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Thoughts from the President The ability to collaborate is, of course, at the root of chamber playing. And chamber playing can take all forms in life. As I write these words, we are in the midst of one of the great chamber music performances of our lives. I am referring to the project entitled “Violins of Hope” which is going on right now within our community.
With Amnon Weinstein in Cleveland, we are in the presence of greatness.
Basically, this has been a “septet,” with six major Cleveland institutions making great music together with great sensitivity and flexibility to each other. They are: The Cleveland Orchestra, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Institute of Music, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, Ideastream, facing History and Ourselves and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. The music we are making is, in fact, the sound of the 26 stringed instruments from the holocaust which have come to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage and which is being heard in Cleveland throughout its three month exhibition. The piece being played is the work of the visionary luthier from Tel Aviv, Amnon Weinstein. He has collected 60 of these violins for the past 20 years. Mr. Weinstein has lived and breathed the stories of these instruments and, with his superior talent and craft, has brought them back to life, back to a state of playability. He has allowed us to hear the voices from a genocidal situation long ago, documenting for us the dire circumstances in which musicians played for their survival. With Amnon Weinstein in Cleveland, we are in the presence of greatness. Mr. Weinstein’s vision was born of his own family’s loss, his love of stringed instruments, for music and for musicians, having worked for and around them all his life, as had his father, also a luthier. Through long, hard work and the wish that the sound of these violins can again be heard, Amnon Weinstein realized his vision and, now, we in Cleveland can hear the story that each violin tells us. Thank you, Amnon Weinstein, for your humanity.
— Joel Smirnoff
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Students of Ashok Hall Group of Schools at the Kala Mandir, India.
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From Cleveland to Kolkata How a CIM alum brought Western classical music to the Eastern world
ABOVE An audience of 1,500 Indian schoolchildren anxiously awaits a performance of Western classical music (story page 12) ON THE COVER Violins in the process of being restored in the workshop of Amnon Weinstein, the owner of the Violins of Hope collection (story page 8)
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
4 Noteworthy Students Share Summer Travels Jahja Ling Joins CIM for 15-16 Season Arts & Culture Levy Up for Renewal Student Leads Busking Fight Alum Performs on The Late Show Faculty on NPR’s “Tiny Desk” Voice Students Take Top Prizes
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The Music of the Violins of Hope The music behind the concert series celebrating instruments from the famed Violins of Hope collection
12 From Cleveland to Kolkata A CIM alum takes her passion for Western classical music east
16 Events Can’t-Miss Faculty Recitals 18 Development Donor Profile: Gay Cull Addicott 20 Alumni Snapshot Pianist Zolt Bognár 22 Listings Alumni Appointments Prizewinners Faculty Students
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Noteworthy Highlights from Performance-Packed Summers! The halls at CIM are filled once again. So we wanted to look back at our students, faculty and alumni who kept us posted all summer long as they hit the road for festivals, performances and appearances around the globe. This year, we had them tag their social media posts and updates with #CIMSummer2015. And post they did! From pictures of rep, to sweeping mountains in Italy (in view from a practice-room!), to ensembles about to go on stage, our hashtag kept track of it all. Here are just some of the highlights:
Sophomore Zion Lee (violin, Zenaty) posted this lunchtime get-together with her fellow CIM students Rachael Lemna (cello, Kraut), Rebecca Willett (piano, Brown) and Katja Yeager (viola, Irvine) at the Bowdoin International Music Festival.
Recent grad Bryant Gozali (BM ’15 Gerber) captured the “Brahms 2 Cello section” at the 2015 National Orchestral Institute. Sophomore Matthew Maisano (voice, Southern) snapped this photo with his fellow cast members during intermission of Miami Music Festival Opera Institute’s production of Cendrillon.
Student Christian Standridge (cello, Peckham) posted this shot of his music with the caption, “Just wrapped up my first orchestral recording with Naxos!!! Torke Bright Blue Music, Copland Appalachian Spring, and Corigliano Symphony no. 1.”
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Student Hosanna Carella (violin, Kwuon) posted this gem, which she jokingly captioned, “‘Worst Scenery Ever’ in the practice room....” Carella attended the Zephyr International Chamber Music Festival in Courmayeur, Italy. This sunny selfie was taken by Matt Ross (viola, Ramsey) during his time in Breckenridge, Colorado, with the National Repertory Orchestra.
Jahja Ling conducting The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center. Photo: Roger Mastroianni
Jahja Ling Joins CIM as Distinguished Principal Guest Artist for 2015-16 Season Noted conductor and music director of the San Diego Symphony, Jahja Ling has conducted every major symphony orchestra in the Unites States, including Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco. This year he will be adding one more orchestra to that list: the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra.
“I look forward to his growing involvement in our orchestral program and to his bringing a wide range of musical gifts to CIM. Many of our Cleveland Orchestra faculty have worked with and admire Maestro Ling; his great depth of musical talent and wisdom will now be a part of our students’ experience and enhance their ability to excel in the realm of orchestral performance,” said Joel Smirnoff, CIM president.
Next spring, Ling will join CIM as a Distinguished Principal Guest Artist, conducting two concerts—one under the gleaming lights of Severance Hall for the biennial Celebration of Community Concert in March and the other on CIM’s own Kulas Hall stage in April. Ling will work closely with the CIM Orchestra for both performances as well as CIM vocalists performing in the Celebration of Community Concert.
Ling is no stranger to Cleveland, as he has maintained a long-standing relationship with The Cleveland Orchestra for more than 30 years. He served as resident conductor with The Orchestra for 17 years, conducting more than 450 concerts, and worked as Blossom Festival director for six seasons.
Get Out the Vote for the Arts & Culture Levy! On Tuesday, November 3, 2015, Cuyahoga County voters will have the opportunity to continue their support for our arts and culture sector by voting for Issue 8 to renew the Arts & Culture Levy.
Passing this renewal will not increase taxes or prices, but will help fund institutions in and around Cleveland devoted to bringing the arts to the community.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture distributes these funds, supporting 300 organizations—including CIM, The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Play House and the Cleveland Museum of Art—and more than 2,500 locations. Over the past eight years, CIM has received nearly $6.4 million in funding from CAC.
Spread the word: Vote November third! Learn more at acac2015.org.
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Noteworthy CIM Student Leads Fight for Music in the Streets When composition student Gabriel Novak (composition, Fitch) and his friend Christopher Waechter were performing on the sidewalk in Saugatuck, Michigan, two summers ago, they were shut down by a police officer demanding a permit they didn’t have.
on the streets of this small Michigan town, the two were awarded $7,500 each and, just announced this June, the ACLU was granted $30,000 for representing the young musicians.
