EUGENE–Contemporary gospel hits, works for brass quintet, south Indian classical music by prodigy Ravikiran, jazz standards and a selection of new music composed and performed by graduate student musicians will be showcased in the five concerts scheduled this week at the University of Oregon School of Music.

For more information, call the UO School of Music, 961 E. 18th Ave., weekdays at (541)
346-5678. To confirm concert times and ticket information, call GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 485-2000, ext. 2533, for a 24-hours-a-day taped message of the week’s events.

The Oregon Brass Quintet will give a Faculty Artist Series recital at 8 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall, 961 E. 18th Ave. Tickets, available at the door, are $7 general admission and $4 for students and senior citizens.

Selections on the program will include "Music for Brass Instruments" by Ingolf Dahl, "Four Outings for Brass" by Andre Previn, "Pavane" by Gabriel Faure and "Four Spanish Renaissance Dances" arranged by Karl Hinterbichler.

Members of the Oregon Brass Quintet are Associate Professor George Recker and Adjunct Instructor Steve Dunn, trumpets; Associate Professor Ellen Campbell, horn; Professor Jeffrey Williams, trombone; and Graduate Teaching Fellow Andrew Gamet, tuba.

The University Gospel Ensemble, under the direction of Cedric Weary, will celebrate Black History Month with a concert at 8 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall. Tickets, available at the door, are $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens.

The program will include "God Can" and "Saints Let’s Dance" by Hezekiah Walker; "That’s the Way I Love You" by Greg O’Quinn; "I Am Determined" by Lawrence Matthews; "I’m So Grateful" and "Blessed Assurance" by Cedric Weary; and other contemporary gospel hits.

The concert also will introduce the Gospel Ensemble Singers and several other small ensembles from within the larger choir, performing various gospel styles.

The Gospel Ensemble is accompanied by an instrumental combo consisting of keyboardists Devon Saunders, Alex Cooper and Scott Rubey; guitarist Ehren Ebbage; bassist Paul Hemphill; and drummer Ronny LaGrone.

The acclaimed South Indian prodigy Ravikiran will perform Classical Music of South India at the School of Music’s World Music Series at 8 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall. Tickets, available at the door, are $10 general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens.

Ravikiran will play the chitravina, a 21-stringed fretless South Indian lute. His accompaniests include Kalpana Venkat on violin, Poovalur Srinivasan on the mridangam (double-headed drum) and T.H. Subaschandran on the ghatam (clay pot) and the konnakkol (vocal percussion).

At the age of two and one-half, Ravikiran stunned musical experts in Madras, India, by identifying more than 325 ragas (melodic scales) and 175 talas (rhythmic patterns). He also answered a series of complex and technical questions on various aspects of Carnatic (South Indian classical) music, and in the process, made headlines all over the world.

Faced with such unbelievable precociousness, Ravi Shankar once said, "If you don’t believe in God, just look at Ravikiran." About Ravikiran today, Mark Humphreys (Folk Roots, London) wrote: "To meet a prodigy grown into a balanced mature musician still child-like in his enthusiasm is to meet Ravikiran."

Portland guitarist Dan Faehnle, drummer Tim Rap and UO faculty keyboardist Gary Versace will be the featured artists along with UO student jazz combos at "The Jazz Café," beginning at 8 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge at Gerlinger Hall, 1468 University St. Tickets, available at the door, are $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens. Light food and beverages will be available for purchase during the evening.

Faehnle and Rap are both professional freelance musicians and rising stars in the Northwest jazz scene. Versace is assistant director of jazz studies at the UO School of Music and performs frequently in the Portland area.

The Jazz Café is co-sponsored by the EMU Cultural Forum.

The Hundredth Monkey Ensemble will perform original selections by graduate student composers at the School of Music. Concert time is 8 p.m. in Beall Hall, and admission is free.

The composers, who are also members of the ensemble, are Daniel Heila, flute; Kurt Doles, clarinets; Alex Kelly, cello; Elyzabeth Meade, vocals and violin; Lily Barmor, piano and vocals; Jeffrey Radcliffe, horn; and Tracy Freeze, percussion.

The musicians formed the Hundredth Monkey Ensemble in 1998 as a vehicle to try out new music created by members of the group. The styles of music range from accessible to highly adventurous.

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