91ֱ�� Conservatory Debuts New Space</h1> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Conservatory Debuts New Space</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:55:52 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Conservatory Debuts New Space</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-10-06T11:55:52-04:00" title="Monday, October 6, 2025 - 11:55">Mon, 10/06/2025 - 11:55</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ�� Conservatory has expanded its footprint along with its curriculum this fall. The arrival of Conservatory East Studios, located on East College Street in downtown 91ֱ��, coincides with the launch of the conservatory’s <a href="/music-theater-program" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="e76cc764-d960-4233-bd6b-6ce70e7a11f8" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Music Theater">Music Theater program</a>, which shares the new space with <a href="/recording-arts" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="402c1e04-2ddd-46fe-b48c-9a69b81fa8fc" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Recording Arts and Production">Recording Arts and Production</a>.</p><p>The 8,600-square-foot space, situated next to the Hotel at 91ֱ�� on the ground floor of the Peter B. Lewis Gateway Center, is centrally located between the main conservatory complex and the college’s theater and dance facilities.</p><p>Designed by J. Kurtz Architects of Cleveland, Conservatory East features two multipurpose studios, a recording control room, and offices for faculty and staff. The space features floor-to-ceiling windows along its south-facing walls, including both studios and a seating area at the main entrance. It’s a deliberate move intended to emphasize the vital connection to the outside world.</p><p>“ So often on college campuses, the teaching and learning is hidden from public view,” says Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/william-quillen" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="ae2f8811-f23e-458f-87e3-6d455d557536" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="William Quillen">William Quillen</a>. “Our idea here was to place our artistic processes front and center.”</p><h2>A Space Built for Creativity</h2><p>Conservatory East’s multipurpose studios can be used as classrooms, rehearsal spaces, or dance studios. Both are outfitted with ballet barres, sprung floors, mirrors, and self-record audiovisual systems. In addition to housing core classes for Music Theater, they can be reserved by any faculty member or student in the conservatory.</p><p>Adjoining the two studios is a central recording control room used for Recording Arts and Production classes. This soundproofed listening environment allows students to mix, master, and edit audio in real time. From here, they can also deploy segmented curtain systems, which can be arranged in various ways to create a host of sound environments in the studios.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Conservatory East Studios houses programs in Music Theater and Recording Arts and Production.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-10-06T12:00:00Z">Mon, 10/06/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Stephanie Manning ’23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4111">Music Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=184446">Recording Arts and Production</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=476332">Music Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/victoria-bussert" hreflang="und">Victoria Bussert</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/music-theater" hreflang="und">Music Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Music Theater students participate in a dance class in one of Conservatory East's two multipurpose studios, each with clear views onto East College Street.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44519" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>Walking into those beautiful studios with the sun’s first rays streaming through the windows is absolutely magical—all of us can feel it.” </p><p class="text-align-right"><em>—Professor of Music Theater Victoria Bussert</em></p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44520" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Throughout the construction process, acoustic isolation was a top priority to prevent noise transmission between Conservatory East and hotel guestrooms above. A technique called “box-in-box” construction—which calls for six layers of drywall between each room, among other reinforcements—ensures that no room touches another directly. The acoustically-rated glass that faces College Street is four layers thick, keeping sound transference to a minimum.</p><p>Conservatory East’s four practice rooms and 10 faculty and staff offices for Music Theater are also customized with sound-dampening measures.</p><p>A centrally-located lounge, featuring couches and modular furniture, connects the rooms and serves as a gathering space. Another seating area, with a countertop bar and stools situated at the expansive windows just inside the building’s main entrance, offers an unobstructed view of downtown 91ֱ��.</p><p>Two banks of lockers assigned to Music Theater students allow for convenient storage. (See photos of various Conservatory East spaces below.)