The next day, Novak returned to the spot with his guitar and a sign reading “Music is Expression.” The move landed Novak with a charge violating a Saugatuck ordinance requiring a public entertainment license for playing music in the street. But Novak wasn’t ready to give up. Novak and Waechter teamed up with the American Civil Liberties Union to file a civil rights complaint, claiming the town’s ordinance violated the First and Fourteenth amendments. “Having such an influential organization behind me was so empowering, and helped to assure me that I was doing the right thing,” says Novak. “I knew that I had to take the stand for all buskers, because not many other people have the benefit of having such a powerful force backing them. If I wasn’t going to stand up for us, who was?” With the ACLU in their corner, they won their case. Not only did Novak and Waechter pave the way for musicians to freely perform Gabriel Novak performing this summer at the Holden Arboretum. Photo: Robert Muller
Alum Performs on The Late Show with The President’s Own United States Marine Band Staff Sgt. Heather Zenobia (BM ’01, Smith) regularly performs at the White House and around the country as a member of The President’s Own United States Marine Band. In May, she was able to add late-night television to her list of performance venues, as she marched onto the set of The Late Show with David Letterman with her bandmates. The performance was introduced by First Lady Michelle Obama, who wanted to pay tribute to the late-night host. The First Lady, a guest on the show, thanked Letterman for his continued support of US troops and veterans. “You’ve been a tremendous support to me and my family, but mostly to our men and women in uniform, and our veterans,” she said. Then as a surprise tribute, The Marine Band, with Zenobia on the flute, began marching into the studio playing John Philip Sousa’s march “Semper Fidelis.” Zenobia earned her bachelor’s degree in 2001 from CIM, where she studied with Joshua Smith, and earned a master’s degree in
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2006 from New England Conservatory. Zenobia performs with The Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra both at the White House and across the country.
Jason Vieaux and Yolanda Kondonassis in the iconic workspace of NPR’s Bob Boilen after their performance.
Faculty Perform at NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk” Performances at NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk” are just that: musicians sit at “All Songs Considered” host Bob Boilen’s desk and play a concert. This month, head of the CIM guitar department and recent Grammy winner Jason Vieaux and CIM harp department head Yolanda Kondonassis were invited to perform together in the small office, a packed bookcase serving as their backdrop. Both are veterans to the space. “We rarely invite ‘Tiny Desk’ alumni back to the confines of Bob Boilen’s work space,” says NPR’s Tom Huizenga, “but we couldn’t resist this time.” Vieaux and Kondonassis recently released their album Together on Azica Records, which marks the first album featuring only the duo on harp and guitar. For their “Tiny Desk” performance they performed a work they commissioned from Gary Schocker, entitled “Elysian”; Alan Hovhaness’s Fuga: Allegro – Andante grazioso, Canon: Allegro (from Sonata for Harp and Guitar, “Spirit of Trees”); and from Máximo Diego Pujo, Vals, Candombe (from Suite mágica).
CIM Voice Students Take Top Prizes in NATS Student Auditions CIM voice students swept the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Auditions, held in April in Columbus, Ohio, earning top honors in several categories. The NATS Student Auditions are a chance for students of NATS teachers to perform and receive feedback from vocal professionals. The following students won prizes in their divisions: Cat. VIII: Junior Women • 1st Naomi Duerr (Mary Schiller) • 2nd Halla Kalmansson (Mary Schiller)
Cat. X-B: Advanced College Women • 1st Caroline Bergan (Mary Schiller) • 3rd Allyson Dezii (Mary Schiller)
Cat. X-A: Advanced College Women • 1st Angela Kaso (Dean Southern) • 2nd Erika Rodden (Dean Southern) • 3rd Rachel Kunce (Dean Southern)
Cat. XI: Advanced College Men • 1st Panajotis Pratsos (Dean Southern) • 3rd Xiaoyang Zhang (Clifford Billions) Additionally, Caroline Bergan (Mary Schiller) was the winner of the Richard Miller Award for Fine Singing. Congratulations! FA L L 2 0 15
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The Music of the VIOLINS OF HOPE
Cover and story images by Debra Yasinow
When French composer Olivier Messiaen was captured in WWII and thrown into a prison camp, he probably never imagined he would emerge a year later with one of the most famous pieces he ever wrote. But when you’re a composer, you compose. While imprisoned Messiaen managed to get some paper and a few bits of pencils from a friendly prison guard, and he continued to write. Among his fellow prisoners were a violinist, a cellist and a clarinet player, for whom he wrote a trio and the first parts to his eventual masterpiece Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the end of time). The premiere of the work was in the prison yard; the audience, prisoners and camp guards. The composer himself was said to have accompanied the trio on a partly damaged upright piano which he played outside in freezing temperatures. Messiaen was freed by 1941, and with him his composition went. Many of his fellow composers were not so lucky. Erwin Schulhoff, a contemporary of Messiaen, was an accomplished composer and pianist whose teachers and mentors included Dvo˘rĂĄk and Debussy. He won prizes for both piano and composition and taught at the Prague Conservatory. However, born of Jewish descent, Schulhoff was captured and sent to a concentration camp in 1941.
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Many of the violins played by faculty and guest artists throughout the series are the famed Violins of Hope. Emblazoned with the Jewish Star of David, many of these stringed representations of life and hope survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. Now beautifully restored, the Violins of Hope will sound once again on the concert stage.
Ask a Librarian
When CIM received word that the Violins of Hope would be coming to its stages in the fall, CIM librarian Janet Winzenburger hit the books, compiling lists of repertoire that would honor the powerful and rich history these instruments contain. Her qualifications for such a task are paramount. She’s been researching music for more than 50 years, or what she simply calls “a long, long time.” Winzenburger started first with composers who were in concentration camps. For some fortunate composers, writing continued after their release. For others, the music stopped in prison. “These are the composers who have become part of the canon,” says Winzenburger, referencing Schulhoff, Haas and others. “They are acknowledged as top-ranking composers who probably would have gone on and done a lot more had they survived.”
Amnon Weinstein’s workshop
He tried in vain to save his compositions by sending them to the Soviet Union, but when he died in the camp of tuberculosis in 1942, those pieces were lost with him. Music born of this horrific time in history provides a window into the past. A past brought to life by the Violins of Hope concert series at CIM this fall. The series is part of a unique collaboration of several Cleveland-area cultural and educational institutions inspired by Amnon Weinstein, an Israeli violin restorer. For more than 25 years, Weinstein has been restoring string instruments with a history linked to the Holocaust era–including instruments played in the camps. A collection of those instruments will be showcased in Cleveland this fall during a series of community-wide programs, Violins of Hope Cleveland. CIM has been called upon to provide its expertise in the musical programming for the collaboration. This powerful concert series will include four concerts and a dialogue featuring esteemed guest artists and more than 15 CIM faculty members. Messiaen and Schulhoff feature prominently throughout the series. Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps will be performed by CIM faculty Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Franklin Cohen, Joan Kwuon, and Sharon Robinson, and several pieces were selected from Schulhoff ’s impressive, but cut too-short oeuvre.
