Contemporary art songs will be highlighted on Illinois Wesleyan’s March 9 New Music Cafe concert. IWU alumna soprano Kate Tombaugh ’07, who has a growing national career, will perform song cycles by the concert’s two guest composers, Steven Weimer of Murray State University (who is also Ms. Tombaugh’s husband) and David Maki of Northern Illinois University. Guest pianist Ashlee Mack will join Maki for three of his pieces for two pianos, and School of Music Director Mario Pelusi will conduct a student chamber ensemble in Weimer’s Blue Partition.  

The program also includes Libby Larsen’s Cowboy Songs performed by student soprano Emily Brink, an aria from Mark Adamo’s Little Women sung by Bob Mangialardi of the voice faculty, and the premiere of my Aura for synthesizer. Pianists Eva Ferguson and Nancy Pounds will perform with the evening’s vocalists. The concert is at 8 p.m. in Westbrook Auditorium of Presser Hall, and is free and open to the public.