Ref. 3008

Dr. Elizabeth Allison

The North Iowa Concert Band, under the direction of John Klemas, will present a Spring Concert on Tuesday, April 7th at 7:30 PM in the North Iowa Community Auditorium on the North Iowa Area Community College campus.

The program will feature performances by piano soloist, Dr. Elizabeth Allison and the Northstars Woodwind Quintet.  The woodwind quintet musicians are Laura Paarmann, Flute; Kimber Kleven, Oboe; Jill Dempster, Clarinet; Laurie Hoeppner, Bassoon and Donald Lomen, Horn. 

The concert will include music by such well-known composers such as Gustav Holst, George Gershwin and John Philip Sousa. 

Originally from Minneapolis, Dr. Elizabeth Allison is a newer resident of Mason City.  She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Kent State University where she received a full tuition scholarship.  She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Music degree from the University of Iowa where she was given a graduate teaching assistantship, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano from the University of Kansas, where she was awarded a doctoral fellowship.

Dr. Allison is an experienced soloist and collaborative pianist with interests in a wide range of piano repertoire. She developed a strong love of chamber music as an undergraduate student and had a professional piano trio for three years. Her interest in French piano music developed while studying that repertoire in Paris during the summer of 1996. She has also studied piano at Middlesex University outside of London, England and art song repertoire in Salzburg, Austria. During her doctoral degree program, she ventured into the avant-garde with the works of George Crumb.

Dr. Allison also has a strong commitment to promoting the love of music through piano instruction.  She taught piano as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa, and has been a music faculty member at Grinnell College, Graceland University, Wartburg College and North Iowa Area Community College. She also has a private studio in Mason City. She performed with the North Iowa Symphony in the fall of 2007 as soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, and she is excited to debut with the North Iowa Concert Band in Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm Variations.

The program will include:
• M. M. B. C. March by George Rosenkrans

• Mountain Prayers by Timothy Mahr

• Finale from the Sextet for piano and wind instruments by Francis Poulenc
featuring Dr. Elizabeth Allison, Piano with the Northstars Woodwind Quintet :
Laura Paarmann, Flute
Kimber Kleven, Oboe
Jill Dempster, Clarinet
Laurie Hoeppner, Bassoon
Donald Lomen, Horn

• First Suite in E Flat by Gustav Holst   I. Chaconne   II. Intermezzo   III. March

• I Got Rhythm   (Variations for Piano and Orchestra) by George Gershwin and transcribed by Douglas McLain featuring Dr. Elizabeth Allison, Piano

• The Gliding Girl by John Philip Sousa, edited by Loras John Schissel

Members of the North Iowa Concert Band represent communities from all over North Iowa including the towns of Britt, Charles City, Clear Lake, Floyd, Forest City, Garner, Greene, Hampton, Kanawha, Lake Mills, Manly, Mason City, Nora Springs, Osage, Rockford, Rockwell and St. Ansgar.  Members include:

Britt: Janel Harms

Charles City: Kate Campbell, Mike Jones and Laura Paarmann

Clear Lake: Brian Bendickson, Barb Halbach, Don Lomen, Jess Morton, Donald Thompson and Richard Winga

Floyd: Eleanor Waid

Forest City: Alicia Klett

Garner: Nathan Boehnke , Chelsea Duregger and Chris White

Greene: Ann Stark

Hampton: Amy Holmgaard, Becky Palmer, Brian Stevens and Brett Ubben

Kanawha: Katelyn Trickel

Lake Mills: Caryl Dahn, Franklin Dahn, Rebecca Dahn and Kurt Kissinger

Manly: Amy O’Connell

Mason City: Aaron Anderson, Harvey Baker, Marissa Barnes, Chris Bell, Angela Bernier, Bev Brahm, Chad Brunsvold, Jason Carberry, Chuck Cooper, Jill Dempster, Darrell Fisher, Jessica Flaherty, Josh Foster, Jessica Haag, Laurel Hain, Joyce Hanes, Paul Hanson, Jessica Healey, Robb Holtz, Gary Howell, Marques Huesman, Jake Humburg, Abby Ingersoll, Liz Kiscaden, Dennis Klemas, Kimber Kleven, Dave Kovarna, Susan Kovarna, David Kropman, Carol Meyer, Brigitte Nystrom, Reed Peterson, Louise Ruschoff, Kellie Schultz, Kevin Schultz, Paula Schultz, John Sjolinder, Sally Slocum, Donna Smith, E. Howard Sonksen, Holly Stone, Jil Tell, Jessica Tustin, Dave Underwood, Steve VandenBerg, Harvey VonWald and Shavonda Whitmire

Nora Springs: Scott Birkedal and Bernie Bjorkland

Osage: Laurie Hoeppner

Rockford: Mary Brinkman, Tucker Brinkman, John Johannsen, Derek Johnson, and Sandra Willman

Rockwell: Jordan Lillibridge  and Chris Watt

St. Ansgar: Reid Clagett.

Tickets for the performance are $3 for adults and can be obtained at the NIACC Business Office (641) 422-4188.  Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the concert.  All students will receive free admission.  There will be a reception in the Muse-Norris Conference Center following the concert.

#####