Greencastle Summer Music Festival to conclude Thursday

The Greencastle Summer Music Festival concludes its 10th season this Thursday (not Wednesday) at 7:30 p.m. with "Stars of the DePauw School of Music" performances from some of the top music students at the DePauw University School of Music.

Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church will be filled with the sounds of vocal masterworks, contemporary brass pieces and singing woodwind melodies as the festival concludes and DePauw's season of great music begins.

Admission is free. The festival is supported by donations from individuals, businesses including the Inn at DePauw and Old National Bank, the DePauw School of Music and an endowment at the Putnam County Community Foundation.

This week's concert has been moved to Thursday because the School of Music faculty will be at an offsite retreat on Wednesday.

"We all want to hear this extraordinary concert," says Eric Edberg, a DePauw cello professor and the festival's founder. "We have some of the top student performers in the country and this is going to be a fantastic program."

Befitting a season that has brought artists from all over the United States performing works ranging from Bach, to Beethoven and Boulez with folk and jazz thrown into the mix, this is a "shuffle concert" of sorts, bringing together music of different genres and time periods.

Student performers include vocalists Anna Gatdula, Yazid Grey, Dana Hart and Julie Strauser, hornist David Acton, clarinetist Dan Hickey, oboist Kate King and pianist Rachel Robin. John Clodfelter of the School of Music faculty will accompany the vocalists and instrumentalists.

They will perform music by composers from Mozart to Donizetti to Gershwin and Kern.

"As this season comes to a close, we remember what a wonderful 10 seasons it has been thus far, and look forward to many more," Edberg said. "All of this is comes about thanks to the generosity of time, talent and treasure that the Greencastle community pours forth each summer to make this special series such a success. The strength of this series is but a reflection of the strength and generosity of the community.

"The festival staff thanks everyone who came, who donated, who spread the word, and who gave of themselves to make this happen. We look forward with eagerness to the summer of 2015, and another summer of 'Friends making Music

for Friends.'"