91ֱ�� Conservatory Launches New Competition for High School Classical Vocalists</h1> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Conservatory Launches New Competition for High School Classical Vocalists</h1> <p>cstrauss — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 03:33:51 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Conservatory Launches New Competition for High School Classical Vocalists</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-10-11T23:33:51-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 11, 2023 - 23:33">Wed, 10/11/2023 - 23:33</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A new competition at 91ֱ�� Conservatory has been established to encourage and support high school students in pursuit of a career in classical vocal music. Named the <a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies/richard-miller-classical-voice-competition">Richard Miller Classical Voice Competition for High School Students</a>, it was established in honor of the longtime 91ֱ�� Conservatory voice faculty member. The competition will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Only the Final Round at 5 p.m. will be open to the public.</p> <p><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies/richard-miller-classical-voice-competition/about-richard-miller">Richard Miller</a> was a lyric tenor, voice teacher, researcher, author of eight standard books on voice pedagogy and performance, and arguably one of the most influential voice pedagogues in history. He served as a professor in <a href="/voice">91ֱ�� Conservatory's Voice Department</a> for more than 40 years, from 1964-2006. He became known internationally for master classes in systematic vocal technique and artistic interpretation and presented across the United States and in Europe, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. An active researcher and author in voice technique and performance, he eagerly brought together what is known scientifically about the voice with what is known pedagogically. This work led to more than 100 articles he wrote for professional journals including <em>Journal of Voice, Folia Phoniatrica, Choral Journal, American Music Teacher, Vocal Arts Medicine, Journal of Research in Singing and Applied Vocal Pedagogy,</em> and <em>Journal of Singing</em>.</p> <p>Competition director and 91ֱ�� voice professor <a href="/salvatore-champagne">Salvatore Champagne</a> ’85 led the founding of the competition. “Richard Miller taught and mentored generations of 91ֱ�� voice students,” he shares. “It’s largely due to his international reputation as an outstanding teacher and author that 91ֱ��’s Voice Department became the premier undergraduate institution for vocal study in the United States during his tenure. To this day, his students are singing in leading performance venues and teaching in important music schools throughout the world. Creating a voice competition in his honor is one small way of recognizing the great contribution he made to 91ֱ��, and the singing community at large."</p> <p>Adjudicators for the inaugural competition on Saturday, October 14, 2023, include 91ֱ�� Conservatory’s accomplished <a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies/faculty-list">voice faculty members</a> as well as a featured guest judge and master class teacher. This year’s guest judge is renowned American mezzo-soprano <a href="https://imgartists.com/roster/denyce-graves-montgomery/">Denyce Graves</a>, a 1985 alumna of 91ֱ�� Conservatory and performer, teacher, director, and founder of the <a href="https://www.thedenycegravesfoundation.org/">Denyce Graves Foundation</a>.</p> <p>Response to the launch of this competition resulted in 74 applications and video submissions from singers in 23 states across the country. Eligible contestants are sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school. A pre-screening round held in September defined the roster of 15 young artists who will participate in live rounds on campus.</p> <p>“We are thrilled to have received so many outstanding applications from all over the United States in our first year of the competition,” says Champagne. “Our hope is to provide an exciting day of competing and master classes to this talented group of young singers, at the same time making them aware of the long tradition of achievement and vocal excellence here at 91ֱ��.”</p> <p><strong>2023 Competition Participants:</strong></p> <p>Anabelle Calles, 16, Miami Lakes, FL<br> Bryan Corral, 17, Miami, FL<br> Max Foreman, 17, Hampton Cove, AL<br> Isaiah Gallegos, 17, Traverse City, MI<br> Jaxson Glowacki, 17, Santa Monica, CA<br> Vaughn Holleran, 17, Morton Grove, IL<br> Haley Hunt, 18, Monaca, PA<br> Gabrielle Liberman, 17, Summit, NJ<br> Meghan Linnington, 17, Claremont, CA<br> Lilliana Mindel, 17, Huntington Beach, CA<br> Chloe Ness, 17, Long Beach, CA<br> Lukas Palys, 16, Dallas, TX<br> Austyn Park, 17, Manhasset, NY<br> Aurora Sauer, 18, Chesapeake, VA<br> Madison Varriale, 16, Pound Ridge, NY</p> <p>Competition participants will compete for cash prizes and scholarships to 91ֱ��—including a $2,500 First Prize—as well as the opportunity to appear in two master classes—one with members of 91ֱ��’s accomplished voice faculty and one with Denyce Graves.</p> <p>The competition schedule begins with a morning Semifinal Round and continues in the afternoon with master classes. The Final Round will feature five singers who will perform one selection of their choosing. <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/richard_miller_classical_voice_competition_for_high_school_students_-_final_round">The Finals will be held at 5 p.m. in the Conservatory’s Kulas Recital Hall</a> and is open to the public. Admission is free.</p> <hr> <p><em>The Richard Miller Classical Voice Competition for High School Students is supported in part by funds given in memory of former 91ֱ�� faculty member and alumnus Howard Lubin '75. </em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The competition was established in honor of longtime voice faculty member Richard Miller.</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="2023-10-11T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/11/2023 - 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=2499">Competitions</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-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/salvatore-champagne" hreflang="und">Salvatore Champagne ’85</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-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Emeritus Wheeler Professor of Singing Richard Miller in his studio at the 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music in 91ֱ��, Ohio. Circa 1978.</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 91ֱ�� College Archives</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Ho Ting (Kelvin) Tang Earns 2021 Takács Beethoven Piano Prize</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 21:17:02 +0000</p> <span>Ho Ting (Kelvin) Tang Earns 2021 Takács Beethoven Piano Prize</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-12-13T16:17:02-05:00" title="Monday, December 13, 2021 - 16:17">Mon, 12/13/2021 - 16:17</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The inaugural competition for the <a href="/node/6801">Peter Takács</a> Beethoven Prize in Piano was held on December 4 and 5, its concluding round showcasing six finalists in an afternoon marathon of Beethoven piano sonatas in Finney Chapel.</p> <p>Second-year pianist Ho Ting (Kelvin) Tang, a student of professor <a href="/node/6736">Alvin Chow</a>, earned first prize and an award of $5,000. Fourth-year student Leo Choi earned second prize and $1,000, and third-year student Guoanni (Annie) Qin earned third prize and $500. Choi and Qin are both students of professor <a href="/node/6726">Angela Cheng</a>.