Students Create Project That Engages Local Hospital Patients and Nursing Home Residents</h1> <article> <h1>Students Create Project That Engages Local Hospital Patients and Nursing Home Residents</h1> <p>cstrauss — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 21:31:49 +0000</p> <span>Students Create Project That Engages Local Hospital Patients and Nursing Home Residents</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-06-04T17:31:49-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 4, 2024 - 17:31">Tue, 06/04/2024 - 17:31</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>“It all kept coming back to how important it was to have important people around you—people that cared,” says Grammy-winning composer and Associate Professor of Horn Jeff Scott, describing the essence behind Meera Bhatia and Emily Nixon’s community engagement project as well his commission, <em>Two Orchids</em>.</p> <p>The project all started in March 2022 as the brainchild of Monument, Colorado native and fourth-year oboist and English horn player Meera Bhatia. At this time, Bhatia had an unexpected visit to the emergency room at Mercy Allen Hospital and underwent abdominal surgery that resulted in a week-long hospital stay and months of formal recovery. </p> <p>“As I was lying there in the hospital bed, I reached for the only thing I had in the moment—music,” Bhatia recalls. She describes skimming through recordings of oboe pieces until eventually coming across Augusta Reed Thomas’s <em>Song Without Words</em>, which “provided the only few minutes for that eight-week period where I was not in pain or worried about the future.” </p> <p>For Bhatia, this experience was transformative and helped her realize that music can be a tool for hope, strength, and emotional validation. </p> <p>Experienced in community engagement through the <a href="/bcsl/programs/ninde-scholars">Ninde Scholars Program</a>, <a href="/community-music-school">91ֱ�� Community Music School</a>, and Conservatory coursework, Bhatia set out to give back to the same community at Mercy Allen Hospital that provided her crucial emotional and physical support during moments of distress. </p> <p>“In her darkest hours, the first thing she thought about was to give back,” Scott says about Bhatia. “The first thing was, ‘how can I say thank you in a grand way? To the people who took care?’ That's the first thing she thought about. And that really spoke so much about who she is as a person.”</p> <p>In the spring of 2023, music education professor <a href="/jody-kerchner">Jody Kerchner</a> identified an overlap between Bhatia’s initiative and Aloca, Tennessee native Emily Nixon’s ’23 interest in music therapy. Both pursuing the<a href="/conservatory/divisions/pace/integrative-concentration"> PACE (Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement) Integrative Concentration</a>, Bhatia and Nixon joined forces and began preparing for their visits. </p> <p>“I loved Meera’s vision for the project and very much wanted to be a part of it and help out in any way that I could,” says Nixon. “Meera and I met for coffee toward the end of the spring semester and shared with each other our interest in bringing music to Mercy Allen and the greater 91ֱ�� community, and she graciously let me join in.”</p> <p>A bulk of their preparations consisted of applying for the inaugural <a href="/bcsl/bulletins/gletherow-young-deppman-project-award">Gletherow-Young-Deppman Project Award</a>, which is reviewed and awarded through the <a href="/bcsl">Bonner Center for Community Engagement Learning, Teaching, & Research</a>. The award allows recipients to utilize prior coursework and explore professional interests through direct and practical community engagement work. Bhatia and Nixon’s proposal described their project in depth: meeting with three to four patients for 30 minutes, asking what kind of emotion they want to hear reflected musically, playing corresponding portions of larger works, and discussing the listener’s experiences afterwards.</p> <p>A crucial element of their proposal was the use of funds to commission Jeff Scott to write a piece commemorating the project and “all of the stories told in the common room of the Mercy Allen Hospital as a tribute to 91ֱ�� community members.” Upon receiving the award in May 2023, the two students began meeting with Scott not only to workshop the piece, but also to develop a deeper connection with each other and better understand what the project should represent. </p> <p>Scott explains, “I really wanted to find out what they considered to be important, especially when I'm being commissioned to write something. I like to know what people value. In the conversations, we talked about everything—parents, vacations, brothers, sisters—and it all kept coming back to relationships. It all kept coming back to how important it was to have important people around you—people that cared,” says Scott. “So when I set about writing the piece, and I was thinking about the hospital and the home for the aged, I thought, ‘Boy, how important are relationships when you're isolated in that capacity?’”</p> <p>Throughout the composing process, Scott met with Bhatia and Nixon several times to workshop snippets. “It's not something I usually do,” he says, noting the uniqueness of the project even for him, “I usually might send one draft and then finish the piece, but it's such a personal piece, and it wasn't only for two musicians—I really wanted it to be <em>for them</em>.”</p> <p>The piece, titled <em>Two Orchids</em>, is a duet for flute and oboe and symbolizes two women of advanced age with a strong bond. One is more melancholy and reflective, and the other is a prankster who keeps her counterpart from getting overly serious. The work is divided into multiple sections by subtitles that indicate the women sharing various stories and recalling different memories. The inscription on the piece is “To honor the stories of resilience found at the edges of our collective consciousness.” </p> <p>Following the initial proposal, Kerchner suggested visiting Welcome Nursing Home, which was incorporated into the project’s final form. From November 2023 to March 2024, Bhatia and Nixon made two visits every week: one to Mercy Allen Hospital and one to Welcome Nursing Home. During these visits, the two instrumentalists played duets and conversed with listeners about music, culminating in two separate premiers of Scott’s <em>Two Orchids</em>: Mercy Allen Hospital on April 19 and Welcome Nursing Home on April 21.</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Mercy Allen Hospital staff supported Bhatia and Nixon, attending the premiere of the piece inspired by the students' interactions with patients. 91ֱ�� faculty Jeff Scott and Jody Kerchner also attended the performance.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>“Everyone, regardless of what stage of life they are in,” says Bhatia, “should feel part of the 91ֱ�� community. And it is our hope that, through this project, more people feel seen as part of the community.” It was a point emphasized in the artists' proposal, which they described as a “symbiotic alliance" between them and the patients and staff at Mercy Allen Hospital and Welcome Nursing Home.