Boston University college of fine arts School of Music presents
A NOTE FROM THE CFA DEAN
153 years ago, Boston University established a school of music. The new school was unlike all others in the United States. It was the first to center the study of music as worthy of a degree. Over the next century and a half, scores of universities and colleges would follow BU’s lead and, by doing so, would help establish a rich, dynamic culture of music in this country and beyond.
Music was one of many BU “firsts.” Boston University was among the first colleges to be coeducational. Almost a century before the Ivy League, BU was a leader in smashing the barriers of gender discrimination. Unlike other universities that restricted entry on the basis of race or religion, Boston University embraced talented students of all backgrounds and complexions from its beginning. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received his doctorate from BU.
Boston University remains a leader. We are a proudly global university with nearly 400,000 living alumni around the world. Nearly every major symphony orchestra on this planet has counted BU School of Music alumni among its members. Our alumni are arts leaders, educators, music critics, and more. The impact of BU School of Music has been profound. Today, we look ahead to the future. We spotlight emerging artists whose talent, skill, passion for music, and ingenuity will shape the next 150 years of music. Mentored by worldclass faculty, they are exceptionally prepared and ready for this moment.
Harvey Young Dean, Boston University College of Fine Arts
Boston University college of fine arts
School of Music Presents
Spotlight
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
7:30pm
Weill recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
New York City, New York
Professor Michelle LaCourse Artistic Director
Professor michael reynolds Curator
oston University College of Fine Arts School of Music welcomes you to this evening showcasing Boston University’s outstanding student musicians on stage at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall!
Boston University’s 2025 concert at Carnegie Hall shines a spotlight on an exceptional cohort of students from BU’s dynamic community of artists. All student performers participated in a multi-stage competition run by CFA School of Music to secure a spot on the stage. Each applied department within CFA School of Music (Voice, Keyboards, Strings, and Woodwinds/Brass/Percussion) held auditions open to students in the fall of 2024.
Finalists selected from each department competed before a panel of outside adjudicators, all renowned performing musicians. Finally, a slate of performers and a program was crafted under the curatorship of the Director of the School of Music, Michael Reynolds, and led by artistic director Michelle LaCourse, Associate Professor and Chair of Strings.
There will be a 15-minute intermission.
GREETINGS FROM THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC DIRECTOR
Welcome to the annual Boston University at Carnegie Hall concert! The School of Music at Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) was founded in 1872 and is the oldest degree-granting musical institution in the United States. CFA School of Music continues to build on its historical position as one of the nation’s premier schools of music by embracing excellence in performance as well as in musical composition, theory, music education, musicology, and ethnomusicology. CFA School of Music is also home to the renowned Opera Institute, one of the country’s preeminent training programs for emerging operatic performers.
This evening we celebrate the best among BU’s enormously talented students. Participants in this concert were selected during rigorous departmental and all-school competitions. They represent the dedication and energy of a faculty committed to the highest standards of musical performance.
I thank Michelle LaCourse, Associate Professor of Viola, who as Artistic Director for this concert provides both wisdom and experience in crafting an excellent program. Professor LaCourse serves as the Chair of Strings in the School of Music and is a tireless advocate for young talented musicians. Christopher Dempsey, Director of Production and Performance at the School of Music, was instrumental in arranging not only the logistics for tonight’s concert but also in providing the concept for the overall event. For their dedication and the hard work of the entire team, I am grateful.
I am fortunate to spend my days traveling the hallways of BU with the students you hear this evening. It is a pleasure to share the talent that surrounds me with all of you.
Michael Reynolds Director,
Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Music
PROGRAM
Syrinx, L. 129 Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Catherine Butler, flute
On this Island Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
I. Let the Florid Music Praise
IV. Nocturne
V. As It Is Plenty
Erin Matthews, soprano Ethan McGrath, piano
Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen,” WoO46 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Lily Uijin Gwak, cello Kyunga Lee, piano
Etude in F-sharp Minor Pius Cheung (1982-)
Yun-Chen Chou, marimba
~ Intermission ~
Phidylé Henri Duparc (1848-1933)
Le Manoire de Rosemonde
Libang Wang, baritone
Ethan McGrath, piano
Mi Bailaora David Salleras (1980-)
Ana Díaz Asencio, soprano saxophone
3 Movements from Petrushka, K12 Igor Stravinsky
III. La semaine grasse (1882-1971)
Alexandru Prigalo, piano
~ Thank you for joining us! ~
PERFORMERS
ANA DÍAZ ASENCIO (CFA’27)
DMA Saxophone, Studio of Kenneth Radnofsky
Born in Sevilla, Spain, Ana Díaz Asencio is a versatile saxophone player who embraces a colorful repertoire strongly influenced by her studies in Europe and the United States. Making her debut as soloist with orchestra at the age of 22, Ana has also soloed with the Gerena Concert Band and the “Clara Sonus” Sax Ensemble. Among the awards she has received, Ms. Díaz Asencio won 1st prize in the London International Competition (2023), Chamber Music Competition “José Gámez” (2022) and King’s Peak International Music Competition (2022). Ana was a recipient of the Boston Woodwind Society Scholarship in 2023. She graduated with her BM from the Sevilla Conservatory and an MM at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, receiving honors for her academic achievements. Ana is currently completing her DMA with the renowned saxophone player Ken Radnofsky at Boston University.
