Amy Lee Joins 91ֱ�� Conservatory Faculty as Associate Professor of Violin</h1> <article> <h1>Amy Lee Joins 91ֱ�� Conservatory Faculty as Associate Professor of Violin</h1> <p>azaleski — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:05:34 +0000</p> <span>Amy Lee Joins 91ֱ�� Conservatory Faculty as Associate Professor of Violin</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-03T17:05:34-05:00" title="Wednesday, December 3, 2025 - 17:05">Wed, 12/03/2025 - 17:05</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Beginning in fall 2026, Amy Lee will join the <a href="/conservatory">91ֱ�� Conservatory</a> faculty full-time as an associate professor of <a href="/violin">violin</a>. A musician praised for her expressive artistry and technical command, she is currently associate concertmaster at the Cleveland Orchestra. Since fall 2024, Lee has also been a visiting associate professor at the conservatory. </p><p>“Amy is not only a world-class artist, as her extraordinary tenure with the Cleveland Orchestra might attest—she is also a first-rate teacher, and we are thrilled beyond words that our students will have the opportunity to study with and learn from her,” says Dean of the Conservatory Bill Quillen.</p><p>“I’m deeply honored to be joining the 91ֱ�� Conservatory faculty full-time,” Lee adds. “Teaching here has been profoundly meaningful. The students are open, curious, and eager to grow, bringing a wonderful sense of possibility into the studio. What I treasure most about 91ֱ�� is its truly student-first spirit: a community that nurtures the whole artist, encouraging both individuality and excellence with remarkable care.”</p><p>Lee has appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra many times since joining the ensemble in 2008. Notable performances include Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto at Blossom Music Center; Arvo Pärt’s Fratres featured on the orchestra’s Adella streaming platform; and Igor Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto in collaboration with the Joffrey Ballet.</p><p>A native of Seoul, South Korea, Lee made her solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 15 and later earned a bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music and a master’s degree at the Juilliard School.</p><p>In addition to her work with the Cleveland Orchestra, Lee has appeared as a soloist with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe. She was also the first-prize winner of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the Corpus Christi International Competition for Piano and Strings.</p><p>Lee teaches and performs at multiple summer festivals, and holds faculty positions at the Aspen Music Festival and School, Kent Blossom Music Festival, and the Ascent Music Festival. An active chamber musician, she is also a member of the Omni Quartet and Ensemble HD and a former member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. She also participates regularly in the Marlboro Music Festival and Strings Music Festival.</p><p>Before coming to 91ֱ��, Lee coached chamber music at the Cleveland Institute of Music and spent a decade as a violin professor at Kent State University’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music.</p><p>"Amy Lee is a consummate professional—a wonderful musician and a passionate, committed, and dedicated teacher,” says <a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a>, professor of violin and director of strings at the 91ֱ�� Conservatory. “Her values—musical excellence, hard work, performance rigor, and creating a positive learning environment—align perfectly with 91ֱ�� Conservatory's core values when it comes to educating the next generation of musicians. We are thrilled that she will be joining our faculty."</p><p>Adds Lee: “I’m thrilled to be part of shaping the future here—guiding young musicians as they discover their own voices, develop technical freedom and artistic vision, and grow with confidence and resilience. It means a great deal to me to pass down the values that have shaped my own musical life and to help the next generation carry those forward with integrity and imagination.”</p><hr><p><em>Learn more about the career and performance opportunities for students </em><a href="/violin" data-entity-type="external"><em>studying violin</em></a><em> at the 91ֱ�� Conservatory.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The renowned violinist and associate concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra brings extensive teaching and performing experience to 91ֱ��</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-12-05T12:00:00Z">Fri, 12/05/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3341">Conservatory Faculty</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">“I’m thrilled to be part of shaping the future here—guiding young musicians as they discover their own voices, develop technical freedom and artistic vision, and grow with confidence and resilience," says violinist Amy Lee, who's joining the conservatory faculty in fall 2026.</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">Roger Mastroianni</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Students Selected for Prestigious New York String Orchestra Seminar</h1> <p>awillia2 — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:23:22 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Students Selected for Prestigious New York String Orchestra Seminar</span> <span><span>awillia2</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-02T13:23:22-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - 13:23">Tue, 12/02/2025 - 13:23</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This December promises a special opportunity for three 91ֱ�� students accepted to the New York String Orchestra Seminar, one of the country’s most prestigious training programs. For more than 50 years, the annual event has brought together young musicians for orchestral performances at Carnegie Hall, as well as chamber music workshops.</p><p>For this year’s edition—which takes place December 19 through 28—violinist Michael Smith ’28 will serve as concertmaster, Aurora Miller ’27 will sit in the first violin section, and William Mathangani ’27 will be principal violist. The group’s music director, conductor and violinist Jaime Laredo, is a Distinguished Artist in Residence at 91ֱ��, along with his wife, cellist Sharon Robinson.