</p> <p>91ֱ�� students, faculty, and Mercy staff and patients alike rejoiced in the success and positive reception of the project, which left an indelible impact on Mercy Allen Hospital and the broader 91ֱ�� musical and cultural community. “People recognize it as the notes that were written by someone,” said Scott, “but it becomes something really, really special because you're putting <em>you</em> into it.”</p> <p>In May 2024, Bhatia, Nixon, and Scott met in the Conservatory’s <a href="/clonick-hall">Clonick Hall</a> for a formal audio and video recording session of <em>Two Orchids</em> that will be made available to the public soon.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Meera Bhatia ’23 and Emily Nixon ’23 visit local hospital and nursing homes, commissioning and premiering a piece by Jeff Scott through the Gletherow-Young-Deppman Project Award</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="2024-06-04T12:00:00Z">Tue, 06/04/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">George Rogers</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=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3319">Community Engagement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2381">Bonner Center</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37361">Oboe</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35911">Flute</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="/jody-kerchner" hreflang="und">Jody Kerchner</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Oboist Meera Bhatia ’23 and flutist Emily Nixon ’23 meet in Mercy Allen Hospital's lobby before going off to perform for patients.</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">Jacob Strauss</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>Pianist Jiongli Wang to Perform with 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra</h1> <p>cstrauss — Fri, 03 May 2024 03:26:48 +0000</p> <span>Pianist Jiongli Wang to Perform with 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-02T23:26:48-04:00" title="Thursday, May 2, 2024 - 23:26">Thu, 05/02/2024 - 23:26</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Each spring, 91ֱ�� orchestras feature four student soloists who have been awarded the honor in the annual Senior Concerto Competition. On <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_chamber_orchestra_7138">Friday, May 3</a>, the 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra performs a program that will showcase fourth-year pianist Jiongli Wang in Frédéric Chopin’s First Piano Concerto. </p> <p>91ֱ�� Orchestras Director <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez</a> has also programmed Ludwig van Beethoven’s compellingly rhythmic and inventive Symphony No. 7, as well as the world premiere of Black River Prelude, composed by fourth-year composer Cashel Day-Lewis, commissioned by 91ֱ�� Conservatory in honor of the Lorain County Bicentennial. </p> <p>The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Finney Chapel and is free, open to the public, and <a href="/conservatory/on-stage/live-webcasts/finney-chapel-live-webcast">streamed live at concert time</a>.</p> <p><em><strong>Meet the soloist</strong></em></p> <p>Born in Wenzhou, China, Jiongli Wang started to play the piano at the age of 6. From 2017 to 2020, he studied at Gulangyu Piano Academy at the Central Conservatory of Music. Wang is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree at 91ֱ�� Conservatory, where he studies with Professor <a href="/alvin-chow">Alvin Chow</a>. He has performed in major concert halls in China including Shanghai Concert Hall, Gulangyu Concert Hall, and Ningxia Grant Theatre, among several others. He has attended several piano festivals, including Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, Adamant Piano Festival, Shanghai International Music Festival, and Europe International Music Festival. He has been honored to play in master classes for well-known musicians such as Lydia Artymiw, Kathryn Brown, Angela Cheng, Marc-André Hamelin, Douglas Humpherys, Ewa Pobłocka, and Mikhail Voskresensky. At 91ֱ��, Wang has been a prize winner of the 2022 Peter Takács Beethoven Piano Competition and 2023 Arthur Dann Competition, in addition to the 2023 Senior Concerto Competition.</p> <p><em><strong>Q&A</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>What was your reason for choosing the Chopin first piano concerto?</strong></em></p> <p>Chopin's First Piano Concerto is undoubtedly one of the most popular piano concertos in the world. He composed this work at the remarkably young age of 20. Despite his youth, the concerto exhibits not only passion, but also a maturity and depth of emotion that belies his age. These qualities deeply resonate with me, and more importantly, this concerto offers the performer an incredible opportunity to showcase their creativity. Listening to and playing this concerto is such fun, and I never grow bored discovering new things in it.</p> <p><strong><em>What has the piece taught you about your playing and how to reach an audience?</em></strong></p> <p>Music is the art of sound and time, each of which needs to be balanced in delicate proportion. Alongside the emotional depth, mastering various sound qualities is required. Every time I play Chopin's First Concerto, it's an experimentation with different touches in order to explore more possibilities. Moreover, this piece has also taught me about the proportion of rubato. Playing with an orchestra makes it impossible to do the same rubato as in a solo performance. It requires maintaining the steady pulse of the music as well as having flexibility in tempo. Reaching an audience is always a major concern for a musician. For me, aside from fine technique and a wide range of sound, it is even more crucial to play with authenticity and sincerity. </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>Undoubtedly, I've had a very memorable study experience at 91ֱ��. The vibrant and inclusive community fostered a sense of belonging that enriched both my academic and personal growth. 91ֱ�� Conservatory gathers a group of talented musicians, and I truly felt inspired by my peers. In addition, 91ֱ�� offers an excellent academic environment. The world-class faculty challenged and mentored me to expand my knowledge and develop my skills. Most importantly, many thanks go to my teacher Professor Alvin Chow, who provided me with extremely valuable guidance. Under his tutelage, I’ve cultivated a deeper understanding of music. His unwavering support and encouragement empowered me to push beyond my limits and I’m deeply grateful for his mentorship.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Program also includes world premiere work by composition student Cashel Day-Lewis</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="2024-05-02T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/02/2024 - 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=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2396">International Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4052">Concerto Winners</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> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/alvin-chow" hreflang="und">Alvin Chow</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/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">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>Cellist Drew Dansby to Perform Jazz-Influenced Cello Concerto</h1> <p>cstrauss — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 03:30:37 +0000</p> <span>Cellist Drew Dansby to Perform Jazz-Influenced Cello Concerto</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-04-11T23:30:37-04:00" title="Thursday, April 11, 2024 - 23:30">Thu, 04/11/2024 - 23:30</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Each October seniors in the Conservatory are eligible to compete in the annual Concerto Competition. An external jury selects four young artists to perform complete concertos with 91ֱ��'s orchestras, conducted by Raphael Jiménez.