University Concert Series has offered medley of music for 100 years

COLUMBIA — On Feb. 21, 1908, the pianist Vladimir de Pachmann performed at University Auditorium, inaugurating what would later be known as the University Concert Series.

John Bailey, the program director at KBIA/91.3 FM, said Pachmann was renowned for his masterful interpretations of Chopin’s work and was notorious for his stage demeanor, which involved frequent gesturing, muttering and talking directly to the audience during his performances.

“In the concert series history, there has always been a common thread, which is bringing top caliber artists to Columbia,” Bailey said.

For 100 years, the concert series has contributed to the cultural life of Columbia. It has provided big-name performers such as Bill Cosby in 1999 and Bob Dylan in 2004. The concert series has provided not only concerts and comedians, but also plays as varied as “Peter Pan” and “The Producers.”

For its 2007-2008 centennial season, the concert series has already brought the community the comedian George Carlin, and on March 9, the concert series will be bringing back the famous violinist Itzhak Perlman.

Kimberly Mouser, assistant director of KBIA and the University Concert Series, says the concert series really wanted to celebrate its centennial season.

“We booked names that we can probably never offer again in the same year,” Mouser said.

The University Concert Series is not the only organization that has provided Columbia with quality performances. The Missouri Theatre has been an asset to Columbia’s culture since its opening in 1928. In recent years it has been home to the Missouri Symphony Orchestra and the artistic home to a variety of organizations, including the Columbia Arts League and the Columbia Civic Orchestra. The theater produces the Plowman Chamber Music Competition, which is the fourth largest chamber music competition in the nation. Last July, Art Garfunkel and the Missouri Symphony performed in the theater’s final concert before it closed for renovation. David White, executive director of the Missouri Theatre, said the theater’s goal is to be up and running in May. Although White could not disclose any events that the theater will host after it reopens, he did say that the theater will remain dedicated to being a center for Columbia’s performing arts.

“The Missouri Theatre has always been Columbia’s living room, a place where the community has the opportunity to gather and share the experience of a large stage show,” White said.

Now the University Concert Series and Missouri Theatre give the residents of mid-Missouri frequent performances, quite a change from 1908 when Pachmann was the only performer in the concert series. The most recent 2007-2008 season featured 40 artists.

Mike Dunn, general manager of KBIA and the University Concert Series, said the growth has been necessary for its survival because audiences for classical performances are not big enough to make the concert series work financially. When Dunn took over in 1992, the concert series had only 12 events that were primarily classical music. The concert series then began gradually increasing the variety and number of events. Dunn said the changes that have occurred in the concert series are similar to what is happening in other concert series.

“The University Concert Series started out promoting serious or educational music,” Dunn said. “Many other universities started out the same way, but many have also changed for their own reasons.”

The schedule has not been the only change. Its staff merged with the KBIA radio station. Kimberly Mouser said the relationship has been good for both parties.

“KBIA provides the University Concert Series with advertising, while the University Concert Series provides tickets for the KBIA fund drives,” Mouser said.

Despite the changes, Dunn said the focus has always been on the community. The Missoula Children’s Theatre, which will perform the last event of the season, provides significant outreach every year. Auditions are held for actors ages 8 to 18 on the Sunday before the performance, and rehearsals are held every night during the week prior to the show. The participants run everything, including the lights.

“Most people don’t know about the community outreach that we do,” Dunn said.

In January, the concert series took the violinist Nicola Benedetti to Ellis Library, where she gave a free mini-performance. In December, it took the cast of “A Christmas Carol” to Children’s Hospital, and the actors sang Christmas carols to the patients and workers while in full costume. Also in December, the concert series took the 5 Browns, a family group that plays the piano, to Blue Ridge Elementary School, where the artists interacted with the kids, played songs and answered questions.

“We try to do something with all of our artists and end up having about 40 to 50 percent of the artists willing to do something out in the community,” Mouser said.

The concert series’ focus on community and diversity has resulted in performances ranging from the smooth sound of Kenny G’s saxophone to the wild on-stage antics of the Blue Man Group. Mouser said the diversity in shows provides something for everyone.

“You are not going to like every event this season, but you are going to be hard-pressed not to like at least one,” Mouser said.