WVU Parkersburg Bulgarian Project sponsoring concert

WVU Parkersburg's Bulgaria Project offering "Sweet Romance" concert March 11, 2007.

CONTACT: Rebecca Phillips, professor of English, 304-424-8282.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West Virginia University at Parkersburg's Bulgaria Project Committee is celebrating love in its many moods in a concert on Sunday, March 11, at 2 p.m. in the College Theatre.

Entitled "Sweet Romance," the event will feature WVU Parkersburg faculty and friends in an afternoon of love songs followed by a dessert reception in the college’s Community Room.

Tickets for the event are $15 each or two for $25 and are available in the college's business office. They will also be available at the door.

The afternoon will feature a variety of music. New to the Bulgaria Project are Lyrical Jam, a newly-formed college vocal ensemble led by Rachel Cunningham, and the duo of Jim Petry with MaryMary, performing a mix of classic rock, blues, and original music. Petry is a guitarist, vocalist, and song-writer who also plays a mean blues harp. MaryMary (Mary T. Gonot) provides the percussion, playing djembe, congas, and bongos. Petry's soaring vocals and MaryMary's pounding beat add up to a totally unique and exciting sound. They perform as a duo, and as a group with other musicians at clubs throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley and at MaryMary's monthly "Back to the Beat (Generation)" coffeehouses at the Parkersburg Art Center.

Popular performers from past events who will be performing include the Professors Trio; Roger Allen and Laura Thrash; Chase Brady; Carson Soelberg, and WVU Parkersburg President Marie Foster Gnage.

The Professors Trio was formed some years ago by three WVU Parkersburg professors: historian George Lamb, pianist; Technology Division chair Gene Barry, bassist; and Humanities Division chair Roger Allen, vocalist. All are now retired but periodically reconvene. Adjunct instructor of engineering Claude Deegan later joined the group as a drummer and has enlivened the group with his rhythms. Lamb is a jazz pianist and guitar maker. Barry performs with the Valley Renaissance Consort and the River Cities Orchestra. Allen is perhaps best known for his performance as Harman Blennerhassett in "Eden on the River." Joining them in this afternoon performance of light jazz and standards will be vocalist Laura Thrash, Roger Allen’s daughter, who has sung in a number of local productions.

Chase Brady, WVU Parkersburg assistant professor of mathematics, is also known for his musicianship and songwriting skills. Most of his original songs feature love in its more wistful moods, though he does make occasional forays into cheerfulness. He appears regularly at open mikes and songwriter nights in the area and has performed for Music on the Levee and the Sanctuary Concert Series in Marietta. He will be accompanied for this event by flautist Loran Conly. R. Carson Soelberg, WVU Parkersburg director of theatre, has worked professionally and at the university level as director, actor, music director, instructor, playwright, composer, stage manager, and popcorn maker. His undergraduate degree was in voice. He and President Gnage, who performed with the Professors Trio in an earlier event, will join forces in duets from Broadway shows.

The Bulgaria Project grew out of a 2002 Fulbright Study Abroad Project between WVU Parkersburg and the University of Rousse, Bulgaria. Funds raised in the project's concert series are being used to bring a group of Bulgarian faculty to Parkersburg this summer to strengthen ties between the two institutions.

In addition, the WVU Parkersburg English Department will host a visiting lecturer from the University of Rousse for the 2007-2008 academic year. Additional information about the concert is available by contacting Rebecca Phillips, 424-8282.

cd2/21/07

For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
WVU Parkersburg
Executive Director
Institutional Advancement
(304-424-8203)

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