Five Faculty Honored for Excellence in Teaching</h1> <article> <h1>Five Faculty Honored for Excellence in Teaching</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:15:56 +0000</p> <span>Five Faculty Honored for Excellence in Teaching</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-24T11:15:56-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 24, 2026 - 11:15">Tue, 03/24/2026 - 11:15</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Five 91ֱ�� faculty members have been recognized with Excellence in Teaching Awards for the 2024-25 academic year.</p><p>Presented annually, the awards recognize faculty across the college and conservatory who have demonstrated sustained and distinctive excellence in the classroom and beyond.</p><p>"The awardees represent the very best of undergraduate teaching and are deeply admired by colleagues and students alike for their mastery as pedagogues and their dedication to the learning and growth of their students,” says<a href="/node/4921"> David Kamitsuka</a>, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Their insights and mentoring will be a lifelong inspiration for their students."</p><p>Three college faculty and two conservatory faculty earn the honor each year.</p><p>“In their steadfast commitment to their students—and to all of our students—and their transformative work in and beyond the classroom and studio, these five individuals represent the highest ideals of the institution,” 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>. “We are grateful to them for their extraordinary work and fortunate to count them as colleagues.”</p><p>A dinner reception was held March 19 at the home of President Carmen Twillie Ambar. The honorees are as follows:</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/grace-an" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="3b336afb-7a55-45fc-9ebc-8a894957b3c7" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Grace An"><strong>Grace An</strong></a><br><strong>Associate Professor of French and Cinema and Media</strong><br>“Grace An is a brilliant innovator in immersive pedagogies, leading our students on transformative experiences in France,” Kamitsuka says of An, a driving force behind the popular 91ֱ�� in Paris study-away program, which launched in fall 2025. “Students literally hear, see, touch, smell, and taste French culture through her multidisciplinary advanced courses.”</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/paul-brehm" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0b425ae3-159b-4795-8db5-22eeb3e6864e" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Paul Brehm"><strong>Paul Brehm</strong></a><br><strong>Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies</strong><br>“Paul Brehm is masterful in cultivating the virtuous educational circle of celebrated lectures and super-popular individual office hours,” says Kamitsuka. “He makes the study of economics into an adventure of discovery.”</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/dmitry-kouzov" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="b85376d2-ae5a-4e3d-abad-9f105194fa92" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Dmitry Kouzov"><strong>Dmitry Kouzov</strong></a><br><strong>Associate Professor of Cello</strong><br>“Dmitry Kouzov is one of the great cello pedagogues at work in the country today,” says Quillen. “In his time at 91ֱ��, he has not only cultivated an extraordinary studio; he's helped support the flourishing—artistically, personally, and more—of so many of our students through his engaging, inspiring work as a teacher and chamber music coach.” </p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/gunnar-kwakye" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="a4ff3436-3ac9-4e9b-968d-9dad71694d40" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Gunnar Kwakye"><strong>Gunnar Kwakye</strong></a><br><strong>Robert W. & Eleanor H. Biggs Associate Professor of Neuroscience</strong><br>Kamitsuka notes that an incredible 33 91ֱ�� students have served as co-authors with Gunnar Kwakye on peer-reviewed scientific publications. “And that is just the tip of the iceberg regarding his integral role in the success of his students,” the dean says. “Professor Kwakye is a living legend as a mentor for our neuroscience students.”</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/james-oleary"><strong>James O’Leary</strong></a><br><strong>Frederick R. Selch Associate Professor of Musicology</strong><br>“Jamie O’Learly is not only one of the most respected musicologists of his generation,” says Quillen; “he's also an extraordinary pedagogue, consistently transforming students' lives through his extraordinary classroom teaching, his mentorship work directing individualized research, and more.”</p><hr><p>About the Excellence in Teaching Awards: Each year, College of Arts and Sciences faculty are selected for consideration through nominations presented to the College Faculty Council, which are then reviewed by a faculty committee. An award is presented in each division of the college: arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics. The conservatory dean recommends a number of conservatory faculty to the Conservatory Faculty Council for consideration, and together they review and narrow the recommendations to two recipients.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Annual awards celebrate distinguished and sustained leadership across the college and conservatory.</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="2026-03-24T12:00:00Z">Tue, 03/24/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</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=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4303">A&S Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3341">Conservatory Faculty</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=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25356">French</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25341">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25256">Cinema and Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28856">Musicology</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="/grace-an" hreflang="und">Grace An</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/dmitry-kouzov" hreflang="und">Dmitry Kouzov</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/james-oleary" hreflang="und">James O’Leary</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/gunnar-kwakye" hreflang="und">Gunnar Kwakye</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/paul-brehm" hreflang="und">Paul Brehm</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/french-and-italian" hreflang="und">French and Italian</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/cinema-studies" hreflang="und">Cinema and Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" hreflang="und">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Honorees were celebrated at a March 19 dinner hosted by President Carmen Twillie Ambar. Pictured from left are Dean of the Conservatory William Quillen, Paul Brehm, James O'Leary, Gunnar Kwakye, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Kamitsuka, and President Ambar. Not pictured: Grace An, Dmitry Kouzov.