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Next was finding a variety. However, she admits most music written in the camps was chamber music, as composers used what few musicians they had at their disposal. She uncovered pieces both well-known and obscure, acknowledging that their renown mostly depended on whether the composer survived. “The Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time has been a very well-known piece forever,” she says. “It became very popular right after the war, partly because Messiaen lived beyond.” Although Winzenburger consulted her resources and researched books and websites, her experience in the field gave her a pretty good sense of what to select. She also has a personal connection to the subject. Winzenburger’s husband, a violinist, grew up in Germany during the war. “My husband’s violin does not have a label, and we think it might be because it was made by a Jewish violin maker,” she says. “It was made during the war. They grew up in Berlin, but when the bombing got very strong their mother took them out to her family home in the country. They continued to go to the symphony. The bombs were dropping, but the symphony kept playing.” Winzenburger packed the library with scores and CDs of the music she found. Some faculty members asked her for specific pieces, and others consulted her lists for ideas and inspiration. Throughout the concerts in the series, Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and others are purposefully peppered, giving each concert a robustness that will enhance each violin’s story. “These were Germans; they played Beethoven! I’m sure the musicians who had the opportunity to play string quartets in the camps played what they knew: Haydn, Mozart, Bach and others, too. And the Kol Nidrei, of course, is the familiar prayer of atonement in Jewish tradition,”
Winzenburger says as she looks over the final program repertoire for the series. Max Bruch’s beautiful setting of Kol Nidrei for cello will be played during the October 14 concert at Severance Hall.
A Performance with Purpose
Piano faculty Antonio Pompa-Baldi has a key role to play in the
first CIM concert of the series on October 7. On the piano, he will be performing with Cohen, Kwuon and Robinson on Messiaen’s famed Quartet for the End of Time. He will be a long way from the freezing campgrounds where the piece was debuted, but he will tap into that energy and bring some of the emotion to his performance of the piece. “Anything we can gather, musically or extra-musically, to understand the mood the composer was in—or perhaps the mood he was trying to escape—helps the performance,” explains Pompa-Baldi. “Messiaen was deeply religious. He was always looking for signs of transcendence and was deeply affected and influenced by the Bible. The piece was named ‘For the End of Time,’ surely because of Messiaen finding inspiration in the Book of Revelation, but undoubtedly also because at that time it looked like the world really was coming to an end.” Pompa-Baldi has always admired this piece, but he has never performed it before. He says that the chance to do so with his colleagues is a great pleasure. In addition to the music being played, the chance to perform with the restored instruments from the Violins of Hope collection is also truly special. “I look forward to being in the proximity of these instruments,” he says. “Any instrument has a vibe to it that can be felt even when it’s not played, but more so when you hear its voice. The history of these instruments makes them even more affecting. It is all really moving and inspiring. It is normal, when performing, to try to dig deep for meaning, but here it’s not going to be difficult to do so. Emotions are just going to be felt very deeply by everyone involved.”
CIM will have eight instruments from the Violins of Hope private collection of Amnon & Avshalom Weinstein including: Amnon’s father, Moshe Weinstein’s, personal violin This violin was made by a member of the known Ficker family. Amnon’s father played on it in Vilnius before he immigrated to Palestine in 1938 as well as in Israel. The upper deck was made by Zimerman, the back, ribs scroll were made by Ficker. Czech violin dedicated to Ponar with Star of David The restoration work of this violin is dedicated to Ponar, the mass killing ground in the Vilnius forest. The label includes the verse of the poet Kaczerginski’s poem “Shtiller, shtiller” (Quiet, quiet). This poem became a favorite after it won the first prize in a Vilnius ghetto music competition. The music was composed by a 12 year old pianist, Alexander Volkoviski, still living and playing in Jerusalem. The Rabinowitz violin dedicated to Bunie and Wolf Rabinowitz with Star of David The restoration work of this violin is dedicated to Wolf and Bunia Rabinowitz, a brother and sister who played the violin in the Vilnius ghetto during WWII. The children often held concerts the ghetto. Both were killed with the last members of the Jewish community.
Amnon Weinstein with a violin from his collection
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From
Cleveland Kolkata to
An audience of young women from St. Teresa’s School
How a CIM alum brought Western classical music (and a lot of Clevelanders) to the Eastern world 12
Imagine you’re a classically trained pianist about to perform in front of a crowd that can’t wait to hear your first note. But instead of seats, your audience sits on the floor. Instead of a Steinway, you’re playing on a keyboard you’ve brought with you. And out of the corner of your eye, you can see a heard of water buffalo saunter by. This was reality for alumna Jennifer Heemstra, who has spent the last year performing classical music all over India. She and her colleagues have performed in everything from the slums and poverty-stricken villages to ballrooms and 1,500-seat theaters packed to the brim. The one thing that these concerts have in common? Her audiences can’t get enough.
Unexpected Generosity
How did Heemstra, a graduate of CIM and newcomer to India, create a wildly successful concert series featuring Western classical music in the Eastern world? The answer is, with a lot of help—the kind of infectious generosity that continues to surprise and amaze Heemstra even today. Heemstra moved to Kolkata about a year and a half ago after her husband got a job there. She quickly came to realize the city was teeming with culture. The arts, music, theater, literature; it was revered and sought after. Having spent the last 10 years in Cleveland after receiving her master’s degree in music from CIM, she was ready to take on the challenge of bringing classical music to a brand new audience. Her mission was simple: bring Western classical music to everyone in India. The conditions were just right. She was in a city that appreciated the arts, but hadn’t been exposed to classical music of the West. There, Eastern classical reigns supreme, the twangs of the sitar familiar. When Cleveland Orchestra cellist and CIM faculty Brian Thornton performed there with Heemstra for an audience of schoolchildren, he remembers how he started with the basics. “I had the school kids raise their hands in the audience, asking how many had seen a cello before in person,” says Thornton. “Three people raised their hands of about 1,500.” Heemstra had her work cut out for her, but she was excited to bring her passion to an “untapped” market. “Essentially I got together with a group of locals who are passionate about music, as well as those who don’t necessarily have the background in music but who want to enrich their city and give back to their community,” she says. “Our idea is that music should be available to the masses, regardless of socioeconomic status.” After countless hours of planning with her team, they were ready to launch the concert series, Kolkata Classics. They had planned to start in March 2015, but an unexpected patron, Suresh Somani, got wind of the project and offered to kick-start the program, paying to bring in the first artist over the holiday season. The generosity didn’t stop there. Heemstra was connected with one of the top patrons for the arts in India, Manjushree Khaitan of the Birla family. Mrs. Khaitan donated a 1,500-seat theater for the
Marla Berg’s performance with Heemstra on piano
performances and offered to pay for the flights of the artists. “Through her sponsorship we have been very, very blessed,” says Heemstra. “She is working with us to promote Western classical music here in the city of joy.” Donations and support for the project ranges from the local fashion designer Radhika Singhi who tailormakes traditional Indian outfits for each performer, to the only music store in Kolkata that donated its piano for the concerts, to radio stations and billboards that give free airtime and ad space for the series. And “the big one,” as Heemstra says, is the artists, all of whom donate their time. The support has resulted in Kolkata Classics becoming fully funded for its first year.