</p> <p>This year cellist Drew Dansby entered the competition with David Baker’s 1987 Concerto for Cello and Jazz Band, and earned one of these four solo spots. On <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_orchestra_oberlin_jazz_oberlin">Friday, April 12</a>, he'll perform this work accompanied by an ensemble of students from 91ֱ��'s Jazz Division under the leadership of <a href="/chris-anderson">Chris Anderson</a>, director of the 91ֱ�� Jazz Ensemble. It is the first time a jazz ensemble has been employed as collaborators for a Concerto Competition winner's solo date.</p> <p>The evening's program in Finney Chapel will also showcase the 91ֱ�� Orchestra, with <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez</a>, in performances of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9 and Carlos Simon's AMEN!, written in 2017 and revised in 2019.</p> <h6><em>Meet the soloist</em></h6> <p>At 23, Drew Dansby is the youngest member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and he is the cellist of the award-winning <a href="https://poiesisquartet.com/">Poiesis Quartet</a>, formed at 91ֱ�� in the Advanced String Quartet Seminar. Dansby won the position with Cincinnati last spring. He will graduate from 91ֱ�� this spring with dual degrees—a Bachelor of Music in cello performance and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry, along with minors in sociology and comparative American studies. He is a student of <a href="/darrett-adkins">Darrett Adkins</a>.</p> <p>With the Poiesis Quartet, Dansby won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, as well as the gold medal at the 2023 St. Paul String Quartet Competition. Highlights of the quartet's 2023-24 season include a recording project with Grammy-winning producer Elaine Martone and mezzo-soprano Nancy Maultsby, the quartet's New York City debut on the Schneider Series at the Mannes School of Music, and a summer residency at the Emilia Romagna Festival in Italy. The Poiesis Quartet is continuing their studies in the Graduate Quartet Program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.</p> <p>Dansby began playing both violin and cello at the age of 4 and continues to perform on both instruments. He was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States for three international summer tours, and was recognized as the first person in the history of that orchestra to be accepted on two instruments. </p> <p>He made his solo debut with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra at age 15, and he has performed with the Eastern Festival Orchestra as a winner of the Eastern Music Festival Concerto Competition. He was recognized as a National YoungArts Winner and was awarded the gold medal in the Cleveland Cello Society competition. </p> <p>Committed to using music as a tool for community building, Dansby has worked as a volunteer to expand access to music education for young people and created organizations and programs that have served as fundraisers and outreach vehicles to nursing homes, hospitals, and after-school programs.</p> <p>As a chemistry major at 91ֱ��, Dansby conducted molecular dynamics and computational chemistry research under Professors <a href="/manish-mehta">Manish Mehta</a> and <a href="/shuming-chen">Shuming Chen</a>, and he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honors society. He also interned as an air quality analyst at the Charlotte branch of Civil and Environmental Consultants and conducted atmospheric chemistry research with Dr. Terry Miller at The Ohio State University. </p> <h6><em>Q&A</em></h6> <p><strong>How did you come to choose the David Baker Concerto for Cello and Jazz Band?</strong></p> <p>I first learned about David Baker in 2020 during the George Floyd uprisings, when there was increased interest in the classical music community in platforming works by Black composers. David Baker was a prolific multi-instrumentalist (including cellist), improviser, and composer, who many remember for his warm sense of humor and his brilliant teaching at Indiana University. He wrote a concerto for cello and chamber orchestra and a solo cello sonata, which are perhaps more well known. But, I came across his Concerto for Cello and Jazz Band and was really curious. No recordings were publicly available at that time. I reached out to the Conservatory Library, where Deborah Campana (Head of the Conservatory Library at the time) was able to find a recording of the first movement from a limited edition CD recorded shortly after Baker finished the composition in 1987. The piece sounded wicked hard, but also had some achingly beautiful moments, and I knew I had to learn it. The library also had a scan of Baker’s handwritten manuscript of the big band score, which gave me the idea to make a transcription of the composition for cello and jazz piano so I would be able to play it for the rounds of the 91ֱ�� Concerto Competition. I eventually met and partnered with Mitchell Galligan, a really talented jazz piano student who agreed to play my arrangement with me. I hoped this piece would be a good alternative to playing a canon cello concerto with orchestra, and thought it could also be an opportunity for collaboration between the classical and jazz departments of the Conservatory.</p> <p><strong>What has the piece taught you about your playing and how to reach an audience?</strong></p> <p>Baker wrote this work to encompass a variety of Black American music styles that are generally grouped under the blanket term “jazz,” including bebop improvisation, early R&B, and soul. The structure of the work—featuring three movements, two extended cadenzas that open and close the piece, and big band sections—bring aspects of the jazz idiom to closely resemble a European concerto for soloist and orchestra. Every main melody in the work is very accessible, almost cinematic. There is a beautiful waltz that opens the second movement, and the driving main theme of the third movement could be heard as an intro in a 90’s action film. However, each theme is cloaked in very technical cello writing. It’s been a challenge to explore how the solo part’s virtuosity contributes to the spirit of each melody or line, while not getting distracted by its difficulty. For me, this piece is also a reminder that every aspect that is cool and popular in classical music—especially contemporary American music—is Black American music adapted to more traditional European forms. </p> <p><strong>When you think back on your time at 91ֱ��, what stands out about the experience of going to school here?</strong></p> <p>91ֱ�� has incredible professors and an academic culture that encourages critical inquiry, and I felt like I had the resources and support to pursue anything I was interested in. But I also feel like I learned as much from my classmates as I did from my classes and professors. The conservatory is a place where we often end up spending more time than even our homes or dorms. Everyone I’ve met at 91ֱ�� is deeply passionate about community building, and it reflects in the ways we all show up and look out for each other.