Conservatory Celebrates Standout Students for 2024</h1> <article> <h1>Conservatory Celebrates Standout Students for 2024</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 13 May 2024 20:02:44 +0000</p> <span>Conservatory Celebrates Standout Students for 2024</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-13T16:02:44-04:00" title="Monday, May 13, 2024 - 16:02">Mon, 05/13/2024 - 16:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Each spring, 91ֱ�� Conservatory’s faculty and administration celebrate students whose academic and artistic work is especially meritorious. They are selected by committees and competition juries for exemplary musicianship and academic and personal achievement. Awards generated by numerous endowed funds are dedicated to acknowledging these musicians’ demonstrated excellence, supporting their ongoing study and creative projects, and even assisting with instrument purchases.</p> <p>This year’s honorees were celebrated at a May 13 reception in Stull Recital Hall (<a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBqtKj">see photos</a> of the event on Flickr). They are listed below in alphabetical order by last name:</p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano: Finalist</strong><br> Awarded to piano majors by the piano faculty for excellence in performing works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>Nio L. Ajero</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Louis and Annette Kaufman Music Achievement Award in Violin</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding student of violin<br> <em><strong>Max W. Ball</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Theodore Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding returning student for excellence in musicianship<br> <em><strong>Max W. Ball</strong></em></p> <p><strong>James H. Hall Prize in Musicology</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in work in musicology<br> <em><strong>Eliza R. Balmuth</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Delores and Donald White Prize</strong><br> Awarded to conservatory students who demonstrate leadership in elevating 91ֱ�� Conservatory’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals through music performance<br> <em><strong>Joshua A. Barron</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Walter E. Aschaffenburg Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior for outstanding music composition<br> <em><strong>Jake L. Berran</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Flint Initiative Grant</strong><br> Awarded to innovative, motivated, and prepared conservatory and double-degree students to develop imaginative artistic projects<br> <em><strong>Holly Bogle </strong></em></p> <p><strong>Faustina Hurlbutt Prize</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding graduating student in cello, piano, violin, or voice<br> <strong><em>JJ Jun Li Bui</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano: Finalist</strong><br> Awarded to piano majors by the piano faculty for excellence in performing works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>James Chen</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Arthur Dann Senior Piano Competition</strong><br> Awarded to the winner of this juried competition for excellence in piano performance<br> <em><strong>Yihang Chen</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Four winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with 91ֱ�� orchestras during the spring semester<br> <em><strong>Drew Dansby</strong></em>, cello</p> <p><strong>Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Four winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with 91ֱ�� orchestras during the spring semester<br> <em><strong>Juan Pedro Espinosa Monteros</strong></em>, clarinet</p> <p><strong>Margot Bos Stambler ’84 Professional Development Award</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding voice major of great promise<br> <em><strong>Elizabeth N. Hanje</strong></em></p> <p><strong>James H. Hall Prize in Musicology</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in work in musicology<br> <em><strong>Sam C. Hart</strong></em></p> <p><strong>TIMARA Founders Fund John Clough Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a TIMARA major for distinctive work within the department<br> <em><strong>Ben P. Hochster</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Carol Nott Piano Pedagogy Prize</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding graduating senior for continued study in piano pedagogy<br> <em><strong>Soyoung Jeong</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Delores and Donald White Prize</strong><br> Awarded to conservatory students who demonstrate leadership in elevating 91ֱ�� Conservatory’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals through music performance<br> <em><strong>Daniela Jimenez Ochoa</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Four winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with 91ֱ�� orchestras during the spring semester<br> <em><strong>Maya Irizarry Lambright</strong></em>, violin</p> <p><strong>John Elvin Piano Prize</strong><br> Awarded to the student judged by the piano department to be the most talented in the junior class<br> <em><strong>Yu-Wei Lee</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano Third Place: Howard Karp ’51 Prize</strong><br> Awarded to the third-place finisher of this juried competition for excellence in performance of works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>Leo Lu</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano First Place: Peter Takács Prize</strong><br> Awarded to the winner of this juried competition for excellence in performance of works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>Iskandar O. Mamadaliev</strong></em></p> <p><strong>TIMARA Founders Fund Olly Wilson Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a TIMARA major for distinctive work within the department<br> <em><strong>Maya T. McCollum</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Watson Fellowship</strong><br> Awarded by the Thomas J. Watson Foundation to graduating seniors for purposeful, independent exploration outside the United States<br> <strong><em>Maya T. McCollum</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Agnes Fowler Collegiate Scholarship</strong><br> Awarded to a junior majoring in music and strong in instrumental or vocal performance<br> <em><strong>Ian N. McEdwards</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Ruth Cogan Memorial Scholarship in Vocal Performance</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding voice major who has dedicated significant time to the Otto B. Schoepfle Vocal Arts Center<br> <em><strong>Isabel Merat</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for Musicianship</strong><br> Awarded to students judged to be the most outstanding of those elected to Pi Kappa Lambda<br> <em><strong>Immanuel B. Mykyta-Chomsky</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Piano Faculty Prize in Accompanying</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated excellence in accompanying singers and instrumentalists<br> <em><strong>Immanuel B. Mykyta-Chomsky</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Ernest Hatch Wilkins Memorial Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a returning student who has demonstrated academic excellence in the three preceding years<br> <em><strong>Khai Nien K. Nguyen</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Flint Initiative Grant </strong><br> Awarded to innovative, motivated, and prepared conservatory and double-degree students to develop imaginative artistic projects<br> <em><strong>Sangeetha Ramanuj</strong></em></p> <p><strong>David S. Boe-C. B. Fisk Prize for Excellence in Organ Performance</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding organ student<br> <em><strong>William F. Rehwinkel</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Earl L. Russell Award in Historical Performance</strong><br> Awarded to a student majoring in Historical Performance to assist with the purchase of a musical instrument<br> <em><strong>William F. Rehwinkel</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Margot Bos Stambler ’84 Professional Development Award</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding voice major of great promise<br> <em><strong>Alan F. Rendzak</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for Musicianship</strong><br> Awarded to students judged to be the most outstanding of those elected to Pi Kappa Lambda<br> <em><strong>Alan F. Rendzak</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Wendell and Bettye Logan Prize in Jazz Studies</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating student who has demonstrated excellence in performance or composition<br> <em><strong>Coleman Rose</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Selby Harlan Houston Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior whose performance in organ and music theory is of distinguished quality<br> <em><strong>Mark U. Slatter</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Rudolph Serkin Scholarship</strong><br> Awarded to a student demonstrating excellence in piano performance<br> <em><strong>Chau Minh Tran</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Flint Initiative Grant </strong><br> Awarded to innovative, motivated, and prepared conservatory and double-degree students to develop imaginative artistic projects<br> <em><strong>Sebastien Tsai</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Louis and Marguerite Bloomberg Greenwood Prize in Voice</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating student excelling in cello, piano, violin, or voice<br> <em><strong>Jordan L. Twadell</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Four winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with 91ֱ�� orchestras during the spring semester<br> <em><strong>Jiongli Wang</strong></em>, piano</p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano Second Place: Leon Fleisher Prize</strong><br> Awarded to the second-place finisher of this juried competition for excellence in performance of works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>Fiona Wu</strong></em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Annual reception held May 13 in Stull Recital Hall.