</p><p>The trio of students joins an esteemed group of past participants that includes legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, and clarinetist Anthony McGill. Among those alumni already is Miller, who also participated in 2024 as assistant principal second violin. </p><p>“Last year’s experience was truly life-changing for me, both as a musician and a person,” Miller says. “Getting to play this music with such a high-level ensemble reminds me why making music is so special and meaningful to me.”</p><p>All three students credit 91ֱ�� faculty as a major reason why they feel prepared for such an advanced opportunity. Miller and Smith study with Professor of Violin Sibbi Bernhardsson, while Mathangani studies with Professor of Viola Peter Slowik. </p><p>“I am lucky to be his student, and I attribute this success to his teachings,” Smith says of Bernhardsson. “I am also proud to represent 91ֱ�� and the values it stands for at this summit of young musicians.”</p><p>Mathangani says he’s “very excited” to be a part of the seminar, and with a major role. “What I am most excited for is the musical fulfillment from these 10 days. There are two concerts as well as chamber music, and all include amazing repertoire.</p><p>“It will be challenging to put all of this together within the time frame, but I think that’s what will be fun about it: seeing what we as an ensemble can produce in just a few days.”</p><p>The 2025 seminar also feels bittersweet, as it marks Jaime Laredo’s 33rd and final year at the head of the ensemble. “He brings such a vibrant and warm energy to the orchestra,” Miller says. “I’m really grateful to have the chance to work with him one more time.”</p><p>Taking over as music director next year will be conductor Michael Stern. “All great things must constantly change and evolve, so it is time to pass the baton,” Laredo says. “The most important thing for me has been the opportunity to work with hundreds of young musicians who went on to have great careers as chamber music players, as orchestral musicians, as soloists, and administrators.”</p><p>Sharon Robinson shared her enthusiasm for the 91ֱ�� students’ achievement. “The competition was fierce to win a coveted spot in this program,” she says. “We are so happy for these young artists, and this reflects back on the dynamic and supportive atmosphere at 91ֱ�� Conservatory. We are very proud to be associated with 91ֱ��!”</p><hr><p><em><strong>Stephanie Manning ’23</strong> completed her bassoon performance degree while finding her way into journalism as a classical music critic. She returned to Cleveland after finishing a graduate diploma in journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. Her writing has appeared in </em>The Montreal Gazette<em>, </em>Early Music America<em>, and </em>ClevelandClassical.com<em>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Directed by 91ֱ�� artist in residence Jaime Laredo, intensive 10-day experience culminates in performances at famed Carnegie 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="2025-12-03T12:00:00Z">Wed, 12/03/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Stephanie Manning ’23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <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=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36206">Viola</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Michael Smith, Aurora Miller, and William Mathangani (from left).</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> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Poetry in Resonance With Music: Midori</h1> <p>srasmuss — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:21:57 +0000</p> <span>Poetry in Resonance With Music: Midori</span> <span><span>srasmuss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-02-28T14:21:57-05:00" title="Friday, February 28, 2025 - 14:21">Fri, 02/28/2025 - 14:21</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>“I have shut my balcony / because I do not want to hear the weeping,” begins the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca in “Casida of the Lament.” And yet, “the weeping is an immense violin,” the poem later continues. “The tears muzzle the wind, / nothing else is heard but the weeping.”</p><p>This work, written shortly before Lorca’s execution in 1936 by fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War, is the emotional cornerstone of Midori’s upcoming recital program. The world-renowned violinist is touring the country in early March to perform works themed around suffering and loss, together with pianist Özgür Aydin.</p><p>The music of Johannes Brahms, Maurice Ravel, Francis Poulenc, and Robert Schumann will fill Finney Chapel on March 5 at 7:30 p.m., when Midori kicks off her latest recital tour as part of the 91ֱ�� Artist Recital Series.</p><p>“ This is a partnership that has lasted for quite a long time now,” the violinist says of her collaborations with pianist Aydin, who she has performed with for decades. “I’ve enjoyed being able to work with him on various repertoire—I am often very inspired in the process.”</p><p>Like Midori, the composer Frances Poulenc was also inspired by the poetry of Federico García Lorca, writing his Sonata for Violin and Piano in Lorca’s memory. This acknowledgement of the poet was an act of political resistance for Poulenc, who wrote the score in Nazi-occupied France between 1942 and 1943. The second movement, “Intermezzo,” is based on the first line of Lorca’s poem “The Six Strings,” which reads: “The guitar makes dreams weep.”</p><p>While Poulenc’s Sonata is the program’s most modern composition, the oldest is Robert Schumann’s Fünf Stücke im Volkston (“Five Pieces in Folk Style”). Composed in 1849, this collection of short works draws on folk music traditions from the German composer’s home country. Although Schumann originally wrote it for cello and piano, he also made a version that swaps the cello for violin—preceding his first violin sonata, which he wrote two years later.</p><p>Schumann was a key mentor figure to Johannes Brahms, and as a music critic, he publicly praised the younger German’s work. Schumann’s vast output of chamber music inspired Brahms to create some of his own, including three violin sonatas. Midori will be playing the first—the Violin Sonata No. 1 in G—which the composer wrote between 1878 and 1879. When Brahms published the score to this three-movement work, he described it as a “Sonata for Piano and Violin,” a nod to the equal musical partnership between both instruments.</p><p>Rounding out the program are two works by Maurice Ravel, whose upcoming 150th birthday will be celebrated on March 7. Like his countryman Poulenc, who was 24 years his junior, Ravel was a freewheeling musical personality with a penchant for breaking the rules. He also wrote plenty of music influenced by folk melodies, like the chant-like “Kaddish” from Deux mélodies hébraïques (“Two Hebrew Songs”)—a surprisingly spiritual outing from a man who often distanced himself from religion. His famous violin showpiece Tzigane, on the other hand, draws from the style of a Hungarian rhapsody.