Fridays at 12:30 Concert Series
A Don Wright Faculty of Music tradition!
Fridays @ 12:30 Livestream
If you are unable to attend our Fridays concerts in person, you can join us live online instead!
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| Join us for the "Fridays @ 12:30" Concert Series, an eclectic mix of music featuring guest artists, faculty, and students. Concerts are planned to be less than 60 minutes in length, making them a great way to spend your lunch hour! | |
| Please visit the Audience Information page before joining us on campus, and always check the Events Calendar on the day of the event for any schedule changes. | |
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All concerts are free and open to the public in von Kuster Hall in the Music Building from 12:30pm sharp until aprox. 1:20pm. Seating is first come first served. All Fridays performances are also shared via livestream. |
Concert programs are available for download up to one week in advance. |
2025-26 Performances
*Western University faculty member
Friday, September 12
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Laura Nielsen, soprano
Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich*, piano
Friday, September 19
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Juantio Becenti, composer
Lucy Fitz Gibbon, soprano
Sharon Wei*, viola
Zachary Mowitz, cello
Currents of Change
This program explores themes of water and water rights through music. Featured performers soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon (Bard College Conservatory), violist Sharon Wei* and cellist Zachary Mowitz (LA Philharmonic) will premiere Juantio Becenti’s work based on Supreme Court rulings and Navajo water rights. Also included on the program are Nick Bernardino’s piece for cello and electronics, reflecting coral reef decline, and Ian Cusson’s solo viola work La Pieta, inspired by Kent Monkman’s painting of Indigenous water protectors.
This concert, which is part of a residency that also includes engagement with Contemporary Music Studio members, composition and graduate students, is supported by the Music Undergraduate GiftFund and the Ivey Business School.
Friday, September 26
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Andrew Busch, percussion
Nicholas Busch, piano
Traces of Home
Western alumnus Andrew Busch returns for a performance which reflects places he has called home. He will fittingly be joined by has brother Nicholas who is also a Western alumnus for one of the programmed works, John Psathas’ Matre’s Dance . “This recital is a heartfelt tribute to the places I am grateful to call home. Amherstburg, Ontario, where I was raised by my wonderful and loving family; London, Ontario, where I pursued my undergraduate studies and formed meaningful relationships; and Toronto, Ontario, where I have embraced independence, embarked on adulthood, and experienced significant musical growth.”
Friday, October 3
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Aaron Hodgson*, trumpet
Angela Park*, piano
On Childhood
What can be more magical than seeing the world anew through the eyes of a child? This concert features music which depicts and is inspired by childhood. The program includes music by Robert Schumann, Gustav Mahler, Bruce Broughton and others.
Friday, October 10
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Obsidiana Duo:
Camila Montefusco, mezzo-soprano
Yolanda Tapia, piano
TIERRA
“TIERRA is a musical tribute to the stories of our ancestors and the never-ending search for belonging.” We are proud to welcome back alumni Camila Montefusco, mezzo-soprano, and Yolanda Tapia, piano, as the Obsidiana Duo. Living far from their ancestral homes, the Obsidiana Duo has curated a program based on their journies of self discovery, shaped by distance and memory. This program is a personal reflection on the past, offered as a way to better understand the future.
Friday, October 17
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Conspiratus Brass:
Jim Johnson, trumpet
Kiirsi Maunula Johnson, horn
with Emilie Hsu, piano
Conspiratus Brass
Join us for a musical homecoming featuring contemporary Canadian works for trumpet, horn and piano. Western alumna Kiirsi Maunula Johnson, horn, and Jim Johnson, trumpet, make up the versatile duo Conspiratus Brass. They will be joined by Emilie Hsu, piano, for a special collaboration performing works by Western alumna Erica Procunier and pieces commissioned by the duo from composers Cait Nishimura and Barbara York.
Friday, October 24
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Adrianne Pieczonka, soprano
With songs by Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Francis Poulenc, Reynaldo Hahn, Rebecca Clark and George Gershwin, this performance by internationally acclaimed soprano and Western alumna Adrianne Pieczonka will surely be a treat! Collaborative pianist TBA
A masterclass for voice students is also set to take place the same day at 2:30 p.m. in von Kuster Hall for. This event is also free and open to the public to attend. Visit the masterclasses and residencies page for more details.
Friday, November 14
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 2 hours
Musicians from Marlboro:
Donovan Bown, oboe
Clara Neubauer & Itamar Zorman, violins
Hiroki Kasai & Ao Peng, violas
Oliver Herbert, cello
Musicians from Marlboro
For 60 years, the Musicians from Marlboro touring program has brought memorable performances from Vermont’s legendary chamber music school and festival to national audiences. This concert is led by violinist Itamar Zorman, of the Lysander Trio, and features Britten’s Phantasy for oboe and strings, Shostakovich’s introspective and elegiac String Quartet No. 8 –a work dedicated to the victims of war and fascism – and concludes with Mendelssohn’s vibrant String Quintet in A Major, which he wrote at age 16.
