Kutztown University Summer Music Festival runs through Saturday

Published 9 hours ago• 6 minute read

The Kutztown University Summer Music Festival runs through Saturday. Talented students from around the world join forces for a one-week fully immersive musical experience, working with the festival’s renowned roster of devoted musicians and pedagogues.

Concerts and workshops are free and open to the public. The full schedule can be found at https://tinyurl.com/33ukkhzc.

The Summer Music Festival offers one week of intensive study to ambitious high school and college-age musicians, including daily private lessons and chamber music coaching.

It is open to piano, strings, winds and percussion, with faculty from The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, University of Macedonia in Greece, University of Chile, Kutztown University, the New York City Ballet Orchestra and other prestigious institutions.

Participants will have the opportunity to work on solo repertoire, learn and perform works from the core chamber music literature and receive instruction on audition preparation.

In addition to the intensive chamber music experience, students will have the opportunity to participate in a series of intriguing and informative seminars and workshops on a variety of musical topics, including the concerto competition, sponsored by the Festival and the University of Macedonia in Greece.

Founded in 2010 by pianist Maria Asteriadou, the Kutztown University Summer Music Festival features an intensive and comprehensive approach to learning the core chamber music repertoire for strings, piano, percussion and winds.

The festival’s mission is to provide opportunities that go far beyond the traditional summer music camp experience, creating a stimulating environment for musical and personal growth through and international exchange of talent and ideas.

Nurturing the love of great music and developing the young artists of the future, KU’s Summer Music Festival allows emerging musicians to experience the Art of Chamber Music with internationally acclaimed artists.

For more information, call 610-683-4550 or visit http://www.kusummermusicfestival.com.

• Shillington native Erich Cawalla’s original song “DooWoppin” can be heard on “Cool Bobby B’s Doo-Wop Stop” on 5 Channel on Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel 72 tonight between 9 and 10.

It features Cawalla on all vocal parts including bass to high falsetto and tenor saxophone, as well as the hand snaps that were so prevalent in 1950s-style doo-wop songs. The song was released independently on April 20.

Cawalla is a bandleader, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, educator, booking agent and recording artist. He has performed at almost 5,000 shows in all types of settings. Besides cover music, he has been releasing original songs/albums since 2006 as the leader of the popular regional band, The Uptown Band.

he has released two full-length albums that received critical acclaim and charted on numerous national radio charts. His song, “Waiting for Her”, appeared on Music Choice on National TV.

In 2022, Cawalla released his solo debut full-length original album entitled “The Great American Songbook” in tribute to some of his idols, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson and Bobby Darin. Songs from this album continue to receive radio airplay throughout the world

Dance

Aubrey and Colten Welsh, the children of Kyrie and Michael Welsh of West Reading, are Irish dancers with the Hooley School of Irish dance in Brownstown, Lancaster County.

Aubrey and Colten Welsh (Courtesy of Kyrie Welsh)

Aubrey, 6,started dance at age 4 and quickly moved up to preliminary champion by the age of 5. Colten, 5, began dancing in September and became a preliminary champion at age 4.

Aubrey and Colten are preparing for the North American Irish Dance Competition AKA Nationals, which will take place in Washington, D.C , from Thursday through July 9.

In November 2024, they won first and second place for traditional set, dancing “St. Patrick’s Day” at Regional Oireachtas in Philadelphia in an under-7 competition. They will be competing solo dances in D.C against under-8 dancers in their reel and treble jig.

Aubrey and Colten compete at regional Feis’ throughout the year. They must place first in order to move up to their respective dance levels. Both Aubrey and Colten need just one more first place to move up to the highest level of an Open Champion. Three firsts are needed in both the reel and treble jig to move to the next level.

Aubrey started Irish dance to try something different and ended up falling in love with it. Her brother copied her dancing at home and never stopped. They are the youngest and quickest dancers to move up to preliminary champions in their dance school’s history. Aubrey and Colten are dedicated dancers, practicing everyday and being in the studio four days a week.

Grants

The WCR Center for the Arts has received a $8,100 grant for its 2025-26 musical performance program from the Reading Musical Foundation.

The WCR Center for the Arts at 140 N. Fifth St. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

The grant will bolster four upcoming initiatives, WCR announced in a release:

• Teacher recitals featuring private music instructors showcasing student talent.

• Guitar-A-Rama with performances by Busker Incognito and Travellin’ Brothers from Spain, under the direction of Dave Kline. The event Nov. 20 will include workshops and a jam session.

• Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest 2026 affiliate concert April 12, featuring Hot Club of Reading.

• YogaSing with Suzanne Jackson, a collaboration with Berks Youth Chorus and Albright College for workshops and a solo opera concert.

“We are deeply grateful to the Reading Musical Foundation for their generous grant in support of our 2025-2026 season programming,” said Jayme Rhoads, president of WRC’s board of directors. “Their continued investment in the arts empowers us to enrich our community through meaningful musical experiences and educational outreach.”

The WCR Center was founded in 2004 to transform a 19th-century former women’s club, 140 N. Fifth St., into a unique performance and exhibition venue for the community. Renowned for its exceptional acoustics, the center attracts artists and audiences worldwide, contributing to Reading’s cultural and economic revitalization, according to the release.

Its initiatives, including arts education for low to moderate-income families and partnerships with local nonprofits, have created valuable opportunities for the Greater Reading community, the release said.

The Reading Musical Foundation has been supporting music education, preservation, and local music presenters since its inception nearly 100 years ago. It continues to play a pivotal role in nurturing artistic endeavors across the region, the release said.