</p> <p>"I was deeply impressed by the high level of accomplishment from our finalists,” Takács, a longtime professor of piano at 91ֱ��, said at the conclusion of the competition. “The judges had unanimous praise for the preparation, personal involvement, and artistic integrity of the student performers.”</p> <p>The Takács Beethoven Prize was established in fall 2019 through the generosity of the Steve and Linda Rosen Family in recognition of Takács and his <a href="https://www.petertakacspianist.com/cd-set">acclaimed recordings</a> of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas. The piano works of Beethoven have fascinated Takács throughout his long career.</p> <p>“I am honored to be recognized in this meaningful way for my lifelong dedication to the works of Beethoven,” he says. “The Peter Takács Beethoven Prize in Piano will ensure that this extraordinary repertoire will remain central to our students' practice and performance for years to come."</p> <p>The competition’s first prize is named after Takács himself; second and third prize are named, respectively, in honor of Takács’ principal mentor Leon Fleisher and the renowned pianist and pedagogue Howard Karp ’51, another revered teacher of Takács.</p> <p>A native of Hong Kong, Tang began playing piano at age 4 and joined the junior music program of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) at 12. He has earned prizes at various competitions throughout South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, including the Asia Music Competition for Young Artists Busan 2018.</p> <p>For this competition, Tang performed Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3, and the Piano Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”).</p> <p>Also hailing from Hong Kong, Choi has presented concerts in the U.S. and Hong Kong, including 91ֱ��’s Danenberg Honors Recital and numerous public recitals held by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He earned prizes at competitions throughout China, including the 2016 Asian Youth Music Competition. He has studied with pianists such as Robert Levin and Jacques Rouvier at the Mozarteum, and has attended numerous music festivals. In November, Choi was named one of four winners in 91ֱ�� Conservatory's Senior Concerto Competition. He will appear with the 91ֱ�� Orchestra as soloist in the spring.</p> <p>Choi's Beethoven competition program included the Piano Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57, (“Appassionata") and the Piano Sonata in A Major, Op. 101.</p> <p>Originally from China, Qin won first prize in the 2021 Beijing International Music Festival Piano Competition. Also this year, she performed Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto with the Xiamen Song and Dance Symphony Orchestra. She won the bronze medal at the 2018 Vanke Mesa Steinway Youth Piano Competition and first prize in the 2017 Yamaha Music Scholarship Competition, earning a performance at Carnegie Hall. Qin participated in the 2020 Danenberg Honors Recital at 91ֱ��.</p> <p>She performed Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3, and the Piano Sonata in C Major, Op. 53 (“Waldstein”).</p> <p>Judges for the competition were Cleveland Institute of Music piano professor Daniel Shapiro and 91ֱ�� alumnus Robert Spano ’84, music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Aspen Music Festival and School, and music director designate of the Fort Worth Symphony.</p> <p>The first Takács Beethoven Prize competition was scheduled to take place in December 2020, to coincide with the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. That competition was canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Annual competition honors 91ֱ��’s longtime professor and the master who inspires his work.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-12-13T12:00:00Z">Mon, 12/13/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2499">Competitions</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="/angela-cheng" hreflang="und">Angela Cheng</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Takács Prize finalists with Peter Takács (center): Yu-Wei Lee, Leo Choi, Guoanni (Annie) Qin, Takács, Ho Ting (Kelvin) Tang, Daniela Jiménez Ochoa, and Aaron Wonson (from left).</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Conservatory Launches Dolores '54 and Donald '57 White Prize</h1> <p>eburnett — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 15:20:59 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Conservatory Launches Dolores '54 and Donald '57 White Prize</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-11-12T10:20:59-05:00" title="Friday, November 12, 2021 - 10:20">Fri, 11/12/2021 - 10:20</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Throughout their long and distinguished careers, Dolores and Donald White overcame artistic and social barriers they encountered in numerous settings: from the classrooms where they learned and taught, to the stages where Mr. White performed as a cellist for the Cleveland Orchestra.</p> <p>They were Black artists making their way in a classical music world populated overwhelmingly by white men for many years, and they took each new step in their journey with great enthusiasm and curiosity.</p> <p>Now Mrs. White is playing a pivotal role in ensuring that future generations of young artists at 91ֱ�� are empowered to do the same.</p> <p>Mrs. White, a 1954 graduate of 91ֱ�� Conservatory who devoted her professional life to performing, composing, and teaching music, has established a prize fund to support student performance-based projects that elevate 91ֱ��’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging—key initiatives throughout the institution’s history that continue to be a top priority.</p> <p>All conservatory students will be eligible to vie for the Dolores '54 and Donald '57 White Prize. An annual winner will be determined by a panel of 91ֱ�� faculty and staff who represent a diversity of perspectives and expertise. Winners will be selected on the basis of their demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging—in particular their demonstration of these values in musical programming and artistic work—and demonstrated excellence in musical performance. One winner will be selected annually to receive a cash prize recognizing a performance-based project. </p> <p>The inaugural prize will be awarded in the 2022-23 academic year; additional details about the prize will be announced at a later date.</p> <p>All participating students will be encouraged to explore the catalog of Mrs. White’s compositions and program a work of hers for performance, though no stipulations on repertoire will be imposed.</p> <p>“We are incredibly grateful to Mrs. White for her generous gift and for the far-reaching effect it will have on 91ֱ�� and our students,” says Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/node/49511">William Quillen</a>.</p> <p>“The Dolores and Donald White fund and prize will inspire students, catalyze future work, and recognize their accomplishments for years to come. It will be transformative for their lives and for the life of our institution, and we are deeply thankful to Mrs. White for the inspiration she brings now and will continue to bring through this generous gift.”