Sam Gowen to present Music of the Night horn recital

BROOKINGS The South Dakota State University School of Performing Arts presents Sam Gowen in Music of the Night, a recital for horn, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Centers Founders Recital Hall.

Gowen is the academic adviser, scholarship coordinator and horn instructor for the school.

The program will be presented in three scenes:

• Scene 1: Sunset into Twilight
• Scene 2: Dreamscapes
• Scene 3: Awaken with the Dawn

Each scene will contain multiple pieces of repertoire and will be linked together with a mosaic of lighting and sound transitions.

The pieces in Scene 1 are designed to emulate the feeling of both excitement and relaxation that can be felt during a breathtaking prairie sunset followed by the tranquility of peacefully drifting into slumber.

The repertoire presented in Scene 2 explores vastly different musical styles that may seem mysterious or strange in the moment, as many dreams can appear on the surface. A piece from Tyler Ogilvie opens Scene 2, utilizing a horn echo effect and amplification, followed by Olivier Messiaens Appel Interstellaire (Interstellar Call) for solo horn and a selected movement from the Bruce Stark work Suite for Horn, Trombone and Piano.

Scene 3 opens with a James Naigus work, Remembrance from Visions, which recalls the last motif presented in the opening work from Scene 1, Visions, also by Naigus. The recital closes with selected movements from Bruce Starks Suite for Horn, Trombone and Piano, which mirrors the glory and elation of a picturesque sunrise.

Gowen, who joined the SDSU staff in 2023, will collaborate with Corey Shelsta, professor of theater at SDSU, to realize a creative vision of sound and visuals and create a wholly immersive audience experience. Gowen will also collaborate with Bradley Snyder, SDSUs instructor of low brass, and Xuan Kuang, SDSUs artistic collaborator and instructor of group piano.

The recital is free, and the public is invited to attend. For more information, contact the SDSU School of Performing Arts at 605-688-5187.