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WILSON, N.C. - Plan to make Saturday, Feb. 14, a special Valentine's Day, and celebrate in gala fashion with the Barton College/Wilson Symphony Orchestra at the eighteenth annual "Love the Symphony." The evening's performance, under the direction of Mark N. Peterson, will feature Stefano and Nina Tanchietti, the magical American Dramatic Tenor and Soprano Duo, performing musical scenes from their Grande Romanza®.

One of Wilson's premier social events of the year, this dinner concert will be an evening guaranteed to please both the ear and the palette. The event will begin with a wine and cheese reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by entertainment at 7 p.m. The delectable buffet, prepared by Barton's own master chefs, will be served at 8 p.m. following the concert.

Love the Symphony's program will begin with the Suite from "The Magnificent Seven," scored by Elmer Bernstein for the Academy Award-winning film. This will be followed by Stefano and Nina Tanchietti's performance of a vignette of scenes from Victor Herbert's Operettas. A second tribute to music in film will feature the orchestra's rendition of George Gershwin's "An American in Paris." And, Stefano and Nina Tanchietti will return to the stage to perform selections from Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Phantom of the Opera."

This distinguished tenor and soprano duo, combine their talents to provide a powerful and unforgettable experience for their audiences. They both possess glorious operatic voices, extraordinary physical beauty, incomparable acting ability and innate artistic expressiveness. From their first joint venture as college sweethearts as Marco and Gianetta in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Gondoliers," to their first operatic pairing as Don Jose and Micaela in Bizet's "Carmen," to their most recent performances as Otello and Desdemona in Verdi's "Otello," their audiences have marveled at the special chemistry they share onstage.

Their story began in Massachusetts where they were born and raised. They both showed exceptional musical gifts at very early ages. Stefano's beautiful boy alto gradually developed into a young dramatic tenor with world-class potential. His formal musical studies began at age17, and he won a full scholarship to Boston University School of Fine Arts.

Nina's musical development began with ballet lessons at age eight, piano lessons at age 10 and voice lessons at age14. Dancing was initially her principal love and when she auditioned for the Boston Ballet at age 16, the director told her that she had the talent to become a great ballerina. But the following year the beauty of her young dramatic soprano also won her a scholarship to Boston University School of Fine Arts.

Over time, they have built extensive repertoires in opera, light opera, and musical comedy, and they are equally at home in all three mediums. And, because of their tremendous versatility and their love for various types of musical expression, the couple decided to create a special show that would highlight their numerous gifts. They also wanted to reach out to audiences that are not accustomed to experiencing the thrill of live voices coming directly at them without the aid of microphones and amplifiers. Thus was born "GRANDE ROMANZA®" musical scenes of love and passion from Broadway, Operetta, and Opera.

The popularity of "Love the Symphony" continues to grow following the change in venue four years ago to accommodate the ever-increasing number of guest reservations each year. Wilson Gymnasium on the Barton campus provides a spacious and elegantly transformed environment to provide the perfect backdrop for sweethearts and friends to enjoy the delightful classics performed by the orchestra.

"Love the Symphony" tickets are $50 per person, and reservations may be made by calling Lynne Medlin at 252-399-6309. Please note that tables for eight are available by reservation. No tickets will be mailed.

Thanks to the generosity of the BB&T Wealth Management Division, a portion of your contribution is eligible for a tax deduction as a charitable gift.

Mark your calendars for this truly festive occasion.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations at Barton College, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

"Waiting Room" by John Legg, grade 12, Cardinal Gibbons High School

WILSON, N.C. - As host and regional sponsor for the 31st year, Barton College welcomes The National Scholastic Art Awards for the Eastern/Central North Carolina Region. The featured speaker for the annual awards ceremony will be Dean Johns, Director of Arts Education for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

The Scholastic Art Awards, Inc. conducts a visual art awards program for middle and high school students in the United States. Entries from all 50 states are submitted for competition in this nationally renowned program. The Scholastic Art Awards program is designed to encourage student achievement, to recognize and applaud our fine art teachers and to emphasize the importance of the visual arts in the school curriculum. Barton College is proud to host the Eastern/Central Regional District in North Carolina, representing 62 counties from the piedmont to the coast.