</p><p>Midori says she looks forward to performing the expansive program in 91ֱ�� and beyond, as well as continuing her collaboration with Özgür Aydin. “ It's always interesting when we’re able to really discuss musical ideas, and spend the time to really work together in shaping an interpretation for a performance,” she says.</p><p>But her two part-residency in 91ֱ�� is not just about performing—it also highlights the violinist’s commitment to education. The founder of multiple non-profits around the world, including Midori & Friends in New York City and MUSIC SHARING in Japan, the violinist is a dedicated humanitarian and pedagogue.</p><p>Leading up to her Artist Recital Series appearance, she visited campus from February 19 to 21 to give masterclasses in violin performance and chamber music, as well as a career talk at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse. Her goal was to reach all of the young violinists in the Conservatory—close to 50 in total.</p><p>“ I really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with the 91ֱ�� students,” she says. “The students are all so committed to their repertoire and their technique. I feel like I received very good, positive energy in terms of feedback.” </p><p>Concert details<br><a href="/events/artist-recital-series-midori">Midori,</a> violin, with Özgür Aydin, piano</p><p>7:30 p.m.<br>Wednesday, March 5, 2025<br>91ֱ�� College Finney Chapel<br>90 N. Professor St.<br>91ֱ��, OH 44074</p><p>Tickets:<br>$35 Public | $30 OC Staff/Faculty/Alumni, Seniors, Military | $10 Students</p><p>Concert tickets are available <a href="/tickets/event-details?EventId=14601">online</a> and by phone at 800-371-0178. Patrons may also purchase them in person between noon and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 91ֱ�� College's <a href="/tickets">Central Ticket Service</a>, located at 67 N. Main Street, in the lobby of the Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Complex.</p><p>Free Artist Recital Series tickets for enrolled 91ֱ�� students are available through the <a href="/artsguide/ticket-information/claim-your-seat">Claim Your Seat</a> program, made possible through the generosity of Richard ’62 and Linda ’62 Clark. </p><p>Learn more about the <a href="/artsguide">Arts at 91ֱ��</a>.</p><p>This program is proudly supported by <a href="https://www.ideastream.org/">Ideastream Public Media</a>, official media partner of the Artist Recital Series.</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="2025-02-28T12:00:00Z">Fri, 02/28/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Stephanie Manning '23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2364">Artist Recital Series</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=35116">Violin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <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> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>The Fine Art of Chamber Music</h1> <p>siler — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:50 +0000</p> <span>The Fine Art of Chamber Music</span> <span><span>siler</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-02-20T15:24:50-05:00" title="Thursday, February 20, 2025 - 15:24">Thu, 02/20/2025 - 15:24</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Although cellist Sharon Robinson and violinist Jaime Laredo have never played a concert at 91ֱ��, their ties to the school run deep.</p><p>“I feel a real connection to 91ֱ��—I really do,” Robinson says. “I’ve known so many people who taught there or went to school there.” That list includes not only friends and former students, but also the couple’s eldest granddaughter, who graduated from the College last year.</p><p>This year, that chance for an on-campus performance has finally arrived. Robinson and Laredo will spend a week in 91ֱ�� as Distinguished Artists in Residence, April 2–9; giving masterclasses, private lessons, and coachings in both chamber music and their respective instruments. Their residency kicks off with a recital on April 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Warner Concert Hall, which will include a collaboration with Conservatory faculty.</p><p>“I’m delighted to welcome Sharon Robinson and Jaime Laredo to 91ֱ�� Conservatory this spring. Sharon and Jamie are among the most important chamber musicians of our time, and our students will benefit tremendously from the opportunity to work with and learn from their decades of experience as global performers and dedicated coaches," says William Quillen, Dean of 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music.</p><p>Chamber music is essential to both musicians, who spent decades touring with pianist Joseph Kalichstein as the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. Together and apart, they’ve received worldwide acclaim, including multiple GRAMMY nominations for both and a win for Laredo. As a solo cellist, Robinson has appeared with premiere American and European orchestras, while Laredo is recognized as a leading performer and conductor on both sides of the Atlantic. These days, they’re touring with their piano quartet ESPRESSIVO!, a collaboration with pianist Anna Polonsky and violist Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt.</p><p>As pedagogues, the pair are dedicated to connecting with younger generations. “The best thing about working with young people is that they keep us young,” Laredo says with a laugh. Robinson agrees.</p><p>“It’s a two-way street, these lessons and coachings,” she says. “I’ve gotten an awful lot of great ideas from my students along the way, and it’s always great to see things from a new perspective.”</p><p>The couple, who live in Cleveland, are familiar faces in the area—they taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) for 12 years. “One thing I am going to miss from CIM is the long-term relationship that one develops with a student,” Robinson says. “But I’m so happy to be still involved in young people’s lives, and I hope that we can establish some wonderful relationships with the young people at 91ֱ��.”</p><p>They’re also excited to reconnect with piano faculty member HyunSoo Kim, who they’ve known since he was a CIM student. “I’ve been so fond of him, always,” Laredo says. Kim appears on the duo’s April 2 concert together with more 91ֱ�� faculty: violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson, violists Kirsten Docter and Abigail Rojansky, and cellist Dmitry Kouzov.