Never a Dull Moment

Sue Makeever shares why collage is a unique experience.

Jerry and Sue Makeever have both dedicated many, many years, to the Bozeman Symphony with Jerry currently celebrating 43 seasons and Sue, celebrating 29 seasons with the orchestra! Jerry and Sue settled into Bozeman in 1987 after spending a year living apart. Sue had been teaching at the University of North Texas while Jerry was teaching here at MSU. The couple decided Bozeman was a better place to live and raise a family which includes their two children Megan and Matt. Their family has contributed greatly to the Symphony with each of them participating over the years with Matt on trumpet, and Megan on flute and piccolo.

Jerry, Megan (Ali), Matt, and Sue Makeever.

Sue has been immersed in Bozeman’s musical community teaching flute, coaching a flute choir, playing in the woodwind quintet at MSU, a private studio, and playing in the Bozeman Symphony, Intermountain Opera, and Montana Ballet. She recently retired from the Billings Symphony after 22 years!

Sue's musical interests were sparked early on. At the age of five, her grandmother took her to the Philadelphia Orchestra where she heard flutist William Kincaid, and at that moment, knew she wanted to play. This experience inspired her passion for playing music and later as a music educator in her professional career. Her involvement with the Bozeman Symphony first began by subbing in the symphony when she first came to Bozeman, then moving into the piccolo spot and now as the current principal flute. Players in the Symphony, along with Sue, know that the concert season keeps them very busy from September to April. Sue shares: “I love orchestral music, and even though my earnings from the symphony don't financially support me, I am lucky to be doing what I love. I still enjoy the process and challenge.”

As a featured musician during upcoming performances of “collage,” a part of the Symphony’s ongoing 50th anniversary celebration, you can see and hear Sue perform in the spotlight. “The collage is a unique experience. I have been lucky to be featured a few times and it is exciting to present this to the public. The scariest part of the collage is to know exactly when to come in, as each piece needs to fit organically into the next selection” says Sue.

Performing the first movement of the Histoire du Tango by the Argentinian composer, Astor Piazzolla, Sue will be joined by principal timpanist Jeff Vick on marimba. The movement titled “Bordel 1900” was originally written for flute and guitar in 1986.  It is a lively dance representing women's chatter in the bordellos and dance halls. This feature is just one snippet of the many musical selections that comprise the entirety of collage. In Sue’s words: "Matthew's programming is excellent! There is never a dull moment!”

Join Sue and the musicians of the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir on Saturday March 3rd and Sunday March 4th at Willson Auditorium.