BETHLEHEM — West Virginia University Jazz Band will entertain the Thursday Music Club at 11 a.m. March 7 at The Char House on the Boulevard in Bethlehem.

Call Sandy Smith at 304-242-1628 by March 2 to make a reservation. The lunch at the Char House will be ham, sweet potato, salad, dessert, coffee, tea and water.

Judy Szymialis and Donna Niess will greet members and guests at the door. Anyone can join the Thursday Music Club at any time.

President Suzie McCormick will have a short business meeting calling on Mary Ann Mysliwiec for the treasurer’s report and Szymialis for the secretary’s report and other committee chairs for their reports.

Director Anita Chops has chorus practice from 10 a.m. to noon every Wednesday at Elm Grove United Methodist Church. Debbie Breiding is the accompanist. Call Chops at 304-551-1414 for more details.

Study group will beat 1 p.m. March 11 at Elm Grove Methodist Church. Lois Neitzelt will be the presenter, and Lottie Durbin will provide refreshments.

Youth auditions will be March 15-16 at Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church in Woodsdale with the recital held at 1 p.m. March 24 at Vance.

WVU Jazz Band performers

∫ Alton Wong is a pianist, composer and aspiring educator pursuing master’s degrees in jazz pedagogy and classical performance at WVU, under the tutelage of Alton Merrell and Lucy Mauro. Outside school sessions, he performs as a solo artist and has made appearances at multiple local and international jazz festivals.

Alton is a 2023 winner in the Downbeat Student Music Awards for the graduate jazz soloist category, an honorable mention in the 2024 Jazz Education Network Young Composers’ Showcase, and a U.S. Department of State international exchange alumni.

– Artur Sousa is an educator and bass player for the WVU Jazz Trio and WVU Jazz Ensemble 1. He is pursuing his master’s in jazz pedagogy at WVU. He advocates for transforming lives through music and expanding jazz education to underserved communities.

– B. Greer Lambert is a 20-year-old Morgantown native majoring in jazz and commercial music performance at WVU. Lambert, an accomplished percussionist and aspiring educator, has performed extensively across West Virginia and neighboring states with acts such as the Davisson Brothers Band, Tucker Knisell, the WVU Jazz Trio, and WVU’s Jazz Ensemble 1. His instructional roles at the Newport Jazz Camp (Newport, Rhode Island), and Fawley’s Music (Morgantown, West Virginia) highlight his commitment to both performance and music education.

– Jared Sims is the director of Jazz at WVU and will soon be releasing his 11th solo jazz album. He will not perform for the Thursday Music Club, but he has headlined venues from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, as well as Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.