</p><p>When working with young chamber groups like those at 91ֱ��, the couple emphasizes the importance of relationships built on trust. “I want to make sure that everybody respects each other and treasures these moments that we get to work with each other,” Robinson says. “You have to really be ready to give and take constructive criticism—being open for good ideas but also being able to offer your own ideas and having them be accepted with respect.”</p><p>For the younger students, it’s a vulnerable position to be in, Laredo says. “As a teacher, one has to be very careful. You have to choose your words. Because the last thing in the world that you want to do is have somebody feel like they’ve been belittled in some way.”</p><p>Helping musicians connect with each other isn’t something the two take lightly. Nor is making great music themselves. “The fine art of collaboration and fine art of chamber music is really the highest calling in our books,” Robinson says. “So, if we can open pathways for people, that would be really wonderful.”</p><p>All Robinson-Laredo <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/search/events?search=robinson+%2B+laredo">Residency events</a> are listed on the Conservatory calendar, including the following that are open to the public:</p><ul><li>April 2, 7:30 p.m. <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/faculty-guest-recital-with-jaime-laredo-and-sharon-robinson">Recital: Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, and Friends</a> in Warner Concert Hall</li><li>April 8, 7 - 9 p.m. <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/guest-master-class-jaime-laredo-violin">Violin Master Class with Jaime Laredo</a>, Stull Recital Hall</li><li>April 8, 7:45 - 9:45 p.m. <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/guest-master-class-sharon-robinson-cello">Cello Master Class with Sharon Robinson</a>, Kulas Recital Hall</li><li>April 9, 6 - 8 p.m. <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/guest-master-class-jaime-laredo-sharon-robinson-chamber-music">Joint Chamber Music Master Class</a>, Stull Recital Hall</li></ul><p>—</p><p><em>Stephanie Manning ’23 completed her bassoon performance degree while finding her way into journalism as a classical music critic. She recently returned to Cleveland after finishing a graduate diploma in journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. Her writing has appeared in</em> The Montreal Gazette, Early Music America, and ClevelandClassical.com.</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="2025-02-20T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/20/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Stephanie Manning '23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3878">Conservatory of Music</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=35116">Violin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <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">Christian Steiner</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Edna Unseld wins the 2025 Cooper International Competition for Violin</h1> <p>srasmuss — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 16:16:37 +0000</p> <span>Edna Unseld wins the 2025 Cooper International Competition for Violin</span> <span><span>srasmuss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-01-11T11:16:37-05:00" title="Saturday, January 11, 2025 - 11:16">Sat, 01/11/2025 - 11:16</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Edna Unseld, a 13-year-old violinist from Zurich, Switzerland secured first place and a robust prize package with her performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s <em>Concerto in D Major, Op. 35</em> with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Norman Huynh, Conductor.</p><p>Unseld gave her interpretation of the full concerto in the third and final performance of the evening. Finalist and 3rd place winner Tiantian Lu also performed the Tchaikovsky concerto, and 2nd place finisher Julia Xiaozhuo Wang performed <em>Concerto in D Major, Op. 77</em> by Johannes Brahms.</p><p>The Finals concert was the culmination of a week of juried performances. In Wednesday’s Recital Round at 91ֱ��, Jinan Laurentia Woo, Emrik Revermann, and Lauren Yoon earned fourth through sixth place, respectively, and each took home a prize of $1,500. Revermann also earned the Audience Prize, which includes an award of $500. </p><p>Thursday evening’s Honors Recital featured thirteen participants in outstanding performances selected from the first three days of competition, including works by Felix Mendelssohn, Niccolò Paganini, Jessie Montgomery, Fritz Kreisler, Eugène Ysaÿe, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky.</p><p>Cooper Competition director and jury chair Sibbi Bernhardsson welcomed the Finals audience by remarking on all of the participants' skill and character demonstrated throughout the week of competition. He shared that he was impressed with their “level of commitment, dedication, and love that they put into the music. It's shown us that the future is bright and that life is good.” Nearly all of the week’s participants—who had stayed on to witness the conclusion of the competition— were greeted to a warm round of applause when asked by Bernhardsson to stand and be acknowledged before the concert began.</p><p>Upon conclusion of the third performance, the jury deliberated for fewer than 25 minutes before emerging with its decision. The top three finalists will be awarded full four-year tuition scholarships to 91ֱ�� Conservatory, pending admission. Earning second place and $10,000 was Julia Xiaozhuo Wang, who opened the evening. Tiantian Lu of Ningbo, China, performed second, earned third place, and $5,000.</p><p>Unseld received the competition's top honor, which is accompanied by a $20,000 cash prize. In addition to the cash award and scholarship, this year's expanded prize package includes a two-year loan from Jonathan Solars Fine Violins of a rare Italian violin made by Venetian violin maker Marco Antonio Cerin (circa 1785-90); a two-year partnership with MKI Artists for career mentorship, and Unseld will be a featured guest artist with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra for a mutually agreed-upon performance engagement between the winner and the orchestra during the 2025-26 or 2026-27 season. This engagement also includes a $500 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund Opportunity Award, granted directly to the winner by the North Shore Chamber Music Festival, as well as a lesson with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Creative Partner Vadim Gluzman.