</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-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>John Petrucelli Named 91ֱ��’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 20:48:19 +0000</p> <span>John Petrucelli Named 91ֱ��’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-06-23T16:48:19-04:00" title="Thursday, June 23, 2022 - 16:48">Thu, 06/23/2022 - 16:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The position was made possible by James and Susan Neumann, whose <a href="/news/16m-gift-supports-endowed-fellowship-jazz-history-oberlin-conservatory">recent $1.6 million gift</a> to the conservatory supports the endowment of the fellowship in jazz history. The Neumanns’ generosity also provided for the 2011 gift of an <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/libraries/conservatory-library/special-collections/collections/the-james-r-and-susan-neumann-jazz-collection/about-the-collection">extensive collection</a> of more than 100,000 recordings, books, posters, and other artifacts chronicling the history of jazz.</p> <p>Beginning with Petrucelli, each postdoctoral fellow will be hired for a two-year term to teach courses on specialized topics in jazz history and prepare research involving 91ֱ�� students. The conservatory’s expansive archival materials, including those provided by the Neumanns, will play an integral role in both coursework and research.</p> <p>Petrucelli arrives after serving as visiting director of jazz at the University of Utah. At 91ֱ��, he will interact with students interested in jazz and contemporary American music.</p> <p>“91ֱ�� is fortunate to have John Petrucelli join us on campus,” says Deborah Campana, head of the Conservatory Library and chair of the search committee. “As someone fairly new to the college classroom, John impressed the committee by his devotion to the art of jazz performance. At the same time, it was also evident that he holds respect for its history and impact on society. His ability to share this wisdom and enthusiasm while engaging with the resources provided in our special collections will benefit our entire community.”</p> <p>Petrucelli earned master’s degrees in jazz studies from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and in jazz history and research from Rutgers University-Newark, followed by a PhD in music from the University of Pittsburgh. He holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. In 2019, he was honored by the Jazz Education Network for outstanding contributions to jazz education.</p> <p>Petrucelli’s interests span the history of jazz. He has performed with and learned from a long list of luminaries including Geri Allen, Charles Tolliver, Terence Blanchard, and <a href="/node/314401">late 91ֱ�� alumnus Stanley Cowell ’62</a>, his mentor at Rutgers. His research interests include the music of underrepresented saxophonists, and he hopes to complete a book on one of them, Clifford Jordan, during his fellowship.</p> <p>Petrucelli’s three recordings to date reveal his devotion to the jazz tradition as well as his penchant for exploring realms of contemporary classical and new music, and seeking points of intersection between the varied musical languages. He continues to perform with duos and ensembles of various sizes.</p> <p>“I feel as though I'm coming to 91ֱ�� with a blank slate,” says Petrucelli. “What is most intriguing about this opportunity is the ability to collaborate with world-class faculty across the college and conservatory while pursuing new avenues in my research, pedagogy, and performance practice that will be inspired through the Neumann Collection. I’m hoping to make the most of the these two years and to contribute as much as I can to the 91ֱ�� community.”</p> <p>The endowment of 91ֱ��’s jazz history postdoctoral fellowship coincides with news of a newly developed <a href="/node/387996">minor in African American music</a>, created in tandem with the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences. In spring, the conservatory appointed musicologist <a href="/node/319121">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a> to a <a href="/node/413236">new tenure-track faculty position</a> in African American and African diasporic music.</p> <hr> <p><em>91ֱ�� Conservatory’s newly endowed postdoctoral fellowship in jazz history continues the institution’s ongoing efforts to expand curricular diversity and support inclusion. Learn more about 91ֱ��'s commitment in the <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a> and the conservatory’s <a href="/node/306446">Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Educator and performer to teach courses and guide student research.</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="2022-06-27T12:00:00Z">Mon, 06/27/2022 - 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 href="/john-petrucelli">John Petrucelli</a>, a jazz saxophonist, composer, scholar, and educator, has been named the first James R. '58 and Susan Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow of Jazz History at 91ֱ�� Conservatory, a two-year appointment that begins in fall 2022.</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=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3450">Conservatory Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3448">Conservatory Special Collections</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=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28856">Musicology</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/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</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">courtesy of John Petrucelli</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>“Decentering the Canon” Probes Historical Inequities in Musical Culture</h1> <p>eburnett — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 20:16:28 +0000</p> <span>“Decentering the Canon” Probes Historical Inequities in Musical Culture</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-01-15T15:16:28-05:00" title="Friday, January 15, 2021 - 15:16">Fri, 01/15/2021 - 15:16</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Deeply troubling events of the past year have brought into focus numerous patterns of inequity that have existed across our society for generations.</p> <p>One such pattern is the elevation of the Western tradition in the formation of the classical music canon, an approach that has traditionally propagated an air of elitism and—more important—set the tables for ongoing marginalization of musics arising from other traditions.