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44523" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Conservatory East features direct access to the <a href="/birenbaum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5cd310b4-86e1-4ce3-ba00-9a39352c8c70" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space">Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space</a>, a sleek and intimate subterranean concert venue christened in 2016. Development of the new conservatory complex provided an opportunity to simultaneously update the Birenbaum with new stage lighting and rigging, acoustic treatments, and an upgraded control system. The Birenbaum will be a hub for Music Theater, which plans to use the venue for recitals, cabaret-style events, and other performances.</p><p>Conservatory East was an ambitious undertaking executed in a compressed timetable to accommodate the <a href="/news/oberlin-conservatory-launches-program-music-theater" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fca6ef33-ab08-4a4e-9eda-7c13a5450a8d" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="91ֱ�� Conservatory Launches Program in Music Theater">arrival of 91ֱ��’s new Music Theater program</a>. By late August, construction crews worked around the clock to ensure that the space was ready for students from Day 1 of classes.</p><p>“Walking into those beautiful studios with the sun’s first rays streaming through the windows is absolutely magical—all of us can feel it,” says Professor of Music Theater Victoria Bussert. “The creativity is truly running wild throughout the spaces from morning to night every single day.”</p><p>A few final touches are in store in the coming weeks: Exterior and interior signage, additional acoustic paneling, and more equipment for the recording control room will be added during fall semester.</p><p>Quillen expects the highly visible addition to campus to become a bustling hub of activity.</p><p>“ The space has been built to facilitate interaction between the students, between the faculty, and between the public,” he says. “The whole idea of the space is to foster togetherness and facilitate the kind of artistic magic that happens when creative people come together.”</p><hr><p><em><strong>Stephanie Manning is a freelance writer based in Cleveland. She studied bassoon performance, arts administration, and journalism at 91ֱ��.</strong></em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44526" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--default"> <figure> <figcaption> <div class="figure__caption"><p>Conservatory East Studios leans into its proximity to downtown 91ֱ��, with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer clear views of College Street—and into the studios from outside.</p></div> <div class="figure__credit"><p>Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</p></div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44527" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--default"> <figure> <figcaption> <div class="figure__caption"><p>Conservatory East's multipurpose studios seamlessly transition to classroom space.</p></div> <div class="figure__credit"><p>Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</p></div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44528" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--default"> <figure> <figcaption> <div class="figure__caption"><p>Plentiful cubby spaces and lockers provide ample room for student storage.</p></div> <div class="figure__credit"><p>Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</p></div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44529" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--default"> <figure> <figcaption> <div class="figure__caption"><p>Areas for socializing and relaxing abound, including this central lounge next to the multipurpose rooms and teacher studios.</p></div> <div class="figure__credit"><p>Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</p></div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44535" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--default"> <figure> <figcaption> <div class="figure__caption"><p>Conservatory East's multipurpose rooms are fully equipped for a wide range of uses and can be reserved by any conservatory student or faculty member.</p></div> <div class="figure__credit"><p>Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</p></div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-44537" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--default"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Conservatory Welcomes First Class in Recording Arts and Production</h1> <p>eburnett — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 17:45:08 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Conservatory Welcomes First Class in Recording Arts and Production</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-23T13:45:08-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 23, 2024 - 13:45">Wed, 10/23/2024 - 13:45</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This fall, 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music, the world’s premier undergraduate-focused music conservatory, proudly welcomed the first class of students to its newly established <a href="/recording-arts">Recording Arts and Production</a> major. This innovative program offers students unparalleled hands-on opportunities to engage with the technical and creative sides of audio production, recording a multitude of musical styles in one of the finest music environments in the world.</p> <p>The Recording Arts and Production major draws upon the conservatory’s vast resources, including more than 500 live performances annually and state-of-the-art recording facilities. Led by expert faculty, students gain both the technical expertise and aesthetic understanding needed to succeed in today’s diverse and dynamic music industry.