"Legacies in Words and Music" will celebrate the careers of Robert Schweik and Ted Frazeur

On Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall, members of the Western New York Chamber Orchestra will perform under the baton of Music Professor Emeritus Theodore (Ted) Frazeur, while his daughter and SUNY Fredonia alumna Gisele Frazeur, '91, will narrate.

Dr. Theodore Frazeur, now retired, founded the percussion program in the School of Music more than 50 years ago. He has composed a piece to the words of a poem written by Dr. Schweik's widow, Joanne.

The late Dr. Robert Schweik, an internationally known scholar of Thomas Hardy, taught English at Fredonia from 1969 to 1990.

Entitled "Legacies in Words and Music," the special event is being held during Homecoming Weekend as a tribute to the late Robert Schweik, Distinguished Teaching Professor of English, and the now retired Dr. Frazeur of Brewster, MA, who founded the percussion studies program at the Fredonia School of Music more than 50 years ago.

The "words" in "Legacies in Words and Music" come from the poem, "The ABC Adventure," written by Joanne Schweik, Dr. Schweik's widow, which were set to music by Dr. Frazeur.

Percussion will be a focus for the afternoon concert, and alumni and student percussionists will be among the performers, as will members of the English department.

The Rosch event will be followed by a 5 p.m. reception wherein people may share comments and remembrances of their experiences with the honorees. The celebration is also an attempt to harness energy to fully endow the Percussion and English scholarships in the honoree's names. Those wishing to write or publicly share a memory at the reception should contact the Fredonia College Foundation prior to the event.

Memorials in honor of Dr. Schweik: The Robert Schweik Memorial Fund, established after his death to honor the distinguished teaching professor, is growing toward endowment level. Gifts to the fund will be used to provide scholarships to English majors who have a passion for research and intend to pursue graduate school. To make a gift to the fund, click here >>

Gifts in honor of Dr. Frazeur:  The Fredonia School of Music noted that the Frazeur Percussion Scholarship Fund is growing toward endowment level ($10,000) and donations are gratefully accepted to benefit future SUNY Fredonia percussion students. Contributions can be made online here >>