</p><p>Bernhardsson, who described the Finals Concert as “phenomenal”, was joined on the jury by Catherine Cho, violin and chamber music faculty, The Juilliard School; Francesca dePasquale, 91ֱ�� Conservatory assistant professor of violin; Peter Herresthal, professor at the Oslo Academy, visiting professor at the Royal College of Music, London and NYU Steinhardt School, New York; Xie Nan, professor of violin and chairman of the violin department at the Central Conservatory of Music; William van der Sloot, 91ֱ�� Conservatory professor of violin; and John Zion, managing director of MKI Artists.</p><p>Since 2010, the Cooper Competition has been presented annually by the 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music. The format alternates each year between piano and violin. The 2025 violin competition was broadcast by The Violin Channel. This summer will bring the Cooper International Competition for piano scheduled for July 20-24.</p><p>The competition’s 2025 field consisted of 19 violinists, ages 13 to 17, hailing from eight countries and three U.S. states. They competed for five days on the campus of 91ֱ��, with the Finalists determined by Wednesday’s Round Two recitals.</p><p>ABOUT THE COOPER COMPETITION: Founded in 2010, the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition is dedicated to presenting an important international competitive opportunity to outstanding young musicians. It is made possible through the generosity of Thomas Cooper, a 1978 graduate of 91ֱ�� College, and his wife, pianist Evon Cooper. The Cooper Competition alternates annually between piano and violin and is open to participants between the ages of 13 and 18. Past winners include pianist George Li and violinist Johan Dalene, both of whom have cultivated outstanding young performance careers.<br> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Concerto with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra earns first place in Finals Round</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-01-11T12:00:00Z">Sat, 01/11/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Shelly Rasmussen</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=2388">Cooper Competition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4106">Violin</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=35116">Violin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson" hreflang="und">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <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> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Cooper Competition for Violin to Take Place in January 2025</h1> <p>srasmuss — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 21:03:19 +0000</p> <span>Cooper Competition for Violin to Take Place in January 2025</span> <span><span>srasmuss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-08-15T17:03:19-04:00" title="Thursday, August 15, 2024 - 17:03">Thu, 08/15/2024 - 17:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition, produced annually by 91ֱ��, has been identifying some of the world’s most talented young violinists and pianists since 2010. Each year, about 18 young artists come to 91ֱ��’s campus to compete for the chance to win a $20,000 first prize, perform a full concerto with orchestra, and earn full-tuition scholarships to 91ֱ�� Conservatory.</p> <p>“The Cooper” is set to return in 2025—this time with a slight twist. It will take place in the winter, with the opening day on January 5 and competition rounds running through January 10. The winter 2025 edition is open to outstanding violinists from around the world between the ages of 13 and 18. The field will be limited to 18 participants, selected from applicants worldwide and <a href="/cooper-competition/violin-2025/apply">applications</a> are due October 1.</p> <p>For this competition, 91ֱ�� is pleased to announce a new artistic partnership with the <a href="https://promusicacolumbus.org/">ProMusica Chamber Orchestra</a>, based in Columbus, Ohio. The ensemble will come to 91ֱ�� to collaborate with the three Concerto Finalists on Friday, January 10, in historic <a href="/finney-chapel">Finney Chapel</a>. American conductor <a href="https://www.normanconductor.com/about">Norman Huynh</a> will conduct.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Sibbi Bernhardsson</figcaption> </figure> <p>“We are extremely happy and excited about our new partnership with the excellent ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and their creative partner <a href="https://promusicacolumbus.org/about/artistic-leadership/vadim-gluzman/">Vadim Gluzman</a>, CEO Janet Chen (an 91ֱ�� alumna), and music director David Danzmayr. In addition to performing with our three finalists, ProMusica will also present our winner during an upcoming season,” says <a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a>, violin professor at Oberlin and chair of the Cooper Competition for violin. </p> <p>The competition’s generous prize package is certainly a draw for young artists in the midst of costly educational programs. Cash prizes total $40,000, along with full-tuition scholarships to 91ֱ�� Conservatory for the three finalists. But there’s also financial support for the violinists who will participate in the competition that will cover lodging and meals while in 91ֱ�� and support for travel expenses. Highly accomplished collaborative pianists are also provided to the participants. The combination of this kind of support is often a difference-maker for aspiring competition participants.</p> <p>Added exposure to a worldwide audience via live-streaming video provides a remarkable opportunity for any young artist. Every round of the competition is streamed live, and once again, the Cooper Competition will partner with <a href="https://www.theviolinchannel.com/">The Violin Channel</a>, a collaboration that will amplify the streaming reach.</p> <p><strong>About the Prizes</strong><br> Cash prizes are awarded to violinists occupying the top six places. <br> First Prize: $20,000<br> Second Prize: $10,000<br> Third Prize: $5,000<br> Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Prizes: $1,500 each<br> Audience Prize: $500</p> <p>The three finalists will be awarded full four-year tuition scholarships to 91ֱ�� Conservatory, pending admission. For the first-prize winner, there’s much more to the awards package. </p> <p>A top-three prize winner will have the opportunity of a two-year loan of a fine violin from <a href="https://www.jonathansolars.com/">Jonathan Solars Fine Violins.