</p> <p>91ֱ�� will address these issues and others in “<a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/symposium_decentering_the_canon_in_the_conservatory">Decentering the Canon in the Conservatory,</a>” a virtual symposium scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, February 6. Part of 91ֱ��’s celebration of Black History Month, it will be broadcast live on <a href="/conservatory/stage-left">91ֱ�� Stage Left</a>, the conservatory’s virtual programming platform.</p> <p>“Decentering the Canon” resulted from extensive conversations held by conservatory faculty over the summer of 2020—talks dedicated to crafting a thorough and thoughtful response to the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other tragedies linked to systemic racism.</p> <p>“Discussions of canon and anti-canon have been familiar parts of humanities discourse for a number of decades,” says <a href="/node/6921">Steven Plank</a>, a longtime professor of musicology at 91ֱ��. “However, if a familiar discussion, it is also a discussion that has taken on new urgency at a time when issues of social injustice and racism have risen to dramatic and tragic heights. Questions of how canon is formed and our allegiances to it ultimately say much about who we are; what we choose to teach and how we choose to teach it say much about <em>who we want to be</em>.</p> <p>“This symposium gives us a chance to continue an important thread in our discourse and respond to a dramatic urgency.”</p> <p>It will feature four panelists of note, each of whom will offer a brief presentation before taking part in a question-and-answer session moderated by <a href="/node/30061">Chris Jenkins</a>, 91ֱ��’s Associate Dean for Student Academic Support and the conservatory’s liaison to the <a href="/node/4486">Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion</a>. The panelists are as follows:</p> <p><strong>Naomi André</strong>, professor of humanities at the University of Michigan and author of <em>Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement</em>. (pictured, top left)</p> <p><strong>Loren Kajikawa</strong>, associate professor of music at George Washington University and author of <em>Sounding Race in Rap Songs</em>. (pictured, top right)</p> <p><strong>Imani Mosley</strong>, assistant professor of musicology and music history at the University of Florida and author of “Say Her Name: Invocation, Remembrance, and Gendered Trauma in Black Lives Matter” in <em>Performing Commemoration: Musical Reenactment and the Politics of Trauma</em>. (pictured, bottom right)</p> <p><strong>Kira Thurman</strong>, assistant professor of Germanic languages, literatures, and history at the University of Michigan and author of the forthcoming <em>Singing Like Germans: Black Musicians in the Land of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms</em>. (pictured, bottom left)</p> <p></p> <p>“This conversation is extremely relevant to the average music listener,” says Jenkins, an active violist who is pursuing a DMA in viola performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music and a PhD in musicology at Case Western Reserve University. “We’re talking about what is programmed today and why, and we’re also talking about much of what is sold and packaged in concert halls everywhere.</p> <p>“Among other things, it will be interesting to find out where there might be points of disagreement among our panelists. We haven’t really gotten to that point in the conversation where even more progressive thinkers may not have consensus.”</p> <p>“Decentering the Canon in the Conservatory” is a Richard Murphy Musicology Colloquium, part of an ongoing series developed at 91ֱ�� in 1992 by Professor Claudia Macdonald to foster an exchange of ideas on music between colleagues in the conservatory and college. It is named in honor of Richard Murphy, who taught music history at 91ֱ�� from 1946 to 1978. The series was expanded in 1997 to welcome outside speakers.</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="2021-01-15T12:00:00Z">Fri, 01/15/2021 - 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��'s February 6 symposium features guest scholars and moderator Chris Jenkins.</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=28856">Musicology</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="/steven-plank" hreflang="und">Steven Plank</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/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</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-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Writing to Be Read</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 13:25:37 +0000</p> <span>Writing to Be Read</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-06-08T09:25:37-04:00" title="Monday, June 8, 2020 - 09:25">Mon, 06/08/2020 - 09:25</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Kevin Anderson knows good stories. He is surrounded by them every day in his work at <a href="https://www.ideastream.org/">Ideastream</a> <span aria-hidden="true" class="fa fa-external-link"></span>, the parent company of Cleveland’s public radio and television stations.</p> <p>So it was especially instructive when Anderson, Ideastream’s digital projects manager, visited 91ֱ�� students on a Saturday morning in early February for a long-form writing workshop in which he shared insight on developing compelling story angles.</p> <p>In the world of academic music writing, hooking the reader with captivating prose often takes a backseat to the deep dives into research normally required of the author. Also in academia: The potential audience tends to be rather modest in size compared to those of more public-facing, digitally distributed media.</p> <p>Not that it always needs to be that way.</p> <p>“One of my qualms about scholarly writing is that it reaches such a limited audience,” says Julia Harbutt ’20, one of 15 students from the college and conservatory who participated in the workshop.</p> <p>“Since access to scholarly resources can be so limited, lack of access to this writing can also be divisive,” says Harbutt, who earned a degree in musical studies from the College of Arts and Sciences in May. “Writing a long-form story allowed me to create something more accessible, and I appreciated that chance.”</p> <p>Anderson’s visit was part of an ongoing collaboration between the conservatory and Ideastream. Conceived in 2019, the partnership teaches 91ֱ�� students about the use and power of public radio and other media in a streaming world, as well as how to communicate their artistic ideas and values to a broader public.