UNC Wilmington Department of Music to Honor Accompanist Patricia Ainspac Oct. 10
9/29/2009 3:42:57 PM
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The University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Music will mark the 80th birthday of beloved accompanist and vocal coach Patricia Ainspac with an evening of music performed by distinguished alumni. Pat Ainspac: Celebrating a Life in Music will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at Beckwith Recital Hall in the UNCW Cultural Arts building.
Featured alumni will perform a variety of numbers, including duets from The Pearl Fishers, Don Giovanni and Lakmé, arias from The Marriage of Figaro, La Traviata, La Rondine, Tales of Hoffman, The Elixir of Love and selections from the musicals Street Scene, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls and Candide. Proceeds from the recital benefit vocal scholarships at UNCW.
Ainspac has taught at UNCW for the past 11 years. Though music has always been a part of her life, it wasn't until she joined the university that she was able to realize her dream of becoming an accompanist and vocal coach, a dream she had nurtured since high school.
"I feel so grateful my life has turned out this way," Ainspac said. "One should never give up because it took me 50 years to get the life I always wanted."
Ainspac has affected the lives of untold numbers of individuals through music education, from elementary school through college, and receives high praise from UNCW faculty and students for her skill and dedication.
"I credit her with much of the success of our voice program and value her as the greatest mentor of my career," said Nancy King, UNCW associate professor of voice. "I would not be the teacher and singer I am today without the guidance, expertise and patience that is Pat Ainspac. I believe she is quite simply the best vocal coach and accompanist in the business."
UNCW music education and vocal performance major Chelsea Timmons echoed King's statements on Ainspac's contribution to the musical community. "Without Pat, there would be no music, no art behind the song."
Tickets to the performance are $15. Tickets are on sale in advance at Kenan Auditorium box office, 910.962.3500, and at the Cultural Arts building box office at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the performance.
For more information about Pat Ainspac: Celebrating a Life in Music, go to www.uncw.edu/music-calendar or call 910.962.3415.
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Patricia Ainspac
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