</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="2024-05-13T12:00:00Z">Mon, 05/13/2024 - 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=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</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=29541">Piano</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=39981">Piano and Vocal Accompanying</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=42726">Piano Pedagogy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33031">TIMARA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</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/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</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/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/music-theory" hreflang="und">Music Theory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> <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/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Elizabeth Hanje (middle), a fourth-year soprano from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, won the Margot Bos Stambler ’84 Professional Development Award. She is pictured with Dean of the Conservatory Bill Quillen and Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs Leah Brockman.</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">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Five Faculty Earn Excellence in Teaching Honors</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:48:43 +0000</p> <span>Five Faculty Earn Excellence in Teaching Honors</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-03-14T10:48:43-04:00" title="Thursday, March 14, 2024 - 10:48">Thu, 03/14/2024 - 10:48</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 2022-23 academic year.</p> <p>Presented annually, the awards recognize faculty in the college and conservatory who have demonstrated sustained and distinctive excellence in the classroom and beyond.</p> <p>Though they approach their teaching across widely varied disciplines, the honorees are united by several key characteristics, says <a href="/node/4921">David Kamitsuka</a>, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">“All of them are beloved and visionary teachers, they are deeply admired by their colleagues, they do a superb job connecting their area of expertise to its importance in real life, and they find great joy and meaning in the growth of their students.”</p> <p>A dinner reception was held March 11 at the home of President Carmen Twillie Ambar. The honorees (pictured above at the reception) are as follows:</p> <p><strong><a href="/node/6671">Jay Ashby</a><br> Associate Professor of Jazz Studies<br> Teacher of Jazz Composition and Trombone<br> Director of the Division of Jazz Studies</strong></p> <p>Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/node/49511">Bill Quillen</a> praises Jay Ashby’s commitment to students, his stewardship of the <a href="/node/3231">Division of Jazz Studies</a>, and his development of the Performance and Improvisation program, as well as his ongoing ties to 91ֱ�� athletics as co-chair of the General Faculty Athletics Committee.</p> <p>“Jay Ashby has played a leading role in continuing the legacy of jazz studies at 91ֱ��, and he works tirelessly in support of our students,” Quillen says. “He has expanded the realm of jazz studies and created opportunities not just for our jazz students, but for students across our campus.”</p> <hr> <p><strong><a href="/node/6761">Jonathan Moyer</a><br> David S. Boe Associate Professor of Organ<br> Chair of the Organ Department</strong></p> <p>“Jonathan Moyer is one of the most outstanding organ performers and pedagogues in America,” Quillen says. “He stands out not only for his artistic excellence, but also for his deep-seated care for his students. He has continued 91ֱ��’s rich tradition of organ study and placed the students and their needs at the heart of everything he does.”</p> <p>Quillen praises Moyer for his commitment to creating immersive learning experiences in organ centers across Europe and fostering career connections for his students throughout Northeast Ohio and around the world.</p> <hr> <p><strong><span id="cke_bm_37257S" style="display: none;"> </span>Lynn Powell<br> Emerita Assistant Professor of Creative Writing<br> Director of 91ֱ�� Writers in the Schools</strong></p> <p>Kamitsuka cites Lynn Powell’s extraordinary and longstanding commitment to the <a href="/node/3221">Creative Writing Department</a> and the community. For more than two decades, she provided visionary leadership to 91ֱ��’s <a href="/node/178921">Writers in the Schools</a> program, a collaboration between the college and 91ֱ�� public schools. “It’s truly unimaginable how much work Lynn has put into this labor of love,” Kamitsuka says of Powell, who retired in summer 2023.</p> <p> </p> <hr> <p><strong><a href="/node/5706"><span id="cke_bm_37257E" style="display: none;"> </span></a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="/node/5261">Lisa Ryno</a><br> Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry</strong></p> <p>“What is so impressive about Lisa Ryno is her incredible efforts and success in involving students in every facet of her research,” says Kamitsuka. “No one has done more than Lisa to ensure that all students thrive.” Kamitsuka notes that Ryno spearheaded—while on sabbatical—implementation of the Chemistry Climate Survey, which was intended to assess students’ sense of belonging and engagement with the department.</p> <p>Ryno’s many student collaborations are evidenced in the great number of student researchers who participate with <a href="/undergraduate-research">91ֱ�� Undergraduate Research</a> and present at departmental symposiums—and also in the contingent of five students who will present alongside Ryno at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology conference this month in San Antonio.</p> <p>“Nothing is better than watching someone gain confidence in the lab and take ownership of their project,” Ryno says.</p> <hr> <p><strong><a href="/node/5706">Md Rumi Shammin</a><br> Professor of Environmental Studies<br> Director of the Environmental Studies Program</strong></p> <p>“Rumi Shammin models genuine modesty and humility as the foundation of all learning,” says Kamitsuka.</p> <p>Shammin is regarded among students and fellow faculty as a master of group projects and collaborative work, including his National Science Foundation-funded project “Perspective-Taking and Systems-Thinking for Complex Problem Solving.” Shammin founded <a href="/node/3196">Environmental Studies</a>’ Career Day, which offers a highly successful model for forging professional connections.</p> <hr> <p><strong>About the Excellence in Teaching Awards:</strong> 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="2024-03-14T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/14/2024 - 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=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=2373">Awards and Honors</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=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</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=25326">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25246">Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25306">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28886">Historical Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=40211">Historical Keyboard Instruments</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32966">Organ</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="/jay-ashby" hreflang="und">Jay Ashby</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jonathan-william-moyer" hreflang="und">Jonathan William Moyer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/lisa-ryno" hreflang="und">Lisa Ryno</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/md-rumi-shammin" hreflang="und">Md Rumi Shammin</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/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</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="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry" hreflang="und">Chemistry and Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing" hreflang="und">Creative Writing</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">91ֱ��’s 2022-23 Excellence in Teaching honorees (from left): Jonathan Moyer, Lisa Ryno, Rumi Shammin, Lynn Powell, and Jay Ashby.</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">Scott Shaw</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Renowned Organist David Hurd is Featured Artist for Annual David Boe Memorial Concert</h1> <p>cstrauss — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 17:43:32 +0000</p> <span>Renowned Organist David Hurd is Featured Artist for Annual David Boe Memorial Concert</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-03-01T12:43:32-05:00" title="Friday, March 1, 2024 - 12:43">Fri, 03/01/2024 - 12:43</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>David Boe was a beloved professor of organ at 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music from 1962 to 2008 who also served as the ninth dean of the Conservatory. An annual series comprising concerts and master classes was established to bring guest organists to campus in honor of his life and years of service to 91ֱ��.</p> <p>This year, 91ֱ�� alumnus David Hurd '71 will be the featured artist. He is among the most celebrated church musicians and concert organists in the United States. He received the American Guild of Organists’ Distinguished Composer award in 2010, and currently serves as organist and choirmaster of the Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin in New York City.</p> <p>During his visit to 91ֱ��, Hurd will give a <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/david_boe_memorial_concert_david_hurd_organ">public performance</a> on Sunday, March 3 at 4:30 p.m. as well as a <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/guest_master_class_david_hurd_organ">master class</a> for 91ֱ�� organists on the Fisk organ in Finney Chapel, Saturday, March 2 at 10 a.m. Both the master class and the concert are free and open to the public.</p> <p>I reached Hurd at home in New York via Zoom to talk about his career, his experiences at 91ֱ��, and his program on Sunday. I began by asking him about his relationship to Boe as a student.</p> <p><strong>David Hurd: </strong>I studied harpsichord with David Boe. He was a young faculty member at the time, and I knew and admired him very much. That was before he became the dean of the Conservatory. And so I’m glad to know that his legacy is being cemented with this series, as well as having the Chair of Organ named for him. What a lovely man.</p> <p><em>Daniel Hathaway:</em> <em>What was 91ֱ�� Conservatory like in those days?</em></p> <p><strong>Hurd: </strong>That seems like 100 years ago. The conservatory building itself was very new and the concert hall organ was a big Holtkamp which had just gone in, I think, in 1964, three years before I came to 91ֱ��. So it was a new organ, and was already to some degree being critiqued as not being perfect, because everything has to be perfect at 91ֱ��.</p> <p>But the practice building was heaven. Along one hallway was a whole line of Flentrop organs, and along another was a whole line of brand new Holtkamp organs. It was really quite amazing. I had come from Juilliard, where the organ facilities at that time in the old building were quite modest and the quality of the instruments was not in any way comparable to this brand spanking new facility at 91ֱ��.