CATHERINE BUTLER (CFA’27)
DMA Flute, Studio of Linda Toote
Catherine Butler is a Michigan native and accomplished flutist with an MM in Flute Performance from Boston University (2023) and a Bachelor’s in Music Education and Flute Performance from Wayne State University. A finalist in the prestigious 44th James Pappoutsakis Memorial Flute Competition, Catherine was also the winner of the 2018-2019 Wayne State Concerto Competition. Currently based in the Boston area, she is building a vibrant freelance career of teaching and performing with ensembles such as the Du Bois Orchestra, New England Philharmonic, and Longwood Symphony. Catherine is also a regular summer performer with the Ohio Light Opera. Her international performance experience includes collaborations with the Wayne State Camerata in Italy and the International Symphony Orchestra in Sarnia, Canada. In addition to her orchestral work, she is an active chamber musician and frequent soloist, having performed with artists from the Detroit Opera House and the Ohio Light Opera, and in solo engagements with orchestras in both Detroit and Italy.
YUN-CHEN CHOU (CFA’27)
DMA Percussion, Studio of Samuel Solomon
Yun-Chen Chou is a Boston-based Taiwanese percussionist known for her dynamic artistry across classical, contemporary, and global music genres. Born in 1999, Chou began her musical journey at the age of 12 with the marimba. She is an awardwinning marimbist and percussionist, as well as a burgeoning drummer and steel pannist. Her talents have graced international stages, including the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Texas Music Educators Association, and the TAPS LA Music Festival,
where she collaborated on steel pan with Grammy-nominated composer and steel pannist Andy Akiho. An advocate for contemporary music, Chou frequently premieres innovative works and has recorded albums with the North Texas Wind Symphony under the baton of Eugene Corporon during the 2021-22 season. Chou’s artistic interests span diverse genres, from solo and chamber ensembles to film scoring orchestras, pop orchestras, musical theatre, opera, Balinese gamelan, and Brazilian bateria. She has performed in musical theatre productions such as Something Rotten! (drums) and Into the Woods (percussion). Chou is an active member of Gamelan Galak Tika, a Boston-based Balinese gamelan ensemble, and Grooversity, a Bostonbased Brazilian bateria group. Currently pursuing a DMA at Boston University, Ms. Chou holds an MM in Percussion Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and a BM in Percussion Performance from the University of North Texas.
LILY UIJIN GWAK (CFA’27)
DMA Cello, Studio of Michael Reynolds
Cellist Lily Gwak was born in South Korea and began her cello studies at the age of 7. Recognized for her exceptional talent from a young age, she performed with various orchestras in Korea and won prizes at prestigious domestic competitions, including the Buam Art Hall Competition and the Strad Competition. Lily also had a strong interest in chamber music and orchestral performance, participating in several events as part of a cello ensemble and performing in exchange concerts with Indiana University. After completing her undergraduate studies in Korea, Lily continued her studies at the New England Conservatory, where she earned a place on the Dean’s List every semester. During her studies, she had the opportunity to attend masterclasses with renowned cellists such as Laurence Lesser and Guy Johnston. Lily graduated from Seoul Arts High School, Korea National University of Arts (BM), and New England Conservatory (MM), having studied under Professors Kangho Lee and Lluis Claret.
KYUNGA LEE (CFA ‘27)
DMA Collaborative Piano, Studio of Shiela Kibbe
South Korean pianist Kyunga Lee is acclaimed for her refined artistry and versatility as a collaborative musician. Recent performance highlights include appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, the Rheingau and Seoul Spring Chamber Music festivals, and Music in PyeongChang. As a Collaborative Piano Fellow at the Yale School of Music, she has played in masterclasses for such luminaries as Augustin Hadelich, Hilary Hahn, and Steven Isserlis. A native of South Korea, Kyunga began her piano studies at the age of six. As a DMA candidate at Boston University under the mentorship of Shiela Kibbe, she is a recipient of a full-tuition College of Fine Arts Scholarship. Kyunga holds a Graduate Diploma and MM degree in Collaborative Piano from New England Conservatory, where she was honored with the Dean’s Scholarship, and a BM in Piano Performance from The Juilliard School.