</p> <p>“This program demonstrates our commitment to expanding the aperture of today’s conservatory education,” says Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/node/49511">William Quillen</a>. “We are preparing students for fulfilling and relevant careers across the professional music landscape. This has been a hallmark of 91ֱ��’s education throughout our 158-year history, and it is more crucial today than ever before.”</p> <p><a href="/node/30161">Andrew Tripp</a>, Associate Professor and Chair of Recording Arts and Production, says the program has been enthusiastically received by both students and faculty. “We’re thrilled with the reception to the program and couldn’t be happier to have successfully launched this fall. Our inaugural class is off to a great start, and we have several exciting projects lined up in the coming months.”</p> <p>Among those educational projects is a multitrack archival recording of <em>Omar</em>, the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera by 91ֱ�� alum Rhiannon Giddens ’00 and Michael Abels, taking place this December at 91ֱ��’s Finney Chapel. In January, celebrated musician Jacob Jolliff, who has toured with world-famous banjo player Béla Fleck, will come to campus to record a mandolin concerto written by 91ֱ�� composition faculty member Jesse Jones.</p> <p>“Our goal is to not only provide students with the technical skills needed for a career in audio production,” says Tripp, “but also to teach them what it means to be a true partner in the creative process. The number of high-level events produced by the conservatory each year is staggering, and when paired with our world-class facilities, it makes 91ֱ�� the ideal place to learn and explore.”</p> <p>The Recording Arts and Production major builds on 91ֱ��’s longstanding tradition of innovation and excellence in music education, equipping students with the tools and experiences they need to thrive in the evolving landscape of professional music production.</p> <p><strong>About 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music</strong><br> Founded in 1865, <a href="/conservatory">91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music</a> is renowned for its rigorous academic programs and vibrant performance opportunities. The conservatory offers more than 500 performances annually, many of which are free and open to the public. Its distinguished alumni include Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, Grammy Award-winning musicians, and leaders across the music industry.</p> <p>For more information, visit the <a href="/recording-arts">Recording Arts and Production website</a>. The application for new and transfer students is available now and due December 1.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">New major offers hands-on opportunities to record in multitude of styles.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-10-23T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/23/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=184446">Recording Arts and Production</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/andrew-tripp" hreflang="und">Andrew Tripp</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/andrew-garver" hreflang="und">Andrew Garver</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Students in 91ֱ��’s Recording Arts and Production major benefit from the conservatory’s numerous outstanding recording spaces and more than 500 performances every year.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kevin G. Reeves</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Adds 7 New Majors</h1> <p>eburnett — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:31:25 +0000</p> <span> 91ֱ�� Adds 7 New Majors</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-11T13:31:25-04:00" title="Friday, October 11, 2024 - 13:31">Fri, 10/11/2024 - 13:31</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> 91ֱ��, a world leader in developing innovative thinkers and exceptional artists, will launch seven new majors spanning a wide range of disciplines. The majors not only have broad faculty support but their creation was driven by faculty desire to expand our curriculum to meet evolving student interests and the opportunities and challenges of our complex world.</p><p>In the College of Arts and Sciences, the new majors are Business, Financial Economics, Environmental Science, Communication Studies, and Data Science. The Conservatory of Music has added Music Theater and Recording Arts and Production.</p><p>Recording Arts and Production, Financial Economics, and Communication Studies welcomed their first classes this fall. All other programs will be available to incoming students in fall 2025. Current College of Arts and Sciences students should reach out to the chairs of the new majors for information about adding a major in these new areas.</p><p>Music Theater is taking shape with the addition of an impressive roster of internationally known faculty and a state-of-the-art space created specifically for the program.</p><p>“I share in our faculty’s firm belief that this is not a time to back down from the programs that are foundational to our values as an institution,” says Carmen Twillie Ambar, President of 91ֱ��. “Just as important: This is the moment to double down on that commitment and to continually ask ourselves <em>Can we do more to prepare our students for success?</em> The arrival of these new majors offers a resounding answer: We can do more, and we are prepared to do just that. I applaud our faculty in both the college and conservatory for their visionary dedication to creating vital opportunities for our students.”