</p> <p>There were four full studios of organ students with young and vital professors, and the critical mass of students was very exciting. Not a lot of schools could have offered that concentration of organ energy. It was only in retrospect that I recognized how much I learned from my fellow students, and having that critical mass was a tremendous inspiration.</p> <p>I think I learned as much in the practice rooms and in the lounge talking with my fellow students as I did in my lessons. That’s not to take away from the quality of teaching, but just to say that the environment was significant. Of course the variety of instruments has expanded tremendously since I was there.</p> <p><em>Hathaway:</em> <em>You have a reputation for being a great improviser. When did you start doing that, and who influenced you?</em></p> <p><strong>Hurd: </strong>Well, I never studied improvisation as such. I started playing the keyboard by ear when I was four years old, and I started piano lessons when I was six. So, in a sense, my introduction to the keyboard was extemporization and an imitation of things I heard. But the theory and skills curriculum at Juilliard Prep, where I studied from age nine through high school, was really extraordinary. I had two years of keyboard harmony with Frances Goldstein, who had an amazing ear. She could be on the opposite end of the piano and tell you what finger you were playing a key with because of the tone that you got from the instrument. The exercises she had us do provided a real foundation in knowing the keyboard. Not just letting the fingers do the walking, but really having a consciousness of exactly where they were going and what they were going to achieve when they got there.</p> <p>So there was never a particular moment or a particular improvisation course, but the gathering of a lot of influences, and my own enthusiasm for doing it. And I was in church situations where improvisation was either encouraged or required, like at Trinity Wall Street. It was something you had to do.</p> <p>Curiously enough, when I was a student at 91ֱ�� back in the late '60s and early '70s, you had the sense that improvisation was considered the one thing the Europeans did that we didn’t wish to imitate. I remember that the first time Marie-Claire Alain played a recital at 91ֱ��, she submitted three memorized programs, each of which included an improvisation. I was told that she was asked just to play repertoire.</p> <p>Of course, a few of us would sneak into the concert hall late at night and roll back the curtains, play hymns, and carry on and have a good time. That was sort of being naughty, because it certainly wasn’t approved behavior.</p> <p><em>Hathaway:</em> <em>Let’s talk about your program at 91ֱ��. It’s all music by David Hurd. </em></p> <p><strong>Hurd: </strong>In the invitation to play the recital, I was asked that the program be “The Best of David Hurd.” So I asked myself, what can I offer in a recital that they wouldn’t have otherwise? I remember when Bill Albright came to play at 91ֱ�� during my student days, he surprised us all by going down to the stage and playing ragtime on the piano. I’m not going to do that, but I thought maybe my distinct contribution would not just be another performance of the Franck E-major chorale, but rather music that hasn’t been played on the Fisk.</p> <p>Most of my compositions were born out of my appreciation of the historic organ. My Te Deum, the oldest piece on the program, is the most comprehensive of my organ pieces. It’s in four movements, and there are bits and pieces of all kinds of stuff in there. There’s a lot of tradition, and yet it’s a very American piece, perhaps because of its eclecticism.</p> <p>And that’s another thing. It’s astonishing that I got through two performance degrees and never played a single work by an American composer. I can’t imagine anyone going through a music school in France or Germany or Holland or Italy and never ever playing a piece by a native composer. And yet generations of American organists have been trained to know European music very well and to know virtually nothing about American organ music. This isn’t true of other disciplines. Pianists, singers— everybody does American music, but organists somehow carry forward an inferiority complex that many of us learned in music school.</p> <p>In the early ‘80s, I was one of the four finalists in improvisation at the Haarlem Festival, and at the final concert, everyone played a piece from their native land — except me. At the reception, I had a conversation with Piet Kee. He was very sweet and lovely, but he said kind of pointedly, ‘We had hoped that we would hear some American music.’ It really stung when I realized that the Dutch wanted to hear American music from the American organist.</p> <p>So that was part of my thought process in playing my own compositions on an American organ—even one that largely gets branded as a Cavaille-Coll-inspired French instrument. I think that the Fisk organ and my music are a very good match. And if what 91ֱ�� launched in me as a musician is of any value, the evidence for that is to a great degree to be found in my compositions. Hopefully I can play them decently.</p> <p><em>Hathaway:</em> <em>I notice there’s about a 20-year spread in the composition dates of your works. How much has your style changed in that period of time?</em></p> <p><strong>Hurd: </strong>I’m probably too close to it to gauge that, but one good composer friend of mine told me that over the course of time, ‘You’ve learned to use fewer notes to say what you’re talking about.’ I think he’s right. The Te Deum is full of fistfuls of notes, and I don’t do that quite as much now. The economy of using only what’s necessary to say what wants to be said is something that I’ve learned over the course of time.</p> <p><em>Hathaway: Were any of these pieces commissioned?</em></p> <p><strong>Hurd: </strong>The Te Deum was commissioned by Larry King when he was at Trinity, Wall Street. He wanted a piece to play in a recital at Riverside Church. The Arioso and Finale was commissioned by the Queens chapter of the American Guild of Organists, to honor one of the founders of the chapter, Lillian Duhart Rogers, who was my choir director when I was a child. It was written shortly after I’d come back from a tour of French organs, and I was feeling a bit French.</p> <p>The Suite in Three Movements wasn’t really a commission as such, but was intended for an Organ Historical Society convention in Denver. I was never really happy with the piece, and several years later, I completely redid it. The original ideas were still there, but now it’s much more modern.</p> <p>And the most recent work—the Introduction, Passacaglia, and Fugue on “Wyndham”—was commissioned by the Victoria Bach Festival in Texas, at the instigation of Renée Luprette. She premiered it two summers ago at the Festival, and performs it beautifully in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I6uuad5anI">YouTube video</a> in Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden. I’ll try to play it as well as she did.</p> <p><em>Hathaway: During your four decades at the General Theological Seminary, you’ve also occupied several Episcopal church positions. Now you’ve traded Chelsea Square for Times Square. How did you end up at St. Mary the Virgin?</em></p> <p><strong>Hurd:</strong> I actually auditioned for GTS, but for my last three parish jobs, I’ve come in through the back door. In the first one, my predecessor was declining with MS, I came in to help him out, and one thing led to another. He went out on disability, they invited me to stay, and twelve years passed. Next came Holy Apostles, when Donald Joyce was suffering a terminal illness and asked me to come in and help. He entirely expected to come back to work, but the illness got him. So they asked me to stay, and sixteen years went by.</p> <p>I had been an occasional sub at St. Mary’s, and when my predecessor had to resign suddenly due to personal reasons, they asked me to come in and fill out the choral season for two more months. Shortly thereafter, the rector said, why don’t you just stay so we won’t have to search any further. Now eight years have gone by and I’m still there. So I think of myself as a two-month interim who just didn’t leave.</p> <p><em>Hathaway: That’s kind of a wonderful way to come to a position, though. </em></p> <p><strong>Hurd:</strong> They had already pre-tested the merchandise, and I knew what I was getting into. I don’t know how long it’s going to go on, but so far it’s been lovely to work in that church with such a splendid acoustic and a magnificent G. Donald Harrison organ that has been enhanced since its original installation. I have a wonderful eight-voice choral ensemble that can sing anything that eight voices can sing—if I sing too, that makes nine. And St. Mary’s has a liturgy that really allows for a range and seriousness of choral music. So it’s been a nice thing to do in my unofficial retirement.</p> <hr> <p><em>Article originally published on ClevelandClassical.com February 28, 2024. Shared with permission of ClevelandClassical.com.</em></p> <p><em>Daniel Hathaway team-teaches music journalism at 91ֱ�� and is a member of the Music Critics Association of North America.</em></p> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The March 3 program in Finney Chapel comprises some two decades of Hurd's own compositions.</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="2024-03-01T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/01/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Daniel Hathaway</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=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3945">91ֱ�� Conservatory Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2548">Concerts and Recitals</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=32966">Organ</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/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</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">Monica Clare</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Conservatory Celebrates Recipients of 2022-23 Honors & Awards</h1> <p>jreinier — Tue, 23 May 2023 18:41:50 +0000</p> <span>Conservatory Celebrates Recipients of 2022-23 Honors & Awards</span> <span><span>jreinier</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-05-23T14:41:50-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 14:41">Tue, 05/23/2023 - 14:41</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Recipients of 91ֱ�� Conservatory’s 2022-23 Honors and Awards included 43 outstanding students from across the Conservatory’s 11 divisions. Most of the prizes were given to graduating seniors honored for their achievements throughout their time at 91ֱ��. </p> <p>Some awards, such as the Beethoven, Serkin, Elvin, and Dann prizes in piano, and the Senior Concerto Competition winners, were earned earlier in the year through juried competitions. </p> <p>The Flint Initiative, Grindlay, and XARTS grants were awarded by Conservatory Professional Development to fund exceptionally creative, collaborative, and entrepreneurial projects that students completed during Winter Term and summer break. </p> <p>Conservatory Dean Bill Quillen shares: “On behalf of the Conservatory’s faculty and staff, it is a great pleasure to congratulate the 2023 Conservatory Honors and Awards winners. We are incredibly proud of these students — and, indeed, all of our students — and we are inspired every day by their creativity, artistry, hard work, open-mindedness, and their commitment to service and to making the world a better place through music.”