</p> <p><strong>A Life of Learning</strong></p> <p>A native of Chicago, Dolores White was influenced at a young age by the life and career of Natalie Hinderas ’45, the acclaimed 91ֱ��-born pianist and educator recognized by <em>The New York Times </em>as "one of the first black artists to establish an important career in classical music." Hinderas’ early recital tours across the continent included church concerts in Black communities; one of those was at a Chicago church attended by an adolescent Mrs. White and her family.</p> <p>Mrs. White was also inspired by artists she first viewed as role models and who later became her friends: Frances ’45 and George Walker ’41. The careers of these sibling graduates were marked by countless firsts among Black artists, including George Walker’s 1996 Pulitzer Prize for composition. Frances Walker, the first tenured Black female professor at 91ֱ��, taught piano in the conservatory from 1976 to 1991.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Dolores White devoted great time and energy<br> to supporting the career of her husband,<br> Cleveland Orchestra cellist Donald White.<br> (photo courtesy Dianna White-Gould)</figcaption> </figure> <p>After beginning her education at Howard University, Mrs. White transferred to 91ֱ��, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in piano performance. Years later, she completed a master’s degree in piano and composition at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She taught from 1972 to 2000 at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, where she introduced a course on African American music—a move inspired more by her own enthusiasm to learn than by an existing aptitude for the subject.</p> <p>“I’m not exceptional,” she declares matter-of-factly when asked about her legacy. “I wasn’t an exceptional pianist. But I’ve always thought the average person needs to know about different cultures. It’s important to have exposure to different music, different genres, and different histories.” It’s a key reason she has immersed herself in world cultures for years, through her musical interests and through travel and study in destinations including Africa, Cuba, and South America.</p> <p>By the late 1980s, Mrs. White had reached a confidence in her compositional voice and started securing prizes at competitions. She describes her work as centered in a Western art music tradition and reaching into the rich resources of American music that draws on ethnic and international materials. In 1993 she was commissioned by the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra to write an orchestral piece for the centennial celebration of the Chicago World’s Fair; the resulting work, <em>Salute to the Arts</em>, was premiered at the Cleveland Museum of Art.</p> <p>Her composition <em>Give Birth to the Dream</em>, inspired by the Maya Angelou poem “On the Pulse of Morning,” was commissioned by the Cleveland Orchestra and performed on Martin Luther King Day 1998 at Cuyahoga Community College. Her works have been presented by the Detroit Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and Cleveland Chamber Symphony, as well as vocal and chamber ensembles.</p> <p>Mrs. White has presented at numerous conferences, including the Feminist Theory and Music Conference and at the 90th anniversary of the National Association of Negro Musicians—the organization so influential in exposing her to Hinderas and other classical musicians in her youth. Earlier this year, she was the state of Ohio’s winning composer in the Franz Liszt International Piano Festival and Competition; her work <em>Sound Echoes</em> was performed by each contestant in the competition, with a prize awarded for the best performance.</p> <p><strong>“We Were Different, and I Can Understand That”</strong></p> <p>Raised in a large family in Richmond, Indiana, Donald White served in the U.S. Navy before earning a degree in music at Roosevelt University in Chicago and a master’s degree at the University of Hartford, through which he earned the role of assistant principal cellist of the Hartford Symphony. In 1957 he won a seat in the Cleveland Orchestra under legendary music director George Szell. He was the famed orchestra’s first Black member and one of the first Black members of any major orchestra in America.</p> <p>Mr. White’s resilience and that of the orchestra was tested in 1961 when an appearance in Birmingham, Alabama, was nearly canceled because local law forbade interracial performance. The orchestra refused to perform without Mr. White, and the mayor interceded to overrule the ordinance.</p> <p>Throughout his long career, Mr. White stoically experienced numerous occasions of racism—as well as unwavering support from the Cleveland Orchestra and others.</p> <p>For many years, Mrs. White devoted her efforts to supporting her husband’s career, including frequent chamber music performances together. She, too, weathered instances of racism and sexism—and limited opportunities—in her ongoing education and in other settings. But she has endured to age 89 with no trace of lingering bitterness. For much of their lives, she fondly recalls, they were treated almost like royalty by many.</p> <p>“We had to prove to the audiences of Cleveland that we belonged there,” she says of their early years together. “We were different, and I can understand that.</p> <p>“We had to perform because we were on display as Black people. The newspapers were full of stories about ‘the first Black man in the Cleveland Orchestra,’ and other members of the orchestra were asked if they <em>minded</em> playing with a Black person.</p> <p>“It wouldn’t have mattered if they wanted to play or not,” she adds with a sly smile. “If George Szell was in, there was nothing they could do.”</p> <p><strong>“A Tremendous Feeling”</strong></p> <p>Mr. White retired from the Cleveland Orchestra in 1996 after a 39-year career. In the years that followed, the Whites remained active educators at the nonprofit Music Settlement in Cleveland. He also taught at the College of Wooster and at Western Reserve Academy, and enjoyed serving as an adjudicator for the Sphinx Organization, a leading supporter of classical music careers for Black artists. Mr. White died in 2005.</p> <p>“My husband and I loved what we were doing,” Mrs. White says. It’s a theme that resonates throughout talk of their lives together.</p> <p>She remembers 91ֱ�� fondly as a place where individuals of all cultures and backgrounds could thrive in ways that seemed all but impossible elsewhere. Her gift to the conservatory stems from her enduring sentiment that the same holds true today.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Dolores White attended a November 10 rehearsal of<br> her work "Crystal Gazing," performed by 91ֱ��'s<br> Contemporary Music Ensemble on November 12.<br> (photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97)</figcaption> </figure> <p>She returned to campus this month for a performance of her orchestral work <em>Crystal Gazing</em>, which was commissioned by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony and completed in 1998. It was rehearsed and performed in 91ֱ��’s Finney Chapel—a favorite haunt in her student years—by the Contemporary Music Ensemble, under the direction of Timothy Weiss. Mrs. White and her children, daughter Dianna White-Gould ’84 and son Darrow White, visited campus the week of the performance.</p> <p>“It’s a tremendous feeling,” Mrs. White says of the opportunity to give back to 91ֱ�� through the White Prize. “It means that all the decisions I made—as far as coming to 91ֱ��, making the decision to stay here, and enjoying it—all the things I’ve encountered have really blossomed. And I feel truly indebted.”</p> <p><em><strong>For more information about 91ֱ��’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, please read the <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a> and the conservatory’s <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/racial-equity-diversity-action-plan">Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>, both published in 2020.