Wharton County Junior College will host a "Faculty and Friends" concert on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Horton Foote Theatre on the Wharton campus. Performers include, from left to right, WCJC Board of Trustees member Dr. Sue Zanne Williamson Urbis and her husband, Professor Richard Urbis, community musician John Purcell, WCJC Instructor of Music Debra Lemson, WCJC Band Director Dr. Jeffrey Anderson and WCJC Choir Director Dr. Karl Paoletti. Not pictured is WCJC Instructor of Music Dr. Brittany May and community singer Ronda Paoletti.
WHARTON, TEXAS — Wharton County Junior College faculty members will take the stage for the college’s first concert of the Fall 2025 season. The “Faculty and Friends” concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Horton Foote Theatre on the Wharton campus. The show is free of admission and open to the public.
WCJC Choir Director Dr. Karl Paoletti said this is the first time in a decade that the college has hosted a faculty-led recital.
“Each faculty member picked pieces that they thought the audience would enjoy hearing,” he said.
Along with Paoletti, who will tackle vocals, other WCJC faculty members participating in the concert include WCJC Band Director Dr. Jeffrey Anderson on the clarinet and piano, WCJC Instructor of Music Dr. Brittany May on the flute and WCJC Instructor of Music Debra Lemson on the piano. Guest performers include soprano Ronda Paoletti, a music teacher in Fort Bend Independent School District; community musician John Purcell, who will play double bass; and WCJC Board of Trustees member Dr. Sue Zanne Williamson Urbis and her husband, Professor Richard Urbis, on a challenging four-hand piano piece.
“The biggest challenge was finding times in our busy schedules to rehearse,” Paoletti said.
Musical selections will cover a wide gamut of styles, including classical, opera, Broadway and songs from the Great American Songbook. Paoletti expects the concert to be a lot of fun for both the audience and the performers.
“This is the first time for the audience to hear such a diverse collection of professional musicians from our talented faculty and community on one concert,” he said.
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