The Cleveland Contingent
The formula was set. Heemstra invited each artist to perform three concerts for schoolchildren, one public concert and one private concert in the five-star hotel, The Oberoi Grand, which donated its ballroom. The school concerts comprise children from private schools, orphanages, charities and NGOs working in various capacities—including bringing young girls out of sex slavery. Of the six performers invited in Kolkata Classic’s inaugural season, five were alumni from CIM. “Of course, I leveraged my friends and colleagues from Cleveland to come because, frankly, I think they’re the best musicians,” she says. “I need the best musicians to represent Western classical music here, to spark people’s interest. I lived in Cleveland for about 10 years. I made a lot of really good friends and long sustaining relationships and met very, very talented people. I’m just pulling from that pool of people—some people that I met 15 years ago—and luckily, we’ve had such great relationships that they are agreeing to come and perform in uncharted territory.”
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Thornton performed with Heemstra this past spring. “It was really special for me to play for the different types of audiences. From the school kids to the people in real poverty to the very wealthy people—everyone was very interested and very welcoming,” says Thornton. Along with the performance circuit, Thornton and Heemstra explored some of the culture of India. “We traveled around different areas and met classical music supporters—those who were working in India who had helped get the word out about this project. It was really about me meeting people associated with the series,” says Thornton. Heemstra is dedicated to ensuring the concerts are mutually beneficial for every artist she invites, many of whom are university professors on tenure track. “I tell them, ‘Whatever you want, I’ll get for you. You want to do a masterclass? I can do that, do you want to do a lecture? We can make that happen.’ ” With vocalist and CIM alum Susan Williams, Heemstra played a Christmas concert in the town square, performed for the French Ambassador and for children and families in the slums; with pianist and alum Douglas Jurs she performed in an isolated steel town several hours by train from Kolkata; and with alum and vocalist Marla Berg she went into the Himalayan mountain range to perform
Susan Williams and Heemstra serenade the Jungle Crows NGO and water buffalo in the slums of Kolkata
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Thornton and Heemstra perform in the ballroom at the Oberoi Grand
for four thousand students at secluded private schools. “They had never heard Western classical before. So they were a bit shocked!” says Heemstra. Western classical music began to permeate throughout the country.
Engaging at Any Age
Beyond the right performers, the perfect number of concerts and the right amount of funding, you also need fans. And you don’t get an audience by simply playing music at them. Heemstra and her artists strove to make every concert interactive. “My goal is to play no more than 10 minutes without having some type of interaction with the audience, whether that’s explaining something, asking them to listen for something or giving them some historical context,” says Heemstra. “I want them engaged, and this holds true regardless of age. They could be first graders or they could be 70 years old.” The techniques ranged widely and included call and response, building stories together or listening for a certain motif that enters and exits throughout a piece. “It’s hard for young kids of any age to just jump up and participate. They deal with peer pressure,” says Thornton. “But they were very courageous. They came up with story lines and were very willing to chat and to interact. It was awesome.” Seventh grader Jane Ha, who attended the concert, says, “It was one of the best occasions in my life to date.”
Sparking an Interest
Heemstra reports that the series is garnering a solid fan base, recalling a conversation she recently had with a woman who has made a habit of keeping the concert programs and studying the music at home with her husband and young children. “They study the programs for two months until the next concert,” says Heemstra. “I was totally floored and honored that the concert sparked interest in classical music for them.” From seventh graders to young parents to the media, Kolkatta Classics is making a splash throughout the city and country. Fauzia Marikar, arts critic for the Telegraph newspaper in India, said of Heemstra, “Presenting professional musicians in recital and concert to avid listeners here, especially young people from the lessfortunate walks of life, her presentations are musically brilliant, and her short descriptions amusing and articulate.”
What’s Next?
The series continues through November. Then, she and her colleagues will gear up for another year of fund raising and music making. Heemstra has already made a lasting impression on the city and hopes to continue this work for more years to come. For more photos and information about this concert series, visit facebook.com/KolkataClassics.
This year’s performance cycle included several alumni, faculty and Cleveland-area performers
• Dr. Susan William (DMA ’09, Schiller)
• Douglas Jurs (MM ’03, Shapiro)
• Brian Thornton: CIM Cello Faculty, cellist in The Cleveland Orchestra • Marla Berg (MM ’83, AD ’88, Vassos) CIM Voice Faculty
• Cynthia Watson: CIM Oboe Faculty
• George Pope: Flute Faculty at Baldwin Wallace University • Carrie Pierce: Cello Faculty at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
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Events
2015-16 Faculty Recitals See CIM’s world-class faculty perform on their home stage. VIOLINS OF HOPE EVENT October 7, Wednesday 8pm | Kulas Hall
VIOLINS OF HOPE EVENT November 22, Sunday 4pm | Kulas Hall
Pre-concert lecture at 7:15pm with Oded Zehavi
Pre-concert lecture at 3:15pm with Oded Zehavi
Antonio Pompa-Baldi, piano Franklin Cohen, clarinet Joan Kwuon, violin Jaime Laredo, violin Sharon Robinson, cello
Mary Kay Fink, flute Nicholas Underhill, piano, guest artist Stanley Konopka, viola Scott Dixon, double bass Frank Rosenwein, oboe Barrick Stees, bassoon Robert Woolfrey, clarinet, guest artist Richard King, horn
SCHULHOFF Duo for Violin and Cello (1925) MESSIAEN Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) (1940-41) Presented in appreciation of Materion Corporation October 21, Wednesday 8pm | Kulas Hall Franklin Cohen, clarinet Zsolt Bognár, piano, guest artist Program to be announced November 11, Wednesday 8pm | Kulas Hall Sergei Babayan, piano Program to be announced
VIOLINS OF HOPE EVENT November 20, Friday 8pm | The Temple-Tifereth Israel, 26000 Shaker Blvd., Beachwood
Russian Music: Tradition and Transformation A performance and conversation with Cavani String Quartet Annie Fullard, violin Mari Sato, violin Kirsten Docter, viola Merry Peckham, cello Rabbi Roger C. Klein Selected movements from BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 8, Op. 59, No. 2 TCHAIKOVSKY String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11 SCHULHOFF Divertimento for String Quartet, Op. 14