</p> <h3>2022-23 Honors and Awards</h3> <p><strong>The Arthur Dann Piano Competition</strong><br> <em>Awarded to the winner of this juried competition for excellence in piano performance.</em><br> <strong>JJ Bui</strong>, third year</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Prof. Alvin Chow, Jiongli Wang</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The Beethoven Prizes in Piano</strong><br> <em>Awarded in a juried competition to piano majors for outstanding performance in works of Beethoven.</em><br> The Takács/Beethoven Prize (First): <strong>Jiongli Wang</strong>, third year<br> The Leon Fleisher Prize (Second): <strong>Yihang (Alex) Chen</strong>, third year<br> The Howard Karp '51 Prize (Third): <strong>Natasha Wu ’23</strong><br> Semi-finalist prize: <strong>Leo Lu</strong>, first year</p> <p><strong>The Carol Nott Piano Pedagogy Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding graduating senior for continued study in piano  pedagogy. </em><br> <strong>Annie (Guoanni) Qin ’23</strong></p> <p><strong>The David S. Boe - C. B. Fisk Prize for Excellence in Organ Performance</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding organ student.</em><br> <strong>Oziah B. Wales ’23</strong></p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Malcolm Bamba, Chris Jenkins</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The Dolores and Donald White Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to Conservatory students who demonstrate leadership in elevating 91ֱ�� Conservatory’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals through music performance.</em><br> <strong>Malcolm F. Bamba</strong>, fourth year, Independent Major in Arts Leadership & Marketing<br> <strong>Blake Logan</strong>, second year, Cello Performance and Undecided B.A.</p> <p><strong>The Earl L. Russell Award in Historical Performance</strong><br> <em>Awarded to worthy students majoring in Historical Performance to assist with the purchase of a musical instrument.</em><br> <strong>Kailah Grace Robbins</strong>, third year, Flute Performance and Baroque Flute</p> <p><strong>The Ernest Hatch Wilkins Memorial Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a returning student who has demonstrated academic excellence in the three preceding years.</em><br> <strong>Nik D. Rejto (Divall)</strong>, third year, Classical Guitar</p> <p><strong>The Faustina Hurlbutt Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding graduating student in cello, piano, violin, or voice.</em><br> <strong>Luka C. Stefanovic ’23</strong>, BM/MM, Cello Performance, Historical Performance, Baroque Cello</p> <p><strong>The Flint Initiative Grant (FIGs)</strong><br> <em>Awarded to innovative, motivated, and prepared Conservatory and Double-Degree students to develop imaginative artistic projects.</em><br> <strong>Ishan Loomba ’23</strong>, Piano Performance and Psychology, minor in Computer Science<br> <strong>Ilana McNamara</strong>, fourth year, Viola Performance and Mathematics<br> <strong>Ozüm Pamukcu ’23</strong>, Musical Studies and Economics<br> <strong>Sangeetha Ramanuj</strong>, second year, Musical Studies and Mathematics<br> <strong>Katia Rumin</strong>, second year, Viola Performance</p> <p><strong>The Graham Grindlay '00 Endowed Memorial Music & Computer Science Innovation Fund </strong><br> <em>Supports the development and execution of projects that bring together music and sound with computer science or technological innovation.</em><br> <strong>Ivy Fu ’23</strong>, TIMARA and Art History<br> <strong>Julia Collins</strong>, third year, TIMARA <br> <strong>Maya McCollum</strong>, fourth year, TIMARA and Studio Art</p> <p><strong>The John Elvin Piano Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a student judged by the Piano Department to be the most talented in the junior class.</em><br> <strong>Yihang (Alex) Chen</strong>, third year, Piano Performance</p> <p><strong>The Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts</strong><br> <em>Awarded in the Conservatory every five years and on the faculty’s recommendation to a graduating senior who has performed with uncommon distinction in music performance. The award was established in 1982 by Louis Sudler of Chicago, a musician with a lifelong commitment to the training of young artists in university.</em><br> <strong>Adam S. Chlebek ’23</strong>, Organ Performance</p> <p><strong>The Louis and Annette Kaufman Music Achievement Award in Violin</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding student of violin.</em><br> <strong>Matthew S. Cone ’23</strong>, Violin Performance</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Bill Quillen, Gillian Piper</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The Louis and Marguerite Bloomberg Greenwood Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a graduating student excelling in cello, piano, violin, or voice.</em><br> <strong>Gillian B. Piper ’23</strong>, Jazz Voice Performance<br> <strong>Kylie P. Buckham ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance</p> <p><strong>The Margot Bos Stambler '84 Professional Development Award</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding vocal performance major of great promise to enhance career opportunities.</em><br> <strong>Kylie A. Kreucher ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance<br> <strong>Brian R. Wacker ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance</p> <p><strong>The Ohio Federation of Music Clubs (OFMC) Agnes Fowler Collegiate Scholarship</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a junior majoring in music, and who is strong in instrumental or voice performance. Made possible by the OFMC, a statewide organization devoted to the love and encouragement of music in Ohio.</em><br> <strong>Felix J. Veser</strong>, third year, Viola Performance</p> <p><strong>The Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for Musicianship</strong><br> <em>Awarded to students judged to be the most outstanding of those elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of music.</em><br> <strong>Clara I. Dahmer ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance<br> <strong>Kylie A. Kreucher ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance<br> <strong>Matthew S. Cone ’23</strong>, Violin Performance</p> <p><strong>The Piano Faculty Prize in Accompanying</strong><br> <em>Awarded to graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in accompanying singers and instrumentalists.</em><br> <strong>Kai-Min Chang ’23</strong>, Piano Performance<br> <strong>Ishan Loomba ’23</strong>, Piano Performance and Psychology, minor in Computer Science</p> <p><strong>The Rudolph Serkin Scholarship</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a student demonstrating excellence in piano performance.</em><br> <strong>Yubo Deng</strong>, second year, Piano Performance</p> <p><strong>The Ruth Cogan Memorial Scholarship in Vocal Performance</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a vocal performance student who has demonstrated significant work in voice pedagogy or in the PACE concentration.</em><br> <strong>Nisha P. Caiozzi ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Adam Chlebek, Oziah B. Wales,<br> Katherine Johnson, Prof. Jonathan Moyer</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The Selby Harlan Houston Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a graduating senior whose performance in organ and music theory is of distinguished quality.</em><br> <strong>Katherine E. Johnson ’23</strong>, Organ Performance and English</p> <p><strong>The Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> <em>Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with the 91ֱ�� orchestras during the spring semester.</em><br> <strong>Kylie P. Buckham ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance<br> <strong>Annie (Guoanni) Qin ’23</strong>, Piano Performance<br> <strong>Matthew S. Cone ’23</strong>, Violin Performance<br> <strong>Jonathan Kronheimer ’23</strong>, Oboe Performance</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Rachel Yee, Prof. Tom Lopez, Gabriel Baskin</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The TIMARA Founders Fund John Clough Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a TIMARA major for distinctive work within the department.</em><br> <strong>Gabriel L. Baskin ’23</strong></p> <p><strong>The TIMARA Founders Fund Olly Wilson Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a TIMARA major for distinctive work within the department.</em><br> <strong>Rachel Yee ’23</strong>, TIMARA and Computer Science, minor in Music and Cognition</p> <p><strong>The Theodore Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award</strong><br> <em>This award, made possible by the Presser Foundation, is awarded to an outstanding returning student for excellence in musicianship.</em><br> <strong>Abby Lopez</strong>, second year, Bassoon Performance</p> <p><strong>The Walter E. Aschaffenburg Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a graduating senior for outstanding music composition.</em><br> <strong>Isaac Santos ’23</strong>, Composition</p> <p><strong>The Wendell and Bettye Logan Prize in Jazz Studies</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a graduating student who has demonstrated excellence in performance or composition.</em><br> <strong>Kamran M. Curlin ’23</strong>, fourth year, Jazz Bass and History</p> <p><strong>The XARTS Fund</strong><br> <em>Supports the development and execution of collaborative, multi-disciplinary, artistic projects.</em><br> <strong>Awen McKee</strong>, second year, Composition<br> <strong>Analise Granados</strong>, second year, Violin Performance and Undecided (B.A.)<br> <strong>Katie Galt</strong>, fourth year, Viola Performance and Comparative Literature<br> <strong>Mariah Leontopoulou-Cochran</strong>, fourth year, Jazz Voice, minor in Hispanic Studies<br> <strong>Maya Irizarry Lambright</strong>, third year, Violin Performance<br> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">43 outstanding students from the Conservatory were selected for honors and awards this year.