As the fall season brought radiance to the Midwest, the Rountree Ensemble brought music to Brodbeck Concert Hall in UW-Platteville’s Center for the Arts last week.

The Rountree Ensemble began the Sept. 30 concert with an octet from composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel. Before the concert began, John Marco, Rountree Ensemble’s artistic director and clarinetist, addressed the crowd in the Brodbeck Concert Hall.

According to Marco, Hummel was a child prodigy, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  was so impressed by Hummel that he included him in his works. Marco commented on Hummel’s brilliant, flashy style that made him an artistic rival of Beethoven. John Marco remarked that the opening piece of the concert reflected “the brilliant, attractive, melodic and energetic style that was Johan Hummel.”

The Rountree Ensemble continued with works from Anton Reicha, Raymond Eugene Premru and ended with a serenade  in E flat composed by Mozart.

Making up the Rountree Ensemble was Conductor Daniel Fairchild, trombonist Micheal Lewis, flutist Margaret Cornils, oboe players Heather Mallory and Daniel Ellis, clarinetists John Marco and Karl Busch, bassoonists Barry Ellis and Marcia Martin and horn players Matthew Gregg and John Wunderlin.

The Rountree Ensemble is made possible through the UW-P Foundation and the Dorthea Wilgus Pickard Fund. Audience members included classical music lovers as well as UW-P students.

The Sept. 30 performance of the Rountree Ensemble was first of four, as they return to the Brodbeck Concert Hall Wednesday, Nov. 4, Wednesday, Feb. 24 and Wednesday, April 14 to present “The Best of the Brahms,” “All Mozart,” and “Serenade.”

Tickets for the Rountree Ensemble concerts are available at the University Box Office in the CFA. The University Box Office may be reached at 608-342-1298.