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SMIT Sonata for Flute and Piano (1941-43) SCHULHOFF Concertino for Flute, Viola and Double Bass (1925) MESSIAEN Le merle noir (Blackbird) (1951) HAAS Woodwind Quintet, Op. 10
VIOLINS OF HOPE EVENT December 4, Friday 8pm | Kulas Hall
Pre-concert lecture at 7:15pm Cavani String Quartet Rebecca Albers, viola, guest artist Julie Albers, cello, guest artist Robert Conrad, narrator SCHULHOFF Divertimento for String Quartet, Op. 14 DVOŘÁK Cypresses SCHULHOFF String Sextet (1920-24) TRADITIONAL Ani Ma’amin (I Believe) Recorded for broadcast on December 9, 2015, on WCLV 104.9 FM and wclv.org with support from Audio-Technica
January 10, Sunday 4pm | Kulas Hall Lisa Boyko, viola Mark Jackobs, viola Stanley Konopka, viola Eliesha Nelson, viola, guest artist Joanna Patterson Zakany, viola, guest artist Lembi Veskimets, viola Richard Waugh, viola, guest artist KNOX Marin Marais Variations for Viola Quartet (2007) BEETHOVEN Trio in C Major, Op. 87 (arr. L. Tertis) BOWEN Fantasie Quartet for Four Violas, Op. 41, No. 1 SHULMAN Two Episodes for Viola Quartet (Night and Ancora) (1978) HARDING Rondo Capriccio for Viola Sextet (1986) KIMBER Festival Overture for Viola Ensemble (1999) ELGAR “Nimrod” from Enigma Variations (arr. D. Burndrett) BRAHMS Hungarian Dance No. 5 (arr. A. L. Christopherson) January 13, Wednesday 8pm | Mixon Hall * Sonja Molloy, violin, guest artist Jeffrey Zehngut, violin, guest artist Mark Jackobs, viola Martha Baldwin, cello Alicja Basinska, piano SMETANA Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15 SUK Piano Quartet in A minor, Op. 1 DVOŘÁK Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81
February 10, Wednesday 8pm | Mixon Hall *
March 25, Friday 8pm | Kulas Hall
Mari Sato, violin Annie Fullard, violin Laura Shuster, viola Tanya Ell, cello Tracy Rowell, double bass Frank Rosenwein, oboe Daniel Gilbert, clarinet Anita Pontremoli, piano
Daniel Shapiro, piano William Preucil, violin Mark Kosower, cello
DRAGONETTI String Quintet No. 18 in C Major PROKOFIEV Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Viola and Double Bass in G minor, Op. 39 SCHUBERT Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667, “Trout”
March 30, Wednesday 8pm | Mixon Hall *
March 2, Wednesday 8pm | Mixon Hall * Shuai Wang, piano Madeline Lucas Tolliver, flute Benjamin Chen, clarinet, guest artist Yun-Ting Lee, violin, guest artist Daniel Pereira, cello Luke Rinderknecht, percussion, guest artist Liz Huff, soprano, guest artist FITCH Dancing the Shadows (1994) ERB Drawing Down the Moon (1991) SCHOENBERG Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 March 16, Wednesday 8pm | Kulas Hall
BACH Toccata in F-sharp minor, BWV 901 BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31, No. 1 BRAHMS Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8
Ivan Zenaty, violin Sandra Shapiro, piano
CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL CLASSICAL GUITAR FESTIVAL EVENTS Tickets: $22 Guitars International: 216.752.7502 or guitarsint.com June 3, Friday 7:30pm | Mixon Hall Jason Vieaux, guitar June 5, Sunday 7:30pm | Mixon Hall Colin Davin, guitar
C. SCHUMANN Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22 BRAHMS Sonata No. 1 in G Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 78 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 9 in A Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 47, “Kreutzer” April 10, Sunday 4pm | Mixon Hall * Jaime Laredo, violin Anita Pontremoli, piano BEETHOVEN Sonata for Piano and Violin in A minor, Op. 23 BARTÓK Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1, Sz. 75 BUSONI Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in E minor, Op. 36a
Cavani String Quartet Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin, guest artist Peter Salaff, violin Joel Smirnoff, viola Yu Jin, viola, guest artist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, cello, guest artist
April 13, Wednesday 8pm | Mixon Hall *
SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Scherzo for String Octet, Op. 11 FITCH Five of a Kind (World Premiere) MENDELSSOHN String Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20
MOZART Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, K. 478 TURINA Piano Quartet in A minor, Op. 67 DVOŘÁK Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 87
Stephen Rose, violin Jeanne Preucil Rose, viola, guest artist Mark Kosower, cello Jee-Won Oh, piano, guest artist
*Free seating passes required; available at 216.795.3211 or cim.edu one week before the concert date.
For more information and a complete listing of faculty concerts and event, please visit cim.edu/faculty
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DONOR PROFILE:
Gay Cull Addicott Music and Nature: In Perfect Harmony Sitting in the sunroom of Gay Cull Addicott’s home, completely surrounded by beautiful flowers, you can’t help but assume that Gay has a passion for gardening. You would be right. But you quickly learn that she also has a passion for music. Many childhood memories are of family gathering around and singing as her mother played piano or of her cousin teaching her to sing harmony while they did the dishes each night. Music is still a part of her everyday life and a reason behind her sponsorship of CIM’s student performers at Holden Arboretum. As a child, Gay’s love of singing took her to the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp to study music. In high school, she took private voice lessons and participated in school musicals, even landing the role of Annie in Annie Get Your Gun. When it came time for college, she chose Ohio Wesleyan and planned to be a voice major until her asthma made it clear that she could not continue to train at the collegiate level. After receiving a degree in English, her professional life moved through numerous roles in the business sector and the political world—or, as she jokes, “her checkered past.” Still her passion for music and gardening was as strong as ever. Gay and her husband Ed found a way to make an impact on CIM and the greater community while highlighting her life’s passions. In 2010, Gay was approached to sponsor performances by CIM students during Holden Arboretum’s annual Summer Series— concerts performed in its outdoor gardens. She jumped at the chance, saying, “It has given our students the opportunity to perform, and it’s given CIM a lot of visibility that it didn’t have.” The event is now in its sixth year.
Gay Cull Addicott attends a CIM concert during the Holden Arboretum Summer Series on August 4, 2015. She is joined (from left) by Holden President and CEO Clem Hamilton; her husband Ed Addicott; and CIM student and alumni performers: Gabriel Novak (composition, Fitch), Joel K. Negus (BM ’15, Dimoff ), Evan Mitchell (BM, Weiner) and Hayato Tanaka (AC ’15, Sachs).