</strong></em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Annual honor supports student leadership in elevating diversity through performance-based projects.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-11-12T12:00:00Z">Fri, 11/12/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3346">Advancement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2974">Conservatory Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2499">Competitions</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-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-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Dolores White '54 returned to 91ֱ�� in November 2021 for a performance of her composition "Crystal Gazing" by the Contemporary Music Ensemble. She is seen here seated at the piano in Stull Recital Hall.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Art History Students Selected to Present at Conference</h1> <p>hhempste — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 21:43:01 +0000</p> <span>Art History Students Selected to Present at Conference</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-03-04T16:43:01-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 4, 2020 - 16:43">Wed, 03/04/2020 - 16:43</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Five art history students were selected to present posters at the College Art Association (CAA) conference on February 14 in Chicago. The students were chosen from an applicant pool of hundreds and occupied five of the 35 total presenter slots. </p> <p>While in Chicago, students also met with alumni working in the art field, including Nicole Passerrotti ’05, conservator of Native American items at the Field Museum of Natural History. This opportunity was made possible through a collaboration between the Allen Memorial Art Museum, the 91ֱ�� College art department, and the Office of the Dean College of Arts and Sciences.</p> <p>The students shared what presenting at the College Art Association meant to them: </p> <p><strong>Maya Rose Bater ’21</strong>: “I am so thankful to everyone that encouraged and worked with us to make our trip to CAA happen. Being able to present on the research I am passionate about, interact with scholars whose work I admire, and engage with my professors outside the classroom was an incredibly gratifying experience.”</p> <p><strong>Leina Fieleke ’22</strong>: ‘‘Attending CAA was a unique opportunity to present my research in a professional setting specifically for artists and art historians. I learned a lot about navigating large conferences as well as what kind of research is happening within the field of art history. It was exciting to see undergraduate students, graduate students, and well-established scholars all congregate within the same large building to talk about what each person was most excited about, which varied largely.’’</p> <p><strong>Lucy Haskell ’21</strong>: ‘‘CAA was an inspiration. It was wonderful to be with other 91ֱ�� students, our mentors, and alums in a new environment and to learn by their example how well my 91ֱ�� education has prepared me to join a welcoming and varied community of art historians and museum professionals."</p> <p><strong>Lucy Soth ’22</strong>: “I was very grateful for the opportunity to present at CAA and for all the work that 91ֱ�� art history faculty did to make the experience as rewarding as possible. I was thrilled to be able to share my research with many people working in the field. My peers did excellent, fascinating work on their projects, and it was wonderful to learn from them.”</p> <p><strong>Luci Williams ’23</strong>: ‘‘The most rewarding parts of my CAA experience were the informal interactions I shared with the 91ֱ�� art history department‘s faculty and alumni. Their genuine embrace and valuable counsel made a career in the varied and unpredictable art historical field feel more like a tangible reality.’’</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-03-04T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/04/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2499">Competitions</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=25301">Art History</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="/christina-neilson" hreflang="und">Christina Neilson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/art" hreflang="und">Studio Art</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Pictured left to right: Maya Rose Bater ’21, Lucy Soth ’22, Rebecca Long (curator at the Art Institute of Chicago) Lucy Haskell ’21, Leina Fieleke ’22, Luci Williams ’23, Emerson Bowyer (curator at the Art Institute of Chicago), and Christina Neilson, associate professor of art history. The group is standing in front of 'Paris Street; Rainy Day' by Gustave Caillebotte.</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 Christina Neilson</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-28785" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-photo-gallery paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="section--photo-gallery o-flex--photo-gallery"> <p class="header-tag">Photo Gallery</p> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid"> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery--overlay"> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery--overlay__content"> <h2> College Art Association Conference Presentation </h2> <button class="btn js-modal" data-modal-prefix-class="fullscreen" data-modal-content-id="28785" data-modal-background-click="disabled"> View photo gallery </button> </div> </div> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid__img-wrapper"> </div> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid__img-wrapper"> </div> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid__img-wrapper"> </div> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid__img-wrapper"> </div> </div> </div> <div id="28785" class="photo-gallery-wrapper"> <div class="photo-gallery"> <div class="photo-gallery__slides"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Maya Rose Bater ’21 presented “María Josefa Sánchez and her Mysterious Crosses”</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Christina Neilson</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Leina Fieleke ’22 presented “Disability as Curatorial Methodology: A Reconsideration of Sight and Art Museum Practices” </span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Christina Neilson</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Lucy Haskell ’21 presented “A Trans-Atlantic Christ: Perspectives on Henry Ossawa Tanner’s Nicodemus”</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Christina Neilson</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Lucy Soth ’22 presented “The Devil is in the Details: The Sculpture of Francesco Bertos”</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Christina Neilson</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Luci Williams ’23 presented “Examining the Marital and the Martial: A Cassone Panel’s Representation of Victorious Quattrocento Florentine Marriage.” <br> </span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Christina Neilson</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__navbar"> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Peter Takács Beethoven Prize to Debut in 2020</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 13:47:51 +0000</p> <span>Peter Takács Beethoven Prize to Debut in 2020</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-01-28T08:47:51-05:00" title="Tuesday, January 28, 2020 - 08:47">Tue, 01/28/2020 - 08:47</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Longtime piano professor <a href="/node/6801">Peter Takács</a> has made the study of Beethoven’s piano compositions his life’s work. Now the 91ֱ�� Conservatory faculty member’s distinguished career has been honored with an anonymous donation to support a new honor in piano called the Peter Takács Beethoven Prize.