The Simply Music program at Denison University, designed to help parents engage children in the art, variety and joy of classical music, will host the Capital Suzuki Tour Group for a concert and brief slide show. The concert and slide show will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday (Jan. 21) in Denison's Burke Recital Hall.

Following the concert, there will be a pizza lunch with members of the Tour Group. If you wish to stay and eat, please call Mary Hawkins, co-director of the Denison University Suzuki Program, at 740-587-5609 or e-mail her at hawkinsm@denison.edu by Jan. 17 to reserve a space. A $2 donation is requested which will benefit the Greater New Orleans Suzuki Forum. No fee or reservation is required for attendance at the programs without lunch.

Douglas Locke and Susan Locke, instructors at the Capital University Conservatory of Music and Community Music School, established the Capital Suzuki Tour Group, comprised of 22 violinists aged 11 to 18, in 1995. Designed to provide high quality performing experiences for advanced Suzuki violin students, the group has toured and performed throughout the United States. The students have performed four times in the Columbus Symphony Orchestra's "Young Musicians Showcase" and played at the 2001 Ohio Music Educators Association Professional Conference. They have produced four compact disc recordings.

In 2001, the ensemble also toured the Baltic country of Estonia and in 2005 they traveled to China for a 10-day concert tour and cultural exchange. The slides will show their travels in Beijing, XinXiang and Xian, China. The group's most memorable concerts include one on the Great Wall of China and another performed outdoors at a XinXiang school before an audience of 2,000. In 2007, they plan to tour Italy.

Simply Music is underwritten in part by the Denison University Vail Series. It presents programs designed to make classical music an important and natural part of children's lives. This is the fifth program in the series. As part of the Saturday program, parents are invited to arrive early and observe the Suzuki method of music instruction for students of all ages and abilities. The Denison Suzuki program group lessons (piano, violin and cello) are from 9:45 to 11 a.m. in Burke Hall.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575