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">In a "first" for the 91ֱ�� Concerto Competition, the soloist will be accompanied by a jazz ensemble.</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="2024-04-11T12:00:00Z">Thu, 04/11/2024 - 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=4052">Concerto Winners</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2357">Double Degree Program</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/darrett-adkins" hreflang="und">Darrett Adkins</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/raphael-jimenez" hreflang="und">Raphael Jiménez</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/chris-anderson" hreflang="und">Chris Anderson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/manish-mehta" hreflang="und">Manish Mehta</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/shuming-chen" hreflang="und">Shuming Chen</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="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry" hreflang="und">Chemistry and Biochemistry</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>Concerto Competition Winners Take Finney Stage This Spring</h1> <p>cstrauss — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:30:56 +0000</p> <span>Concerto Competition Winners Take Finney Stage This Spring</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-04-05T00:30:56-04:00" title="Friday, April 5, 2024 - 00:30">Fri, 04/05/2024 - 00:30</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ�� Conservatory’s annual Concerto Competition identifies four winners that earn featured solo spots with the 91ֱ�� orchestras each spring. The first rounds were adjudicated by Conservatory faculty, while the public final round was adjudicated by a guest jury.</p> <p>This year, concerto so opportunities were won by <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_chamber_orchestra_929">clarinetist Juan Pedro Espinosa Monteros</a>, <a href="http://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_orchestra_oberlin_jazz_oberlin">cellist Drew Dansby</a>, <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_chamber_orchestra_7138">pianist Jiongli Wang</a>, and <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_orchestra_3257">violinist Maya Irizarry Lambright</a>—all fourth-year students. They will each present full performances of their winning pieces in concerts on four Friday evenings in Finney Chapel. Each performance will also be <a href="/conservatory/on-stage/live-webcasts">streamed live</a> at concert time.</p> <p>Three of the young artists will collaborate with the 91ֱ�� Orchestra and 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra, conducted by <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez</a>. And, this year there is an 91ֱ�� “first.” Later this month, Dansby will perform David Baker’s 1987 Concerto for Cello and Jazz Band, which will be accompanied by an ensemble of students from 91ֱ��'s Jazz Division. </p> <p>Performances get underway on <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_chamber_orchestra_929">Friday, April 5</a> at 7:30 p.m., with Juan Pedro Espinosa Monteros and the 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra leading the way in Carl Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto. The program also includes Gioachino Rossini's Overture to <em>William Tell</em> and Alberto Ginastera Variaciones concertantes, Op. 23. </p> <h6>Meet the soloist</h6> <p>Born and raised in Ecuador, clarinetist Juan Pedro Espinosa Monteros studies with Professor <a href="/richard-hawkins">Richard Hawkins</a>. His quite notable professional achievements include an appointment as principal clarinetist of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Guayaquil, under the direction of conductor Dante Anzolini. He joined the orchestra in 2019 and played in the ensemble for three seasons as the youngest member in the organization. He made his solo debut with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Loja at the age of 15 and has since served consistently as a substitute clarinetist with that ensemble. And in 2017, he won the gold medal at the Solo Competition of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador—the first woodwind player to earn this prize—securing his appearance as soloist with the orchestra. He has also performed as a soloist with the symphony orchestras of Guayaquil and Cuenca. </p> <h6>Q&A</h6> <p><em><strong>How did you come to choose the Nielsen Concerto?</strong></em></p> <p>I picked the Nielsen clarinet concerto because my heart beats fast whenever I play it. I get excited, and it is a feeling that I try to give to the people that listen to me. I want the audience to be as enthusiastic about the music as I am. This concerto is like a roller coaster of emotions.</p> <p><em><strong>What has the piece taught you about your playing and how to reach an audience?</strong></em></p> <p>This concerto is an extremely difficult piece for the soloist and orchestra. And working on it has taught me a lot about patience. Nielsen’s writing allows for tons of freedom and variety. It lets me express myself a lot. It is one of the pieces where I can do more and give the work a little bit of my personality.</p> <p><strong><em>When you think back on your time at 91ֱ��, what stands out about the experience of going to school here?</em></strong></p> <p>Friends and music. 91ֱ�� is a special place. As an international student, the conservatory has been like a second home, people are welcoming and warm, and the sense of community is always there. I have felt seen and cared for by all the friends I’ve made through music here. </p> <p><br> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Clarinetist Juan Pedro Espinosa Monteros kicks off the festivities on April 5</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="2024-04-04T12:00:00Z">Thu, 04/04/2024 - 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=4052">Concerto Winners</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2396">International Students</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=37266">Clarinet</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="/richard-hawkins" hreflang="und">Richard Hawkins</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/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Fourth-year clarinetist Juan Pedro Espinosa Monteros.</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>Artemis Visits 91ֱ��, Leads Master Classes and Panels</h1> <p>cstrauss — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 02:48:32 +0000</p> <span>Artemis Visits 91ֱ��, Leads Master Classes and Panels</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-03-21T22:48:32-04:00" title="Thursday, March 21, 2024 - 22:48">Thu, 03/21/2024 - 22:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>All-star jazz collective <a href="https://artemisband.com/">Artemis</a> served a two-day residency at 91ֱ�� from March 12-13, adjacent to their appearance on the <a href="http://oberlin.edu/ars">2023-24 Artist Recital Series</a>. The band—consisting of musical director and pianist Renee Rosnes, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller—was presented in a variety of educational and interactive events, well attended by 91ֱ�� students and community members, all leading up to their culminating performance in Finney Chapel.