Gay and Ed are regular attendees of CIM’s Orchestra concerts. CIM’s talented young students have made quite an impression. She says, “Their dedication is just unbelievable.” Their hard work and her love of classical music are the motivating forces behind her support of CIM. Gay has been a generous member of The Bloch Society, composed of leadership donors to CIM’s Annual Fund, for more than 20 years. She believes that “the musical futures of CIM students will help ensure the future of classical music.” Clem Hamilton, president and CEO of the Holden Arboretum and the Cleveland Botanical Garden, remarked, “As keen and knowledgeable devotees of fine music and creative gardening, Gay and Ed have been generous (and delightful!) partners for both CIM and Holden Arboretum. Joel Smirnoff and I are pleased they have combined their interests by sponsoring Holden’s summer concert series, which each year highlights outstanding CIM students and alumni.”
Gay began supporting CIM by attending concerts and contributing to the school more than 25 years ago. Nearly 20 years ago, she was asked by her friend Edith Miller to host a Women’s Committee luncheon at her home, and her personal involvement continued to increase. In July 2000 she was appointed to CIM’s Board of Trustees where she has remained a member, serving on the governance and development committees.
CIM has many different ways to provide support for programs in the Conservatory and the Preparatory and Continuing Education Divisions. For more information, visit cim.edu/donatenow. 18
Development Accomplish Your Personal and Philanthropic Goals with CIM Through planned gifts, the Cleveland Institute of Music offers friends and supporters many ways to achieve personal financial goals while making a substantial impact on CIM’s financial stability and strength far into the future. While the benefits of a planned gift may include significant tax advantages and guaranteed life-long income for you or family members, the most enduring benefit is the legacy you will create. Your planned gift will support the education and artistic development of some of the world’s best young classical musicians by faculty of the highest caliber. Upon making a planned gift, you will become a member of The CIM Legacy Society and be honored at our annual Legacy Society luncheon. Planned giving options may include: • Bequests • Charitable gift annuities • Charitable remainder trusts • Charitable lead trusts • Gifts that involve retirement assets You may also specify how you wish your gift to be used to support a particular program or area of study.
When you are ready to help ensure the financial and artistic vitality of CIM through a planned gift, please contact Development Officer Char Rapoport Nance at CRN17@cim.edu or 216-795-3169 to discuss the options available to you.
CIM Alumna Priscilla Fullerton, BM ’64, recently endowed the Priscilla Fullerton Scholarship for Piano and Organ “The Cleveland Institute of Music was the best undergraduate school for me at that time. It saved me and allowed me to move forward and enjoy a meaningful career in music. I’m so happy that I’m able to give back to CIM now. I thought about it for about 10 years before I decided to endow a CIM scholarship, and I’m so glad I did.” By endowing a scholarship now, Priscilla is enjoying the benefits of membership in The Legacy Society and keeping in touch with CIM. She’s a proud CIM alumna, and enjoys knowing she’s a part of CIM’s work to create the next generation of
outstanding musicians. Her scholarship is very meaningful to her, knowing that this investment will be helping CIM students fulfill their dreams for years to come. Earlier this year, Priscilla took another step in supporting CIM. As she worked on her estate planning, she created a bequest, making CIM the beneficiary of her Roth IRA. And, of course, Priscilla continues to support the Annual Fund–something she’s been doing for more than 20 years. Thank you, Priscilla, for giving back to your alma mater and helping to make the road a little easier for the students of today and tomorrow.
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Alumni Snapshot
Pianist Zsolt Bognár
prides himself on carving out his own musical path
Alumnus Zsolt Bognár performs all over the world, garnering praise that his playing is “overwhelmingly visceral” and “intellectually shaped, powerful, and of crystalline precision.” He’s done TED talks and been featured on NPR many times. He has even created his own film series, produced in New York City, called “Living the Classical Life,” in which he interviews some of the biggest names in classical music. And at the end of the day, he likes to return to his home, an apartment nestled right in University Circle, neighboring the Cleveland Institute of Music. Although performing is his passion, Bognár isn’t interested in the traditional music path. He finds the competition circuit uninteresting, and he’s not looking to find a steady role with an orchestra. Instead, Bognár performs lesser-known repertoire or finds composers who speak to him, but don’t have a big name. He often gives his own pre-concert lectures and wants to interact, communicate and share stories, not just with colleagues but with his audiences. 20
A “Late” Start
Bognár began piano at the tender age of nine. To a non-music professional this sounds perfectly reasonable. But for Bognár, he describes his coming into music as a “late start.” He grew up in Illinois, where his father would drive him to Chicago to see great pianists perform. “That really opened up my eyes and ears to the possibilities of what was possible on stage,” he recalls. “I remember there was one particular recital of the great German pianist Alfred Brendel. He ended a piece with a flourish and then a few ladies in the audience started giggling. I thought wow, if there’s room for humor in the classical music hall, then the possibilities are just limitless. That really inspired me.” From there he was hooked, determined to catch up to other kids who “were veterans of the concert stage by the time they’re six.” He attended the Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts, where he
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could be devoted to a life of music. “I went there because I needed more time to practice and I needed to focus on piano. And I didn’t really know any other way to get that, other than to go to a performing arts high school,” says Bognár. “And then, I heard about Sergei Babayan.”
The Land that He Loves
After seeing an ad for CIM in Clavier magazine with Piano Faculty Sergei Babayan, Bognár’s interest was piqued. “I thought, ‘who’s that?’ And I remember my mom contacted him and asked if I could play for him. He said ‘sure.’ ” Bognár then attended a summer program in France with Babayan and enrolled in fall 2000 at CIM. “Long story short, I came to Cleveland because of him,” he adds. Bognár came in 2000, and today, 15 years later, he still lives in Cleveland. “You chose a place to be based where you love, and you can travel anywhere you want. And I’m totally in love with Cleveland,” he says. “I’m sort of the school dinosaur,” he jokes. I’ve been based here because Cleveland is such a fantastic place to be based. Cost of living is low, all my musical friends, teachers and colleagues are here, The Orchestra is here, and our airport is perfectly good,” he adds with a laugh. In today’s global world, Bognár is able to travel to wherever his performances, speaking engagements and projects take him and then return to a city that he loves.
From On Stage to On Screen
The film series “Living the Classical Life” has led Bognár to the piano bench of Daniil Trifinov, the home of Joshua Bell and face to face with a host of leading musicians. The project began more as an accident, as did much of his career so far. “It seems as if everything has accidentally blossomed,” he explains. “There’s a film company in New York that wanted to do a project, a little highlight about me. When we started filming, it started looking like I was asking people about their lives. So they said, let’s make a show out of this. It has become bigger and bigger now, and now we have global distribution. It’s exciting and it seems each day there’s a new development. I’m actually going to New York in October and will be working with Emanuel Ax—the famous pianist. So interviews are expanding all the time.”
