Stetson University’s School of Music will open its 2013-14 season with a premier concert, 7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 23. As is Stetson’s tradition, the School of Music’s first concert of the new academic year, known as the Friends of Music Concert, is open to the public, free of charge. It will be held in Lee Chapel, inside Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., on Stetson’s DeLand campus.

Featured artists include Jean West, flute; Michael Rickman, piano; Stephen Robinson, guitar; and Cameron Huster, harp. They will perform works by Astor Piazzolla, Franz Liszt, Howard Hanson and Isaac Albeniz.

Friday evening’s concert will be the first official concert under the leadership of the new dean of the School of Music at Stetson. The university announced in February that Thomas Masse, from Yale University, was selected as the new dean, but his official tenure at Stetson began this summer. This concert will honor former music dean Jean West, who served as dean from 2004 to 2013.

“The Friends of Music Concert has for many years been a cultural highlight for Stetson University, the city of DeLand, and for central Florida,” said Masse. “This annual event marks the beginning of the concert season on our campus and is one of the great musical gifts we give to our community. This year, we honor the leadership and artistry of Jean West, our former dean of the School of Music. We have designed a program to showcase the immense talents of our artist-faculty in an eclectic program offering great music from Bach to Liszt to Piazolla. On behalf of the entire School of Music, I invite you to this very special event honoring a very special individual.”

The Friends of Music concert will be live-streamed on Stetson’s Ustream channel. For ticket information, contact the School of Music’s Concert Line at (386) 822-8947. For more information, find us on Facebook or send us an email at [email protected]. The full music calendar can be seen at www2.stetson.edu/music/calendar.