</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="2023-05-23T12:00:00Z">Tue, 05/23/2023 - 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="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>At the end of each spring semester, 91ֱ�� Conservatory’s faculty and administration celebrate students whose academic and artistic work is especially meritorious. They are selected by committees and competition juries for exemplary musicianship, academic work, and personal achievement. Awards generated by numerous endowed funds are dedicated to acknowledging these musicians' demonstrated excellence, supporting their ongoing study and creative projects, and even assisting them with instrument purchases.</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=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <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=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36206">Viola</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33041">Baroque Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=29541">Piano</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35881">Bassoon</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37361">Oboe</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</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/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> <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/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</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/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/music-theory" hreflang="und">Music Theory</a></div> <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/pace" hreflang="und">Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement</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">Joshua Reinier</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Improv Fest 2023 Celebrates Range of Creative Practices</h1> <p>cstrauss — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 17:03:21 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Improv Fest 2023 Celebrates Range of Creative Practices</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-03-02T12:03:21-05:00" title="Thursday, March 2, 2023 - 12:03">Thu, 03/02/2023 - 12:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This year 91ֱ�� students have had the opportunity for the first time to declare a minor in a new formalized course of study in improvisation. And from Thursday, March 2 through Saturday, March 4, they will have an immersive experience in the 91ֱ�� Improv Fest 2023. All events of the festival are also open to audiences and are free.</p> <p>The festival kicks off on Thursday at noon in the Birenbaum with a panel discussion with faculty and guest artists. <a href="/la-tanya-hall">La Tanya Hall</a>, associate professor of jazz voice, will moderate a discussion about improvised music and improvisation in the creative process with the four guest artists of the festival—flutist and composer <a href="https://www.nicolemitchell.com">Nicole Mitchell</a>; shakuhachi player and composer <a href="https://kojiroumezaki.com">Kojiro Umezaki</a>; multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer <a href="https://www.auroranealand.com">Aurora Nealand ’01</a>; and jazz pianist and composer <a href="https://luisperdomojazz.com">Luis Perdomo</a>—and 91ֱ��’s Visiting Assistant Professor of Baroque Violin <a href="/edwin-huizinga-06">Edwin Huizinga '06</a>.</p> <p>The events that follow over the three days encompass workshops, presentations, and performances that showcase exciting performances with AI-based interactive and immersive sound, group improvisation, jazz, and students in 91ֱ��'s Performance and Improvisation program. </p> <p><a href="/dana-jessen">Dana Jessen</a>, 91ֱ��’s associate professor of contemporary music and improvisation and a key organizer of Improv Fest, shares that the inspiration for the festival “came about as a means to celebrate the many outlets for improvisation on campus, and at the same time, bring together world-renowned artists to interact with our students and community.” Festival co-organizer is <a href="/aurie-hsu">Aurie Hsu '96</a>, associate dean for academic affairs and a professor in <a href="/timara">TIMARA</a>.</p> <p>Jessen continues, “Improvisation is deeply rooted within 91ֱ��'s campus, from official ensembles and courses, to student-led groups and initiatives.”</p> <p>In fact, improvisation has been emphasized at 91ֱ�� Conservatory for generations—from early practices in organ, to historical performance, as well as free jazz, fusion, electronic music, and more recently in non-Western idioms explored in 91ֱ��’s Performance and Improvisation (PI) Program. Courses and ensembles in PI provide students with the opportunity to enrich their existing musical vocabularies and skills through practical exploration of many different world musics and improvisation across a range of genres and styles. This study is fundamental to 91ֱ��’s directive to optimally prepare musicians for any number of potential 21st-century career paths.</p> <p>“The festival aligns with 91ֱ��'s new improvisation minor in that it seeks to convey how improvisation can be a thread that connects different areas of music-making,” says Jessen. “The scope of the festival itself in many ways mirrors the many pathways that students could pursue in the minor.”<br> <br> In choosing the guest artists for the festival, Jessen describes, “Improvisation takes many forms and the festival artists represent a range of practices, styles, and traditions. Our events throughout the festival highlight the breadth of their work, as well as the range of offerings on campus. These include Afrofuturism, interactive electronic improvisation, non-western idioms, jazz, historical performance, conducted improvisation, free music, and songwriting.”</p> <p>Each of the four guests will appear in concert during the festival, highlighting an experience for listening audiences.</p> <p>Nealand and Umezaki will collaborate on Thursday, March 2 at 8:30 p.m. in the Birenbaum. Mitchell’s concert on Friday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m., also in the Birenbaum, will involve jazz studies students and faculty performers in performances of her works. Students in 91ֱ��’s PI Program will collaborate with jazz pianist Perdomo on his festival closing concert on Saturday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse.</p> <p>“These performances will highlight the high level of musicianship connected to these practices,” emphasizes Jessen.</p> <p>Additional concerts feature 91ֱ��’s student small jazz ensembles at the weekly Jazz Forum held at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse on Friday, March 3 at noon. A Student Showcase performance with OCTaiko, the Silent Film Ensemble, 91ֱ�� Creative Music Lab, and 91ֱ�� Percussion Group takes place on Saturday, March 4 at Wilder Hall’s Main Theater.</p> <p>Jessen expresses “hope is that the festival will bring our community together and offer inspiration for students to explore the many pathways to improvisation, while the workshops and presentations will offer an entryway for newcomers.”</p> <p><strong>91ֱ�� Improv Fest 2023 Event Schedule</strong></p> <p>PANEL DISCUSSION: GUEST ARTISTS AND FACULTY<br> Thursday, March 2, 12:00-1:30 PM<br> Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space, Hotel at 91ֱ��</p> <p>GUEST MASTER CLASS: JAZZ PIANIST LUIS PERDOMO<br> Thursday, March 2, 4:00-5:00 PM<br> Clonick Hall</p> <p>PRESENTATION: KOJIRO UMEZAKI<br> Thursday, March 2, 4:30-6:00 PM<br> Birenbaum<br> Umezaki presents his work featuring global and hybrid practices in acoustic and electronic music.</p> <p>PRESENTATION: NICOLE MITCHELL<br> Thursday, March 2, 7:00-8:15 PM<br> Stull Recital Hall<br> The music that flutist, composer, bandleader, and educator Nicole Mitchell creates celebrates contemporary African American culture and explores intercultural collaborations. In her presentation, she will discuss Afrofuturism.</p> <p>CONCERT: AURORA NEALAND AND KOJIRO UMEZAKI<br> Thursday, March 2, 8:30 PM<br> Birenbaum </p> <p>PERFORMANCE: JAZZ FORUM<br> Friday, March 3, 12:00 PM<br> Cat and the Cream Coffee House<br> 91ֱ�� student jazz ensembles perform.</p> <p>SONGWRITING WORKSHOP: AURORA NEALAND '01<br> Friday, March 3, 3:30-5:30 PM<br> Stull Recital Hall</p> <p>CONCERT: NICOLE MITCHELL<br> Friday, March 3, 8:00 PM<br> Birenbaum</p> <p>ORGAN WORKSHOP: CHRISTA RAKICH ’75<br> Saturday, March 4, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM<br> Finney Chapel<br> “How To Sound Like Messiaen”</p> <p>INFO SESSION: IMPROVISATION MINOR WITH DANA JESSEN<br> Friday, March 4, 12:00-1:00 PM<br> Birenbaum<br> The Improvisation Minor draws upon several departments across the conservatory and college, enabling students to create a pathway that suits their artistic interests.</p> <p>SOUNDPAINTING WORKSHOP: DREW PATTISON ’10<br> Saturday, March 4, 1:30-3:00 PM<br> Central 25<br> Soundpainting is the universal multidisciplinary live composing sign language for musicians, actors, dancers, and visual artists, developed by Walter Thompson. Drew Pattison '10, assistant professor of bassoon, will engage workshop participants in improvisation and group interaction through the conducted Soundpainting language.</p> <p>CONCERT: STUDENT SHOWCASE<br> Saturday, March 4, 4:30-6:30 PM<br> Wilder Hall - Wilder Main Theater</p> <p>CONCERT: PIANIST LUIS PERDOMO WITH OBERLIN PI ENSEMBLE<br> Saturday, March 4, 7:30 PM<br> Cat and the Cream Coffee House</p> <hr> <p><em>91ֱ�� Improv Fest 2023 is organized with support from TIMARA, Conservatory Deans Office, Conservatory Professional Development, and the Alumni in Service to 91ֱ�� College (ASOC) Fund.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The three-day festival, running March 2-4, presents 13 events; brings guest artists to campus to teach and perform</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="2023-03-02T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/02/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss ’84</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=2865">Performance & Improvisation (PI)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3874">Improvisation</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=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33031">TIMARA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=464502">Improvisation</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="/dana-jessen" hreflang="und">Dana Jessen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/aurie-hsu" hreflang="und">Aurie Hsu ’96</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/la-tanya-hall" hreflang="und">La Tanya Hall</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/edwin-huizinga-06" hreflang="und">Edwin Huizinga ’06</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/christa-rakich" hreflang="und">Christa Rakich</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/drew-pattison" hreflang="und">Drew Pattison</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="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</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/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">From top, L-R: Luis Perdomo, Kojiro Umezaki, Aurora Nealand '01, Nicole Mitchell</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 the artists</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Conservatory Organist Daniel Jacky Wins Duke Chapel Position</h1> <p>eburnett — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 15:44:59 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Conservatory Organist Daniel Jacky Wins Duke Chapel Position</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-06-01T11:44:59-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 1, 2022 - 11:44">Wed, 06/01/2022 - 11:44</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>New organ students at 91ֱ�� are greeted by some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjE_rzAUtaM">32 outstanding instruments</a>, but personal favorites inevitably develop over time.