For his interview with pianist and alumnus Daniil Trifinov, it wasn’t too hard to track him down. “He was my upstairs neighbor,” says Bognár. “He would always knock on my door at, you know, two in the morning having just come back from some trip somewhere and say, ‘I have a discovery about this particular piece; it’s very important,’ and he would come in, sit down and demonstrate. It was totally inspiring. I would just be swept up in his energy. That’s the great thing about my building. There are so many CIM pianists in there. We would compare notes at any hour.” One valuable insight Bognár has gleaned from his series is that nearly everyone he interviews deals with extreme stage fright. “For me, just the knowledge that I’m not the only one who feels scared on stage is already helpful. There are other people who feel this too—it’s not just me.”
Talking TED
The film series has transitioned Bognár into quite the seasoned public speaker. He was asked to do two TED talks in San Francisco that included performing on piano. He spoke about composers and music, but also about his life. He is still surprised he was even asked. The speaking engagements have continued to pour in, and in 2016 Bognár will be the emcee for the webcast of the Cleveland International Piano Competition. “For me, that’s a nontraditional route as far as a piano career goes, but I’ve always been interested in creating my own pathway. The competitions, those didn’t interest me. The traditional circuit didn’t interest me. I’ve always wanted to find other ways to connect with people. My show is one way to connect with people. Giving these talks is another way,” he says.
Full Circle in the Circle
Bognár will be making his first solo recital in Cleveland in eight years on February 7, 2016, at the Cleveland Museum of Art. That will come after his October recital at CIM with clarinetist and CIM department head Franklin Cohen. He says he has his work cut out for him, but he’s delighted to be performing with his Cleveland cohorts. “It was Paul Schenly on piano faculty here who told me, ‘Zsolt, no matter where your life takes you, no matter how famous you get, most of your musical opportunities and your most rewarding ones will come from your friends.’ And that has definitely been the case for me.”
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Alumni CIM’s apprentice quartet, the Commodore String Quartet–made up of Elizabeth Furata (MM ’15) and Maria Park (MM ’15), violins; Sarah Toy (MM ’15), viola; and Hannah Moses (BM ’16), cello–excelled in all of its performances for all audiences. Showing nuanced versatility and collective maturity at every opportunity, the musicians have performed for a variety of audiences ranging from the Board of Trustees and Women’s Committee at CIM, the Bloch Society, NPR’s syndicated radio show “Says You,” as semifinalists in the nationally renowned Fischoff Competition and as this season’s Young Artists featured by the Cleveland Chamber Music Society. The have also performed for schoolchildren in grades K-12 throughout the Cleveland community. Chester Englander (BM ’98, MM ’01, Weiner, Yancich) has performed on percussion or cimbalom with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony and Atlanta Symphony, in addition to several others. He participated in multiple world and US premieres of compositions by Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Adams, Thomas Adés, Unsuk Chin and several others. Englander performed as soloist with the LA Phil on two occasions: as glockenspiel soloist for “Des canyons aux etoiles” by Olivier Messiaen in 2008, and as percussion soloist on “Pierced” by David Lang in 2010. Additionally, Englander performed as cimbalom soloist for the US premiere of “Da capo for cimbalom and ensemble” by Peter Eötvös with the New World Symphony. Englander also had the honor of directly collaborating with composer John Adams on featured cimbalom parts for his works “The Gospel According to the Other Mary” and “Scheherazade.2.”
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Lisa Rainsong (DMA ’99, Brouwer) continues to expand her work at the intersection of music and natural history with presentations on bird song and insect song study throughout the state. Recent appearances include the Ohio Ornithological Society’s annual conference, The Biggest Week in American Birding national festival, the Midwest Native Plant Conference and a presentation on her insect song research at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s annual Conservation Symposium. Bjorn Ranheim (BM ’99, Geber) made his St. Louis Symphony subscription solo debut in March, performing Faure’s “Élégie” for cello and orchestra with music director David Robertson on the podium. The Saturday evening performance was broadcast live on St. Louis Public Radio and online, making it possible for many friends and family to tune in from around the country. Recent graduate Erika Rodden (MM ’15, Southern) spent a very successful summer in the Castleton Festival’s Artists Training Seminar. While there, she performed the role of Gertrude in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, participated in a master class with conductor Kathleen Kelly and participated in the scenes program. On July 12, Rodden stepped in for acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves to sing the Alto Solo in the festival’s performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony alongside soprano Alessandra Marc, tenor Stanford Olden and bass-baritone Eduardo Chama. The Castleton Festival was founded in 2009 by the late maestro Lorin Maazel. Maazel passed away in July 2014 during the festival season, of which Rodden was a part. She was subsequently asked to sing on the internationally streamed memorial service for the maestro, which occurred on October 31, 2014. Husband and wife Joshua Rodriguez (MM ’11, Fitch) and Mary Vanhoozer Rodriguez (DMA ’13, Shapiro) recently collaborated on the music for two animation shorts to be premiered in Los Angeles this winter; Josh composed the music and Mary played piano in the recording session with the Youngstown Scoring Orchestra, directed by Todd Maki. This is their third animation project together. Earlier this year, Mary founded the Brahms’ Ghost Trio, which includes CIM alumna Wendy Case (MM ’10, Preucil) on violin. The ensemble plays three to four programs a year and performs in Cleveland and Detroit. Josh is the trio’s composer-inresidence, and they have commissioned him to write a piece for them to be performed in Los Angeles this spring.
Appointments Soh-Hyun Park Altino (BM ’96, MM ’98, DMA ’02, Weilerstein) started as assistant professor of violin at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music in August. Melisse Brunet (PS ’12, Topilow) has been named the new apprentice conductor of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic for the upcoming season. Benjamin Klemme (MM ’07, Topilow) has earned the promotion to associate conductor at the Quad City Symphony Orchestra beginning with the 2015–16 season (he previously served the orchestra as assistant conductor). In this role, he will conduct pops, family and education concerts, and has been invited to lead the QCSO’s subscription concerts in March 2016, which will feature the world premiere of a new work for solo bassoon and orchestra by Jacob Bancks. He will continue to lead the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles as music director. Klemme also serves the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies as concert orchestra conductor. Julie Ann Link (MM ’11, Stees) joined the Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra and Chorale as the principal bassoon, the West Texas Winds Quintet, and The University of Texas of the Permian Basin as the adjunct bassoon faculty in August 2015. Jeffrey J. Meyer (DMA ’10, Bishop) has accepted the position of director of bands and brass studies at Sul Ross State University. His wife, Mary Elizabeth Thompson, premiered his composition Metro Chapultepec for flute/ piccolo and electronics at the 2015 New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival. Christopher Thibdeau (MM ’11, Topilow) was appointed the interim music director of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The contract is for the 2015–16 season. Thibdeau previously served as associate conductor of the Brighton Symphony Orchestra, cover conductor of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra and the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, and conductor of the Atlanta Music Project Orchestras, a US-based El Sistema program. James Wright (BM ’10, La Rosa, Stout) has been appointed as a trombonist with the Air Force Band of the Golden West located at Travis Air Force Base, California. Wright completed his
BM from CIM in 2010 and later earned his master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2012. He was a student of Massimo La Rosa and Richard Stout.