</p> <p>While music schools nationwide are beginning to turn their focus to more public-facing programs, 91ֱ�� Conservatory has a long history of guiding its students to interact with the world beyond campus through popular writing, communication, and community engagement. In recent years, the conservatory has developed curricular opportunities to study music criticism, create music and foster engagement with <a href="https://www2.oberlin.edu/con/connews/2016/book/index-h5.html#page=24">residents of a local prison</a> <span aria-hidden="true" class="fa fa-external-link"></span>, and teach music to children in a northeast Ohio homeless shelter. Those opportunities and others often emerge through the conservatory’s <a href="/node/42011">Division of Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement</a> (PACE) and are implemented through the steady guidance of faculty members including <a href="/node/6816">Jody Kerchner</a>, <a href="/node/6901">Jennifer Fraser</a>, Dan Hathaway, and Mike Telin. Outside the curriculum, students who work for the <a href="/node/113606">Conservatory Communications Office</a> also host a weekly radio show on campus station WOBC and write for the school’s magazine and website.</p> <p>The conservatory’s partnership with Ideastream continues the tradition.</p> <p>“When ideastream President and CEO Kevin Martin approached me with an idea for a potential collaboration, the rich opportunities at hand were immediately apparent,” says Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/node/49511">William Quillen</a>. “Engaging with the public and strengthening and inspiring our communities is at the heart of both of our organizations’ missions, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone at Ideastream for helping create these extraordinary opportunities for our students.”</p> <p></p> <p>One of the first manifestations of this collaboration occurred during a spring semester seminar on the life and music of composer Ludwig van Beethoven, taught by musicology professor <a href="/node/6911">Charles McGuire</a> (pictured right). In recent years, McGuire has begun making some of his own scholarly work public-facing, inspired in part by his participation in a Humanities Writ Large Fellowship at Duke University.</p> <p>“A continual topic of our conversation was how bad scholars are at communicating with the public,” McGuire says. “Speaking to and writing for the larger, non-academic audience is one way to get the wider population to see the importance of the humanities.”</p> <p>Upon returning to 91ֱ��, McGuire began participating in what has come to be called “public musicology”: investigating relationships with area ensembles, writing program notes for the Cleveland Chamber Choir, and presenting pre-concert lectures for Cleveland Opera Theater, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, and other organizations.</p> <p>“It was natural to take this experience and transmute it into the classroom: To share with my 91ֱ�� students the joy of reaching a public audience,” he says.</p> <p>Instead of writing term papers for final projects, students in McGuire’s Beethoven seminar attended Anderson’s long-form story workshop and wrote stories—either individually or in groups—on aspects of Beethoven’s music and life. The projects included discussions of the composer’s family, patrons, and purported lovers; his popularity in Europe during his own lifetime; interviews with 91ֱ�� students and members of the Cleveland Orchestra about the importance of Beethoven in their lives; and even an examination of what hip-hop and Beethoven have in common.</p> <p>Top projects were selected for <a href="https://www.ideastream.org/beethoven250">inclusion on the Ideastream website</a>.</p> <p>“This collaboration provided a unique opportunity for students to create a digital experience about Beethoven on a platform that was totally new to them,” says Anderson. “They rose to this challenge and wowed me with their innovative spirit. Not only did their projects meet the academic standards of the conservatory—they successfully engaged and enlightened Ideastream’s classical music audience.”</p> <p>91ֱ�� and Ideastream share hopes for continued collaborations involving 91ֱ�� students.</p> <p>“Conservatories and public-media outlets both are thinking through key ways to broaden their reach and deepen their engagement with the public in an ever-changing world,” says Quillen. “We look forward to developing our partnership with Ideastream and continuing our work together to inspire, enlighten, and engage the public.”</p> <p><em>Professor of Musicology Charles McGuire ’92 contributed to the writing of this story. He is a double-degree graduate of the college and conservatory.</em></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="2020-06-08T12:00:00Z">Mon, 06/08/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Conservatory Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>An 91ֱ�� collaboration with a Cleveland nonprofit helps students explore long-form writing—and expand their audience.</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=28856">Musicology</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="/charles-mcguire" hreflang="und">Charles McGuire</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/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</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">Courtesy of Ideastream</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Beauty Amid the Brutality</h1> <p>eburnett — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 18:26:10 +0000</p> <span>Beauty Amid the Brutality</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-08-31T14:26:10-04:00" title="Friday, August 31, 2018 - 14:26">Fri, 08/31/2018 - 14:26</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In the span of one week during November 1918, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany conceded defeat to the Allied Powers, finally drawing to a close the War to End All Wars.</p> <p>As the centennial anniversary of the armistice draws near, 91ֱ�� of Music, in conjunction with the <a href="https://amam.oberlin.edu">Allen Memorial Art Museum</a>, will present a series of recitals and discussions that focus on the wildly diverse creative output of that period.</p> <p>Creative Arts and Music in the Shadow of War: Commemorating the Centenary of World War I takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 8 and 9, in multiple venues on campus.</p> <p>The program is the brainchild of Professor of Violin <a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a>, whose inspiration stems from his love of music of that era—as well as his appreciation for the great fount of artistry at his disposal at 91ֱ��.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Sibbi Bernhardsson</figcaption> </figure> <p>“When I came to 91ֱ��, one of the things that attracted me was all of the great resources we have here, especially in terms of our faculty and the museum and the college,” says Bernhardsson, a former member of the Pacifica Quartet who began teaching at the conservatory in 2017. “At 91ֱ��, we can put together what would often be considered large-scale projects somewhat easily because we have all of these resources here.”