</a> </p> <p>In a partnership with <a href="https://mkiartists.com/">MKI Artists</a>, the 2025 Cooper Competition first-prize winner will receive career mentorship and gain experience working with an agency during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.</p> <p>Additionally, the winner of the 2025 Cooper Competition will be a featured guest artist with <a href="https://promusicacolumbus.org/">ProMusica Chamber Orchestra</a> for a mutually agreed upon performance engagement between the winner and the orchestra during the 2025-26 or 2026-27 season. This engagement also includes a $500 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund Opportunity Award, granted directly to the winner by the North Shore Chamber Music Festival, as well as a lesson with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Creative Partner Vadim Gluzman.</p> <p>“We are pleased to offer a compelling and meaningful experience for all the participants, including the impressive prize package for the first-prize winner,” says Bernhardsson.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Violinist Seohyun Kim with the Canton Symphony</figcaption> </figure> <p>In fact, the Cooper Competition has been an important launching pad. Several of the top prize-winning violinists of the Cooper Competition have gone on to premiere competition successes and remarkable careers. These <a href="/cooper-competition/laureates">laureates</a> include <a href="https://www.sirenahuang.com/">Sirena Huang</a> (2011), <a href="https://williamweiviolinist.com/biography/">William Wei</a> (2013), <a href="https://www.belleting.com/">Belle Ting</a> and <a href="https://www.joshuabrownviolinist.com/">Joshua Brown</a> (2015), <a href="https://www.johandalene.com/">Johan Dalene</a> (2017), and Seohyun Kim (2022, pictured).</p> <p>Performing for the competition jury is another opportunity for young violinists to establish important connections in the field. The 2025 jury includes 91ֱ�� Conservatory violin faculty and other internationally recognized teacher-performers. Joining Professor Bernhardsson are </p> <ul> <li>Catherine Cho, violin and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School</li> <li>Francesca dePasquale, 91ֱ�� Conservatory violin professor</li> <li>Peter Herresthal, violin faculty at the Oslo Academy, Royal College of Music in London, and NYU’s Steinhardt School</li> <li>Xie Nan, violin professor and chair of the violin department at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China</li> <li>William van der Sloot, 91ֱ�� Conservatory violin professor</li> </ul> <p>Official collaborative pianists will be announced at a later date.</p> <p>For complete competition details, please visit the <a href="http://oberlin.edu/cooper">Cooper Competition website.</a></p> <hr> <p><em>Founded in 2010, the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition is dedicated to presenting an important international competitive opportunity to outstanding young musicians. It is made possible through the generosity of Thomas Cooper, a 1978 graduate of 91ֱ�� College, and his wife, pianist Evon Cooper. The Cooper Competition alternates annually between piano and violin and is open to participants between the ages of 13 and 18.</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The international competition offers an extensive prize package and financial support for all competition participants.</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="2024-08-20T12:00:00Z">Tue, 08/20/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Conservatory Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2388">Cooper Competition</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=35116">Violin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson" hreflang="und">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/francesca-depasquale" hreflang="und">Francesca dePasquale</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/william-van-der-sloot" hreflang="und">William van der Sloot</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <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>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>Violinist Maya Irizarry Lambright to Solo with 91ֱ�� Orchestra</h1> <p>cstrauss — Thu, 09 May 2024 18:50:17 +0000</p> <span>Violinist Maya Irizarry Lambright to Solo with 91ֱ�� Orchestra</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-09T14:50:17-04:00" title="Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 14:50">Thu, 05/09/2024 - 14:50</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>With the 2023-24 academic year coming to a close, we'll hear the 91ֱ�� Orchestra, led by conductor <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez</a> in their final concert of the spring semester at <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_orchestra_3257">7:30 p.m. on Friday, May, 10</a> in Finney Chapel. The program opens with Senior Concerto Competition winner Maya Irizarry Lambright in a performance of Shulamit Ran's Violin Concerto. The second half of the program features the orchestra in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's <em>Scheherazade</em>.</p> <p>Ran is an Israeli-American composer who was based at the University of Chicago for many years and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for her Philadelphia Orchestra commissioned Symphony; she was only the second woman to ever win win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. She wrote the Violin Concerto in 2003. It was last performed in 91ֱ�� in 2017. </p> <p>Written in 1888, <em>Scheherazade</em> was composed for a ballet based on <em>One Thousand and One Nights</em>, a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. The much-played symphonic suite features gorgeous melodies distinguished by Rimsky-Korsakov's masterful orchestration and expansive violin solos that will be performed by Benjamin Seah, concertmaster of the orchestra for this performance.</p> <h6><em><strong>Meet the soloist</strong></em></h6> <p>Violinist Maya Irizarry Lambright, from West Hartford, Connecticut, studies violin performance at 91ֱ�� Conservatory with <a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a>. Irizarry Lambright's musical journey is deeply rooted in a childhood surrounded by diverse musical influences, shaping a performance style that transcends genres. Their passion for improvisation, contemporary music, and small ensemble work fuels their artistic expression. As a member of the <a href="https://www.danielknapp.net/the-eris-quartet">Eris Quartet</a>, Irizarry Lambright has performed more than 50 concerts, including a 2023 tour to nine cities up the East Coast. Eris is dedicated to curating programs of traditional and contemporary repertoire and will be the Fellowship String Quartet in Residence at 2024 New Music On the Point (NMOP) in Vermont. In January 2022, Irizarry Lambright spearheaded "Why We Breathe," a project created as a result of the pandemic’s effects on collaborative music projects, uniting musicians and visual artists to create a fusion of art and music. At 91ֱ��, Irizarry Lambright leads a traditional Latin music band. Next academic year, they will attend the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, under the tutelage of Lina Bahn. With an unwavering dedication to pushing musical boundaries, they eagerly embrace the exploration of both notated and improvised music.