Purdue concert in Indianapolis to benefit scholarship program
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue Symphony Orchestra and Purdue Musical Organizations will present "On Bourbon Street" at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis to help Indianapolis students enrolled in Purdue's Science Bound project.
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Students from Science Bound, a program that offers opportunities for Indianapolis students to obtain full-tuition scholarships to Purdue, will be guests at the concert, which is funded by various Indianapolis corporations and businesses. In addition to Science Bound, concert proceeds also will help fund music programs at Purdue.
"Byron Stripling, with his jazz background, brings a different twist to this concert than the Broadway fare we've done before," said Jay S. Gephart, conductor of the Purdue Symphony Orchestra and organizer of the concert. “Even though he's not from New Orleans, he embodies the New Orleans mystique and the traditional style of jazz. He's as authentic as you can get."
Stripling was chosen for the lead role in the Broadway musical "Satchmo," which is about the life of legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Stripling serves as artistic director and conductor of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and is a regular soloist with the Boston Pops.
In fall 2005, Stripling was a guest artist with the Purdue Jazz Band. Jazz band director M.T. "Mo" Trout said Stripling nurtures and challenges jazz musicians in concert.
"I'm eager to reignite the chemistry that developed between the Stripling and the Purdue Jazz Band in Indianapolis on the Circle Theatre stage," Trout said. "Now that band members know what Stripling is like and are comfortable with him, they also know what to expect and how high the bar is going to be, and that's good for the band. Purdue's student musicians appreciate those kind of challenges and rise to them really well."
The jazz band will perform "St. James Infirmary" and "Tiger Rag" with Stripling. Purdue Musical Organizations' Heart & Soul group also will join Stripling and the band in "What the World Needs Now" by Burt Bacharach.
Stripling will both play and sing during that number and during the rendition of another Armstrong jazz standard, "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans." He'll also join with the orchestra, under Gephart's direction, for "Sweet Georgia Brown" and a medley of Louis Armstrong tunes, including "Hello Dolly," "Basin Street Blues" and "Mack the Knife."
"Playing jazz stretches the orchestra, especially the string players, because they're learning a new style and have to think differently about their playing," Gephart said.
Purdue's orchestra and a chorus made up of the Purdue Glee Club, the Purduettes and Heart & Soul will present a selection of tunes from Jerome Kern's Broadway musical "Show Boat."
The event's grand finale is a medley of "Amazing Grace" and "America the Beautiful," created by Boston Pops arranger Bill Grimes.
"This arrangement stirs up a lot of positive emotions, delivering a powerful and appropriate climax to the concert," Gephart said.
Tickets are $20, $15 and $10, and can be obtained through the Purdue box offices, (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW.
Science Bound, a program initiated by Purdue President Martin C. Jischke, mentors eighth-grade to 12th-grade Indianapolis Public Schools students and encourages them to take classes in preparation for future careers in science, engineering, technology and math-science education. Upon acceptance, Science Bound students receive an opportunity to earn a full four-year tuition scholarship to Purdue to study in an approved technical field.
Writer: Kathy Matter, (765) Pudue bands public relations director, (765) 496-6785
Sources: Brian Breed, PMO director, (765) 494-3941, bdbreed@purdue.edu
Gwyn Zawisza, PMO contact, (765) 496-0091, gzawisza@purdue.edu
Wes Campbell, Science Bound director, (765) 494- 0018, wesleyl@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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