</p><p>The seven new majors are designed to build upon 91ֱ��’s historic excellence in launching creative thought leaders from all walks of life. </p><p>“These new majors,” says David Kamitsuka, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, “build on 91ֱ��’s academic excellence and will equip our students to harness the power of their liberal arts education for an ever wider range of professional interests and 21st-century global challenges.” </p><p>The new majors also offer previously unimaginable combinations of study in the form of double majors and 91ֱ��’s popular Double Degree Program, through which students earn both a Bachelor of Arts in the college and a Bachelor of Music in the conservatory in five years or fewer. </p><p>“91ֱ�� was the first institution in America to confer the Double Degree, and we welcome new opportunities to expand the potential range of multidisciplinary approaches made possible by the program,” says Dean of the Conservatory William Quillen. “Already, we are hearing from many of our conservatory students about their enthusiasm for pursuing the new college majors through the Double Degree Program.” </p><p>Learn more about the Double Degree on <a href="/admissions-and-aid/double-degree-program"><strong>91ֱ��’s Admissions website</strong></a>.</p><p>Click the links below to learn more about each program:</p><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business"><strong>Business:</strong></a> Business and finance are among the top fields pursued by 91ֱ�� graduates. Through rich and varied courses and experiential learning opportunities, the Business major offers students the knowledge, skills, and experience to build, improve, and lead organizations in creating sustainable value. With signature programs such as Internship+, the Ashby Business Scholars, and the Impact Investment Advisory Group, Business at 91ֱ�� includes high-impact opportunities for applying theoretical knowledge to real-world business challenges and tapping into 91ֱ��’s influential network of alumni connections spanning a wide range of industries.</p><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/writing-and-communication"><strong>Communication Studies:</strong></a> The program equips students to be ethical producers and discerning consumers of a comprehensive range of communications and communications mediums. Students analyze and deploy communication strategies to address the interpersonal, cultural, and political challenges facing pluralistic democratic societies today.</p><p><a href="/node/478422"><strong>Environmental Science:</strong></a> Students investigate the complicated relationships between humans and the environment and explore interdisciplinary, science-based solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow. The program is a companion to 91ֱ��’s popular Environmental Studies major, which approaches the subject from more cultural and sociological perspectives.</p><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science"><strong>Data Science:</strong></a> Data informs virtually everything we do today: It fuels critical thinking for 21st-century challenges and unlocks insights across the natural and social sciences, business, the humanities, and beyond. The Data Science major prepares students to be evidence-based analysts and decision-makers in a constantly evolving world.</p><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance"><strong>Financial Economics:</strong></a> The program applies theoretic principles to extensive hands-on experiences with industry-standard software and data, preparing graduates for careers in a wide range of fields related to investment banking, asset management, venture capital, and more.</p><p>The conservatory major in <a href="/music-theater"><strong>Music Theater</strong></a> reinforces a longstanding tradition of 91ֱ�� graduates who have transformed Broadway through their artistry. The program will debut in 2025 with a newly built home, outstanding faculty and staff, and a host of complementary resources. </p><p>The major in <a href="/recording-arts"><strong>Recording Arts and Production</strong></a>, available this fall, capitalizes on the extensive resources of the conservatory—including more than 500 on-campus performances each year and extraordinary recording and production facilities. Its expert faculty facilitate an understanding of the technical skills and aesthetic considerations that inform the craft of those at the leading edge of the profession and across a multitude of musical styles.</p><p>“These programs demonstrate our commitment to expanding the aperture of today’s conservatory education,” says Quillen. “Music Theater and Recording Arts and Production, while obviously distinct from one another, are unmistakably united in the ways they support our mission to prepare students for relevant and fulfilling careers across the professional music landscape of today and tomorrow. This has been a hallmark of an 91ֱ�� Conservatory education throughout our 158-year history, and it is unquestionably more crucial today than ever before.”</p><p>Visit 91ֱ��.edu for more information about majors in the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/areas-of-study"><strong>College of Arts and Sciences</strong></a> and <a href="/conservatory/areas-of-study"><strong>Conservatory of Music</strong></a>.</p><hr><p><strong>ABOUT OBERLIN COLLEGE AND CONSERVATORY: </strong>Since its founding in 1833, 91ֱ�� has led the nation in its commitment to educational access and opportunity. 91ֱ�� was the first U.S. college to adopt a policy to admit Black students and grant undergraduate degrees to women alongside men.</p><p>Located at the heart of a bucolic Northeast Ohio town, 91ֱ�� uniquely combines an outstanding pre-professional school of music with a leading undergraduate college of arts and sciences. 