As audience members trickled into Knuth Hall March 30, some had no idea they were the first people to ever hear a musical performance of its kind at SF State.

For the first time ever, the SFSU Symphony and some faculty from the music department got together to play jazz music in an afternoon recital titled “SFSU Symphony Plays Jazz.”

The combination of a classical symphony playing with jazz artists had never been done before in SF State's school of music.

The ensemble of classical instruments like the violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet and the bassoon merged with jazz artists playing the saxophone, trumpet, piano, drums and the guitar to create a hypnotizing yet soft and elegant sound.

All the music performed came from legendary alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. And even though not all eight songs were composed by Parker, each and every one came from his album “Charlie Parker with Strings.” Jazz tunes such as “I Cover the Waterfront,” “Moon Mist,” “April in Paris,” “Laura” and others resounded throughout Knuth Hall.

“Of all the albums he did, he said it was his favorite,” said professional saxophonist and SF State professor Andrew Speight about Parker during the recital.

As the featured performer of the afternoon, Speight accompanied the symphony on each and every song. He said he always has fun and enjoys playing music with his students.

“I have a jam session every Monday night with my students at Shanghai 1930 (in San Francisco),” said Speight after the recital.

Speight, originally from Australia, has been playing saxophone for over 20 years and was a leading saxophone player on the Australian jazz scene before coming to the United States 14 years ago. In Australia he had his own jazz quintet called Now’s the Time. In 1992, Speight was appointed to the jazz faculty of Michigan State University. He has played in numerous jazz festivals throughout the United States, and in a British Broadcasting Corp. television concert with trumpet player Wynton Marsalis. He also has two jazz CDs under his belt.

The SFSU Symphony was also graced with the presence of 14-year SF State professor and professional jazz pianist Dee Spencer.

Spencer received satisfactory reviews from members of the audience after the recital and said she was happy with the way everything turned out. She accompanied the symphony on a few songs and she didn’t even get a chance to prepare.

“I just got the music today,” said Spencer. “It’s the first time we’ve combined jazz and classical, and it was a great experience.”

A typical jazz ensemble usually consists of a piano, drums, bass, guitar, and wind instruments, but music major Dana Rigaud, 21, said that string instruments such as violins and cellos are rare to hear in jazz music. But it was a really nice experience, Rigaud said.

Spencer also said that the students only had about two rehearsals before the performance and they did a great job.

“We normally practice way more especially when we are playing classical music, but jazz is a little easier,” said music major and violinist Sophia Yurina, 20. “It could have been even better if we had more practice.”

Although some extra hours of practice may have improved an already good performance, audience members were pleased nonetheless.

“I think everyone sounded great and it was a total success,” said audience member and jazz enthusiast Capris Auswell.

Not only was the recital a success, but it was also a learning experience for the students. Yurina said playing with professionals like Speight and Spencer is great because they work with the students and it helps students get better and gain more confidence.

This jazz recital was not the first time the SFSU Symphony had the chance of working with professional musicians, though.

Jassen Tolorov, assistant professor at SF State and accomplished violinist, conducted the recital. He has also conducted other SFSU Symphony performances and was a featured soloist in some. Tolorov has appeared with major orchestras throughout the United States and Europe and he first came to international attention after his Carnegie-Weill Recital Hall debut in 1999. He has since released two solo CDs featuring works by Brahms as well as contemporary composers.

SFSU Symphony will be performing on April 10 at 5 p.m. in Knuth Hall. The show is free of charge.