</p> <p>For Daniel Jacky, it was the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jQfUcAL-1Q">Brombaugh Opus 25</a>, found in the loft of medieval-inspired Fairchild Chapel and built in the tradition of early 17th-century Germany.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>(photo by Yevhen Gulenko)</figcaption> </figure> <p>“I love the Fairchild one best,” the fifth-year senior says without hesitation in late May, with just one philosophy final separating him from a double degree in organ performance and mathematics. “You won’t find another one quite like it. It’s so unique in terms of the sound, the touch, and the way it resonates in the chapel.”</p> <p>So taken by the instrument’s charms, Jacky once asked his teacher, <a href="/node/6761">Jonathan Moyer</a>, to devote an entire semester of lessons on it. “That’s the one I’m going to miss the most, for sure,” he says.</p> <p>But for Jacky, there will be new options: He has been named the American Guild of Organists’ Organ Scholar for 2022-23, a position he will serve at Duke University Chapel in Durham, North Carolina. Among Duke Chapel’s four instruments is one made by Brombaugh, much like the one Jacky knows so well at 91ֱ��. Another is a Flentrop crafted in the model of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfE5UmIyBCM">91ֱ��’s Flentrop</a> (pictured, above and below), which towers over Warner Concert Hall.</p> <p>Beginning in August, Jacky will perform for services at Duke Chapel and assist with its three choirs, in addition to continuing his studies with chapel organist Christopher Jacobson and performing at Duke Divinity School. The paid internship also covers his housing and healthcare.</p> <p>“Obviously, the music is great, and the organs are great,” Jacky says of the opportunity. “But everybody there is so welcoming and so friendly. They said, ‘We’re meeting you where you are, and we’re going to make this a good experience for you.’ They really value the things 91ֱ�� has taught me and the experience I had here. It’s actually like 91ֱ�� in a lot of ways. It hit me at one point: I get to do 91ֱ�� <em>professionally.</em>”</p> <p>Jacky is the first recipient of the <a href="https://www.agohq.org/organ-scholar-program/">AGO Organ Scholarship</a>. In addition to Duke, the program—whose parent organization supports some 12,000 professional organists nationwide—will partner with other top-flight organ institutions across the country in future years.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Jonathan Moyer works with Daniel Jacky at<br> Warner Concert Hall's Flentrop Organ, formally<br> known as the Van Cleef Family Organ. A very<br> similar Flentrop, installed under the leadership of<br> former 91ֱ�� organ professor Fenner Douglass,<br> awaits Jacky at Duke University Chapel.<br> (photo by Yevhen Gulenko)</figcaption> </figure> <p>“It has been such a joy to see Daniel blossom over these last five years,” says Moyer, 91ֱ��’s David S. Boe Associate Professor of Organ. “Through it all, Daniel has been a committed and hardworking student, as well as a truly uplifting presence in our department. We are so excited for this next chapter in his career: The Organ Scholar Program at Duke Chapel is a real steppingstone into the professional world of cathedral church music.”</p> <p>Born and raised in rural southern Ohio, Jacky is the son of two teachers who specialize in the subjects he chose as majors: music and math. (“I love to learn!” he says through a beaming smile.) In high school, he juggled a heaping plate of academics, piano studies, soccer, tennis, and track. His introduction to organ came when his piano teacher recommended him for an open position at a local church.</p> <p>“He was also the first person to tell me about 91ֱ��,” Jacky says of that teacher. “He described it as sort of an organ Mecca: a small town with a ton of organs. And I thought <em>Wow, this sounds great!</em>”</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Fairchild Chapel's Brombaugh organ, also known<br> as the Mary McIntosh Bridge Memorial Organ,<br> Daniel Jacky's favorite instrument at 91ֱ��.<br> (photo by Jennifer Manna)</figcaption> </figure> <p>The advance publicity didn’t lie.</p> <p>“91ֱ�� has so many different instruments—the sheer variety is amazing,” he says. “No other institution in the world compares to the variety of organs here.”</p> <p>At 91ֱ��, Jacky was the recipient of a Stamps Scholarship, a highly competitive honor through which he earned annual funding from the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, which has partnered with 91ֱ�� since 2013.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>(photo by Yevhen Gulenko)</figcaption> </figure> <p>Despite COVID interruptions, he served the congregations of three area churches during his five years: one in 91ֱ��, another in Cleveland, and a third in nearby Amherst, where he also directed the choir. He completed an internship at St. Peter’s Church in Manhattan as well.</p> <p>Jacky considers those outside experiences crucial to earning the AGO internship.</p> <p>“At Duke, I’ll be leading rehearsals of professional musicians, and that’s not an experience you really get in school without trying to get it yourself,” he says. “We get so much experience here, and being able to adapt to any situation—you learn that at 91ֱ��.”</p> <p><em>Learn more about organ performance at 91ֱ�� at <a href="/organ">oberlin.edu/organ</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Double-degree student devotes coming year to performing, choir directing, and continued studies in North Carolina.</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="2022-06-01T12:00:00Z">Wed, 06/01/2022 - 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="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=2357">Double Degree Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</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=32966">Organ</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="/jonathan-william-moyer" hreflang="und">Jonathan William Moyer</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/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics" hreflang="und">Mathematics</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">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Presents 'Music of Messiaen' mini-fest April 21-22</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 14:03:37 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Presents 'Music of Messiaen' mini-fest April 21-22</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-04-14T10:03:37-04:00" title="Thursday, April 14, 2022 - 10:03">Thu, 04/14/2022 - 10:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ�� Conservatory will celebrate the music of Olivier Messiaen with a forum discussion and a concert featuring expansive pieces written by the revered 20th century French composer and organist, with an intermission Q&A from the Finney Chapel Stage.</p> <p>On Thursday, April 21, Professor of Conducting <a href="/node/6651">Timothy Weiss</a>, Davis S. Boe Associate Professor of Organ <a href="/node/6761">Jonathan Moyer</a>, and guest pianist and Messiaen specialist <a href="https://www.jasonhardink.com/">Jason Hardink ’97</a> will engage in a discussion on the music and influence of Messiaen, who died 30 years ago this month. The free public forum takes place at noon at the Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space, in the lower level of the Hotel at 91ֱ�� (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/10+E+College+St,+91ֱ��,+OH+44074/@41.2918524,-82.2168546,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x883a0a78dd52f959:0xe4eef665f34623c1!8m2!3d41.2918484!4d-82.2146659">10 E. College St.</a>).</p> <p>On <a href="/events/fridays_at_finney_contemporary_music_ensemble_9516">Friday, April 22</a>, at 7:30 p.m., the conservatory’s weekly Fridays at Finney series takes a decidedly <em>Messiaenic</em> turn with two large works by the composer created during an especially prolific period in his career between 1969 and 1974. First up is the later of the two pieces—the 90-minute, 12-movement <em>Des Canyons aux Étoiles</em> (“From the Canyons to the Stars”), commissioned by art patron Alice Tully to commemorate the United States bicentennial. Messiaen traveled to the American West to gain inspiration for the piece and he was particularly struck by the “wild and colorful" landscapes and birdsongs of Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, and Zion Park. This performance features 91ֱ��'s Contemporary Music Ensemble, under the direction of Weiss, with soloist Hardink at the piano.</p> <p>An extended intermission will include a Q&A opportunity with Weiss, Moyer, and Hardink, followed at 9:30 p.m. by a performance of Messiaen’s 80-minute solo organ work written in 1969, <em>Méditations sur les Mystère de la Sainte Trinité</em> ("Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity"). It consists of nine untitled meditations and is inspired by the words of St. Thomas Aquinas. For the <em>Méditations, </em>Messiaen<em> </em>developed a new aspect in his musical language which he called the "langage communicable" (communicable language). He created a musical alphabet, grammar, and a series of recurring musical themes to transliterate text into music.</p> <p>The mini-fest of sorts is the result of the rescheduling of Messiaen’s <em>Des Canyons</em>—which originally was to be performed during the height of the pandemic—and a desire by Moyer to perform <em>Méditations</em>. He suggested to Weiss that they seek out the same week, then agreed to share the same day.</p> <p>“Where else in the world would you ever have the opportunity to hear these two pieces together?” Moyer says. “Only in 91ֱ��! Messiaen’s music holds a very special place in the hearts of many musicians, and the chance to perform it for our community is both a great opportunity and a special offering.”