock for both natural beauty and artistic expression, including 105 acres of trails and botanical gardens and a 625-seat theatre and art gallery. Keating will manage the park’s music and arts education programs, all concerts and events in the Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre, Wildwood’s Art in the Park visual arts exhibitions, and many seasonal festivals. Through the combination of his leadership roles in the arts, Keating is enjoying helping young artists from childhood through new careers. “This is another way to be active in the community and representing the university in a positive way,” he said. “Many of our graduates from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock participate in productions at Wildwood Park for the Arts. It really shows young students what they can do in their future career.” Keating keeps up with his many responsibilities thanks to an immeasurable amount of energy, help from his co-workers and friends, and a love for the arts. “I don’t have jobs,” Keating said. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is not a job; Wildwood is not a job. It’s who I am. When I get up in the morning, I want to do something that I love. So when I get up in the morning, I don’t go to work. I go do something I love.” He is thankful to the many people who help him with his artistic projects. They include Karen Kuralt, graduate coordinator for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Rhetoric and Writing, who serves as communications director for Praeclara and handles social media, web design, and publicity documents for many of the choirs Keating leads. Keating enjoys helping artists from childhood through new careers. “It takes a community to foster and raise the arts in a city like Little Rock,” he said. “Now at Wildwood, I am working the community as a professional. I am helping young performers to gain professional experiences. It’s a great way to connect the community at all levels, and that is the exciting part to me.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock musical groups present “Collage” Jan. 27

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 16:44:20 +0000

A variety of University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Music groups will perform a concert entitled “Collage” on Friday, Jan. 27. Performers include the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, Capital City Percussion Ensemble, and the Pep Band. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts Building. Refreshments will be available at 7 p.m. For more information, contact the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Music at 501.569.3294 or visit ualr.edu/music.

��Vlog��ýLR Concert Choir to perform with Barry Manilow

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 17:50:33 +0000

Music sensation Barry Manilow is the first pop star Karen Kuralt ever saw in concert. Kuralt was 14 years old when Manilow brought his “Paradise Café” tour to the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1984. Since then, she has seen Manilow four times in concert and dreamed of being an audience member selected to sing with him. On April 1, Kuralt’s wish will be fulfilled. ��Vlog��ýLR’s 25-member Concert Choir will sing the final three songs of Manilow’s performance at Verizon Arena, including “I Write the Songs,” “Copacabana,” and “It’s A Miracle.” “Singing with him is a dream come true,” said Kuralt, ��Vlog��ýLR Community Concert president and Concert Choir member. “This is bucket-list material.” Manilow selects a local choir to sing back up during his tour stops. Doug Hallenbeck, choir director of Manilow’s “One Last Time” Tour, contacted the choir at the end of February. “We are thrilled to have the ��Vlog��ýLR Concert Choir joining Mr. Manilow at the Verizon Arena on April 1.” Hallenbeck said. “I am excited that the finely honed vocals of the Concert Choir will join with Mr. Manilow’s impeccable musicality for what is sure to be a memorable evening at the Verizon Arena. The ��Vlog��ýLR Concert Choir’s exquisite singing, combined with Mr. Manilow’s masterful performance, will be sure to please.” The Concert Choir is the flagship ensemble of the ��Vlog��ýLR choral program and is open by competitive audition to ��Vlog��ýLR students, faculty and staff. “It’s really exciting that we get to work with someone who has been in the business for such a long time,” said Concert Choir Director Dr. Bevan Keating, who sees the concert as a great opportunity to show his students how they can have a full-time career in music, dance, and art. “Sometimes, in a university setting, we are trying to figure out if this is actually possible,” he said. “This gentleman and everyone surrounding him, from his music directors to his band players, all have full-time positions in the arts and also make a living doing what they love. I think it is a really good example for our students to see.” Keating also recalled that having the chance to perform with Manilow has a very special meaning for one of his choir members. “Terry Johnson has been in the choir for eight or nine years now,” Keating said. “In 1975, he heard Barry Manilow at the Robinson Center. When he found out he was going to be singing on stage with him, Terry said this has been 40 years in the making. So 40 years ago he heard Barry Manilow sing downtown, and now he gets to sing on stage with him 40 years later. That is twice the age of many of the singers of the choir.” Another Concert Choir member, Mandi Carreiro, a senior interdisciplinary studies major, said Manilow has been a large influence in her life and her musical studies. “I have always admired his music. I grew up listening to Barry Manilow, and that was what we played in our car for months straight,” Carreiro said. “‘Copacabana has an overarching story, and it gave me a new view on what music could be. And his 1974 song ‘Mandy’ is one of his most famous songs. Since my name is Mandi, I get that reference a lot, and I love it.” Tickets are on sale at the, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 800.745.3000 or online at ticketmaster.com. For more information about the ��Vlog��ýLR Concert Choir, contact Keating at 501.569.3499 or btkeating@ualr.edu or Kuralt at 501.569.8334 or kmkuralt@ualr.edu.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Concert Choir to perform “A Mosaic of American Voices”

Music Department to present ‘Halle-boo-jah’ on Halloween

����Vlog��ý Little Rock commencement ceremonies set for May 12

����Vlog��ý Little Rock commencement set for Dec. 16