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Married and musical: Kafers to perform Aug. 18

July 24, 2013
Cecelia and Harold Kafer

Cecelia and Harold Kafer

The NIU School of Music is happy to welcome Cecelia and Harold Kafer back to campus for a program of opera arias and transcriptions at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, in the Recital Hall of the Music Building.

Their program will include pieces by Strauss, Mozart, Wagner, Massenet, Bizet, Puccini and others.

Cecelia Kafer has appeared in recital, opera, and oratorio throughout the United States as well as in Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

She has performed with the Arizona Opera Company, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and as a guest artist with the Florida State University Opera. For many years she was the vocalist with The Lyric Ensemble, a chamber ensemble of voice, oboe, horn and piano.

Local audiences have heard her perform with Shenanigans, the DeKalb Municipal Band, Stagecoach Players and the NIU Wind Ensemble.

Before retiring in 2010 after many years as a vocal techer, she served on the faculties of North Central Texas College, the College of DuPage and Sherwood Conservatory. From 1991 to 2010, she maintained a large private voice studio in DeKalb.

Harold Kafer retired from NIU in 2010 after a long career as a music faculty member and as an arts and university level administrator. He served NIU as director of the School of Music, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and ultimately as deputy provost.

Prior to joining NIU, he was head of the Music Department at Auburn University in Alabama and held faculty positions at community colleges in Arizona and Texas.

Having begun piano study at the age of 14 in Ohio, as a high school senior he won first prize in the Phoenix Symphony Concerto Competition and a scholarship to The Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Calif.

In retirement he is happy to allow others to have the limelight but still seeks out occasional opportunities to perform to keep both his fingers and brain agile.

The recital is free and open to the public, and the hall is accessible to all. For more information, call (815) 753-1546 or email lslater@niu.edu.