Maureen Gallagher

I am slowly meeting all the new people in the Columbus State University Schwob School of Music and departments of theater and art.

Last Friday, I met the new professor of viola, Maureen Gallagher.

It turns out that she's a member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, though she took a year's leave to teach at CSU. I asked if she was part of the orchestra when it performed at the Springer Opera House back in 2000. She looked surprised because she said I was the only person who asked her that. It's probably because so many of the music faculty are new and were hired after the new facility opened.

Anyway, she was. Maureen remembered that the RiverCenter site was still under construction. When I mentioned that Branford Marsalis, who was conducting the orchestra on that tour, refused to let Georgia Public Radio broadcast the concert, she simply said, "He was in a bad mood that night."

And then she said she was a member of the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Mito, Japan. It's such a coincidence that Mito was one of the areas we visited when we were in Japan in May.

Maureen spends about four weeks every year in Japan. She'll go in November for a week to perform. She's the only non-Japanese string player. She says she was hired because the orchestra does not have a conductor, and she's got experience performing without a conductor. You see, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra usually does without a conductor. For some reason, Marsalis was on that tour as the conductor. I know he does play with the orchestra, but he was the big name that year.

We had a nice chat about Japan. We even ate at the same small restaurant in Nikko that specializes in tofu.

I still say that was the best meal we had on that trip.

You can hear Maureen for the first time Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Legacy Hall. She'll be performing in the Columbus State University Faculty Concert Series with professor of piano Gila Goldstein and professor of cello André Gaskins.

The program includes Bach's "Sonata for Viola and Piano," Hindemith's "Sonata for Viola and Piano, Opus 11, No. 4" and Beethoven's "Duet for Viola and Cello in E-flat Major," sometimes called "With Two Eyeglasses Obligato."

And there's something special. Schwob School of Music director Fred Cohen has written a brand-new piece, and the world premiere of "For Maureen" will be performed.

Tickets are $20.

Call 706-256-3612.