The UNLV Chamber Music Society proudly presents the 'Stephen Caplan & Friends: Get on Board!' at 7:30 p.m. on April 17 in the Rando-Grillot Recital Hall of the Beam Music Center. This recital features oboist Stephen Caplan, one of Nevada’s most celebrated classical musicians, who will be retiring after 38 years as professor of music at UNLV.
Tickets are $25 and available at the Performing Arts Center Box Office, online, or by calling 702-895-ARTS (2787). Discounts are available. In addition, all students with a valid Rebel Card may receive one free ticket an hour before this and future Chamber Music Series performances.
Stephen Caplan
My 38-year journey at UNLV has been quite a ride! Friends thought that I was crazy when I told them I was moving to Las Vegas, because in 1987 Sin City was viewed as a cultural wasteland. Even in 1991, when I performed at Carnegie Hall with UNLV’s faculty wind quintet, the positive review from the New York Times proclaimed that the Sierra Winds “discourages the usual image of Las Vegas as purveyor of sin, bad taste and tough basketball.”
Despite what I heard from others, I quickly discovered that Nevada was actually “rich in art,” as the tag line on my license plate now reads. My career has taken surprising turns that have only been possible because I’ve lived here: I’ve tuned a slot machine, grooved alongside the rhythms of a roulette wheel, and performed for an audience of Klingons at the Star Trek Convention!
My journey has coincided with the unprecedented growth of Las Vegas itself, and I’ve been at the center of many cultural milestones for this region. As principal oboist of the Las Vegas Philharmonic since its inception in 1999, I give the tuning A at the beginning of each performance. I’ve also had the distinction of working with acousticians to literally “tune” both The Smith Center and The Sphere. Over the years I’ve played for many different types of audiences and on April 17, I encourage you to “get on board” with me and my fellow musicians for a musical journey reflecting on my past, and looking forward to the future.
Program
- Quartet for Oboe and Strings - W. A. Mozart
- Oblivion - Astor Piazzolla
- Lockdown - Phillip Kent Bimstein
- Sextet - Gordon Jacob
- Get on Board - William Grant Still
Performers
- Stephen Caplan, oboe and English horn
- Alex Dzyubinsky, violin
- Susan Kim, violin
- Hanna Suk, viola
- Andrew Smith, cello
- Tyler Gordon, double bass
- Greg Koenig, guitar
- Katie Leung, piano
- John McMurtery, flute
- Bryan Conger, clarinet
- Chris Castellanos, horn
- Elizabeth Valvano, bassoon
History
The UNLV Chamber Music Society was created in 2012 to fill a void in the chamber music community in Southern Nevada. Until this society was introduced, there were no established chamber music societies in all of Southern Nevada, despite the community of artists and students who could appreciate and benefit from it.
Among the many ensembles who have performed in the six-year history of the society include the Parker String Quartet, the American String Quartet, the Fry Street String Quartet, Boston Brass, Zephyros Winds, Horszowski Trio, and the Dorian Wind Quintet.
Chamber Music Society
Educational outreach is an important feature of our society, and each invited chamber ensemble performs masterclasses and clinics where students work with these talented artists. Students learn the essential techniques of chamber music playing from some of the best musicians in the country. In addition to the invited ensembles, the UNLV Chamber Music Society also showcases local musicians, giving them a world-class stage and an established venue through which they can create and perform. This society is devoted to classical music, executed at the highest level, and delivered to audiences who are unable to attend anything similar at a local venue.
About the UNLV College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