</p> <p>And he achieved an astounding feat in the process: Some two dozen conservatory faculty will take part in recitals featuring music written between 1914 and 1918, panel discussions, and lectures over two days—all of it free and open to the public. They will be joined by colleagues from the Allen Memorial Art Museum and the 91ֱ�� College faculty, as well as esteemed guests.</p> <p>“There was a lot of great music from the early 20th century, and so much great music written during World War I,” Bernhardsson says, noting the vast differences in how various artists—musicians and others—have derived inspiration throughout history.</p> <p>“So many composers feel their music is completely affected by world affairs, and others feel their work should only be viewed abstractly, without any regard for what’s happening in the world. So we decided it would be fascinating to discuss that: <em>Should art and music be viewed through the lens of current affairs?</em>”</p> <p>That topic will be the focus of a 3:30 p.m. panel on September 9. It will be led by 91ֱ�� Professor of Composition <a href="/stephen-hartke">Stephen Hartke</a>, whose own work is invariably inspired by world events.</p> <p>The complete schedule of events is as follows:</p> <p>Throughout the weekend, the downtown restaurant The Feve (30 S. Main St.) will be offering a special menu of cocktails authentic to the era.</p> <h5>Saturday, September 8</h5> <p><strong>10:15 and 11:15 a.m.<br> Gallery talk and viewing: From the Trenches: Artists Respond to WWI<br> Allen Memorial Art Museum (87 N. Main St.)</strong></p> <p>Acquired by the Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM) in 1950, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Self-Portrait as a Soldier (1915) is considered one of the most iconic works of art created during World War I. Join AMAM curator Andrea Gyorody and 91ֱ�� College history professor Leonard Smith for a one-hour session, beginning with a gallery talk on the painting’s historical, political, and artistic contexts, followed by a private viewing of select AMAM works related to the war. Each session is capped at 25 participants.</p> <p><strong>1 p.m.<br> Concert 1<br> Warner Concert Hall</strong></p> <p>A pre-concert lecture with Professor of Musicology <a href="/charles-mcguire">Charles McGuire</a> will be followed by the performance at 1:30. Program to be performed:</p> <p>Debussy’s Cello Sonata (1915), with cellist Darrett Adkins, and pianist Angela Cheng</p> <p>Ravel’s La Valse for two pianos (1918), with Alvin Chow and Angela Cheng</p> <p>Elgar’s Piano Quintet (1918), with Sibbi Bernhardsson and David Bowlin, violin; Kirsten Doctor, viola; Darrett Adkins, cello; and Haewon Song, piano</p> <p><strong>3:30 p.m.<br> Richard D. Murphy Musicology Colloquium: Music in and After the Great War<br> David H. Stull Recital Hall (77 W. College St.)</strong></p> <p>Speakers will discuss the following topics:</p> <p>Gayle Sherwood Magee, Professor of Musicology, University of Illinois: “For King and Country: Canadian Nationalism and Songwriting in the First World War”</p> <p>Claudia Macdonald, Emerita Professor of Musicology, 91ֱ�� Conservatory: "Music, Montana and the Great War"</p> <p>Colin Roust, Professor of Musicology, University of Kansas: “World War I through the Eyes of Georges Auric”</p> <p>Charles McGuire, Professor of Musicology, 91ֱ�� Conservatory (moderator)</p> <p><strong>8:00 p.m.<br> Concert 2<br> Warner Concert Hall</strong></p> <p>Program to be performed:</p> <p>Gaubert’s Trois Aquarelles for flute, cello, and piano (1915) with flutist Alexa Still, cellist Steuart Pincombe, and pianist Allie Su</p> <p>Ives’ Piano Sonata No. 2, “Concord Sonata” (1915) with pianist Robert Shannon</p> <h5>Sunday, September 9</h5> <p><strong>1 p.m.<br> Concert 3<br> Kulas Recital Hall</strong></p> <p>A pre-concert lecture by Assistant Professor of Composition Elizabeth Ogonek will be followed by the performance at 1:30. Program to be performed:</p> <p>Janáček’s Sonata (1914), with violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson and pianist Peter Takács</p> <p>Debussy’s Syrinx for Solo Flute (1914), with flutist Alexa Still</p> <p>Busoni’s Albumblatt for Flute and Piano (1916), with flutist Alexa Still, flute and pianist Tony Cho</p> <p>Selections from Foote’s Three Songs - 1914-1918, Weill’s Ofrah’s Lieder (1916), and Eisler’s Ändere die Welt, sie braucht es! (1930), with mezzo-soprano Lorraine Manz and pianist Tony Cho</p> <p><strong>3:30 p.m.<br> Panel Presentation: “Creative Arts and Music During the Shadow of War”<br> Stull Recital Hall</strong></p> <p>Panel will include:</p> <p>Stephen Hartke, Professor of Composition</p> <p>Andrea Kalyn, Dean of the Conservatory</p> <p>Raphael Jiménez, Professor of Conducting</p> <p>Farshid Emani, Assistant Professor of Islamic Art History</p> <p>Peter Minosh, Lecturer in Architectural History, University of Toronto</p> <p>Zeinab Abdul-Magd, Associate Professor, Middle Eastern History </p> <p><strong>7:30 p.m.<br> Concert 4<br> Kulas Recital Hall</strong></p> <p>A pre-concert lecture with Professor Emerita of Musicology Claudia Macdonald will be followed by the performance at 8:00. Program to be performed:</p> <p>Rebecca Clarke’s Sonata for Viola and Piano (1918-19), with violist Peter Slowik and pianist James Howsmon</p> <p>Sigfrid Karg-Elert’s Sonata Appassionata, Op. 170 (1917), with solo flutist Alexa Still</p> <p>Debussy’s Violin Sonata (1916), with violinist Marilyn McDonald and pianist Robert Shannon</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="2018-08-31T12:00:00Z">Fri, 08/31/2018 - 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>Cross-campus collaboration celebrates artistic master works and hidden gems made in the shadow of WWI.</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=2378">Allen Memorial Art Museum</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</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=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=29541">Piano</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28856">Musicology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35911">Flute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</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="/sibbi-bernhardsson" hreflang="und">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/charles-mcguire" hreflang="und">Charles McGuire</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/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history" hreflang="und">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</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-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Bringing Black Spirituals to the Masses</h1> <p>anagy — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 19:24:35 +0000</p> <span>Bringing Black Spirituals to the Masses</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-02-07T14:24:35-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 7, 2018 - 14:24">Wed, 02/07/2018 - 14:24</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p dir="ltr">In high school and community youth choirs in Chicago, DaQuan Williams regularly performed spirituals and gospel music arranged by renowned conductor Moses Hogan. When he came to 91ֱ��, however, he didn’t immediately make the connection that Hogan, an accomplished concert pianist and <a href="https://singers.com/choral/director/Moses-Hogan/">choral director</a>, was a 1979 graduate of the Conservatory of Music.