FACULTY VOICE RECITAL COMBINES BAROQUE ARIAS WITH SPIRITUALS

Louisa Panou-Takahashi, assistant professor of music at Southeast Missouri State University will present a faculty voice recital at 8 p.m. Jan. 20 in Old St. Vincent's Church.

Takahashi will be assisted by Sara Edgerton, Southeast assistant professor of music; Gary Miller, Southeast professor of music; Jerry Richardson, Southeast assistant professor of music; and Charlene Peyton, a music teacher in the Cape Girardeau Public School System.

The first part of the program will consist of four baroque arias written for castrati singers. These works have not been published and were copied and elaborated from the original manuscripts now found in Venice, Italy, Takahashi said. They will be accompanied with baroque cello and harpsichord.

The program will also include songs by Stephen Foster and six spirituals arranged by Edward Boatner and John Hall. Peyton and Takahashi will share this portion of the program. Richardson will accompany the Foster songs with guitar and violin.

Takahashi, born in Cyprus, holds a bachelor's degree from Santa Celia Conservatory in Rome, a master's degree from Kent State University, and a doctoral degree from Florida State University.

She has performed extensively as a recitalist and an opera singer in Italy, Germany, Austria, Norway, Greece and the United States. She has been an operatic leader with Kent Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Florida Opera, Minnesota Opera, Bregenz Festival Opera in Austria and Rome Festival Opera in Italy. She performed as a soloist with the St. Cecilia Orchestra, Karlsruhe; Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra and many others. She has served on the faculties of Brigham Young University and the University of Minnesota.

Takahashi just returned from a tour of concerts in Cyprus where she was a guest of the Cypriot government.

General admission is $4. Tickets for senior citizens and students are $2. University faculty, staff, and students will be admitted free with valid I.D. For more information, call (314) 651-2141.