</p> <p>Kicking off their residency, the quintet’s first session with students was held at the intimate Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse—an anchor performing and teaching space for 91ֱ��’s <a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies">Jazz Division</a>. The band opened with innovative and complex renditions of Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance” and Wayne Shorter’s “United,” both arranged by Rosnes. Following the brief set, band members gave introductions before delving into a Q&A session, facilitated by the 91ֱ�� Crimson Collective. The discussion was intimate and casual, addressing a range of relevant topics from maintaining trust on the bandstand to practicing self-care on the road and balancing activism with artistry.</p> <p>The Crimson Collective’s opening question about conditions for feeling comfortable in professional environments eventually led Artemis into a thorough discussion about the importance of self-acceptance, musical risk-taking, and having your bandmates’ backs on and off the bandstand. </p> <p>“You know, there’s a real deep amount of work, and then the balance of enjoying being in this space with one another… it’s just trust,” said Jensen, who also led attendees through the breathing and stretching exercises she uses when practicing her instrument and decompressing while on tour. </p> <p>The trust, love, and camaraderie among members of Artemis are palpable. And, they care deeply for the tradition and the causes which their music represents. “For me, I always try to marry my activism with my music,” Miller said, “and this is one version of doing that—this group.”</p> <p></p> <p>Artemis continued their afternoon at the Cat in the Cream with an ensemble master class. Student-formed jazz groups performed and received feedback from the band members, all of whom are accomplished educators in addition to esteemed performers. Artemis's feedback touched on holistically learning jazz standards,</p> <p></p> <p>maintaining compelling stage presence, accompanying soloists symbiotically, and methods for improvising captivating solos.</p> <p>As the saxophonist for the second of the two student groups, I can say firsthand how exciting and valuable an experience this was. After our group opened with Miles Davis’s “Little Willie</p> <p></p> <p>Leaps,” members of Artemis divided up and focused on their general areas of expertise. Their first priority was centered on facilitating interaction between drums and piano while accompanying soloists. Rosnes isolated our rhythm section and asked them to play several more choruses of the tune while focusing on catching each other's rhythmic interjections. Artemis’s frontline—Jensen and Glover—then shifted to our own frontline of saxophone and vocals. They provided valuable ideas for structuring a compelling solo, emphasizing melodic playing over lengthy and complex improvisation. Rosnes then set us loose to experiment with this feedback and give another complete performance of the piece. For me, this second run-through felt more deliberate, digestible, and engaging—both with my bandmates and the audience.</p> <p>The next day, Artemis gave a career talk entitled, “What does it take to have a career in jazz?” Opening up the panel, Rosnes stressed the onus on students to utilize their undergraduate years by committing themselves to music, surrounding themselves with it, and studying it as thoroughly as possible. “I don’t think the goal should be to be a star in the music,” she claimed, “The goal should be that you become the best musician that you can be, and that you rise to your personal highest potential. The rest of that, in terms of your career, will take care of itself.” </p> <p>Rosnes then prompted Glover to describe her takeaways from moving to New York City from Portland. “There’s a presence that makes people aware of you,” she said, “and there’s a presence that makes people remember you.” Glover went on to further describe the equal importances of putting yourself out there and maintaining a positive reputation. “It’s one thing to get a call, it’s another thing to get the second call.” </p> <p>This segued perfectly into Miller’s story of meeting and joining the band of famed jazz organist Dr. Lonnie Smith. She also recounted experiences with her own queerness in the jazz world: “I had two worlds of New York City: I had my queer life and my jazz life, and I was afraid to let those be the same.” She later acknowledged that “the bubble of improvisational music is becoming way more open-minded socially,” a long way from her Southern upbringing in Texas. </p> <p>Hailing from Japan, however, Ueda described her journey from growing up playing pop music to discovering jazz while watching the anime Lupin the Third. “It was a jazz version with vibraphone and walking bass,” she said, describing the movie, “and when I heard it, I was shocked by how cool the bassline was. I was interested and started listening to jazz.”</p> <p>Jensen discussed what it was like growing up in a musical household, surrounded by the music of Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and more. Jensen remembers thinking to herself as a child, “Well, things aren’t going well in math or science or anything else, but this music thing, it just keeps coming back to me.” This love took her all over the world, from Boston to Copenhagen, and eventually New York City.</p> <p>After hearing from each band member, the panel opened up for questions from the audience. Jazz Composition and Cinema Studies double-degree fifth-year student Jace Mason is considering pursuing his interests in jazz and film separately and questions finding a way to integrate them. Artemis members encouraged the combining of these fields, leading Miller and Glover to recount previous multimedia works they were part of and the plethora of ways that different mediums can positively influence each other. Ezra Rudel ‘23 is interested in finding mentorship, to which Glover responded by stressing the importance of always having a mentor, especially after graduating from college. Fourth-year jazz vibraphonist Kelsi Bolden thinks about hunkering down after graduation before making a big move to enter a music scene. Artemis unanimously agreed that isolating after school can be a great opportunity to gather mental strength and further artistic skills before applying them in professional environments.</p> <p>With decades of musical and professional experience between them, Artemis’s series of events leading up to their culminating performance in Finney Chapel provided countless invaluable lessons to all who attended. Artemis undoubtedly left a positive and indelible impact on 91ֱ��’s jazz community and the school’s music scene.</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Artemis takes a final bow after their March 13 performance in Finney Chapel. Photo: Jonathan Clark</figcaption> </figure> </div> <hr> <p><em>George Rogers is a second-year saxophonist and is a student communications assistant for the Conservatory Communications Office.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jazz supergroup provides valuable lessons in music, artistry, and mentorship by engaging with students and community members through a presentation, Q&A, master class, and career talk.