</p> <h6><em>Q&A</em></h6> <p><em><strong>What moved you to select the Shulamit Ran Concerto?</strong></em></p> <p>Last spring my quartet, the Eris Quartet, took Shulamit Ran’s string quartet <em>Glitter, Doom, Shards, Memory </em>on tour. It is a beautiful piece that we really fell in love with. The different sound worlds and surprising compositional decisions that she made excited us as a group that enjoys playing less traditional repertoire. Additionally, it is an emotionally charged piece that we felt important to share with a large audience. When I was deciding which concerto to prepare for the competition, I knew I wanted to choose a 21st-century concerto. I am passionate about new music, and since it has been less common for violinists to prepare 21st-century concertos for competitions, I was very excited to present a less well-known piece. The violist of the Eris Quartet, Felix, recommended I listen to Shulamit Ran’s Violin Concerto, and told me that 91ֱ�� Conservatory music theory professor <a href="/christa-cole-17">Christa Cole</a> '17 had won the 2017 91ֱ�� concerto competition with this piece and teaches the third movement in her theory class as an example of an octatonic scale. </p> <p><em><strong>What has the piece taught you about your playing and how to reach an audience?</strong></em></p> <p>Working on a piece with only one public recording gave me the freedom to create a more original interpretation unaffected by preconceptions of how the piece “should" be played. I was given the space to take more ownership of how I personally wanted the piece to be received by the audience. In addition, because it is a 21st-century concerto, I have to be very convincing in my interpretation of it and prepare it to be enjoyable to the unfamiliar ear. I have become more confident in my creative decisions while working on this piece and have grown to appreciate myself as a solo player more than ever.</p> <p><em><strong>When you think back on your time at 91ֱ��, what stands out about the experience of going to school here?</strong></em></p> <p>91ֱ�� is the type of school where exploration and experimentation are encouraged. I have had the opportunity to be proactive in my education and guide it in a way that works towards my personal goals, no matter how unique they are. The faculty at 91ֱ�� is talented, encouraging, and supportive. Additionally, they have created an environment where the students always encourage and support each other. We are always collaborating on student-led projects, which is very unique to the environment at 91ֱ��. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Concerto competition winner will perform Shulamit Ran's Violin Concerto in Finney Chapel</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="2024-05-09T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/09/2024 - 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=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4052">Concerto Winners</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3155">91ֱ�� Orchestra</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=35116">Violin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson" hreflang="und">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/christa-cole-17" hreflang="und">Christa Cole ’17</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/raphael-jimenez" hreflang="und">Raphael Jiménez</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-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</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>Spring Performances Slated for Winners Named in 91ֱ��’s Concerto Competition</h1> <p>jreinier — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 20:52:32 +0000</p> <span>Spring Performances Slated for Winners Named in 91ֱ��’s Concerto Competition</span> <span><span>jreinier</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-03-29T16:52:32-04:00" title="Wednesday, March 29, 2023 - 16:52">Wed, 03/29/2023 - 16:52</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This year, those feature spots have been earned by pianist Annie Qin in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18; violinist Matthew Cone in Sergey Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63; soprano Kylie Buckham in Joseph Haydn’s <em>Berenice, che fai?</em>; and oboist Jonathan Kronheimer in Walter Aschaffenburg's Concerto for Oboe. </p> <p>The students will present their winning pieces in concerts with the 91ֱ�� Orchestra and 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Raphael Jiménez. Performances will take place in Finney Chapel on <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_orchestra_2978">April 6 (Annie Qin)</a>, <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_chamber_orchestra_4176">April 14 (Matthew Cone)</a>, <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_sinfonietta_chamber_orchestra">April 28 (Kylie Buckham)</a>, and <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_orchestra_2204">May 5 (Jonathan Kronheimer)</a>.</p> <p>Conductor <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez</a> shares, “Our conservatory students are extremely supportive of each other, and one cannot find a better example than in the performances of the concerto competition winners. When preparing these concerts, I can feel how every member of the orchestra is happy and proud to be part of this special day in the performance career of one of their classmates.”</p> <p>The competition was open to all fourth- and fifth-year performance majors, as well as artist diploma students. The first rounds were adjudicated by Conservatory faculty, while the public final round was adjudicated by a guest jury.</p> <p>Final round judges included pianist Ilya Poletaev of McGill University’s Schulich School of Music; violinist Kevork Mardirossian of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; baritone Randall Scarlata of the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University; and bassoonist Christopher Sales of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.