</p> <p>The substantial $5,000 cash award will be given annually to an 91ֱ�� Conservatory piano major who excels in performing works by Beethoven. The inaugural competition will be held December 5 and 6, 2020, to coincide with Beethoven’s 250th birthday.</p> <p>The Peter Takács Beethoven Prize was established in fall 2019 by a generous benefactor especially in recognition of Takács’ acclaimed recordings of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas.</p> <p>“I was honored and humbled to learn of this incredibly generous donation to 91ֱ��,” says Takács. “This is truly meaningful to me.</p> <p>“I have devoted a large part of my work to the music of Beethoven. The turning point was from 1998 to 2000, when I performed the 32-sonata cycle in 91ֱ�� in eight recitals over the course of two years. Then, in 2001, I was awarded a prestigious research status grant that allowed me to record ‘The 32.’ It was an arduous process that resulted in the release of an 11-CD set in 2011 on the Cambria label.”</p> <p>The Cambria set was the first recording of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas captured in hybrid SACD format. In addition to the survey of the 32 well-known sonatas, Takács also recorded all of the early unnumbered piano sonatas as well as the only sonata that Beethoven wrote for four hands. An accompanying 144-page hardcover book provides an extended essay, “The Mind of Beethoven,” written by Takács.</p> <p>Press following the release included high praise from AllMusic.com, which wrote: “Takács’ playing is clean, his expression subtle, his rhythms supple, his power unrivaled; furthermore, his understanding of Beethoven’s methods and expressions is so profound that this set warrants the highest honors.”</p> <p>The new competition will conform to a format that is similar to the piano department's other juried competitions: Faculty will select finalists during a semifinal round, and guest judges will adjudicate the finals and choose the winner.</p> <p>91ֱ�� piano performance majors must secure their teacher’s approval to participate in the competition. Repertoire requirements include two significant solo works by Beethoven: Pianists must perform one of the 32 sonatas; the other piece may be another sonata or other major work. Up to six finalists may be selected to advance to the final round, which will be adjudicated by two distinguished outside judges. A pianist may enter multiple years, but may win the prize only once.</p> <p>The jury for the December 2020 finals will include Robert Spano ’84, the six-time Grammy Award-winning music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Aspen Music Festival, and Craig Sheppard, a renowned pedagogue, performer, recording artist, and professor of piano and head of keyboard at the University of Washington School of Music.</p> <p>Beethoven’s piano sonatas comprise one of the monuments in the history of Western art music. At the time of his formidable recording release, Takács said: “One recurrent aspect of these sonatas is their strikingly modern relevance as universal statements about the human condition—about struggle and suffering, healing and transcendence.”</p> <p>The Takács Prize ensures that generations of students at 91ֱ�� will continue to deepen their understanding of the master’s works, and it is a fitting honor that celebrates Takács’ career and contributions to the recording legacy of this powerfully expressive music.</p> <p>“As we begin our celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, we are thrilled also to celebrate the contributions of Peter Takács, the artistry of our phenomenal student musicians, and the generosity of the individual who made this award possible,” says Dean of the Conservatory William Quillen. “We look forward to continuing this newly forged 91ֱ�� tradition, and to awarding this new prize to our exceptional students, with great enthusiasm and gratitude for years and years to come.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-01-28T12:00:00Z">Tue, 01/28/2020 - 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="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Annual award for standout piano students honors the 91ֱ�� professor, a specialist in the works of Beethoven.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2414">Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2499">Competitions</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-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 ’97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>LaunchU Awards $46,500 in Startup Funding to Students, Alumni, and Faculty</h1> <p>eulrich — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 14:32:38 +0000</p> <span>LaunchU Awards $46,500 in Startup Funding to Students, Alumni, and Faculty</span> <span><span>eulrich</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-03-29T10:32:38-04:00" title="Friday, March 29, 2019 - 10:32">Fri, 03/29/2019 - 10:32</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Housed under the Center for Innovation and Impact, the <a href="/node/120226" target="_blank">LaunchU Bootcamp and Pitch Competition</a> awards startup funding to entrepreneurs at all stages of the venture process—from preliminary ideas to those with proof of concept and initial revenue streams. The program is free to all accepted; current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and parents of 91ֱ�� students are all eligible to participate.</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>LaunchU competitors listen to a guest presentation on market identification and startup financial projections and feedback led by Jaclyn Sommers and Patrick Kurcharson, both from JumpStart<br> Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>The competition process spans fall to spring and integrates mentoring support from 91ֱ�� alumni and parents, as well as professional development sessions led by startup professionals. After being evaluated by a panel of alumni judges, winning pitches are awarded funding determined by their future needs and ability to move forward with their projects.</p> <p>1step2life, a research team lead by <a href="/node/6286" target="_blank">Nancy Darling</a> that is developing app-based technology to help adolescents manage chronic pain, was awarded first place in this year’s competition. 1step2life was awarded $20,000 and will use the funding to transform the <a href="https://1step2life.com/1step2life/about/" target="_blank">current web-based app</a> into an app that can be purchased and subscribed to from the iTunes App Store.</p> <p>Psychology major Max Kramer ’20, who competed on the 1step2life team, says that LaunchU allowed him to apply his academic studies to an entrepreneurial undertaking. “Our mentor meetings were a fantastic resource to learn how to take our scientific background and apply it to the world of business,” he says. “The lessons in pitching, marketing, and networking helped us transition from a lab into a business, and they provided new contacts that have since joined the project.”