</p> <hr> <p><em>Notice for visitors driving to campus: 91ֱ��’s campus modernization program to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions and water consumption will cause some temporary road closures and disruptions to parking access throughout campus. You can stay up to date at the <a href="https://carbonneutral.oberlin.edu/resources/activityupdates/">Sustainable Infrastructure Program website</a>.<br> <br> Parking in the Finney Chapel lot is limited. Nearby visitor parking is available in the following lots:</em></p> <p><em>· Northwest of the intersection of W. Lorain Street and Woodland Street</em></p> <p><em>· Behind Bosworth Hall (Fairchild Chapel) north of W. Lorain Street, accessible from both W. Lorain Street and N. Main Street</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Events to include noon discussion and performance of two mammoth works by the composer.</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="2022-04-14T12:00:00Z">Thu, 04/14/2022 - 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="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=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=29541">Piano</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="/jonathan-william-moyer" hreflang="und">Jonathan William Moyer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/timothy-weiss" hreflang="und">Timothy Weiss</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="/conservatory/divisions/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</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>Bridge to History</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 17:07:39 +0000</p> <span>Bridge to History</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-10-14T13:07:39-04:00" title="Thursday, October 14, 2021 - 13:07">Thu, 10/14/2021 - 13:07</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ�� is celebrated the world over for its <a href="/organ">prodigious collection of pipe organs</a>—some 32 of them in all, representing 500 years of building practice across Europe.</p> <p>This month, the celebration turns inward as the conservatory honors the 40th anniversary of one of its most remarkable instruments: The Mary McIntosh Bridge Memorial Organ, Opus 25, which has been perched since 1981 in the gallery of Fairchild Chapel, 91ֱ��’s Gothic-inspired worship and performance space in Bosworth Hall. Four October concerts will pay tribute to the organ and utilize it extensively.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck</figcaption> </figure> <p><a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/a_concert_in_honor_of_the_400th_anniversary_of_the_death_of_jan_pieterszoon_sweelinck_faculty_and_guest_concert">It all starts Saturday, October 16</a>, with a 4:30 p.m. faculty and guest recital in which 91ֱ�� historical performance faculty members <a href="/node/6761">Jonathan Moyer,</a> <a href="/node/6661">Mark Edwards</a>, and <a href="/node/128861">Christa Rakich</a> will take turns at the organ for works by the influential Dutch composer and organist Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Also featured will be guest keyboardist Kevin Birch, who will perform on a newly commissioned clavichord that shares the same keyboard layout and other characteristics of the Bridge Organ. The concert falls exactly on the 400th anniversary of Sweelinck’s death. <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/a_concert_in_honor_of_the_400th_anniversary_of_the_death_of_jan_pieterszoon_sweelinck_faculty_and_guest_concert">Visit the campus events calendar</a> for a complete list of works to be performed.</p> <p>Inspired by the early 17th century organs of northern Germany and the Netherlands, which were played by Sweelinck and contemporaries such as Michael Praetorius, 91ֱ��’s Bridge Organ is considered one of the most significant historically inspired organs of the 20th century—and one that inspired the creation of countless other instruments that followed.</p> <p>It was built by John Brombaugh, one of the nation’s most acclaimed organ builders, who crafted some 66 pipe organs during a career that spanned more than four decades. Early in his career, Brombaugh translated his fascination with early organs of Europe into his own work—at a time when historical building practices were dismissed by many. 91ֱ��’s Bridge Organ is tuned in mean tone, a nod to organs of the Baroque and Renaissance periods, but an extreme rarity among modern organs at the time of its construction.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Jonathan Moyer</figcaption> </figure> <p>Moyer, chair of 91ֱ��’s Organ Department, cites the instrument’s three-tiered legacy: It is renowned for the quality of its build, for the research it has supported in the study of tuning systems and the interpretation of early music repertoire, and for the countless 91ֱ�� organists whose musical lives were changed through access to the Bridge Organ.</p> <p>“Its significance has been far reaching, perhaps most notably for the ways in which it opened up entirely new performance possibilities for organists without access to the finest historic organs of Europe,” says Moyer, himself a 2012 Artist Diploma graduate of 91ֱ��.</p> <p>“For the musicians who have performed on this instrument over the past 40 years, it has had a profound influence on their playing, on their musicianship, and on their ability to interpret this music. There’s nowhere else in America where you can play the music of Sweelinck and Praetorius in this way.”</p> <p>The celebration continues with a Saturday, October 30, recital in Fairchild Chapel by guest organist William Porter ’68, a former organ professor at 91ֱ�� who presided over the installation of the Bridge Organ in 1981. He will be joined by longtime conservatory faculty member <a href="/node/6666">Michael Lynn</a> on recorder.</p> <p>It will be followed on Sunday, October 31, with a pair of events, also both in Fairchild: a 2:30 p.m. recital featuring 91ֱ�� organ alumni, and a 7:30 vespers concert with Porter, faculty members Moyer and Rakich, and Collegium Musicum, 91ֱ��’s early music vocal ensemble, led by musicology professor <a href="/node/6921">Steven Plank</a>.</p> <p>Brombaugh is slated to return to 91ֱ�� for the October 30-31 festivities.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Celebration of 91ֱ��’s Bridge Memorial Organ begins with Oct. 16 recital; continues Oct. 30-31.</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="2021-10-13T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/13/2021 - 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="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=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=40211">Historical Keyboard Instruments</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="/jonathan-william-moyer" hreflang="und">Jonathan William Moyer</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/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</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">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>The Show Must Go On—Online, That Is</h1> <p>eburnett — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 18:59:14 +0000</p> <span>The Show Must Go On—Online, That Is</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-09-23T14:59:14-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - 14:59">Wed, 09/23/2020 - 14:59</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A summer of planning and innovation made it possible for an in-person start to the fall semester at 91ֱ�� Conservatory, complete with a painstakingly devised series of safety precautions for everyone on campus.</p> <p>Beginning Saturday, September 26, 91ֱ��’s large-ensemble musicians will present the season’s first reimagined performances to a worldwide audience online.</p> <p>Each week through the conclusion of fall semester, the conservatory will broadcast a program featuring student performances captured this fall in Warner Concert Hall and Finney Chapel. Each episode airs at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday on <a href="/conservatory/stage-left">91ֱ�� Stage Left</a>, the web-based platform that debuted in spring 2020 in response to the coronavirus-induced shutdown of campuses across America.</p> <p>This week’s inaugural program will feature the following pieces:</p> <p><em>Rex tremendae majestatis</em> (2008), by Christopher Theofanidis, conducted by Raphael Jiménez and featuring faculty organ soloist Jonathan Moyer</p> <p><em>El Jaleo</em> (2019), by Jonathan Bailey Holland, conducted by Jiménez</p> <p><em>Colmena</em> (2008), by Arlene Sierra, conducted by Timothy Weiss</p> <p><em>The Twittering Machine</em> (1993), by Cindy McTee, conducted by Jiménez</p> <p><em>Electric Aroma (a most disagreeable noise)</em> (2018), by Viet Cuong, conducted by Weiss</p> <p>The program will be preceded by a brief introduction to the fall series featuring conductors Jiménez and Weiss.</p> <p>In response to the pandemic, conservatory officials have designed a large-ensemble experience that will remain the norm for at least the fall 2020 semester. Gone, for now, are stages packed with dozens of musicians. In their place are smaller ensembles whose members occupy the entire stage—and sometimes the adjacent seats and aisles—to ensure sufficient social distancing for each performer. In addition, instrument groups including brass and winds are partitioned behind plexiglass panels to minimize the transmission of aerosolized particles.</p> <p>For students, the experience has been a lesson in adaptability, as they grow accustomed to establishing artistic bonds from across the stage and in performance settings in which their audience cannot be seen or heard.</p> <p>“All the players, who are used to trusting their ears, now have to rely more on their eyes, looking for visual cues from the conductor and from other players to maintain coordination,” says Jiménez, director of 91ֱ�� orchestras. “The flexibility and the ability of the students to adapt have been amazing. They have quickly learned that it is not easy, but it is doable, and they are capable of creating beautiful music even under these very unusual circumstances.</p> <p>“There is no denying that it is very difficult to keep up the performance energy when you are playing to an empty hall. It is another one of those COVID conditions that we just have to accept. But hopefully those watching our streamed performances will be able to feel the excitement, the enthusiasm, and the joy that we feel as we get to play with each other again.”</p> <p>Since its launch in April 2020, 91ֱ�� Stage Left has served as the virtual performance hub for 91ֱ�� Conservatory musicians, as well as the platform for dozens of fascinating programs on issues pertaining to musicians throughout the industry.