Please note that this concert will run for two hours (including intermission) as opposed to the usual one hour for concerts in the Fridays at 12:30 Concert Series.
Supported by Renee Silberman and Ted Medzon of Serenata Music
Friday, November 28
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
James Campbell, clarinet
Leopoldo Erice, piano
The Autumn of Brahms
Juno Award–winning clarinetist James Campbell joins renowned Spanish pianist Leopoldo Erice for an engaging noon-hour performance of Johannes Brahms’ late works. The program features Brahms’ final two clarinet sonatas (Sonatas Op. 120 for Piano and Clarinet), alongside deeply expressive piano pieces that reflect the emotional depth and introspection of his final years.
Friday, December 5
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
The Daegu Opernstudio is a program run by the Daegu Opera House in South Korea, focused on training young, talented singers to become professional opera soloists. It offers a comprehensive curriculum, including masterclasses, score reading, acting, and opera coachings, with the goal of preparing singers for international careers. The program also provides opportunities for soloists to perform in the Daegu Opera House's seasonal productions and to connect with international theaters.
This concert is part of a musical exchange via connections with fellow UNESCO-designated City of Music Daegu where our students go to South Korea in October to make their South Korea debut and in return, they send students here for their Canadian debut.
Friday, January 9
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Bethany Hörst*, soprano
Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich*, piano
Northern Winter
Soprano Bethany Hörst and collaborative pianist Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich present a recital of Canadian repertoire, centering around the theme of winter. Featured composers include Smallman, Luengen, Kulesha and Hill Duncan.
Friday, January 16
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Anagnoson & Kinton
Leslie Kinton*, piano
James Anagnoson, piano
Anagnoson & Kinton play Brahms
Anagnoson & Kinton perform the Sonata for Two Pianos op. 34 bis by Johannes Brahms, the original piano duo version of the Piano Quintet.
Planned program:
- Sonata in F Minor op. 34bis by Johannes Brahms
- Allegro non troppo
- Andante, un poco Adagio
- Scherzo: Allegro
- Finale: Poco sostenuto - Allegro non troppo - Presto non troppo
Friday, January 23
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Christine Tithecott*, piano, performs with friends Jacklyn Short*, soprano; Hillary Tufford, mezzo-soprano; DMA student Thiago Soares, tenor; Chad Louwerse*, baritone; and Paul Digout, piano.
Program TBA.
Friday, February 6
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
David Sadlier, tenor
Francisco Rocafuerte, piano
An afternoon of art song! We welcome David Sadlier, tenor, and Francisco Rocafuerte for a program of art song repertoire in English, Spanish, and German by Vaughan Williams, Ponce, and Schubert among others.
Friday, February 27
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Christopher Cayari, musical theatre performer
Pictures at a Gender[*] Exhibition: Musical Theatre Vignettes about Gender [Non-Conformity]
Christopher Cayari’s powerful and authentic performance tells the story of their journey as a gender non-conforming performer navigating music, theatre, and everyday life. Through captivating costumes, heartfelt monologues, and songs from Wicked, Hamilton, Sunset Boulevard, Kinky Boots and other musical theatre favorites, this superbly crafted cabaret-style revue demystifies some trans and gender non-conforming issues. Audiences will experience moments of triumph, comedy, drama, and discovery. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind show!
Friday, March 13
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
Egbo-Egbo Trio
Thompson Egbo-Egbo, piano
Egbo-Egbo Trio
With a blend of original compositions and some old and new standards, Thompson Egbo-Egbo Trio brings genre-defying energy and emotional depth to the stage. Led by pianist and composer Thompson Egbo-Egbo, the trio blends jazz, classical, soul, and cinematic influences into a sound that's as thoughtful as it is electrifying.
Friday, March 20
12:30 pm | von Kuster Hall | 1 hour
James Westman*, baritone
Angela Park*, piano
South of North
James Westman*, baritone, and Angela Park*, piano, present beautiful repertoire inspired by life and love—some old, some new, and some blue! Featuring the last composition by Srul Irving Glick specially written for Westman in 2002.
Subscribe to our monthly events email for event notifications year-round, or visit music.uwo.ca/events for more information.
Contact Info
Fridays @ 12:30 Concert Series Coordinator/Booking inquiries
Todd Wieczorek
Assistant Professor of Music
519-661-2111 x85398
twieczor@uwo.ca
General event inquiries
519-661-3767
musicevents@uwo.ca
Group/School inquiries
Sasha Gorbasew
Student Recruitment Coordinator
519-661-2111 x80532
agorbase@uwo.ca