</p> <p>Second-place winner Alex Tavares ’11 was awarded $15,000 for his project, <a href="https://www.thereadread.com/" target="_blank">The Read Read</a>, the first device that allows children and adults with visual impairments and blindness to independently learn and practice phonics and braille. “It was an absolute pleasure to participate in LaunchU,” Tavares says. “I was able to benefit from the guidance and anecdotes of real-life entrepreneurs, who shared their successes and more importantly, their missteps.”</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Alex Tavares ’11 presents The Read Read<br> Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Third-place winner and environmental studies graduate Jonathan Kaufman ’11 was awarded $5,000 to expand his startup, <a href="https://fullcirclesolutions.nl/" target="_blank">Full Circle Solutions</a>. Founded in 2018, Full Circle Solutions aims to divert organic waste from Amsterdam’s waste incineration process. Kaufman says that by processing organic waste with insect larvae, its value can be increased up to tenfold.</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Jonathan Kaufman ’11 presents Full Circle Solutions<br> Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>“I heard about LaunchU from an 91ֱ�� friend and it seemed like a great way to push my business forward,” Kaufman says. “My goal is to leverage the funds awarded to me to create a prototype of my vision and a revenue stream that will allow me to scale.” Long-term, Kaufman plans to develop partnerships with waste haulers and producers in Amsterdam and calibrate the prototype to an industrial scale.</p> <p>Director of Entrepreneurship Bara Watts says that, for many entrepreneurs in the nascent stages of unproven ventures, they are often forced to draw from their own monetary resources. “For many,” she says, “this is the difference between being able to launch or shelving the idea and moving on.”</p> <p>LaunchU not only makes professional development and funding accessible to entrepreneurs, but it taps into the 91ֱ�� ethos of creating positive impacts in the world. Past LaunchU winners include <a href="http://www.gwtp.us/#intro" target="_blank">Get With the Program</a>, a nonprofit promoting STEM education for preschool through 12th-grade students, and <a href="https://www.saltpointseaweed.com/" target="_blank">Salt Point Seaweed</a>, a company devoted to reducing the high carbon footprint of seaweed imports by sustainably sourcing seaweed.</p> <p>“If you want to change the world, you need more than knowledge,” Watts says. “You need to know how to activate that knowledge and execute for success. Those who employ this skill set in launching a venture have the potential of creating a new force in the world, providing services and products delivered through job creation and support for others.”</p> <p>Now in its seventh year, LaunchU continues to facilitate opportunities for learning and professional growth with the support of the greater 91ֱ�� College community. This year’s competition marked the second year of the Entrepreneurship Mentorship program, in which 14 volunteer alumni and 91ֱ�� parents shared their professional prowess with competitors.</p> <p>“These mentors provide real-world insights and knowledge that is very hard to get otherwise,” Watts says. “Having professionals dedicate their time at no cost to help a founder realize their dream is a tremendous resource.”</p> <p><a class="view-more" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/sets/72157705957514931" target="_blank">View LaunchU photo gallery</a></p> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-03-29T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/29/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erin Ulrich ’18</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>LaunchU has awarded $46,500 in startup funding to budding 91ֱ�� entrepreneurs, and has awarded first place to a faculty team for the first time in the competition’s seven-year history.</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=3238">LaunchU</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2499">Competitions</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2395">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</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=25286">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/nancy-darling" hreflang="und">Nancy Darling</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Nancy Darling presents 1step2life</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Concerto Competition Winners Take Center Stage in April, May</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 13:23:06 +0000</p> <span>Concerto Competition Winners Take Center Stage in April, May</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-03-29T09:23:06-04:00" title="Thursday, March 29, 2018 - 09:23">Thu, 03/29/2018 - 09:23</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Four standout musicians will take center stage in upcoming large ensemble concerts under the direction of <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez </a>this spring. Each is a winner of the 2018 Senior Concerto Competition, which was held during fall semester. The annual competition is open to all senior performance majors.</p> <p>All concertos will be performed as part of 8 p.m. programs in Finney Chapel.</p> <p>Pianist Yimu Wang opens the concerto season with a performance of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Minor with the 91ֱ�� Orchestra Saturday, April 7. The program will also feature Tchaikovsky’s Suite from <em>Swan Lake</em> and the world premiere of <em>…innumerable stars, scattered in clusters</em> by faculty composer <a href="/node/6626">Jesse Jones</a>.</p> <p>On Saturday, April 14, pianist Hyeonseo Lee will perform Lutoslawski’s Variations on a Theme by Paganini with the 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra. The concert also includes <em>Voices of Angels</em>, a 2005 work by composer-in-residence Billy Childs that will feature a pair of vocal soloists, teacher of jazz voice <a href="/node/6696">La Tanya Hall </a>and student Celine Opdycke.</p> <p>The solo appearances resume Tuesday, May 8, when clarinetist Silvio Guitian performs Copland’s Clarinet Concerto with the 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra as part of a program that also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major.</p> <p>On Friday, May 11, violinist Zheyang "Jerry" Xiong performs Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Major with the 91ֱ�� Orchestra. The concert also includes Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3, also known as the <em>Organ</em> <em>Symphony</em>.</p> <p><br> <strong>ABOUT THE COMPETITION WINNERS</strong></p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>(photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97)</figcaption> </figure> <p>Born in Chengdu, China, Yimu Wang studied piano under Mai Wang at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music from 2008-14, taking part in master classes with Theresa Bogard, Tianshu Wang, Robert Garcia, Boaz Sharon, and others during that time. In high school, Wang began accompanying younger students—an experience that laid the first stone for much more accompanying. Over winter term 2016, she participated in a music festival held in China where she studied with Bruce Brubaker and Chu Fang Huang. Wang is a student of <a href="/node/6776">Robert Shannon</a>.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>(photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97)</figcaption> </figure> <p>Pianist Hyeonseo Lee was born in Gwacheon, South Korea, and began her studies at age 13, graduating from the Yewon School and Seoul Arts High School. She earned top prizes from national competitions including the Korean Piano Duo, Nanpa Music Competition, the Music Education News Competition, National Scholarship Competition at Bucheon and Incheon, Eumyun Piano Competition, and the Guri Philharmonic Orchestra. She is a student of <a href="/node/6786">Haewon Song</a>.