91ֱ�� students hail from nearly every U.S. state and more than 50 nations. Our alumni include 15 MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellows, four Nobel Laureates, nine Pulitzer Prize recipients, and countless Grammy Award winners. In the last century, more graduates of 91ֱ�� have gone on to earn PhDs than any other liberal arts institution. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">New programs build on established successes, bolster resources to position graduates for meaningful careers.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-10-15T12:00:00Z">Tue, 10/15/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2556">Admissions</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=187731">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=415031">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=468173">Communication Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=476332">Music Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=184446">Recording Arts and Production</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/david-kamitsuka" hreflang="und">David Kamitsuka</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/william-quillen" hreflang="und">William Quillen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/carmen-twillie-ambar" hreflang="und">Carmen Twillie Ambar</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business" hreflang="und">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance" hreflang="und">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science" hreflang="und">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/writing-and-communication" hreflang="und">Communication Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/music-theater" hreflang="und">Music Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-science" hreflang="und">Environmental Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">William Bradford</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>‘‘Rands at 91ֱ��’’ Features English Horn Professor Robert Walters, 91ֱ�� Ensembles</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 20:40:24 +0000</p> <span>‘‘Rands at 91ֱ��’’ Features English Horn Professor Robert Walters, 91ֱ�� Ensembles</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-04-21T16:40:24-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 16:40">Tue, 04/21/2020 - 16:40</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Bernard Rands boasts a catalog of more than 100 published compositions, among them his vocal and instrumental work <em>Canti del Sole</em>, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1984.</p> <p></p> <p><a href="https://naxosdirect.com/items/rands-at-oberlin-535912"><em>Rands at 91ֱ��</em></a>, a new recording on the 91ֱ�� Music label, serves as the recorded premiere of the composer’s Concerto for English Horn. The piece was commissioned by 91ֱ�� Conservatory in honor of its 150th anniversary and written for English hornist <a href="/node/7136">Robert Walters</a>, a professor at 91ֱ�� and longtime member of The Cleveland Orchestra.</p> <p><em>Rands at 91ֱ��</em> will be released by Naxos via <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/bernard-rands-english-horn-concerto-cati-del-sole/1509333309?ls=1&app=itunes">digital download on iTunes</a> on April 24. The CD will be available on July 3 through U.S. retailers and at <a href="https://naxosdirect.com/items/rands-at-oberlin-535912">Naxos</a>.</p> <p>The Concerto for English Horn received its premiere performance in November 2015, in a concert featuring Walters and The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. The recording was created in 91ֱ��'s Warner Concert Hall in April 2017, with Walters and the 91ֱ�� Orchestra directed by Raphael Jiménez. It was engineered by <a href="/node/30161">Andrew Tripp</a> and produced by <a href="/node/29986">Paul Eachus</a>, both lecturers in 91ֱ��'s <a href="/node/184446">Recording Arts and Production program</a>.</p> <p>Though the concerto made them collaborators for the first time, Rands and Walters share a history that extends several decades back to when both worked in Philadelphia: Rands as composer in residence with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Walters as a student at the Curtis Institute who also played as an extra in the orchestra.</p> <p>Years later, Walters performed the piece <em>Pilgrim Soul</em> by Rands’ wife, Augusta Read Thomas.</p> <p>“I heard that recording,” Rands remembers today, “and I said to my wife: ‘That is the best English horn playing I’ve ever heard in my life. And I’ve heard a lot.’”</p> <p>Soon thereafter, Rands placed a call to Walters. “I have in my ear a concerto I want to write for you,” the hornist remembers hearing. “We should talk.”</p> <p>Out of that conversation came a commission initiated by then-Dean of the Conservatory David Stull and cemented by his successor, Andrea Kalyn, who seized upon the opportunity to wed the concerto to the conservatory’s 150th anniversary in 2016.</p> <p>The concerto evokes the music of Claude Debussy—and the French impressionists who followed him—in subtle and not so subtle ways; the final movement, in fact, is titled “Hommage à C-AD.”</p> <p>“What I like about the piece is that it doesn’t typecast the instrument,” says Walters. “English horn is pretty much about slow, mournful melodies. My mother used to call it the <em>anguish</em> horn. There’s something tragic about the voice and the sonority.</p> <p>“Bernard sort of broke away from the typecast aspect of the instrument, which resulted in just a great opportunity for me as a soloist,” he adds. Most notably, that meant steering the horn at times toward uncharacteristically high registers—one of Walters’ strong suits. “He really tailored the piece to my strengths as a player, and also to my personality, which is humbling and exciting.”