</p> <p dir="ltr">It wasn’t until his second semester, when Williams was having conversations with students majoring in vocal performance, that he discovered Hogan’s relationship to 91ֱ��. The revelation led him to think more deeply about 91ֱ��’s institutional history with the genres of African American spirituals and black classical music.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I began to ask, ‘If I’m just now discovering Hogan’s ties to 91ֱ�� after a full semester of study, what else haven’t I learned?” Williams says. He found that 91ֱ��’s history with black spirituals runs deeper than Moses Hogan: Musicians such as R. Nathaniel Dett, Revella E. Hughes, and Francois Clemmons trained at 91ֱ�� and went on to become pioneers in the genre.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think it would be great to further educate the campus community about black choral music,” says Williams, a second-year majoring in anthropology and musical studies. “Whether this takes the form of an entire course, a couple of featured lectures, or some fun interactive programs, we need to implement more ways of interacting with this content.”</p> <p dir="ltr">To that end, Williams has organized a Moses Hogan Sing-Along in celebration of <a href="/events/series/black-history-month">Black History Month</a>. The <a href="/events/blackhistorymonthpresentationmoseshogansing-along">event</a>, which will take place Thursday, February 22 in Warner Concert Hall, welcomes anyone who enjoys singing to rehearse some of Hogan’s most famous spiritual arrangements in hopes of learning more about his art.</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Williams spent time with the Morehouse College Glee Club for winter term. Credit: Courtesy of DaQuan Williams</figcaption> </figure> <p dir="ltr">“It also aims to give aspiring choral conductors like me the opportunity to get hands-on experience leading an ensemble of singers,” says Williams.</p> <p dir="ltr">Williams led a similar event during last year’s Black History Month programming, but this year he has devoted more time to planning and researching. For this winter term experience, he visited historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that have played an integral role in the instruction and production of prominent black musicians. These include Fisk University, Kentucky State University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College, all located near Atlanta.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have learned so much about the culture and musical history of these HBCUs. These institutions are the reason why African American spirituals are as widely disseminated and venerated as they are today.”</p> <p>Despite 91ֱ��’s legacy and impact on black choral music, Williams is among a vocal group on campus who have expressed a need for more education and inclusion of music from non-western cultures. He says he has engaged with Conservatory Associate Dean for Academic Support <a href="/node/30061" target="_blank">Chris Jenkins</a> and conservatory faculty members Fredara Hadley and <a href="/node/6911" target="_blank">Charles McGuire</a> to address the issue head-on.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jenkins and Hadley are holding open lectures centered around African American classical music and the black history of the conservatory during Black History Month. See the full <a href="/sites/default/files/content/series/documents/bhmposter2018.pdf">Black History Month schedule</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p><span style="border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: 20px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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); background-size: 14px 14px; background-color: rgb(189, 8, 28); position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; top: 316px; left: 61px; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Save</span><span style="border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: 20px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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); background-size: 14px 14px; background-color: rgb(189, 8, 28); position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; top: 316px; left: 61px; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Save</span></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="2018-02-07T12:00:00Z">Wed, 02/07/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p dir="ltr">DaQuan Williams ’20 works to promote education of African American spirituals and the works of musicians of color.</p> <p> </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=2495">Black History Month</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2390">Events</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</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=35766">Ethnomusicology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28856">Musicology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25281">Musical Studies</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="/charles-mcguire" hreflang="und">Charles McGuire</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/musical-studies" hreflang="und">Musical Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">DaQuan Williams is an aspiring choral director.</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">Courtesy of DaQuan Williams</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Renaissance Guy</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:02:04 +0000</p> <span>Renaissance Guy</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:02:04-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:02">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>It’s a cliché that 91ֱ�� changes your life. Less overstated but no less true is the notion that singing in Collegium Musicum under the direction of <a href="http://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/faculty/faculty-detail.dot?id=21099">Steven Plank</a> does the same. Just ask any of the 70-plus singers who will return to 91ֱ�� the weekend of November 6 to celebrate Plank’s 25th year with the ensemble.</p> <p>“It’s hard to overestimate the importance that Collegium and Dr. Plank had on my life,” says Christopher Macklin ’04.</p> <p>“Dr. Plank was such a huge influence on my musical education that there’s not much I wouldn’t do to support him or celebrate his legacy,” David Crean ’06 writes.