EUGENE–Symphonic and operatic works share the spotlight with jazz, percussion and 20th-century music during the five student ensemble concerts scheduled this week at the University of Oregon School of Music, 961 E. 18th Ave.

For more information, call the music school 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 University Symphony, under the direction of Professor Wayne Bennett, will give its final winter concert at 3 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall, 961 E. 18th Ave. Tickets, available at the door, are $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens.

The program highlight is "Double Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra" by Anthony J. Cirone, featuring soloists Charles Dowd and Marty Zyskowski. Friends and professional colleagues for 27 years, this is their first time featured together in a performance.

Dowd graduated from Juilliard and is professor of percussion studies at Oregon as well as principal timpanist with the Eugene Symphony. Zyskowski graduated from the University of Michigan and is professor of percussion studies at Eastern Washington State University as well as principal timpanist with the Spokane Symphony.

Also on the program is "Symphony No. 35" by Mozart and "Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite III" by Respighi. Melody Ragsdale, a graduate student in conducting, will conduct the Respighi piece.

The Oregon Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Professor Charles Dowd, will give a concert of contemporary percussion music titled "Explosion 2001!" The performance is at 8 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall. Tickets, available at the door, are $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens.

Highlights include Rosauro’s "Marimba Concerto," featuring soloist Tracy Freeze; "Velocities" by Joseph Schwantner, featuring marimba soloist W. Sean Wagoner; "Six Marimbas" by Steve Reich; and "La Noche de los Mayas" (The Night of the Mayas) by Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, for 15 percussionists.

The Oregon Percussion Ensemble, one of the premier contemporary ensembles on the West Coast, is celebrating its 28th season, specializing in the performance of modern classical percussion music. The ensemble has been broadcast worldwide by WGBH Boston, and in 1996 was nominated for the Laurel Leaf Award by the American Composers Alliance.

The Oregon Opera Ensemble, under the direction of Mark Kaczmarczyk, will perform scenes, arias and duets from famous operas at 8 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall. Tickets, available at the door, are $5 general admission and $3 for students and seniors.

Graduate and undergraduate voice students will perform the opening quintet from Mozart’s "The Magic Flute," the Flower Duet from Delibes’ "Lakme," French duets by Donizetti and Act II from Handel’s "Semele" (updated as a comedic satire of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal).

The singers also will perform material from two American composers–the opening scene from Samuel Barber’s "Vanessa" and the Tony-Maria duet from Leonard Bernstein’s "West Side Story."

The Hundredth Monkey Ensemble will perform contemporary music selections in a concert at 8 p.m. in Beall Hall. Admission is free.

The Hundredth Monkey Ensemble is a student-run ensemble dedicated to performing adventurous repertoire from the 20th century. Members of the ensemble are graduate students who double as performers and composers.

The School of Music’s jazz studies program will present the award-winning Oregon Jazz Ensemble and its two Jazz Lab Bands, performing at 8 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall. Tickets are $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens.

Selections on the program include "Swee’ Pea" by Bill Holman, "Let’s Do It" by Cole Porter, "Dance You Monster to My Soft Song" by Maria Schneider, "Celebration Jig" by Bob Brookmeyer, "Games" by Steve Coleman and "The Man With the Umbrellas" by Lars Jansson.

Director of the Oregon Jazz Ensemble is Steve Owen. Jazz Lab Bands II and III are directed by graduate students Ed Orgill and Bryce Peltier.

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