UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Audiences return each year during the holiday season to experience a thrilling, fast-paced adventure when the Penn State School of Music presents its showcase concert “Mosaic” at Eisenhower Auditorium. This year’s installment will be performed at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. A dynamic performance brimming with surprises, “Mosaic” will feature an array of bands, choirs, orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists situated throughout the venue.
“‘Mosaic’ is by far the highlight of my year due to its unpredictable nature,” said Joseph Helinski, a School of Music student. “From beginning to end, the audience never knows what to expect. What the audience can anticipate is that the music performed during “Mosaic,” however it may be woven together, will be done with detail, professionalism and nuance at an extremely high level. It’s the most thrilling concert of the year.”
Large bands and orchestras give way to individuals. Jazz follows 17th-century masterworks. Voices resound from the grand tier and balcony. One performance merges into the next, all in a rich mosaic of sonic color.
“I am thrilled yet sad to be performing in my final ‘Mosaic’ concert as a senior at Penn State,” said Jennifer Antle, a student in human development and family studies making her fourth appearance. “The extraordinary talent of the performers, and the level of suspense as each piece transitions from one to the next, always makes this concert such an exciting experience for the performers, as well as the audience.”
Like many School of Music concerts, “Mosaic” is presented at Eisenhower with the help of Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State staff members.
“‘Mosaic’ is definitely my favorite recurring event of the year,” said Tom Hesketh, the Center for the Performing Arts events manager who will be working for the eighth time on the multifaceted production.
“Putting performers in unexpected and nontraditional locations pushes the boundaries of the building and redefines the concept of performance space,” he said. “There’s a lot of thinking outside the box involved, which is a wonderful and fun challenge for me. Adding in the opportunity to work with the School of Music faculty and the highly talented students they instruct — well, it’s an incredibly inspiring experience. I really look forward to it every year.”
“We call ‘Mosaic’ a School of Music showcase, and for good reason,” said Barbara Korner, dean of the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture. “It's a one-stop-shop to experience many different ensembles and soloists from the school, all extremely talented with stage presence to boot. This School of Music tradition has surprises at every turn, and is not to be missed.”
For tickets or more information.
Find the Center for the Performing Arts on Facebook, on Twitter and on Instagram.