</p> <p>“Collegium was more than just pleasurable, more than just meaningful—it was also a transformative education,” according to Zoe Weiss ’07.</p> <p>Or, in the simple formulation of Martha Cargo ’07: “There’s nothing like it.”</p> <p>To them and to so many others, there’s something ineffable about congregating in Fairchild Chapel every Monday and Wednesday to blend voices in polyphony, with the bearded, bow-tied, blue-blazered Plank at the helm, peppering his musical directives with witticisms. “There’s this remarkable joy of music-making because everyone is there because they <i>want</i> to be there doing it,” Plank says.</p> <p>The excitement extends all the way to Plank, 91ֱ��’s Andrew B. Meldrum Professor of Musicology, who became director of Collegium 10 years into an 91ֱ�� career that has reached 35 years and counting. “Directing Collegium was an opportunity that very much made 91ֱ�� rather more special for me,” he says in his warmly enunciated, enchantingly proper brand of English.</p> <p>And the opportunity to celebrate 25 years of it?</p> <p>“This is just as blissful a possibility as I can imagine.”</p> <p>Plank envisions the weekend as “like a family reunion with rather a lot of music,” with a banquet, lunch with current Collegium members, and rehearsals that will culminate in an ambitious concert in the conservatory’s Warner Concert Hall at 8 p.m. Saturday, November 7. Never one to choose easy repertoire—“We have done pieces that I never dreamed I would get to do”—Plank will lead alumni in a 40-part motet by Alessandro Striggio, 12-voice pieces by Guerrero and Gombert, and music from Bruckner, Rheinberger, and Biebl.</p> <p>Just in time for the festivities, a new CD of selections from recent Collegium concerts will be available throughout the weekend and through <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/office/audio-services/">Conservatory Audio Services</a>.</p> <p>Plank’s programs and intellectual enthusiasms are a powerfully influential part of Collegium. Just as he was shaped by a college mentor who still “travels along in my consciousness a lot when I’m conducting,” many former Collegium members often recall Plank’s lessons in their careers now.</p> <p>Christopher Macklin is an assistant professor of musicology at the University of Illinois, where he teaches music he was first exposed to by Plank and where he directs an ensemble he deferentially calls “’Collegium Lite.’”</p> <p>Zoe Weiss emphasizes “the way Collegium straddles the nexus of music-making and music-<i>thinking</i>,” an integration of performance and scholarship that she continues to strive for as a viola da gambist and PhD candidate in musicology at Cornell University. Most members rejoice in the exposure to unfamiliar repertoire they might never have encountered on their own.</p> <p>Collegium's joy of music-making and music-thinking is complemented by the social bonds it fosters, nurtured by post-concert parties each semester at “Casa Planka,” tours to sing in churches in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C., among other cities, and ensemble traditions like the provision of elaborate food and gifts for sectionals.</p> <p>David Crean—making sure to note that he is wearing his beloved T-shirt from the last Collegium reunion he attended—writes that he met most of his friends through the ensemble. Martha Cargo enthuses about the enduring sense of community.</p> <p>“I will always come back for Collegium,” she says.</p> <p>And for Plank? “It’s a singular joy to be with these students again and to look into their eyes and to revisit all of those things that make music-making together so exciting. I’m very much looking forward to this, and it’s been an <i>extraordinarily</i> happy 25 years. Extraordinarily.”</p> <p><i>Daniel Hautzinger is a fourth-year student majoring in piano performance and history. He has sung in Collegium Musicum for three consecutive semesters.</i></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="2015-10-21T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/21/2015 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Daniel Hautzinger</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=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=28856">Musicology</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="/steven-plank" hreflang="und">Steven Plank</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/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</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">Julie Crookston Gulenko '15</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>The Selch Connection</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:04:39 +0000</p> <span>The Selch Connection</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:04:39-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:04">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:04</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>This article is excerpted from the 2013 edition of the</em> 91ֱ�� Conservatory <em>magazine. The entire issue will be available soon for online exploration.</em></p> <p>Frederick and Patricia Bakwin Selch devoted a lifetime to creating one of the world’s most comprehensive collections chronicling American music history. Now, a decade after the death of her husband, Patricia Selch has ensured that their treasures will illuminate that rich history for future generations at 91ֱ�� and beyond.</p> <p>In September 2012, the 91ֱ�� Conservatory unveiled the Frederick R. Selch Classroom, a technologically superior learning space that represents the final component of an expansive gift made by the Selches—a gift that underscores 91ֱ��’s position as a key center for the study of American music.</p> <p>Gifted in 2008, the Selch Collection includes some 800 instruments, 9,000 rare books, and a large collection of artworks depicting musical themes. Patricia Selch is also the benefactor of the new Frederick R. Selch Professorship of Musicology, a critical component in the expansion of music studies at 91ֱ��.</p> <p>“I’m so happy that the collection will be made available in these ways,” says Selch. “People have traditionally gone to places like Oxford to study American music history. Why go there when now they can come here?”</p> <p>Last fall, the conservatory hosted public and private events in celebration of the Selches’ gift. Five exhibits showcasing key components of the collection were featured across campus throughout the fall semester.</p> <p>“We are enormously grateful to the entire Selch family for their extraordinary generosity to 91ֱ��,” says David H. Stull ’89, the conservatory dean who orchestrated the donation. “[Frederick] and Pat Selch’s vision for a center for the study of American music history will finally be brought to fruition, and their support will immeasurably advance the study and performance of music at the highest level.”