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-03-21T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/21/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">George Rogers</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 class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> </div> <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> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Artemis performs in Finney Chapel as part of the 2023-24 Artist Recital Series.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pull-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">No</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-cte-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes (Gallery Style)</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">Jonathan Clark</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-33590" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-cont-img-section paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images photoswipe-gallery"> <div class="o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <div class="image-grid image-grid--single-caption pull"> <div id="obj-31760" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="3"> <div id="obj-30063" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/24-03-12_artemis_masterclass_cat_jonathan_clark_021.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1500" data-pswp-height="988"> </a> <figcaption> <div class="figure__credit"><p>Photo credit: Jonathan Clark</p></div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30064" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/-03-12_artemis_masterclass_cat_jonathan_clark_005.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2500" data-pswp-height="1609"> </a> <figcaption> <div class="figure__credit"><p>Photo credit: Jonathan Clark</p></div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30065" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/artemis_career_talk_7_photo_by_abe_frato_clr.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2500" data-pswp-height="1600"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__caption"> <p>Two student ensembles receive feedback after their master class performances for their peers and Artemis at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse. The five members of the ensemble engage in discussion with students during the panel in the Birenbaum.</p> </div> <div class="figure__credit"> Photo credit: Jonathan Clark (master class), Abe Frato (panel discussion) </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Jazz Faculty and Students Participate in Launch of Ideastream's JazzNEO</h1> <p>cstrauss — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 18:15:01 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Jazz Faculty and Students Participate in Launch of Ideastream's JazzNEO</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-03-01T13:15:01-05:00" title="Friday, March 1, 2024 - 13:15">Fri, 03/01/2024 - 13:15</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Cleveland’s new <a href="https://www.ideastream.org/jazz">JazzNEO</a> streaming service will highlight the depth and breadth of the art form, playing music from all eras and featuring professional and student musicians from here in Northeast Ohio.</p> <p>Ideastream sees the presentation of this distinctly American art form as essential part of its programming. </p> <p>The first spotlight opportunity for 91ֱ�� faculty and students came on February 26.</p> <p>Saxophonist Chris Coles, an 91ֱ�� Conservatory Jazz Division faculty member and small ensemble coach, performed with three Conservatory Jazz Studies students—bassist Ahmed McLemore, pianist Wilson Woods, and drummer Max Simas—for a capacity audience at Cleveland’s premiere jazz venue, the Bop Stop. </p> <p>The evening was produced by Ideastream Public Media as a launch event for the new jazz channel, which will broadcast on 90.3 HD2 and stream live on <a href="http://jazzneo.org">JazzNEO.org</a>. </p> <p>Coles also spoke as part of the panel of guests assembled for the evening to discuss what it means to have jazz radio back in Northeast Ohio. </p> <p>Performances and interviews recorded that evening will be broadcast on Ideastream’s <a href="https://www.ideastream.org/show/sound-of-ideas/2024-03-04/sound-of-ideas-community-tour-a-look-at-northeast-ohios-jazz-scene"><em>Sound of Ideas</em> on Monday, March 4</a> at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., where you will hear the ensemble from 91ֱ��. <em>Sound of Ideas</em> broadcasts on WKSU at 89.7 FM and <a href="https://www.ideastream.org/sound-of-ideas">online</a>.</p> <h6>About the students</h6> <p>Jazz bassist Ahmed McLemore is in his fourth year at 91ֱ�� Conservatory, where he studies with Gerald Cannon. Originally from Detroit, Michigan and now living in Dallas, Texas, McLemore is a member of the 2023-24 91ֱ�� Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble. The ensemble just returned from a tour to California where they performed at SFJAZZ and Hidden Valley Music Seminars and worked with music students in the Bay Area.</p> <p>Jazz pianist Wilson Woods is in his fourth year at 91ֱ�� Conservatory, where he has studied with Dan Wall and Sullivan Fortner. The Boise, Idaho native is also pursuing a minor course of study in Music and Cognition where he takes classes in cognitive science, music theory, music history, and music production. He was a member of the 2021-22 91ֱ�� Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble. </p> <p>San Francisco Bay Area native Max Simas is a second-year Jazz Performance student at 91ֱ�� Conservatory where he is pursuing a concentration in jazz percussion studying with Billy Hart, Gerald Cannon, and Paul Samuels. He recently helped lead a quartet that toured California, over three weeks of Winter Term, with dates at clubs in the Bay Area, San Luis Obispo, and Los Angeles.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The new offering out of Cleveland's public broadcasting outfit is the region's only full-time jazz streaming service.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-03-01T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/01/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">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=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=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/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">91ֱ�� jazz faculty member and saxophonist Chris Coles and three Jazz Studies students—bassist Ahmed McLemore, pianist Wilson Woods, and drummer Max Simas—performed at the Bop Stop on February 26.</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">Matt Crow, Ideastream Public Media</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>The Making of a World Premiere: Paul Desenne’s Double Flute Concerto Has its Day in 91ֱ��</h1> <p>cstrauss — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 15:44:50 +0000</p> <span>The Making of a World Premiere: Paul Desenne’s Double Flute Concerto Has its Day in 91ֱ��</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-11-01T11:44:50-04:00" title="Wednesday, November 1, 2023 - 11:44">Wed, 11/01/2023 - 11:44</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>“I've been trying to get this concerto to see the light of day for years,” says 91ֱ�� flute professor <a href="/alexa-still">Alexa Still</a> about Paul Desenne’s Concerto for Two Flutes and Orchestra. The acclaimed cellist and composer started writing the piece in 2012, completing the commission in 2013. It has now been a 10-year-long route to the debut, and on Wednesday, November 1, Still’s championship of this piece will be realized in a <a href="/events/concert_oberlin_orchestra_5235">performance</a> with conductor <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez</a> leading the 91ֱ�� Orchestra, and with her student Dylan Masariego as co-soloist.