Two special musical programs are coming up at Modesto Junior College.

First, the MJC Music Department will present a Spring String Recital on Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall on East Campus. Admission is free; however, donations are gratefully accepted.

The students of Anne Martin, Director of Orchestra and Strings at MJC, will perform solo and ensemble works by Accolay, Bruch, Haydn, Gabrieli, Kabelvsky, Marcello, Mozart and Seitz. The program opens with the Elementary Strings Class playing several American Fiddle Tunes. The String Orchestra will perform works by Grainger, Mozart, and Corelli. Pianists, Dr. Yan Yan Chan and Wesley Richmond will accompany the students in solo works for violin, viola, cello and bass. The MJC Quintet will perform the Schubert Trout Quintet. The group recently participated in a clinic with the Cuarteto Latinamericano at the Gallo Center.

Campus parking passes are $1 and can be obtained at various ticket dispensers located in the student parking lots. For more information contact Martin at 575-6646.

Also, the Department of Music presents the 36th New Music Concert on Friday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Performing and Media Arts Center. The program will feature performances of original music compositions by student, faculty and local composers.

Winning compositions from the annual Celebration of the Humanities student arts award contest will be performed. The Classical Music, Popular Music and Electronic Music Composition and Music Solo Performance categories will be presented and awarded. Bass player and composer, James Boyington and Monkey Knife Fight will perform their latest music compositions featuring Warr Guitar which can play bass, chords and lead all at the same time. The Reicha Winds Trio will be performing a Trio for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet by Ivar Lunde.

MJC Alumni Justin Brown and Melynda Rodriguez will debut their latest electronic music composition. Jeff Crawford, music instructor at the University of the Pacific, Stockton, will perform his latest electronic music composition. MJC electronic music instructor, David Dow, will perform his composition “iMusic2”. The piece features video, electronic music soundtrack, live synthesizer and Theremin performed by the composer. Local Turlock composer and CSUS professor, Sam Regalado of Boscoes Brood will perform his original compositions. The New Music Ensemble will perform an original group improvisation.

The New Music Concert is a collaborative effort between MJC music instructor emeritus Shirley Woodward and MJC music instructor Dow to encourage students and faculty to create and perform new music. After creating the music, students would be able to enter their works in “The Manuscript Madness” composition contest and win cash prizes. The Manuscript Madness competition later became a part of the MJC Celebration of The Humanities Contest that is still going strong today.

There is no charge for the concert or parking and the event is open to the public. A reception will be held in Performing Arts Center lobby during intermission and following the performance.