Staff Report

NEWBERRY — The John Wagner and Friends concert scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at the Newberry Opera House is a continuation of the John, Janet, and Jazz programs that began in 2002.

The concert is presented by Dr. John W. Wagner, clarinetist and flutist, and professor of music Emeritus at Newberry College; and Wanda Neese, piano instructor and staff accompanist at Newberry College.

Sunday’s concert will be the 14th in the series. Admission is free. FAL credit will be given to qualifying Newberry College students.

Neese received bachelor of music and master of music degrees in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from Columbia College where she was a student of Robyn Gibson. She has presented solo piano recitals at the Newberry Opera House and other venues and has accompanied many faculty woodwind soloists from major universities at woodwind clinics held at Newberry College.

The first half of the program will include Introduction, Theme, and Variations by the German Romantic composer Carl Maria von Weber; Sonata No. 2 for Clarinet and Piano by the Bohemian Classical composer Johann Wanhall; and Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano by Sir Malcolm Arnold, a British composer born in 1921.

After a brief intermission the remainder of the program will feature a selection of popular songs played in a jazz style by Wagner on clarinet and flute, assisted by Shawn Hair, piano; Jared Poole, bass; and Josh Capone, drums. Vocalist Millie Keefe Black will also be featured on several of these pieces. Black, Hair and Poole all have ties to Newberry College.