Prizewinners Kim Conroy Fink (BM ’81, Perlman) was recently awarded the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Musicians’ Award for Outstanding Music Educators, 2015. Recipients are chosen based on their contributions to their students, schools and communities. Fink received the award for Outstanding String Director. Fink has taught in the Rochester-area Greece Central School District for 30 years, directing orchestras at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Kathleen Raab (BM ’13, Southern) graduated from CIM two years ago and this spring received her master’s in music from New York University. This summer she was second runner-up in the Miss Indiana competition, taking home a preliminary talent award and the inaugural Okemah Crawford performing arts award.
Faculty Dr. Timothy Cutler’s (theory) latest article, “From Motive to Structure: Chromatic Cohesiveness in the First Movement of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, op. 61,” was recently published in Theory and Practice. This essay is the first to provide a detailed analytical account of the opening movement of Beethoven’s popular concerto. Cutler also began giving pre-concert lectures for The Cleveland Orchestra during the 2014–15 season and will continue with two more talks in 2015–16. Additionally, Cutler is working on two books: one on how tonal composers continually broke the rules outlined in theory textbooks; the other, an anthology of music theory examples. In July, Joan Ellison (popular voice) released a second album, Retrophonic Gershwin, featuring her arrangements based on original recordings of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. Recorded at Oberlin’s Clonick Hall and mixed and mastered by Grammy-winning audio engineer Robert Friedrich, it also features singer Mark Flanders and duo-pianists Jason Aquila (MM ’97) and Jodie Ricci. Other summer highlights include performing her Judy Garland concert with the Wheaton Symphony, four concerts with the Cleveland Pops with Carl Topilow and guest conductor Jason Seber (MM ’05) and songs of WWII with the Lakeside Symphony.
Erik Mann (guitar) is one of 25 arts leaders chosen from 12 states to participate in the 2015 Community Arts Education Leadership Institute (CAELI). He is also one of only two people chosen for a full scholarship by the Cleveland Foundation. This seven-month leadership development program is cited by alumni as one of the most beneficial and transformative professional development opportunities of their careers. Alumni now form a nationwide network of 125 dedicated arts leaders. CAELI participants learn from top leadership trainers and nationally renowned practitioners. Designed and facilitated by Partners in Performance, Inc., the institute—now in its sixth year—includes a five-day seminar at Bryn Mawr College, advanced assignments, a 360-degree feedback process and follow-up coaching. Mann was chosen by CAELI for his role as executive director of the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society, and specifically for the CCGS educational outreach program, which provides ongoing hands-on classical guitar instruction to 150 students in neighborhoods with limited access to the arts. Most of the students in the program are economically disadvantaged and from minority populations. This past year, Dean Southern (voice) judged and gave master classes at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, for the inaugural Classical Singer China Competition, for the Classical Singer National Convention in Chicago and for the Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He gave a master class for the Arkansas NATS spring conference at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and gave two classes as master teacher in residence at the University of Dayton. In September, he performed “We Have Both for a Long Time Been Silent,” songs from Hugo Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch, at Armstrong Atlantic University in Savannah, Georgia, with soprano Susan Williams (DMA ’08, Schiller) and pianist Jeffrey Brown. In April, he completed a two-year term as vice president and auditions coordinator and was elected president of the NATS Buckeye Chapter. This summer he taught on the voice faculty and was named associate director of NAPA Music Festival, a training program for singers and composers in Napa, California.
Music Society of Lincoln Center at concerts in New York City, Boston and Saratoga, New York. In July, Vieaux was one of three teachers and performers at the Eastern Music Festival’s inaugural guitar program. Vieaux recently appeared on WHYY’s Articulate with Jim Cotter, where he was interviewed about his Grammy win and career. In August, he and Yolanda Kondonassis are releasing their arrangement of “What A Wonderful World” as a single on Azica Records. Fall highlights include performances at the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society, the Xavier University Music Series, Pittsburgh State University, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and with the Bluewater Chamber Orchestra and New West Symphony. Yolanda Kondonassis (head, harp) released her 18th compact disc in January of this year. Together (Azica Records) features original works for harp and guitar with fellow faculty member Jason Vieaux. The album received universal critical acclaim, with Gramophone describing the duo as having “an almost rapturous sense of cohesion.” Kondonassis’s summer schedule included teaching and performing at the Young Artist’s Harp Seminar in Rabun Gap, Georgia, two sold-out performances at the Minnesota Beethoven Festival and a performance with Vieaux at the Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Kondonassis’s 2015–16 season includes concerto performances with The Oregon Symphony, The San Diego Symphony and The Cleveland Orchestra. In November, she records Ginastera’s Harp Concerto for a 2016 release in the composer’s centennial year. In June of this year, Richard Weiner (co-head, timpani/percussion) participated as a faculty member at The National Orchestra.
Students Andrew Stock (Fitch) was awarded a Morton Gould Young Composer Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP). The foundation holds this national competition for gifted young composers each year, and this year they received more than 600 entries.
Jason Vieaux (head, guitar) had a busy summer, performing with the National Repertory Orchestra and at festivals such as the Music & Beyond Festival, Kingston Music Festival, Changsha Guitar Festival in China, Strings Music Festival, Bard Music Festival and the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, Kentucky. He also performed with the Chamber FA L L 2 0 15
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ABOUT CIM Founded in 1920, the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is one of seven independent music conservatories in the country and is known for superior orchestral, chamber music, composition and opera programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. CIM graduates play important musical roles in our world as composers producing meaningful new repertoire, as eminent instrumental and vocal soloists, as world-renowned chamber musicians and as members of premier orchestras around the globe. More than half of the members of The Cleveland Orchestra are connected to CIM as members of the faculty, alumni or both. Located in University Circle, Cleveland’s cultural hub, CIM is easily accessible to all music lovers— providing hundreds of concerts annually, most free of charge. Visit cim.edu for more information.
A Jazzy Affair
An evening of jazz standards and American Classics
Sunday, October 25, 2015 For more information call 216.791.6770 or purchase tickets online at cim.edu