On behalf of Southwestern Adventist University, it is with immense pleasure and a profound sense of gratitude that I welcome you to A Night at the Meyerson!
Tonight, we gather in this magnificent hall to celebrate the beauty of music through the talents of our university ensembles, high school musicians, and invited guest performers. We are proud to highlight the accomplishments of each young musician on stage as they develop their talents for the Glory of God.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of Southwestern Adventist University and we are proud to continue the legacy defined by our mission of inspiring Knowledge, Faith, and Service through Christ-centered higher education.
It is through the support and generosity of our community that we can continue to provide our students with the opportunity to pursue higher education across many disciplines while participating in the music program at Southwestern Adventist University. Tonight, your contributions will fund music scholarships and enhance the music program providing opportunities for students to develop their skills and perform in a variety of settings.
As you enjoy this evening’s musical journey, I invite you to reflect on the profound impact of education and the enduring legacy we are committed to continuing. What I see tonight is a stage full of potential. Thank you for investing in their future!
Once again, I extend my appreciation to each and every one of you for gracing us with your presence and for your steadfast support. Together, we will continue to write the next chapter in the storied legacy of Southwestern Adventist University. Enjoy the show,
Ana Patterson President
Eldred Marshall
The Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA) hailed his “dazzling technique” and his “clean, tidy approach.” Music critic Laurence Vittes described him as an “illumination in music,” and said of his all-Beethoven recital: “Marshall presented a recital so full of musical thrills and beauties, and so in identification with the composer’s own persona, that, for a few hours, it was as if he were communing across the centuries to conjure up a rare and magical musical spectrum.” The Telegraf Online Constanta (Romania) reported that Marshall “captivated the audience” in Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 20, which he conducted from the piano.
Eldred Marshall began studying the piano at age six and played in public by age seven. His prodigious and inquisitive mind allowed him to master large swaths of the piano repertoire quickly as well as consistently win top prizes at the competitions he entered as a child. By 16, he debuted with orchestra, playing Brahms’s Piano Concerto no. 2 in B-flat Major with the Victor Valley Symphony Orchestra. Before entering into Yale University, where he graduated with honors with a B.A. in Political Science, he had already performed all over the United States.
The critically-acclaimed pianist has performed in Spain, Italy, the Republic of San Marino, Belgium, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, the Ukraine, the People’s Republic of China, and Canada. He has performed the entire cycle of 32 Piano Sonatas of Beethoven in public, from memory, as a concentrated series, twice. Other notable tour projects include all-Bach piano recital programs including the Goldberg Variations, the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, and Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations.
As an orchestral conductor, Marshall has led the Ukrainian State Academic Orchestra (Kiev, Ukraine), the Kharkiv Youth Symphony (Kharkiv, Ukraine), the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra (Pleven, Bulgaria), the Vidin Philharmonic Orchestra (Vidin, Bulgaria), the Filharmonica Oltenia di Craiova (Craiova, Romania), and the Constanta “Black Sea” Philharmonic Orchestra (Constanta, Romania). Additionally, he has led several opera productions, such as Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, as well as Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.
The 2023-2024 Season will feature Marshall making his debuts as a pianist with the East Oregon Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4) and with the National Symphony Orchestra of Teleradio-Moldova as pianist and conductor. He will return to Bulgaria to tour three cities with the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra, doubling as pianist and conductor in May 2024. Further, he will perform another tour of China in the summer of 2024.
Marshall earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance degree from the University of North Texas (UNT) in 2018. Additionally, he earned three Master of Music degrees from Southern Methodist University (SMU): piano (2011), organ (2012) and orchestral conducting (2013). Institutions at which he has taught include Grambling State University, Texas A&M Commerce, UNT, SMU, and North Texas Central College. His doctoral dissertation topic was on the art of conducting piano concerti from the piano – performance practice, discipline and whether or not it is “real conducting.”
Presently, Marshall serves as the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Mansfield Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, he serves as Associate Director of Music at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Rockwall, TX. He is also the Music Director/Conductor of the Music Ministry Conservatory Choir, the founding Artistic Director/Conductor of the Lucas Chorale, and the Organist/Music Director of Grace Fellowship Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lucas, TX.
Esther Naomi Sousa
Saxophonist, Esther Naomi Sousa, is a recent graduate of Southwestern Adventist University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance and a Minor in Biology. Her passion for saxophone began in 5th grade while she attended Keene Adventist Elementary School under the direction of Ms. Zuleica Savignon.
Through Esther’s music journey she has received multiple awards. Her first one being the W.A. Schram Band Award in 8th grade. During her time at Chisholm Trail Academy she was awarded the John Philip Sousa Band Award. After auditioning for the SWAU’s Music Fest Scholarship she was selected as a finalist for two consecutive years. She was also named one of the winners for the Concerto Competition at Southern Adventist University.
Music has always been a part of Esther’s life so naturally she began her professional studies in Music Performance at Southwestern Adventist University. Her studies in saxophone continued with many different talented professors such as Dr. Rudyard Dennis, Dr. Quam Guo, Dr. Scott Campbell and Dr. William Chien. She was eager to expand her knowledge so she also took violin lessons, piano and organ from Professor Rogerio Nunes, Dr. Lerie Dellosa, and Dr. Devon Howard.
She treasures everything she has learned from all the ensembles she has been a part of. Beginning at KAES Band, CTA Band, CTA Orchestra, CTA Honors Choir, SWAU Wind Symphony, SWAU Orchestra, SWAU Saxophone Ensemble, and SWAU University Singers. For the past couple of years she has also been sharing her talent being the organist for the White Bluff Chapel in Whitney, TX.
Although Esther has been surrounded by music most of her life. One of her goals is to obtain a Master of Physician Assistant Degree. In the meantime, she is working as a Medical Assistant in a Pediatrics Office in order to obtain her patient care experience hours.
Esther shows God’s love to anyone that knows her and she truly believes that God has been by her side in every step and aspect of her life. One of her favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plan will succeed.” She hopes that through her music and work she can represent Jesus and be a light to others.
Powell