</p> <h2><strong>About the winners</strong></h2> <p>Pianist Annie Qin is a student of Professor <a href="/angela-cheng">Angela Cheng</a>. During her undergraduate years at 91ֱ�� she has performed in the 2020 Danenberg Honors Recital, won the Conservatory’s Rudolf Serkin Prize in May 2021, and also received third prize in the Peter Takacs Beethoven Piano Competition in November 2021. That same year, Qin performed Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto with Xiamen Song & Dance Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Xiaotang Xia and soon after, she was awarded first prize at Beijing International Piano Festival Competition. This year, Qin received the second prize at the 7th Paderewski International Piano Competition and was a finalist in the New York International Piano Competition. She has performed a range of repertoire from works with the 91ֱ�� Contemporary Music Ensemble to the “Back to Bach” Project. Reflecting on her performance of the Rachmaninoff concerto, Qin shares, “I think my overall perception of the piece is changing as time passes. Now I’m more fascinated with its huge emotional depth and the imaginative musical language.” </p> <p>Matthew Cone is currently a fourth-year violin student at 91ֱ�� Conservatory, studying with Professor <a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a>. Cone began his violin studies with Cindy Lin at the age of 5, and has since worked with George Taylor, viola professor at the Eastman School of Music, and Renée Jolles, a professor of violin, also at Eastman. An avid chamber and orchestral musician, he has attended numerous summer festivals including Bravo Workshop, Credo, Kinhaven Music School, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Castleman Quartet Program, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Heifetz International Music Institute Ashkenasi-Kirshbaum Chamber Music Seminar. Over the past few years, he has had the opportunity to work with artists including Peter Zazofsky, Dennis Kim, Charles Castleman, Augustin Hadelich, Paul Huang, Desirée Ruhstrat, Rachel Barton Pine, Almita Vamos, Grigory Kalinovsky, and Shmuel Ashkenasi. In 2017, he earned third place in the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Young Artist Violin Competition. During the summer of 2019, he performed Tchaikovsky’s Meditation with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. As Cone prepares for his date with the 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra, he feels, “performing Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 is incredibly challenging, in terms of both stamina and technique, so I've been learning how to manage my energy during performance.”</p> <p>Soprano Kylie Buckham is a student of 91ֱ�� voice professor <a href="/kendra-colton">Kendra Colton</a>, and has participated and placed first in several district and regional NATS competitions and the ENKOR International Music Competition. Outside of 91ֱ��, Buckham has performed as a chorus member in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with both the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and has covered and performed the title role in <em>Cendrillon</em> with the Chicago Summer Opera Theater. Highlights of her undergraduate work at 91ֱ�� includes performances of the role of Alice 2 in the 91ֱ�� Opera Commissioning Program world-premiere performances of <em>Alice Tierney</em> in January 2023. Buckham has performed as a soloist in Francis Poulenc’s Gloria as well as the oratorios <em>Elijah</em>, by Felix Mendelssohn, and Handel’s <em>Messiah</em>. Buckham has sung in the 91ֱ�� College Choir, Chamber Singers, and Musical Union, and has also performed several roles in 91ֱ�� Opera Theater’s main stage productions including Elisetta in Cimarosa’s <em>Il matrimonio segreto</em> (2022), Catherine in Offenbach’s <em>Le mariage aux lanternes</em> (2022), and in the chorus for both <em>Acis and Galatea</em> (2021) and <em>Candide</em> (2023). Buckham is enthralled with Haydn’s <em>Berenice, che fai?</em>, saying, “The variety of emotion within the cavatina and cabaletta, the recitative, and the language itself was something I felt needed to be shared.”</p> <p>Oboist Jonathan Kronheimer is a student of Professor <a href="/robert-walters">Robert Walters</a> at 91ֱ��. Kronheimer grew up near Boston, and began playing oboe at age 8. After working with Jane Harrison at the All Newton Music School for 10 years, he began studying with Mark McEwen of the Boston Symphony. Kronheimer participated in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America during their 2019 season, and is also a former member of the Boston Youth Symphony. Kronheimer is excited to present a piece of 91ֱ�� history, explaining, “Walter Aschaffenburg ’51 was an 91ֱ�� alumnus, and the composition professor at 91ֱ�� when he wrote it. He wrote the concerto for James Caldwell, the oboe professor here at the time, who premiered it in Finney Chapel—the exact venue where it will be performed by the 91ֱ�� Orchestra this spring.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Four Conservatory students to perform with the 91ֱ�� orchestras in April and May 2023.</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="2023-03-29T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/29/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Joshua Reinier</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Each fall, 91ֱ�� Conservatory seniors have the opportunity to compete in the annual Concerto Competition, with the top four winners featured in the spring as soloists with the 91ֱ�� orchestras.</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=2410">Students</a></div> <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 class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3879">Performances</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=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37361">Oboe</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="/angela-cheng" hreflang="und">Angela Cheng</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson" hreflang="und">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/robert-walters" hreflang="und">Robert Walters</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/raphael-jimenez" hreflang="und">Raphael Jiménez</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</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/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-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">Images courtesy of each performer</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>