Impacting Students Through Music
KEENE, TEX. – Southwestern Adventist University’s (SWAU) 29th annual A Night at the Meyerson concert was hosted on Feb. 27, 2022, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas, Tex. This performance was the culmination of the Southwestern Music Festival, which took place during the weekend and welcomed over 100 high school students from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and Massachusetts.
The objective of the night’s event was to advance musical accomplishment among young musicians and raise funds for music scholarships.
Devon Howard, Southwestern Adventist University’s chair of the Department of Music, described the effort that took place to make the night of grandeur come to life. “Preparation for the Meyerson concert is a year-round process for all involved,” Howard shared. “Faculty work months in advance to line up musicians and repertoire each year. Then, all participants spend countless hours learning, preparing and perfecting the music to get everything ready to peak performance level by the time the concert occurs.”
Each year, elite composers and musicians are selected to participate in the festival based on their distinctive abilities, unique style and outstanding reputations. This year, SWAU was honored to have British composer Philip Stopford and guest soloist Jolyon Pegis join them.
This year’s concert featured highly energetic and inspiring performances, including pieces from history, new works and the annual world premiere. This year the musical composition entitled “God is Our Hope and Strength” by Philip Stopford debuted. The orchestra performed the first movement of Dvořák’s cello concerto with cellist Jolyon Pegis from the Dallas Symphony. Along with these compositions, the orchestra also performed Debussy, Beethoven, and Verdi. Some of the highlights of this year’s choir performance included an exciting acapella version of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and a riveting arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in honor of Black History Month.
The generosity of the sponsors and donors will allow SWAU to continue producing world-class, God-focused music education in the coming years. For updates and information about next year’s A Night at the Meyerson, as well as to view photos from this year's concert, visit SWAU.edu/meyerson.
By Edgar Zelidon
