Ending the show with a fist in the air and blown kisses to the UW- Eau Claire orchestra, Sylvia McNair’s performance alongside Jazz I and the University Symphony Orchestra brought a crowd to Gantner Concert Hall Oct. 25.

McNair is a two-time Grammy award winner (1993,1996). She has also received a regional Emmy Award, having performed around the world at opera houses, choirs and symphony orchestras since starting her career in 1980.

Bringing her musical talent and wisdom of the business to Eau Claire, McNair led master classes and held a question and answer forum open to students and the public Friday.

The two-part show contained the accompaniment of Sylvia McNair with both Jazz I and the University Symphony Orchestra as well as a clarinet feature of assistant professor of music Dr. Melissa Koprowski.

Beginning with the song “Skin Deep,” originally performed by Louis Bellson, the concert encompassed a total of nine songs, covering artists from Cole Porter to George Gershwin. McNair said she feels close to the music of George Gershwin, having sung his music for many years.

McNair said she was “blown away by the level of singing talent at this school,” while also recognizing the orchestra’s talent and tipping her hat to Eau Claire music department professors for the student’s talent they have helped to shape.

Hannah Kennedy, junior violin performance and concertmaster, enjoyed performing alongside McNair.

Kennedy is one of the four recipients of the Eileen Phillips Cohen Scholarship which includes full in-state tuition and membership in the Eileen Phillips Cohen String Quartet. Along with membership in the Orchestra and Quartet, Kennedy also performs solo and with the Baroque Ensemble, a small chamber orchestra.

She said her high commitment to music performance is to prepare for graduate school auditions. She felt the performance with McNair was a success.

“Today I think everybody had a really good time and I know our conductor really enjoyed himself too so it was a success,” Kennedy said. “It’s a good reminder because it shows you everything that can be done with music.”

Kennedy said the group had two weeks of preparation with the music and only one rehearsal with McNair. She said she felt intimidated because of McNair’s prestige. But it was fun to work with her, she said.

“You get to do a performance like that and it reminds you of why it is totally worth it to study music,” Kennedy said.

Gabriel Feldt is a freshman vocal performance major in attendance of the event after hearing about it at one of her master classes.

“I made sure to get a ticket because everyone said that she’s amazing and that she would be something you wouldn’t want to miss,” Feldt said. “The whole thing was great because Sylvia was great … and really knowledgeable.”

Feldt said this weekend with McNair reaffirms his belief of the strong musical talent on campus as a music performance major.

“It was really cool seeing them perform because it reminds me that we have great talent here and teaching here and it’s just a great music school at Eau Claire.”