</p> <p>The transition to repertoire for smaller ensembles affords the opportunity to showcase more recent compositions from living composers. Throughout the semester, 91ֱ�� Stage Left broadcasts will include insights from some of those composers prior to performances of their works.</p> <p>In addition to ensemble performances, 91ֱ�� students have resumed junior and senior degree recitals on campus this fall. While in-person audiences for those performances are prohibited, all degree recitals are broadcast live on <a href="/conservatory/on-stage/live-webcasts">oberlin.edu</a>.</p> <p>This weekend, 91ֱ�� Jazz students begin a twice-weekly series of live, socially distanced Jazz Forums on Tappan Square’s Clark Bandstand. Performances are scheduled for noon Fridays and Saturdays through October 24.</p> <p>For a complete list of all upcoming performances, visit the <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/calendar/month?event_types%5B%5D=19263">online events calendar</a>.</p> <p>“Our students have adapted to this new reality with an enormous sense of commitment and responsibility, contributing in any possible way to make sure that we all have a positive and safe experience,” Jiménez says. “We may be playing with a mask on, we may be playing from behind a plexiglass shield, we may be far from each other, and we may be playing to an empty hall; but behind the shield and behind the mask, there is a spark in our eyes that sings a joyful song of gratitude. We are making music together!”</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="2020-09-23T12:00:00Z">Wed, 09/23/2020 - 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>Conservatory large ensembles begin fall season with weekly performances on 91ֱ�� Stage Left.</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=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=32966">Organ</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="/raphael-jimenez" hreflang="und">Raphael Jiménez</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/timothy-weiss" hreflang="und">Timothy Weiss</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jonathan-william-moyer" hreflang="und">Jonathan William Moyer</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/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <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/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Conservatory students rehearse with conductor Raphael Jiménez in Finney Chapel.</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> </article> <article> <h1>Summer at 91ֱ��: Home Edition</h1> <p>eburnett — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 19:07:21 +0000</p> <span>Summer at 91ֱ��: Home Edition</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-06-17T15:07:21-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 15:07">Wed, 06/17/2020 - 15:07</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The pace of summer at 91ֱ�� differs from the rest of the year, but the song pretty much remains the same.</p> <p>In a typical year, the conservatory presents a full slate of institutes and academies for musicians young and not so young, beginning in early June and lasting through early August. Together they keep the sweet sounds of music alive on campus while 91ֱ��’s undergraduates are away.</p> <p>In a highly <em>atypical</em> year, such as the one the world faces in 2020, quick thinking and deep reserves of flexibility are the order of the day.</p> <p>Thanks to plenty of both, several of 91ֱ��’s signature summer programs for flute, organ, and historical performance will continue in a newly developed virtual format. Another longstanding program—<a href="https://www.credomusic.org/">Credo Festival</a>, which utilizes 91ֱ��’s campus and includes members of its faculty—has also made the successful leap into virtual summer. </p> <p>Each of these programs have required intensive advance work curating and recording concerts, interviews, and video tours of instrument collections. Online delivery of lessons and master classes are at the center of these summer programs. This aspect has been adjusted to accommodate students participating across time zones, such as submitting recordings to be discussed and analyzed at separate meeting times. </p> <p>Social and professional connections define many summer experiences. Making those available in a virtual environment has taken a bit more creativity. </p> <p>"Despite the obvious challenges, our virtual Summer Organ Academy has produced some unanticipated benefits," says 91ֱ��'s organ chair Jonathan Moyer. "Our registration is larger than it has ever been. Future on-campus academies will continue to have an online component."</p> <p>Social components instituted for the organ academy are daily check-ins on Zoom and a mid-week Q&A with faculty, staff, and students that opens the floor to thoughts about auditions and 91ֱ�� student life.<em> </em></p> <p>BPI is handling their social interaction a bit differently. There will be daily interviews with faculty members that will also provide a forum where they can offer advice to young performers and answer pre-posted questions from students. There is also the online “BPI Rendezvous Lounge” where students can interact and faculty members can drop in.</p> <p>Though most programs will begin by the fourth week of June, some still offer last-minute registration options for various levels of participation, including access to free performances.</p> <p>The 91ֱ�� Organ Academy, which capitalizes on the campus’ access to more than 30 remarkable organs, will take place June 21 through 26, with each registered organist tuning in to a comprehensive slate of events—lessons, master classes, sessions on organ literature and construction—from virtual sunup till virtual sundown. Limited registration is still available for organists of all skill levels. In addition, everyone is welcome to register for the academy’s slate of free events, including a virtual tour of 91ֱ��’s organ collection and a live-streamed <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/oberlin_summer_organ_academy_faculty_recital">faculty performance</a> that happens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 26, in multiple venues on campus. Learn more and register on the <a href="/node/51326">Organ Academy page</a> at oberlin.edu.</p> <p>The 49th annual 91ֱ�� Baroque Performance Institute, one of the nation’s longest-running celebrations dedicated to the study of historical performance, will proceed from June 22 through 28 with an incredible 170 participants representing 13 nations around the world, including such distant locales as Singapore, Vietnam, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and Bolivia. Each year's study focuses on a different composer or work; for 2020, BPI will concentrate on the works and life of J. S. Bach.</p> <p>Last-minute deadlines for full participation in BPI are fast approaching, but free registration is available to experience the institute’s daily concerts by BPI faculty, broadcasts of favorite archival performances from past years, and access to a live-streamed student concert that concludes festivities on Sunday, June 28. Details are available by registering at the <a href="/node/51101">BPI page</a> on oberlin.edu.</p> <p>(<a href="/node/189976">91ֱ�� Stage Left</a>, the conservatory’s outlet for virtual programming in the era of COVID-19, will devote its June 18 program to exploring career paths in historical performance in conjunction with BPI and performances of gamba repertoire by Back and Purcell. The June 25 episode offers a sneak-peek organ tour and short performance on Finney's C. B. Fisk Op. 116 organ in advance of the <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/oberlin_summer_organ_academy_faculty_recital">Organ Academy’s virtual faculty concert</a> available to the public the following day.)</p> <p>The Summer Flute Academy, led by Associate Professor of Flute <a href="/node/7131">Alexa Still</a>, will continue with daily lessons and group discussions in mid-July. The academy reached its full capacity soon after registration opened in early spring.</p> <p>Another summer tradition that makes use of 91ֱ��’s facilities and faculty is Credo, an annual festival for string players age 10 through 30 that emphasizes spiritual development alongside musical mastery. Credo’s director, 91ֱ�� viola professor <a href="/node/6996">Peter Slowik</a>, moved quickly in March to re-envision the program for a virtual environment. Credo 2020 includes master classes, “fireside chats” with faculty, chamber music coaching, student hangout sessions, lectures, performances, and more—all delivered virtually—from June 22 through July 10.</p> <p>While registration is closed for levels that include personalized instruction, others are invited to register for Credo’s free tier, which includes two weekly sessions of master classes, lectures, and concerts. Learn more at <a href="https://www.credomusic.org">credomusic.org</a>.</p> <p>“The circumstances of this summer have certainly led to challenges in convening our programs as we normally would,” says <a href="/node/30046">Anna Hoffmann</a>, 91ֱ��’s manager of summer programs. “But we are thrilled to proceed with the programs that could be reimagined as virtual experiences, and we’re delighted that this new format allows us to welcome participants from all over the world—almost all of whom would not have been able to take part in our programs during a normal year.”</p> <p>By 2021, 91ֱ�� hopes for a return to its complete schedule of <a href="/node/4411">summer programs</a>, a vibrant and varied mix that includes study of trumpet, voice, electronic music, piano, and more—as well as the annual <a href="/node/43861">Cooper International Competition</a>, which attracts top young pianists and violinists from around the globe.</p> <p>In the meantime, innovations that arose out of necessity this year may become fixtures of future summer programming.</p> <p>“One of the unexpected bright spots of this challenging time has been our ability to create connections with musicians all over the world in ways we never previously even considered,” says Hoffmann. “As our world gradually returns to normal, we want to continue to cultivate these newly discovered opportunities for inclusion.”</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="2020-06-17T12:00:00Z">Wed, 06/17/2020 - 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>The conservatory’s popular summer programs experience a virtual reset for 2020.</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=2387">Conservatory Summer Programs</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=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35911">Flute</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/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</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">Bryan Rubin '18</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>