Members of the UTRGV Wind Symphony perform “Rio Grande” by Michael Daugherty on April 4 in the TSC Arts Center. The piece was commissioned by the University of North Texas and a consortium consisting of five symphonies or bands and 15 universities from across the world, including UT Rio Grande Valley, according to the event’s program.
Nubia Reyna
THE RIDER
For more than 30 years, Patron of the Arts has entertained Rio Grande Valley residents with its artistic programs. This upcoming year is no exception.
UTRGV Patron of the Arts will host more than 45 concerts on both the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses for the 2016-2017 school year. The season will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12 with a performance by soprano Yuri Saenz and pianist Shoko Kinsella at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex Auditorium in Edinburg.
“We see our music as an inspiration to the students,” said Dahlia Guerra, assistant vice president for Public Art and Special Projects. “We hope they come and take advantage of this great opportunity. Patron of the Arts provides the community and UTRGV students with opportunities for enrichment and inspiration by experiencing a wide variety of live performances by professional guest musicians and our own outstanding faculty and students.”
The program offers a great variety of musical events, including mariachi, piano, choir and opera.
Pianist and Lecturer Dino Mulic, a native of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, who will perform a solo on Sept. 16 on the Brownsville campus, said besides being a pianist, being an educator is the most humane and exciting job.
“I get inspired by seeing the progress of my students,” Mulic said. “It is an exciting opportunity for me, being able to play there [Brownsville campus]. … I expect people to come and enjoy.”
Everyone in his mother’s side of the family played piano, introducing him to music at an early age. He has been interested in learning as much as possible since then. Mulic has performed in Austria, Canada, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Herzegovina and the United States.
Faculty and guest artists are not the only ones that show their talent in Patron of the Arts performances. Students also play a big part in these programs.
Alondra Gonzalez, a vocal major, said these events are an amazing experience, not only for performers, but also for the public.
“It is a really amazing experience as a musician,” Gonzalez said. “You get to perform what you have learned. It is also exciting to see someone else perform, especially when you’ve seen how hard they worked.”
Gonzalez has been interested in the arts since she was little, but seeing her professors and classmates working hard inspires her more.
“It makes you not want to stay behind them,” she said. “It is really fun to attend.”
Tickets are available on the Patron of the Arts Web page (patron.utrgv.edu) and in person at the concert hall. Season tickets are $75 single, $125 duo, $200 family and $20 for students.