</p> <p>It’s a 30-minute, three-movement work scored for a relatively large orchestra, and it explores the notion of the meta-instrument—a compositional technique born from the idea of merging timbres into an autonomous entity that acts beyond the sum of its parts and produces an acoustic illusion in listening. The composer’s note describes, “This two-headed, versatile, and sometimes dizzying soloist undertakes a great musical journey through diverse panoramas imagined within a modern Latin American, Caribbean, and Venezuelan Baroque.”</p> <p>Still’s enthusiasm for it is infectious. “I think it's an unbelievably good piece. His music is always very complex, with an amazing mix of sounds from nature and folk song from Venezuela.”</p> <p>Desenne’s music became known to Still through a Venezuelan flute student she taught while on the faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder. As she discovered more about his work, she began advocating for a premiere performance of the double flute concerto through the National Flute Association. One of the challenging barriers to getting performances scheduled was that the score was very dense and very hard to read. There was also a “very dated MIDI representation of the score,” Still admitted. She remained determined, but in the interim, she commissioned Desenne to write a piece for her. He wrote his Second Sonata for Flute and Piano for Still to premiere at the 2018 NFA Flute Convention. By then at 91ֱ��, Still was reminded again how connected the United States-based Venezuelan musical community is.</p> <p>Enter Raphael Jiménez, director of 91ֱ�� Orchestras, and a long-time friend of Desenne. Both are alumni of Venezuela’s revolutionary music education program, El Sistema, founded in Caracas in 1975. In 2020, Jiménez conducted the 91ֱ�� Orchestra in successful performances of two of Desenne’s works—<em>Sinfonia Burocratica ed'Amazzonica</em> (2004) and <em>Dragoncello</em> (2008)—for the Covid-era “91ֱ�� Stage Left” broadcasts. These works were part of an intensified commitment to the performances of a broader world of music, expanding the repertoire and giving performances of lesser-known composers.</p> <p>The Caracas-born, child of French and American parents, Paris Conservatory-educated <a href="https://www.pauldesenne.com/">Paul Desenne</a> was a “remarkable tri-cultural artist, so fluid in his ability to move within and between all of those worlds,” describes Jiménez.</p> <p>Desenne’s compositions, covering the entire spectrum from the instrumental solo to the choral symphony, have been performed on the most diverse world stages—from Caracas to New York to London, and beyond. He was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship and, in 2010, a Fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University.</p> <p>Still brought the double flute concerto to Jiménez’ attention.</p> <p>The old issue of a readable score and an unflattering electronic audio file persisted, but Still would try once again to bring this piece to a National Flute Association Convention, and she needed some decent performance excerpts captured in clear recordings to support the application.</p> <p>At the end of the spring semesters when the academic year is winding down, Jiménez uses that time in the orchestra schedule to read through repertoire with the students. He had been studying the score, and as Still shared, smiling, “he was sucked in by the piece.” Last May, he granted two and a half hours to reading through and recording excerpts from each of the three movements of the concerto. The catch: Jiménez needed the score addressed. So last spring, Still was in touch with Desenne to clean it up, spread it out, and rearrange its appearance on the page so that it was something that was readable in a performance setting.</p> <p>She also got the individual parts, which came to her as various PDFs that didn't quite match. “I filled in the information that was missing and turned these into usable parts,” recalls Still.</p> <p>“Paul was already very, very excited about the fact we were actually doing this,” shared Still.</p> <p>Next came the selection of the soloist who would collaborate with Still for the reading session. The <a href="/flute">91ֱ�� flute studio</a> has strong students, and she approached senior Daniel Jordan.</p> <p>“Daniel is technically very, very gifted,” says Still, “and he was so excited about doing it.”</p> <p>Three days before the reading, Daniel got COVID.</p> <p>“Dylan was the only one who had the space in his schedule and fearlessness required to leap into Daniel's place,” Still remembers. “Dylan is a fabulous flute player and just threw themself at it. We did the reading and they did a very credible job. I think 91ֱ�� is such a special place where you have students who can actually jump into a situation and just do it.”</p> <p>In mid-May, Still sent the recordings to Desenne that included part of the first movement, the second movement, and most of the third movement. “Paul was ecstatic. He was just so happy… and that was the last communication I had with him. But I'm just so grateful that he got to hear it.”</p> <p>Desenne passed away suddenly from a heart attack on May 20, 2023.</p> <p>Still and Jiménez decided this work should receive its premiere at 91ֱ�� in the fall.</p> <p>The saying that “it takes a village to raise a child” applies to mounting a premiere of a new piece. Some problems had surfaced during the reading: Some of the individual orchestra parts notated in the score were missing.</p> <p>91ֱ��’s ensemble librarian, <a href="/eric-farnan">Eric Farnan</a>, and Desenne’s wife, <a href="https://www.liliflute.com/">flutist Carmen Marulanda</a> have been key to working through this. “The Double Flute Concerto was a unique challenge because Paul passed away in between us reading the work last year and it being programmed for premiere,” recounts Farnan. “Any questions I had about the work or inquiries I would normally direct to the composer were directed to his wife. Carmen went back through the score and extracted the missing instruments. She also was helpful in looking through his notes to find the program note supplied in our program.”</p> <p>Marulanda generously shared thoughts about her husband’s creative output: “His striking fusion of rhythms and ideas sometimes made us believe we knew that music from before…it somehow sounded familiar to our ears. That was one of his most powerful gifts, like a magician of cultural, musical, and literary rhetoric. The resounding vibration of forests and insects, of nature and shamanic callings—it’s always present in his music. It’s not a surprise he built his house in the mountains of Caracas, a place that kept his threads deeply connected even after his last move to the USA in 2010.”