PERFORMERS
ERIN MATTHEWS (CFA’27)
DMA Voice, Studio of Lynn Eustis
Praised by the Boston Globe for her “pristine timbre and expressive face,” Erin Matthews is a highly sought-after soprano and teacher in the Boston area. She has been seen locally with Enigma Chamber Opera, Guerilla Opera, and Promenade Opera Project, in roles including Flora (Turn of the Screw), Marzelline (Fidelio), Noémie (Cendrillon) and Despina (Così fan tutte). She performs regularly with Labyrinth Choir and Cappella Clausura, and she has been a featured soloist with Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, Quincy Choral Society, Trinity Church Copley Square, and Church of the Advent. A specialist of chanson, she has been a recitalist for French art song at the Boston MFA, Brookline Music School, and Boston College. Ms. Matthews received her BM in Voice Performance and BA in French from the University of North Texas, and her MM in Opera and Alexander Technique Certification from Boston Conservatory.
ETHAN MCGRATH (CFA’27)
DMA Collaborative Piano, Studio of Shiela Kibbe
Ethan McGrath is a composer, pianist, and organist based in Boston. He holds a BMus in Composition from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, an MM in Choral Studies from the University of Cambridge, and is presently working on his DMA in Collaborative Piano at Boston University. As a pianist, Ethan has served on the staff of the summer festival AIMS in Graz, Austria, and he maintains an active schedule of performances. For his compositions, Ethan has received awards from the Instytut Musica Sacra (Poland), Alfred Music, and the Southeastern Composers League, as well as commissions from the American Choral Directors Association, the New Consort, and the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. A selection of his works is in print with such publishers as Oxford University Press, Schott Music, and Beckenhorst Press.
ALEXANDRU PRIGALO (CFA’26)
DMA Piano, Studio of Pavel Nersessian
Known for his expressive interpretations and international acclaim, Alexandru was born in Chișinău, Moldova, where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts under Inna Hatipova. He made his orchestral debut as a teenager with the Philharmonic National Symphonic Orchestra of Chișinău. His performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with this orchestra continues to be frequently broadcast on Moldovan television. A decorated performer, he has won numerous competitions, including the Richmond Piano Competition (2024), the Golden Hands Award at the Carles & Sofia International Piano Competition (2021, 2023), and Second Prize at the Transylvanian International Piano Competition (2018). He holds
an MM from Boston University, studying with Pavel Nersessian, and a Postgraduate Concert Piano Soloist degree from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp under Sergio Tiempo and Polina Leschenko. Currently pursuing a DMA at Boston University, he is a champion of contemporary and Moldovan composers, bringing their works to audiences on the international stage through both performance and collaboration.
LIBANG WANG (CFA’26)
DMA Voice, Studio of James Demler
From Xiamen, China, baritone Libang Wang is pursuing a DMA at Boston University under the tutelage of James Demler. In 2023, he earned an MM in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Michael Meraw. He previously obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Xiamen University. Libang has performed as Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte for NEC’s Opera. Featured in other Mozart operas, he has also Così fan tutte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni. In 2023, he appeared as the baritone soloist in Gabriela Lena Frank’s Conquest Requiem with the NEC Philharmonia and Chorus at Symphony Hall, Boston for its East Coast premiere. He also appeared as the baritone soloist in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem with the BU Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Chorus in 2024.
OUR LEGACY, YOUR FUTURE.
