Ottawa University

Allegresse Trio Brings "Joy" of Music to Ottawa University

OTTAWA, Kansas -  French for "joy," the chamber music trio Allegresse strives to achieve that emotion in their audience members each time they  play their rich and varied repertoire for flute, oboe and piano.  The nationally recognized musicians will give their next performance at Ottawa University (OU) on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. in the OU Chapel, 1001 S. Cedar Street, Ottawa, Kansas.  The event is free and open to the public.

Made up of Annie Gnojek, flute, Margaret Marco, oboe, and Ellen Bottorff, piano, the trio touts careers that have taken them throughout North America, South and Central America, Europe, and Asia, both as soloists and chamber musicians.  Driven by a strong commitment and deep passion for their craft, Allegresse infuses every performance with a unique, interpretive elegance.

"This concert provides the University and the greater Ottawa community the opportunity to hear an excellent new chamber music ensemble, and to enjoy music written for this unique combination of instruments," said Assistant Music Professor Steven McDonald.  Works by Quantz, Delibes, Damase, Demerssman, Dring, and Berthelemy will be featured at the concert.

Annie Gnojek is in demand as a free-lance musician, flute educator and clinician in the Lawrence and Kansas City areas.  She performs in a variety of solo and chamber music concerts throughout Kansas, with several awards to her credit.  She can be heard as principal flutist on the 2006 Naxos Release of Redline Tango with the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble.  She holds a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Kansas where she studied with John Boulton and David Fedele.  Annie is currently the Adjunct Professor of Flute at Ottawa University.

Margaret Marco has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Orquesta Sinfonica de Maracaibo, the Rome Festival Orchestra, and the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra.  She performs frequently with the Kansas City Symphony, the Kansas City Lyric Opera, and the Kansas City Ballet Orchestra.  She is the founding member of the Chamber Music Society of Kansas City, and since 1998, Margaret has taught at the University of Kansas where she is the Associate Professor of Oboe.  She holds degrees from Northwestern University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Illinois.

Ellen Bottorff has toured extensively in the United States and Canada and is highly sought after as a collaborative artist in the professional community.  Ellen can be heard on three professional recordings:  "Just for Fun," with euphoniumist Pat Stuckemeyer and trumpeter Justin White; "Rare Breeds and Dog-Eared Classics," with the Kansas Brass Quintet; and "Arrows of Time," with trombonist David Vining.  She was on the keyboard and voice faculty at Missouri Western University from 1994-2004.  She holds degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Missouri Western University.  Currently, Ellen is completing a Doctorate of Music in piano performance and chamber music at the University of Kansas.

Founded in 1865, Ottawa University is a comprehensive, not-for-profit educational institution affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Ottawa University's educational mission brings together a residential campus in Ottawa, Kansas, and adult campuses in Overland Park, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe, Arizona; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Jeffersonville, Indiana; as well as multiple international instructional sites.  For more information, visit http://www.ottawa.edu/.

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