</p> <p>For senior flutist Dylan Masariego, the opportunity to collaborate with Still in the solo role is, “exciting and unique,” adding, “performing a concerto, especially one without a performance history, comes with added pressure. However, it's been amazing to work closely with a great mentor.”</p> <p>Masariego continues, “By far, my favorite moment is the middle of the second movement, specifically the trading off of these long soloistic phrases. The magical part of all of this is getting the chance to observe, up close, how great a musician Alexa truly is. Whether that's watching her construct these elegant, long lines, or standing right next to her as she fills Finney Chapel with her sound, performing and working alongside Alexa will forever be inspiring.” </p> <p>And for Still, this is the beginning of the work to secure the concerto's place in the repertory. “It’s a major piece, and it's very well written. I don't really care who plays it, I just want to make sure it gets out there.”</p> <p>The <a href="/events/concert_oberlin_orchestra_5235">performance</a> will take place at 7:30 p.m. on November 1 in Finney Chapel and it will be <a href="/livestream">streamed live</a>.</p> <hr> <p><em>A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bKm5TUCAbU">video of the premiere performance of the concerto</a> is available on YouTube.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Flute professor Alexa Still and fourth-year student Dylan Masariego share solo spot with the 91ֱ�� Orchestra, under the direction of Raphael Jiménez</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="2023-11-01T12:00:00Z">Wed, 11/01/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss ’84</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=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=3947">World Premiere</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=35911">Flute</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="/alexa-still" hreflang="und">Alexa Still</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/raphael-jimenez" hreflang="und">Raphael Jiménez</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/eric-farnan" hreflang="und">Eric Farnan</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Alexa Still and Dylan Masariego rehearse with the 91ֱ�� Orchestra and conductor Raphael Jiménez in Finney Chapel.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Strauss</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> <article> <h1>Summer in San Francisco</h1> <p>jreinier — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 15:19:15 +0000</p> <span>Summer in San Francisco</span> <span><span>jreinier</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-10-05T11:19:15-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 5, 2022 - 11:19">Wed, 10/05/2022 - 11:19</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Soprano Cassondra Davies is currently studying with Kendra Colton and plans to continue on to graduate school for voice. But that's not all—a double degree in biochemistry, she also wants to earn her M.D. She has worked in the labs of Catherine Oertel and Shuming Chen and has recently joined the lab of William Parsons where she is pursuing an Honors Project during the 2022-2023 academic year. </p> <p>Amber Rogers, Conservatory Communications student assistant, recently spoke with Davies and her studio teacher, Professor Kendra Colton.</p> <p>AR: Professor Colton, why do you encourage your students to seek out summer study opportunities? </p> <p>KC: I've always told my students that they could be the greatest singer in the world, but if no one ever hears them, what future do they have as performers? They need to be heard far and wide outside the 91ֱ�� arena.</p> <p>AR: How did your 91ֱ�� training prepare you for this summer experience, Cassie?</p> <p>CD: 91ֱ�� prepared me wonderfully. My training with Kendra Colton is immensely helpful to me. She is so specific with technique, musicality and artistic detail that I felt very prepared for my master classes and concerts.</p> <p>Professor Bandy, one of 91ֱ��’s vocal coaches, was also a great help with Czech and Russian diction. I had the opportunity to sing in Graham Johnson’s Schubert concert, which is also a testament to Professor Colton because she helped me so much in preparing my Schubert pieces. During my coachings at SongFest, I found that only small notes were given, like tempo changes. I attribute all the wonderful experiences I had during Songfest to Kendra because she has given me such a strong foundation and pushes me to be the best singer I can be.</p> <p>AR: What are some things you learned at Songfest that you will apply during your 91ֱ�� studies?</p> <p>CD: At the end of last year, my voice started to change, so I was experiencing a bit of a transition. During Songfest, our now-retired 91ֱ�� voice professor Lorraine Manz gave me many helpful strategies to add to my toolbox.</p> <p>She gave me the confidence to start connecting with my bigger voice coming in. We did straw techniques to help connect with my breath. I benefited from this and will apply it during the rest of my studies. We worked on some of the classic arias together, which was great. I really appreciated having that support from her over the summer while I was, and still am, experiencing this vocal transition.</p> <p>AR: How did having so many 91ֱ�� students at this program contribute to your experience?</p> <p>CS: Well, not only were there 91ֱ�� students in my class, there were 91ֱ�� alumni in the Professional Program! It did make me more comfortable, and it gave me the support of familiar people that I could trust. Together we all met a lot of people and expanded our networks even more. It was also great to hear them sing! We are often so busy during the year and aren’t able to hear each other perform, so it was great to hear each other. I am delighted I had 91ֱ�� students with me during this experience.</p> <p>AR: What growth do you see in students who take advantage of summer study opportunities, Professor Colton? </p> <p>KC: Students return to school excited about what they have learned and how they succeeded in the programs they’ve attended. They seem more focused and goal-oriented in what they want to do going forward. Their experiences are validating and help build the confidence that is necessary to perform and achieve. It's a joy to share in their growth and enthusiasm for singing.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cassondra Davies' experience at SongFest</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-10-05T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/05/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amber Rogers</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ��’s Vocal Studies students are often encouraged to seek out summer enrichment opportunities. These experiences add to 91ֱ��’s training and allow students to explore potential roles and repertoire while expanding their network. SongFest, an art song program in California, has been a regular choice for many 91ֱ�� vocal students. This program offers master classes, concerts, daily lessons, and coachings. </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=2590">Summer Projects</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=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/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal 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">Courtesy of Cassondra Davies</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>