James Richards, interim dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at UMSL, is one of several guest faculty members that will work with area students during the Des Lee High School Music Festival. (Photo by August Jennewein)
Hundreds of area high schoolers will get a taste of performance life during the annual Des Lee High School Music Festival at the University of Missouri–St. Louis on Feb. 14.
Nearly 400 students from 16 school districts will take part in clinics and rehearsals with music faculty members at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. The-all day festival will end with an evening performance by the festival choir, orchestra and concert band in the Touhill’s Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall. The show will start at 6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
UMSL music faculty members Jim Henry, James Richards, Gary Brandes and Robert Nordman, will serve as guest conductors for the performances.
Missouri school districts represented during the concert will include St. Louis, the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Ferguson-Florissant, Hazelwood, Jennings, Lindbergh, Normandy, Orchard Farm, Ritenour, Riverview Gardens, St. Charles, University City and Wright City.
The Touhill is on UMSL’s North Campus, 1 University Blvd. in St. Louis. The concert is sponsored by the Department of Music at UMSL and the Des Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative. Visit desleefinearts.org or call 314-516-5980 for more information.