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>(photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97)</figcaption> </figure> <p>Clarinetist Silvio Guitian grew up in Baltimore and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied with David Drosinos and won first place in its concerto competition. As a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the U.S.A., he took part in a coast-to-coast tour with David Robertson and Gil Shaham and was E-flat clarinetist for the Youth Orchestra of the Americas on its tour through South America in 2017. Guitian has attended the National Orchestral Institute over the past two summers and will be a member of the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, this July. He has been involved in orchestral recording projects for Naxos, Orchid Classics, and the 91ֱ�� Music label, and has performed as a soloist on NPR’s <em>From the Top</em>. Guitian enjoys teaching clarinet students at 91ֱ�� and coaching sectionals for Northern Ohio Youth Orchestras. He spent two winter terms teaching woodwind sectionals and master classes at the Asociación Nacional de Conciertos in Panama. In addition to his studies with <a href="/node/7086">Richard Hawkins</a>, Guitian has studied recorder at 91ֱ�� and sings in the early music vocal ensemble Collegium Musicum. He will continue his studies at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in fall 2018.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>(photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97)</figcaption> </figure> <p>Born in Guangzhou, China, violinist Zheyang "Jerry" Xiong began playing violin at age 4, studying with Yinglong Gu and Wei Wei. Initially a chemistry major at 91ֱ��, he later entered the studio of <a href="/node/6986">Marilyn McDonald</a> in pursuit of a double degree. Xiong was awarded the opportunity to perform on 91ֱ��’s Danenberg Honors Recital, and he appeared with pianist Alessandro Deljavan in Schubert’s C-major Fantasy. He was a semifinalist in the 2018 Ann & Charles Eisemann International Young Artist Competition and has been concertmaster of the Colorado College Summer Music Festival Orchestra and the 91ֱ�� Orchestra. In addition to violin, Xiong studies Baroque violin with McDonald and has appeared as a soloist with the 91ֱ�� Baroque Orchestra. He has performed in many master classes, including two at 91ֱ�� with Jennifer Koh and Christian Tetzlaff.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-03-29T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/29/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">By Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Four instrumentalists to perform with 91ֱ�� orchestras in Finney Chapel.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2370">Ensembles & Orchestras</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2499">Competitions</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=29541">Piano</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <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="/robert-shannon-72" hreflang="und">Robert Shannon</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/haewon-song" hreflang="und">Haewon Song</a></div> <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 class="field__item"><a href="/jesse-jones" hreflang="und">Jesse Jones</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/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">2018 Concerto Competition winners: Violinist Zheyang Xiong, pianists Hyeonseo Lee and Yimu Wang, and clarinetist Silvio Guitian (from left).</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>No Score? No Problem.</h1> <p>eburnett — Fri, 26 May 2017 21:12:24 +0000</p> <span>No Score? No Problem.</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-05-26T17:12:24-04:00" title="Friday, May 26, 2017 - 17:12">Fri, 05/26/2017 - 17:12</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/faculty/faculty-detail.dot?id=3275001">Raphael Jiménez</a> has a captivating tendency at the conductor’s podium: The director of 91ֱ�� orchestras frequently leads his ensembles with no music score laid before him.</p> <p>His audiences may not notice, but his musicians certainly do.</p> <p>“When you first see that the music’s not there, you think, ‘Uh-oh! I hope we don’t fall apart!’” says violinist Gregory Gennaro ’17, who served as concertmaster for the 91ֱ�� Orchestra’s 2016 <a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/chicago2016/">anniversary tour in Chicago</a>. “But we never fall apart. He knows the pieces inside and out.”</p> <p>“Raphael is amazing,” says cellist Julia Henderson ’14, who played Stravinsky’s <i>Petrushka</i> under Jiménez’s direction. “He conducted the entire piece from memory, which is just absurd. To be sitting right underneath him and feel his intense concentration and energy was really awesome.”</p> <p>Audiences can find out for themselves when Jiménez leads a pair of 91ֱ�� ensembles on back-to-back nights in Finney Chapel on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 2 and 3. On Tuesday, the <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/oberlin_chamber_orchestra_raphael_jimenez_conductor_272">91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra</a> will perform Debussy’s <i>Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune</i>; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36; and Ricky Ian Gordon’s <i>...and flowers pick themselves</i>, which will feature Concerto Competition winner Amber Monroe ’17, soprano.</p> <p>The following evening, the <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/oberlin_orchestra_raphael_jimenez_conductor_3753">91ֱ�� Orchestra</a> will perform Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante in E Minor, Op. 125—featuring Concerto Competition winner Aaron Wolff ’17, cello—and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116.</p> <p>Both concerts begin at 8 p.m. The maestro has yet to decide what paperwork he will tote to the podium.</p> <p>For Jiménez, the habit grew out of his own admiration for experienced conductors he observed as a student. He found that those who did not use scores seemed more fully engaged with their musicians.</p> <p>“The most wonderful thing about making music in an orchestra is that it’s an experience that involves many people working toward a common goal,” he says. “A very important skill for a conductor to have is the ability to communicate efficiently to the ensemble without a word. Eye contact is one of the most powerful tools we have. Therefore, you want to keep your eyes off the score as much as possible.”</p> <p>To reinforce this, he repeats an axiom shared with all aspiring conductors: <i>The score should be in your head, not your head in the score.</i> “You may have the score in front of you, but you shouldn’t be dependent on it. Eye contact helps you move the musical energy in a special way. It helps you connect with your fellow musicians.</p> <p>“During a performance, we try to conduct or transmit energy from one part of the ensemble to another. You have heard the saying that the eyes are the window to the soul. If you pay close attention to the performers on stage, you will get to see the musical energy going in and out of the windows of this wonderful neighborhood that we call the symphony orchestra.”</p> <p>For Jiménez, the energy derived from conducting without a score comes naturally. “I don’t <i>try</i> to memorize it, believe it or not,” he says. “I think that whenever you try to memorize a score, the stress it creates interferes with the process of trying to solidify the information.”