Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the UW-W College of Arts and Communication, Department of Music.

The College of Arts and Communication at UW-Whitewater announces that the Gala Benefit Concert by the Department of Music will return to a live audience in Young Auditorium. The largest fundraiser of the year for the department, all proceeds benefit the Music Scholarship Fund. The Gala will take place on Saturday, December 4 @ 7:30 pm in Young Auditorium with socially distanced seating.  Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. In addition to tickets, the Department is raising scholarship funds for students through the Berres Brothers Coffee Fundraiser on behalf of the Delta Omicron student organization. Orders are due by November 12th through the online order form located here: https://uwwhitewater.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_02IZEJoYiZAvYkC.

Masks are required for anyone entering a campus building. Do not come to campus if you are ill. For the most up to date campus safety information, visit the Warhawks are Back webpage at the link below. uww.edu/warhawks-are-back.

Now more than ever, both students and faculty are profoundly grateful for music and performing live for audiences. An annual tradition, the Gala Benefit Concert features works from nearly every student ensemble in the department, from the Whitewater Symphony Orchestra to the Clarinet Ensemble. This year’s program will include selections from “The Nutcracker” arranged by Duke Ellington, “Polar Night” by Nebojsa Macura, “Festiva Fanfare” by Brian Balmages and more.

Performers are happy to return to the stage with the safety measures put in place by UW-Whitewater and the events team. Seating for the Gala Benefit Concert will be sold in seats of two with one seat left open in between. Attendees in larger groups will be able to move closer to each other during the performance to form their own “pod” section. In a typical year the Gala Benefit Concert produces over $20,000 in scholarship funds for the department. Last year, donors were to be thanked for the funds raised. “The financial impact of the pandemic has not been lost on us,” says department chair Mike Dugan. “For last year’s event we were still able to raise funds through the recorded event and the immense generosity of our supporters. I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank each and every single person who made a donation for scholarships last year – our students are grateful and we couldn’t have done it without you.”

This year, in lieu of a silent auction at the event, the Department is holding a pre-order coffee fundraiser on behalf of the student organization Delta Omicron. Organization President Dayna Hubbarrtt states “It’s important to our organization that we support the efforts of the department in raising funds for our own scholarships. As students, these funds are critical to ensure that we are able to remain focused on our educational experiences. We are proud to be part of this year’s Gala fundraising efforts.”

The Gala coffee fundraiser offers 10 oz bags of Berres Brothers coffee, 2 lb bags of cappuccino flavors, hot chocolate and more. “It’s a great opportunity for family and friends of the department and beyond to get their holiday gift shopping done early,” says Dugan. “In considering the safety measures during the pandemic, this was a great alternative to our usual silent auction. With a caffeine habit of my own, I think it has a big appeal to a pretty wide audience. For those non-caffeinated folks, decaf and hot chocolate are available; orders are due by November 12, 2021.”