Stephen F. Austin State University

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present Scott LaGraff in a faculty voice lecture recital at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25, in Cole Concert Hall.

LaGraff, a baritone, will present "The French Songs of Lee Hoiby," including a world premiere of the American composer's "Chants d'Exil," which is based on poetry by Marcel Osterrieth. Also included on the program will be settings of poems by Arthur Rimbaud, whose poetry has been very influential in the evolution of modern poetry, but has been set to music only rarely, according to LaGraff.

Before singing, LaGraff will lecture on Hoiby's life and compositions, including an in-depth discussion of the songs to be performed. Andrew Hudson, adjunct faculty at Baylor University and McLennan Community College, will provide piano accompaniment.

LaGraff, who joined the SFA faculty in 2004 as an instructor of music, is a veteran of the operatic, concert and recital stage. As a resident artist at Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, New York, he performed the title roles in "Don Giovanni" and "Le Nozze di Figaro," as well as The Villains in "Les Contes d?Hoffmann," Reverend Hale in "The Crucible" and Capulet in "Roméo et Juliette," among others.

He has also appeared with the Syracuse, Tulsa, Pensacola, Westchester Hudson and Ithaca opera companies. A selected list of his concert engagements includes performances of Gabriel Fauré's "Requiem" and George Frideric Handel?s "Messiah" with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Anton Bruckner's "Te Deum" at Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions and solo appearances with the Ocean City Pops, the Binghamton Pops, and the Syracuse Oratorio Society. Furthermore, he has sung solo recitals at various venues in the Midwest and South.

The Athens, Ohio, native received the Bachelor of Music degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, the Master of Music degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton and is currently a doctoral candidate at Louisiana State University. Prior to accepting a position at SFA, LaGraff was a member of the voice faculty at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. He has also held teaching positions at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For more tickets or more information, please call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.