Following an ice cream social for awardees and their families in Wilson Gymnasium on the Barton campus at 1:30 p.m., on Sunday, Jan. 25, there will be an awards presentation for the Gold Key recipients beginning at 2:00 p.m. The ceremony is open to student Gold Key Award recipients, their families, and N.C. arts teachers and principals. The Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition will be available for public viewing in the Barton Museum beginning Jan. 26.

Contributors to the program include the Visual Arts Department of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, the Wilson Chamber of Commerce, Stan Corbett of Corbett Reproductions, Framer's Alley of Elm City, and the Office of Enrollment Management at Barton College.

Dr. Norval C. Kneten, president of Barton College, and Mark F. Gordon, director of The Eastern/Central North Carolina Region of The Scholastic Art Awards Program, will bring brief remarks during the program. Debra Pylypiw, chair of The Eastern/Central North Carolina Region of The Scholastic Art Awards Advisory Committee, will present the awards to the student recipients.

Guest speaker Dean Johns received his Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Arts Education from Florida State University, a Master of Education degree in Visual Arts Education from the University of Central Florida, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Jewelry and Sculpture from Winthrop University.

He has 42 years of experience in public school arts education, with 32 of those years as a middle and high school teacher. Johns has been active in both the North Carolina Art Education Association and the National Art Education Association, serving in various leadership roles. He also has conducted workshops for artists and teacher throughout the United States on a wide variety of topics including: "Literacy and Arts Education," "Design Development," "Understanding the Creative Process," "Tapestry and Loom Weaving," "Jewelry Making," and, most recently, "The Creation of Sculptural Forms Using Cardboard."

"My creative problem solving can be thought of as having three components: inspiration, imagination, and intellectualization," shared Johns. "For me, inspiration is the force that begins the act of creation; imagination is the energy that fuels the work in progress; and intellectualization is the process that propels the work through the various stages to completion. My work derives from a conscious manipulation of the formal qualities of art and design, learning by accident, maintaining control, and seeking refinements for the entire creative process. A good piece of work usually evolves from a balance and control of artistic spontaneity and the technical aspects of creating."

The Scholastic Art Awards entries for the Eastern/Central North Carolina Region are received at Barton College during the first week of January. This year, approximately 1,800 entries were presented for judging. Students, through their teachers, submitted artwork in a variety of categories including painting, drawing, mixes media, printmaking, sculpture, photography, computer graphics, video, film and animation, environments, graphics, products, ceramics, jewelry and metalsmithing, textile and fiber design, art portfolio, and photography portfolio. Jurors are charged to select entries that they deem especially worthy of recognition.

The Eastern/Central North Carolina Region has an advisory committee composed of eight art teachers. This year the exhibition selection jury was composed of teachers, gallery directors and professional artists.

Two hundred and fifty-one pieces were selected as Gold Key Awards for the exhibition. Digital images of these finalist art works will be sent to New York City for judging against other regional winners for the national exhibition held in June at the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C. Also sent to New York will be the works of five American Vision Award (Best of Show) nominees, including: Holly Fulton, grade 12, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Career Center; Skye Miller, grade 9, West Stokes High School; Eri Miyagi, grade 12, Salem Academy; Jessica Mayes, grade 12, Durham School of the Arts; and Emily Buchanan, grade 12, East Forsyth High School. There also were 311 Silver Key Awards chosen from the works submitted. A list of award recipients is available for viewing on the Barton Art Galleries' web site at http://www.barton.edu/galleries/scholastics.htm.

From the Gold Key artworks, the jury also selected works for additional regional awards to be presented at the ceremony including the Barton College Award to John Legg, grade 12, Cardinal Gibbons High School ("Waiting Room," pictured above); "The Wilson Daily Times" Award to Tyler Beddard, grade 9, West Forsyth High School; the North Carolina Art Education Association Award to Hannah Jennings, grade 12, R. J. Reynolds High School; the Governor's Student Excellence Award to Zach Vestal, grade 12, West Forsyth High School; the Emerging Vision Award to Hannah Sloan, grade 7, Arendell Parrott Academy; and the Edward C. Brown Award, which honors the long-time director of the Barton Scholastics Program, to Grayson Schmidt, grade 12, Durham School of the Arts.

The exhibition will run from Jan. 26 - Feb. 8 in the Barton Art Galleries located in Case Art Building. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. For additional information, please contact Mark Gordon, at 252-399-6474 or the Barton Art Galleries at 252-399-6477.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.