</p> <p>Rands, who visited campus in March 2017 for the 91ֱ�� premiere of his concerto and a composition forum with students, also was moved by the collaboration.</p> <p>“I was touched that they would make this possible for Robert and for me,” he says. “I hope we’ve done well for them celebrating such a long and distinguished institution.”</p> <p>A special sneak-preview performance of the concerto will be broadcast on the Thursday, April 23, edition of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoXiomT8z8I">91ֱ�� Stage Left</a>, the conservatory’s new online series showcasing 91ֱ�� faculty and student musicians as well as distinguished guests. The 7:30 p.m. program will begin with an interview featuring Rands and Walters, led by Associate Professor of Music Theory <a href="/node/6881">Jan Miyake</a>. It will be followed by the concerto's second movement, Aubade.</p> <p><em>Rands at 91ֱ��</em> also features the composer's Pulitzer Prize-winning <em>Canti del Sole</em>, which employs 14 different pieces of text in describing a day’s progression from dawn to dusk. It is performed here by Norwegian tenor Magnus Staveland with 91ֱ��’s Contemporary Music Ensemble, under the direction of <a href="/timothy-weiss">Timothy Weiss</a>. </p> <p>Distributed by Naxos of America, <em>Rands at 91ֱ��</em> is available through digital music channels worldwide. 91ֱ�� Music is the official record label of 91ֱ�� Conservatory.</p> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-04-21T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/21/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ�� Music release serves as premiere recording of conservatory-commissioned Concerto for English Horn.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2375">91ֱ�� Music Label</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2370">Ensembles & Orchestras</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37361">Oboe</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=184446">Recording Arts and Production</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/robert-walters" hreflang="und">Robert Walters</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/raphael-jimenez" hreflang="und">Raphael Jiménez</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Bernard Rands visited 91ֱ�� in March 2017 for a performance of his Concerto for English Horn, featuring Robert Walters and the 91ֱ�� Orchestra.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Larry Kasperek</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Finney on Demand</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 18:14:29 +0000</p> <span>Finney on Demand</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-04-16T14:14:29-04:00" title="Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 14:14">Thu, 04/16/2020 - 14:14</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In the first days of April, as 91ֱ��’s normally bustling campus was reduced to a lonely whisper, <a href="/node/30161">Andrew Tripp</a> began his quest to visit every performance space he could get to. He started in intimate Kulas Recital Hall, then stately Finney Chapel, toting a two-way speaker, a pair of omnidirectional microphones, and a portable recorder wherever he went.</p> <p>He was capturing information about the way sound reverberates in each room. He hoped to transform that into meaningful data that might be useful to 91ֱ�� musicians who are missing those spaces these days.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Andrew Tripp<br> Photo credit: Bryan Rubin ’18</figcaption> </figure> <p>“I had been thinking about this in the back of my head for a few years,” says Tripp, an engineer in the conservatory’s<a href="/node/4441"> Audio Services Department </a>and codirector of 91ֱ��'s newly developed <a href="/node/184446">Recording Arts and Production</a> graduate program. “It seemed to make sense that if a student couldn’t be here, we could bring a little bit of campus to them in some capacity.”</p> <p>What he hadn’t anticipated was an actual time when students simply couldn’t <em>be here</em>. The nation’s response to the novel coronavirus has changed all that.</p> <p>As all but a few hundred 91ֱ�� students retreated for their homes and on-campus programming was canceled through the remainder of the spring semester, more than 150 conservatory students saw their junior and senior recitals—pivotal moments in their undergraduate experience—scrubbed from the calendar of events.</p> <p>Thanks to the work of Tripp and his colleagues in the conservatory’s <a href="/node/51641">TIMARA Department</a> (short for Technology in Music and Related Arts), those students now have the option of presenting their music complete with the acoustical attributes of the very venues in which they were scheduled to perform.</p> <p>“It’s kind of a sonic documentation of our spaces,” Tripp says of his mission, which involved playing and recording music in each space and following that with the playing and recording of a 30-second frequency sweep. “It starts with incredibly low sine waves and sweeps up across the spectrum. All I’m trying to do is capture what the room is doing with that playback."</p> <p>You can hear the frequency sweep used by Tripp here (please use care in adjusting volume levels; the sweep progresses from inaudible low-pitch waves to extremely high pitches):</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p>The difference between the direct sound properties of the recording and the diffuse sound properties of the venue is called the "impulse response."