OUR FACULTY & STAFF
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC (2024 - 2025)
Director, School of Music
Michael Reynolds
Associate Director, School of Music
Karin Hendricks
Athletic Bands/University Ensembles
Aaron Goldberg
Bassoon
Nancy Goeres
Margaret Phillips
Cello
Jean-Michel Fonteneau
Agnes Kim
Christine Lamprea
Michael Reynolds
Rhonda Rider
William Rounds
Owen Young
Clarinet
Barret Hamm
Kai-Yun Lu
Robert Patterson
Composition and Music Theory
Vartan Aghababian
Martin Amlin, Chair
Mark Berger
Deborah Burton
Richard Cornell
Joshua Fineberg
David Kopp
Rodney Lister
Ketty Nez
Len Tetta
Steven Weigt
John Wriggle
Jason Yust
Conducting
Jennifer Bill
Aaron Goldberg
Sarah Ioannides
Mark Miller
Daniel Parsley, Chair
Mariah Wilson
Double Bass
Carl Anderson*
Edwin Barker*
Benjamin Levy*
Todd Seeber*
Thomas Van Dyck*
Randall Zigler
Flute
Geralyn Coticone
Linda Toote
Harp
Franziska Huhn
Jessica Zhou*
Historical Performance
Aldo Abreu, Recorder
Sarah Freiberg, Baroque Cello
Gregory Ingles, Sackbut
Laura Jeppesen, Viola da Gamba
Christopher Krueger, Baroque Flute
Catherine Liddell, Lute
Robinson Pyle, Natural Trumpet
Gonzalo X. Ruiz, Baroque Oboe
Aaron Sheehan, Voice
Jane Starkman, Baroque Violin & Viola
Peter Sykes, Organ, Harpsichord
Horn
Hazel Dean Davis
Keyboard
Victor Cayres
Shiela Kibbe, Chair
Pavel Nersessian
Boaz Sharon
Jihye Chang Sung
Andrius Žlabys
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Michael Birenbaum Quintero, Chair
Leland Clarke
Victor Coelho
Brita Heimarck
Gregory Melchor-Barz
Duncan Reehl
Andrew Shenton
Jeremy Yudkin
Music Education
Kelly Bylica
Diana Dansereau, Chair
Ruth Debrot
André de Quadros
Andrew Goodrich
Karin Hendricks
Brian Kellum
Jeffrey Leonard
Rebecca Roesler
Lorenzo Sanchez-Gatt
Andrew Smith
Gareth Dylan Smith
Jacqueline Smith
Tawnya Smith
Kính T. Vũ
Oboe and English Horn
John Ferrillo*
Amanda Hardy
Mark McEwen
Andrew Price
Robert Sheena*
Nicholas Stovall
Opera Institute
Melodie Jeffrey-Cassell
Matthew Larson
William Lumpkin, Artistic Director
Noah Putterman
Nathan Troup
Allison Voth
Ryan Winkles
Percussion
Kyle Brightwell*
Tim Genis*
Samuel Solomon
Saxophone
Jennifer Bill
Kenneth Radnofsky
Staff Pianists
Anna Carr
Scott Koljonen
Siu Yan Luk
Jacob Lytehaven
Dahee Park
April Sun
Lorena Tecu
Trombone
Gabriel Rice
Don Lucas, Chair of Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion
Toby Oft*
Trumpet
Terry Everson
Bruce Hall
Tuba and Euphonium
Kenneth Amis
Mike Roylance*
Viola
Steven Ansell*
Daniel Doña
Samuel Kelder
Danny Kim*
Michelle LaCourse, Chair of Strings
Violin
Heather Braun
Lynn Chang
Rose Drucker
Bayla Keyes
Minju Kim
Lucia Lin*
Klaudia Szlachta
Peter Zazofsky
Voice
Jean Anderson-Collier
Penelope Bitzas
Thomas Cannon
James Demler
Lynn Eustis, Chair
David Guzmán
Aaron Sheehan
Douglas Sumi
Alison Trainer
Staff
Christopher Dempsey, Director of Production and Performance
Zachary M. Schwartz, Director of Admissions
Oshin Gregorian, Director of Opera Programs
Luis Javier Santiago Sierra, Director of University Ensembles
Sharif Mamoun, Assistant Director, Athletic Bands
Katharine Hurd, Ensembles Manager
Keith Orr, Business Manager
Barbara Raney, Assistant Director for Student Services
Ken Yanagisawa, Library Coordinator
Jewel Kim, Admissions Coordinator
Brenn Parker Fjeldsted, Administrative Coordinator, Production/Scheduling Office
Kira Ousey, Administrative Coordinator
Stone Washburn, Administrative Coordinator
Jenna Wang, Administrative Assistant
Anna Richardson, Stage Manager
* Member, Boston Symphony Orchestra
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & SYMPHONIC CHORUS
Daniel Parsley, Conductor
Sergio Savala, Countertenor
Leonard BERNSTEIN • Chichester Psalms
BOSTON UNIVERSITY WIND ENSEMBLE
Kenneth Amis, Conductor
Arnold ROSNER • Symphony No. 8, Op. 84, Trinity
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Sarah Ioannides, Conductor
Richard STRAUSS • Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & SYMPHONIC CHORUS
Sarah Ioannides, Conductor
Maurice RAVEL • Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No.2
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2025 7:30pm
SYMPHONY HALL 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 34,000 students, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes integral to the University’s research and teaching mission. In 2012, BU joined the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
Established in 1954, Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is a community of artist-scholars and scholar-artists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art. With programs in music, theatre, and visual arts, CFA prepares students for a meaningful creative life by developing their intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, and think broadly. CFA offers a wide array of precollege, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as a range of online degrees and certificates.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Founded in 1872, Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Music combines the intimacy and intensity of traditional conservatory-style training with a broad liberal arts education at the undergraduate level, and elective coursework at the graduate level. The school offers degrees in performance, conducting, composition and theory, musicology, music education, and historical performance, as well as artist and performance diplomas and a certificate program in its Opera Institute.
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