M State in Fergus Falls to host spring concerts, classical and classic rock

M State’s Fergus Falls campus will put two very different spring concerts on the same stage at Legacy Hall, giving Otter Tail County a chance to hear everything from wind-band classics to classic rock in one week.

The first performance, the annual Spring Band and Choir Concert, is set for Sunday, April 19 at 2 p.m. It will feature the Voice Ensemble and Concert Band, with selections including My Heart Be Brave, Northwest Passage and Gustav Holst’s First Suite in E-flat. The second, the Spring Extravaganza Concert, is scheduled for Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. and will broaden the lineup with the Concert Choir, Percussion Ensemble, Beginning Guitar Class and smaller student groups before the Lakes Area All-Stars Band takes over with classic rock.

That collaboration is what makes the second concert stand out. Rather than keeping the campus performances inside the classroom or rehearsal room, M State is bringing students together with 14 area musicians from the Lakes Area All-Stars, creating a show that connects the college with the surrounding community. Laura Quaintance, M State music faculty on the Fergus Falls campus, directs the Concert Choir and Voice Ensemble and teaches private voice lessons, sight singing and ear training. A separate biography says she is in her 18th year as a vocal music educator and graduated from Fergus Falls High School in 2002.

Both concerts are ticketed performances in Legacy Hall, but M State says students, faculty and staff are admitted free of charge. The college’s fine arts page also says events marked with an asterisk require tickets and that accommodations are available for patrons with accessibility needs. Tickets are modestly priced and children receive discounts, keeping the concerts within reach for families across the area.

The spring schedule around the performances shows M State is using the Fergus Falls campus as a broader arts hub, not just a classroom site. The fine arts calendar also includes an Empty Bowls event on April 16 and a High School State Section Solo and Ensemble Contest on May 2.

In a city of 14,258 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s July 1, 2024 estimate, that kind of programming gives a small regional center something bigger than a campus recital. It gives Fergus Falls two nights of live music, two different traditions and one shared stage.