</p> <p>“What you end up getting is a pretty good idea of how each space responds to different frequencies. That’s all it is. I was just planning to take the impulse responses and put them out there for anyone who could figure out what to do with them.”</p> <p>That’s where Tripp’s colleagues in TIMARA took over.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Eli Stine<br> Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> <p>“The idea is simple, but it has a kind of resonance with the moment we’re all in right now,” says Eli Stine ’14, a former double-degree student in TIMARA and computer science, who returned to campus in fall 2019 as a visiting member of the TIMARA faculty. Since graduating, Stine has worked heavily in software development; his doctoral dissertation focused on audio software.</p> <p>“Technologies that are able to bring people together at this moment—and together at 91ֱ��—are particularly awesome,” he says, “and we’d love to keep that momentum of the 91ֱ�� community going.”</p> <p>Armed with Tripp’s recordings, Stine set about creating an interface that would allow musicians to easily pair their own recorded music with the acoustic properties of their favorite 91ֱ�� locales—even their favorite <em>corner</em> of each locale.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>ObieVerb's interface is designed for ease of use—and helpful instructions are included.</figcaption> </figure> <p>The result of their work is an app for macOS they call ObieVerb (the “Verb” part is short for reverb). It can be accessed, along with an easy-to-follow how-to video, at <a href="/node/232191">Virtual Venues with ObieVerb</a> on the 91ֱ�� website.</p> <p>“Let’s say you’re a trumpet major,” Stine explains. “You record the best recording of yourself you can make with the best mic you can get your hands on. With the app, you can pick your concert hall, then you can pick where you are in the hall. As a trumpet player, maybe you want it to sound like the back of the chapel: Like you’re on the stage and the audience member is in the back of the hall.”</p> <p>Once you choose the concert hall, you can select the desired amount of reverb ranging from “none” to “full.” Recordings mixed with ObieVerb can then be output through any speaker and exported in a variety of file formats.</p> <p>“There’s a ton going on under the hood in terms of all the controls you could mess around with, but the mix is the easiest one,” Stine says. “The mix is basically the presence of yourself in the recording; if you were a harpsichord student, rather than a trumpet player, you might want more of the hall in the mix.”</p> <p>The following music samples illustrate potential effects using ObieVerb:</p> <hr> <p>Violin professor David Bowlin playing Beethoven (original):</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p>The same recording of Bowlin with ObieVerb, set for Fairchild:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p>An excerpt from a jazz piece written by Chase Jackson '13 (original):</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p>The same jazz excerpt with ObieVerb, set for the Birenbaum:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p>"This is a great example of combining tools and concepts that we regularly employ for creative work in TIMARA with a practical outcome that is of service to a wide variety of musicians,” says <a href="/node/7021">Peter Swendsen</a>, an associate professor of TIMARA and senior associate dean for academic affairs.</p> <p>“It’s also an elegant intersection of two courses being offered this semester: Eli’s Advanced Electroacoustic Music class [TECH 203] and Andrew’s Advanced Audio Recording [TECH 332]. Eli and Andrew are both incredible practitioners and quickly assembled a tool that is both easy to use and exceptionally high in quality. We are excited for people to try it!”</p> <p>In recent weeks, Tripp has made the rounds to almost every performance space on campus: Kulas Recital Hall, Finney Chapel, Warner Concert Hall, Stull Recital Hall, Fairchild Chapel, the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse, Clonick Hall, and the Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space. All of them are available options in ObieVerb.</p> <p>“At the very least, I’m hoping it will be useful for TIMARA students as they work through projects now and in the future,” Tripp says. “But I can imagine it potentially being useful for someone who is recording their junior or senior recital away from campus if they want to add a little bit of 91ֱ�� flavor to it.”</p> <p>Tripp has also gotten input from his ever-inventive students.</p> <p>“The class gave me some great suggestions for other venues to record,” he says. “They want me to do the old Hales swimming pool. They want me to do the racquetball courts.”</p> <p> </p> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-04-20T12:00:00Z">Mon, 04/20/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A homegrown app allows musicians everywhere to mimic the acoustics of their favorite 91ֱ�� venues.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33031">TIMARA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=184446">Recording Arts and Production</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25321">Computer Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/andrew-tripp" hreflang="und">Andrew Tripp</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/eli-stine" hreflang="und">Eli Stine ’14</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/computer-science" hreflang="und">Computer Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Andrew Tripp used a simple two-way speaker to play music and frequency waves in each venue he visited.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Andrew Tripp</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>