Sacramento State music professors and friends came together for a night of music.

Sac State’s Department of Music presented its New Millennium Series: “Faculty and Friends Gala” on Tuesday.

The gala started with Valhalla Quartet, composed of Sac State students, who won first place in the A.J. and Susana Watson Student Chamber Music Competition in November.

The student quartet has been together for two years and includes students Sarena Hsu, violin; Jennifer Jim, violin; Vijay Chalasani, viola and Alex Winter, cello.

Valhalla Quartet performed German composer, Felix Mendelssohn’s “Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44 No. 1,” which is Mendelssohn’s personal favorite and most revised section.

Hsu, senior music major, said the gala’s performance was a huge accomplishment for the quartet.

“The most important thing (about the performance) was we were having fun,” Hsu said. “Our interactions (with each other) were relaxed, yet intimate and personal.”

Professors Peter Nowlen, Deborah Pittman and pianist Eric Zivian performed Carl Reinecke’s calm and tranquil “Trio in B-Flat Major, Op. 274.”

Nowlen, whose specialty is the French horn, said the trio worked on the piece together in four rehearsals.

Nowlen also said the gala was an “outstanding program with a great audience.”

“The students rocked,” Nowlen said. “I also had a good time playing with my friends (on stage). I look forward to doing it again.”

Following intermission, professors Keith Bohm, saxophone and John Cozza, piano, performed a duet of Wijnand van Klaveren’s “Sonate a la Maniere de Francis Poulenc.”

The subtleness of the saxophone and piano combo echoed through the room as the audience engaged to the sound of the music.

Cozza, staff accompanist, said he learned from being “spontaneous” during his gala performance.

“I tried different balance, shifts and texture,” Cozza said. “Sometimes the person you’re playing with will create something new and it’ll turnout different from rehearsal.”

Cozza added he was pleased with the gala’s audience.

“(The audience was) very open, receptive and educated,” Cozza said. “The level of attention which they had showed they were really listening.”

Audience member Eleni Leles, junior liberal studies major, said Cozza and Bohm’s performance was her favorite.

“I felt connected since I was familiar with some of the pieces,” Leles said. “Also, he (Bohm) talked to the audience (in between the pieces).”

Bohm mentioned the ending of van Klaveren’s song reminded him of the television mystery series, “Murder, She Wrote,” which the audience responded with laughter.

Marissa Ayers, senior liberal studies major, said she is new to attending music concerts and enjoyed the sound of the saxophone.

“I’ve never really seen anyone play an instrument live before,” Ayers said. “I was impressed by their talent.”

The Sun Quartet, Sac State’s faculty string quartet, closed the show.

The group is comprised of professors Ian Swensen, Anna Presler, Anna Kruger and Andrew Luchansky.

The Sun Quartet faced in toward each other as they effortlessly played their violins and cello. Swensen and Luchansky wore black attire while Presler and Kruger wore pink, satin blouses.

The quartet aggressively played their string instruments and patiently slowed down the tempo throughout the piece.

The Sun Quartet concluded their set and paused together before they stood up and bowed as a whole.

Hsu said she learned from watching her professors perform.

“I learned from observing how they interact as an entire ensemble,” Hsu said.

Freshman criminal justice major Yvette Franco said she was also intrigued by watching her professors.

“I’ve never really been into music and taking a music class has helped me learn about the artists’ backgrounds and where they came from,” Franco said.

Leles said she has been to other campus events and said she favored the gala.

“This is one of the better events (here on campus),” Leles said. “I’d watch it again.”

Jordan Riturban can be reached at [email protected].