DATE: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008.

EVENT: In a performance that aims to capture the dynamism and eclecticism of contemporary music, students from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance come together in the much-anticipated Collage Concert.

The 31st-annual showcase of U-M musicians along with lighting and sound engineers features an array of musical textures woven into a tapestry of sounds and surprising juxtapositions. The unconventional format features the last notes of one piece overlapping with the initial notes of an emerging composition.

Selected pieces have been placed in an order based on the contrast of old versus new music, soloist versus ensemble, and, subtle and soft sounds versus bold and loud notes.

A jazz riff fades into a madrigal. A string quartet blends into an ensemble of metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs. A Billy Joel ballad rolls into the rhythmic energy of a work by Igor Stravinsky.

Throughout the Collage Concert performances, a complex logistical plan arranged by U-M lighting and sound engineers unfolds before the audience. The effect is to inspire and challenge audiences to grasp the fundamental similarities of musical forms, while appreciating the differences among genres.

PLACE: Hill Auditorium, 825 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor

COST: $15-$25. For tickets, call 734.763.TKTS. Or visit http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase

For more information, contact Rachel Francisco, (734) 764-0594, or [email protected].