</p> <h2>A Stunning Learning Space</h2> <p>An accomplished publisher and creator of early television commercials, Frederick Selch—known to friends and family as Eric—also nurtured a profound passion for music throughout his life. Along with his wife, he reveled in the thrill of the hunt for unique and often forgotten instruments and seminal books. He earned a PhD in American studies at New York University, helped found the American Musical Instrument Society, and created an ensemble of professional and amateur players known as the Federal Music Society. Through it all, he demonstrated a remarkable desire to share his collection, his knowledge, and his enthusiasm with others. Today, that passion is evident in the Selches’ wide-ranging contributions to the learning environment at 91ֱ��.</p> <p>The Selch Classroom, on the newly renovated second floor of Bibbins Hall, is a technology-enhanced “smart” classroom that allows networking, audio-visual, and audience-response capabilities. It features towering walnut cabinets, which house a portion of the Selch Collection, and wide-plank walnut flooring; custom lighting illuminates the room’s UV-filtered glass cabinet fronts. More than just a beautiful addition to campus, it’s a highly functional one too.</p> <p>“The new Selch Classroom provides dedicated space for dialogue between students, and between students and teachers,” says Professor Steven Plank, chair of 91ֱ��’s Department of Musicology. “At the same time, it nurtures ongoing dialogue with the artifacts housed there.”</p> <p>The five initial exhibits featured on campus spanned the 16th through 19th centuries. Created by Selch Curator Barbara Lambert, they included instruments—both strange and familiar—and artifacts that provide a fascinating glimpse into the scientific and cultural practices of early America.</p> <p>Installed in the Selch Classroom, the exhibit <em>Beginnings of American Music and Musical Instruments</em> contained a timeline of musical evolution experienced by early American colonists. Chronicling a period highly influenced by the Protestant church, it depicted the progression from simple psalms and tones played on pitch pipes to more poetic song-style hymns that were complemented by string and melody instruments.</p> <p>The exhibit’s theme was derived from Selch’s doctoral work at NYU. The objects “captured Eric’s imagination,” says Lambert, pointing out the basic but elegantly carved wooden pitch pipes displayed alongside a 1690s psalm book that is startlingly well preserved.</p> <p>The other four fall-semester exhibits revealed their own fascinating stories.</p> <p><em>The Musical World of Actress and Abolitionist Fanny Kemble</em> described in portraiture, playbills, and manuscripts the life of a remarkable woman. Born in Britain into a dynasty of major actors, Kemble married American Pierce Butler, heir to cotton, tobacco, and rice plantations worked by hundreds of slaves. Despite Kemble’s enormous popularity as an actress, her true calling was as a writer; her personal journal, which includes firsthand accounts of the slave industry, had a profound influence on British attitudes toward slavery.</p> <p>The exhibition <em>Frederick R. Selch</em>, in the conservatory library, introduced viewers<br> to the collector himself. Among the items on view were photos of Eric and Patricia Selch in their New York City brownstone, along with books hand-bound by the couple. A clarinet by the important early 19th-century maker William Whiteley, a baroque-style violin made and played by Tarahumara natives from Mexico, and a “tenor violin” represent significant areas of scholarly work by Selch and important parts of his collection.</p> <p>The science of music was showcased in the Science Center exhibition <em>Musical Instruments and the Harmonic Series</em>. In collaboration with physics professors Bruce Richards and Chris Martin, the exhibit complemented a course on acoustics.</p> <p>The Selch Collection’s central home at 91ֱ�� is found on a workshop-type floor in the belly of the Bertram and Judith Kohl Building. There, a jingling johnny, cittern, bumbass, and a bass viol shaped like a pumpkin rest among hundreds of other instruments, including those of Native and Central American peoples. Steel engravings, woodcuts, oil paintings, playbills, and programs are among other artifacts and ephemera too numerable to list.</p> <p>Floor-to-ceiling glass display cases at the entrance of the workshop housed the exhibit 19th-Century European and American Music. It was created as a final exam by students in a new course called Hands-On Music History, taught by Lambert and Professor of Musicology Claudia Macdonald. In spring 2013 alone, three classes on campus directly incorporated the Selch Collection into their curriculum.</p> <p>“Eric was not just a collector,” Patricia Selch said in a 2008 interview with critic Heidi Waleson. “He was very much a scholar, and he built his collection to be used.”</p> <h2>Inheriting the Vision</h2> <p>James O’Leary, 91ֱ��’s newly appointed Frederick R. Selch Assistant Professor of Musicology, boasts an enthusiasm that matches his knowledge of American music history. He likens the collection to “an anthropology of music.” His course, and the way that he guides students’ interaction with the collection, offers extraordinarily deep insight into how music in America not only was performed, but how it was bought and sold, and depicted in art and in other cultural iconography, such as cartoons and music trading cards.</p> <p>O’Leary encourages study not only of the what of music, but also the ways in which people interacted with it and the influences it had on their actions and beliefs. And he marvels at the possibilities for the collection that will continue to emerge over the years.</p> <p>“The potential for using the collection is somewhat unknown at this point,” he says. “It’s a gift that keeps on giving.”</p> <p>*Jessica Downs is former assistant director of conservatory communications. A Juilliard-trained oboist, she earned her master of music in teaching at 91ֱ�� College in 2010. *</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="2013-06-29T12:00:00Z">Sat, 06/29/2013 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jessica R. Downs</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=2374">Archives & Special Collections</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=28856">Musicology</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/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Assistant professor James O’Leary discusses the Bay Psalm Book, which became the first book printed in the New World when the Puritans published it in 1640. The Selch Collection boasts two copies. O’Leary used a 1912 facsimile edition in his talk; a 26th edition volume, from 1744, is on display in the conservatory.</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">Dale Preston</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>