Professional concerts at affordable prices: MSU's College of Music offers over 100

Ken Glickman
·2 min read

For classical music lovers, the Lansing area is filled with good news and better news.

The good news is there is a wide variety of choices for your listening pleasure, including Absolute Music Chamber Series, Wharton Center, Lansing Symphony (which includes a chamber series, masterworks and pops) and MSU College of Music.

The better news is the cost to attend most of these concerts is very reasonable. World class musicians – many performing in intimate settings – at affordable prices? Yes, please.

The best example of this is the Michigan State University College of Music. There is a veritable avalanche of professional concerts – a whopping 126 in all. Check them out at music.msu.edu.

The Billman Music Pavilion on Michigan State University's campus.
The Billman Music Pavilion on Michigan State University's campus.

Ticket prices are: $12 for general admission, and $17 and $22 for special admission and reserved seating. Seniors and students are even cheaper.

Two of the major ensembles will be performing at Wharton Center’s Great Hall at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and 8 p.m. Sept. 30.

On Thursday, the Wind Symphony with Kevin Sedatole conducting will feature new faculty member and oboe soloist Nermis Mieses.

Friday will highlight the Symphony Orchestra with conductor Octavio Mas-Arocas.  It will be performing a masterpiece by Gustav Mahler, the Symphony No. 1 – the Titan.

Over the past several years, all of College of Music’s concert venues have been either rebuilt or newly designed from scratch.

Aside from the largest ensembles, which perform at Wharton Center, musicians present their concerts in the Fairchild Theatre (400 seats), Cook Recital Hall (190 seats) Murray Hall inside the new Billman Music Pavilion (120 seats), Hollander Hall (91 seats) and the Alumni Memorial Chapel which features the brand new Red Cedar Pipe Organ (160 seats).

Because ticket prices are low and the concerts are plentiful, patrons will be able to expose themselves to music they may be unfamiliar with.

You can check out tuba ensembles, bassoon recitals, baroque instrument concerts, jazz trombone and much more.

If you are still reluctant to go into concerts because of COVID, some of the larger concerts will be livestreamed.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU College of Music offers over 100 professional concerts