'PERFORMANCE TODAY' HOST TO EMCEE 'YOUNG MUSICIANS CLASSICAL SHOWCASE'

St. Louis native Martin Goldsmith, host of National Public Radio's "Performance Today," will emcee a showcase of the area's finest young classical musicians Saturday.

The free one-hour concert of classical works will be presented at 3 p.m. at Academic Auditorium. The "Young Musicians' Classical Showcase" will feature six high-school-age musicians. They include:

-- Violinist Liesl Schoenberger, a freshman at Notre Dame High School and daughter of Dr. John and Brenda Schoenberger.

-- Cellist Kirk Miller, a senior at Cape Central High School and the son of Dr. Gary Miller and Mary Van Hoet-Miller.

-- Flutist Jessica Terry, a junior at Jackson High School and the daughter of Mark and Tina Terry.

-- Harpist Sophie Gathman, a freshman at Cape Central and the daughter of Allen Gathman and Robin Hankinson.

-- Vocalist Erin Darter, a student at Jackson High School and the daughter of Roy and Beverly Darter.

-- Pianist Tyson Wunderlich, a senior at Perryville High School and the son of Duane and Carol Wunderlich.

Wunderlich will accompany Darter's vocal solo, Mozart's "Hallelujah."

Schoenberger will play Scherzo Tarantelle by Wieniawski in addition to participating in a trio with Miller and Southeast piano student Patches King.

Miller is scheduled to play Sonata in A Major by Boccerini. Terry's choice is "Remembranze Napoletane" by Paggi.

Gathman will perform three Irish tunes on the harp -- "Carolan's Draught," "The White-Haired Boy" and "Rosemary Lane."

Invitations to the concert have been extended to all area schools. Dr. Robert Fruehwald, chairman of the Southeast Department of Music, says the performance is intended to show area musicians what their peers are capable of.

"We also hope it's a good way for people outside the Cape Girardeau area to find out what type of talent we have in the area."

The event will be recorded for possible airing on Goldsmith's program in the future. "Performance Today" is broadcast from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. weekdays in KRCU-FM.

The program also will be broadcast a number of times on KRCU-FM. Alan Journet, host of the locally produced show "A Musical Meander," will play recordings by some of the musicians on his broadcast at 8 tonight.

Fruehwald calls their level of musicianship "high. They are all good musicians -- surprisingly good."

While here, Goldsmith also will attend a dinner for the Southeast Public Radio Circle, a new organization consisting of people giving the station sustaining pledges of at least $1,000 per year.

The station's annual membership drive generates about $60,000. "We're looking at another level of people who are giving at another level," Greg Petrowich, the station's general manager, says.

The station wants to use those funds to enhance its signal and to explore digital broadcasting, which many stations are switching to.

Petrowich said KRCU engineers have consulted with "Performance Today" on the recording techniques necessary for the concert to qualify for the show. "I feel good that they probably will use at least something," he said.

"... These are outstanding musicians that could play with what you hear on `Performance Day.'"