</p> <p>Instead, memorization occurs organically—with the right amount of preparation. “I try to use every possible source of memory that we have: physical memory, visual memory—every part of the memory process that we can use, I try to use it,” Jiménez says. “I know how many weeks or months I have before the first rehearsal. I divide the information by the amount of weeks I have, and I try to do a certain number of pages per day.”</p> <p>Conducting from memory, Jiménez says, helps him to enjoy the music more deeply. But there are also practical advantages: With no score, he has no pages to turn. And with no notes to read, he doesn’t need to wear his glasses.</p> <p>There are few hard and fast rules. Jiménez finds that he often conducts very complicated pieces without a score, and he sometimes conducts simpler pieces with one. Though he does not usually conduct concertos from memory—he needs to focus on interacting with the soloist—he almost always conducts the orchestra’s major piece that way.</p> <p>In the 91ֱ�� Orchestra’s 2016 performance at Chicago’s Symphony Center, Jiménez conducted Berlioz’s <i>Roman Carnival</i> Overture and Stravinsky’s <i>The Rite of Spring</i> before an empty stand. For the middle piece on the program—Richard Strauss’ <i>Four Last Songs</i>, featuring soprano Marcy Stonikas ’02—the score came out.</p> <p>“It depends on my level of confidence with the piece,” he says. “But I will never risk jeopardizing a performance. If I believe that the performance will benefit from it, I will do it. Otherwise I will not take a chance.</p> <p>“I have a responsibility to the musicians: to set them up for success, to create the best conditions for them to perform at their highest possible level. In the end, they work very hard, and they have only one chance to demonstrate it.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2017-04-27T12:00:00Z">Thu, 04/27/2017 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Samantha Spaccasi</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=2370">Ensembles & Orchestras</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2499">Competitions</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=35616">Conducting</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> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Spring Performances Feature 2016-17 Concerto Competition Winners</h1> <p>eburnett — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 21:10:52 +0000</p> <span>Spring Performances Feature 2016-17 Concerto Competition Winners</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-02-10T16:10:52-05:00" title="Friday, February 10, 2017 - 16:10">Fri, 02/10/2017 - 16:10</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ��’s annual Concerto Competition is open to conservatory students in their final year of study. Each October, students compete for the opportunity to present a full concerto with orchestra and serve as the featured soloist on the program. Only four exceptional students are awarded this significant honor. These capstone moments are presented for large audiences in 1,200-seat Finney Chapel.</p> <p>Initial rounds of the competition are adjudicated at the department level, and an outside jury of exemplary concert artists and presenters are brought to 91ֱ�� for the public final round. This neutral panel eliminates any perception of bias and gives these blossoming artists more exposure to the professional world they will soon enter. The 2016-17 jury included percussionist Paul Yancich, pianist Ursula Oppens, concert presenter John Gerlach, violinist Kevork Mardirossian, and operatic soprano Maria Spacagna.</p> <p>The accomplished students who earned the four performance spots—violinist Christa Cole, soprano Amber Monroe, cellist Aaron Wolff, and pianist Shiyu Yang—have distinguished themselves throughout their undergraduate years. </p> <p>Christa Cole of Boise, Idaho, is a student of violin professor <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/departments/strings/faculty_detail.dot?id=27048">David Bowlin</a>. She discovered Shulamit Ran’s Violin Concerto during her junior year. “I played a solo piece of hers on my recital last semester and fell in love with her music,” Cole says. “I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to share a beautiful piece of music by a living woman composer.” Cole’s appearance with the 91ֱ�� Orchestra is on <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/oberlin_orchestra_raphael_jimenez_conductor_1484#.WFAIANw1g9Z">February 25</a>.</p> <p>Shiyu Yang of Shanghai has loved Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 ever since he enrolled at 91ֱ�� to study with piano faculty <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/faculty/faculty-detail.dot?id=20643">Alvin Chow</a> and <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/departments/piano/faculty_detail.dot?id=20637">Angela Cheng</a>. “Chopin is my favorite composer for the piano, and for me, this concerto is the most beautiful!” he says. “It would have been a pity not to play this piece during my college years.” He will perform the concerto with the 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra on <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/oberlin_chamber_orchestra_raphael_jimenez_conductor_4090#.WFAH4dw1g9a">April 8</a>.</p> <p>It was serendipity that led Youngstown, Ohio soprano Amber Monroe to Ricky Ian Gordon’s <i>and flowers pick themselves</i>. A student of voice professor <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/departments/voice/faculty_detail.dot?id=2365158">Timothy LeFebvre</a>, Monroe was working on another piece with 91ֱ�� orchestras director <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/faculty/faculty-detail.dot?id=3275001">Raphael Jiménez</a> when the conductor recommended that she listen to Gordon’s song cycle set to poetry by e. e. cummings. “Little did I know at the time that Professor Jiménez premiered it in 2005,” Monroe says. “I find each poem relatable to myself personally, but I was immediately drawn in by the first lyrics of the cycle: ‘i thank You God for most this amazing day.’” Monroe will perform the five-song set with the 91ֱ�� Chamber Orchestra on <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/oberlin_chamber_orchestra_raphael_jimenez_conductor_272#.WFAHxtw1g9Z">May 2</a>.</p> <p>Aaron Wolff, from Newton, Massachusetts, is a fifth-year double-degree student in cello performance and comparative literature. A student of Associate Professor <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/departments/strings/faculty_detail.dot?id=20537">Darrett Adkins</a>, Wolff feels “humbled and a little overwhelmed at the prospect of performing Prokofiev's <i>Sinfonia concertante</i> come May, but I’m absolutely overjoyed to get to do so with my peers of the 91ֱ�� Orchestra.” He will perform Prokofiev’s monumental work on <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/oberlin_orchestra_raphael_jimenez_conductor_3753#.WFAHmdw1g9Z">May 3</a>.</p> <p>91ֱ��’s orchestral performances are free and open to the public. Each concert begins at 8 p.m. and is live-streamed at <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/webcast/">oberlin.edu</a>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-12-13T12:00:00Z">Tue, 12/13/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss</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=2499">Competitions</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=29541">Piano</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">(Photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>