in Perfect Harmony

Unveiling Briley Recital Hall Transformation and Dedication of Performance Space Celebrated with Piano Duet Concert

The Dedication & Celebration

Aproject which has been on the wish list for far too long was completed this spring to spectacular aplomb. The Recital Hall in Daniel Hall was in great need of some care. When the National Association of Schools of Music requested our recital hall to be handicapped accessible and up to a higher standard, the work began in earnest. In July demolition of parts of the Recital Hall filled several dumpsters. Workers gutted the space, bids were let, and construction was underway for a beautiful new small recital hall. The recital hall was transformed from an awkward, drab space to a performance venue the university can be proud of.

James and Nell Briley were known by residents of Henderson, North Carolina as true community leaders. A visionary in the automotive industry, Mr. Briley served as president and secretary of Eveready Chevrolet Co., Inc. of Henderson and executive vice president of Bricker LincolnMercury, Inc. of Hollywood, California. He is past president of both the Henderson Kiwanis Club and Henderson Shrine Club. Mr. and Mrs. Briley were active members of the First Baptist Church in Henderson.

As a former Board of Visitor member and Trustee, the Brileys expressed their dedication to Chowan University and the education of young people through the establishment of the James Lawson Briley Friends of Teacher Education Scholarship. Their love for Chowan University permeated to their only child, Linda Briley Weaver, pictured above with President and Mrs. White.

Linda has made Chowan University her heart and passion. She has served Chowan as a Trustee for nearly 20 years, is a member of the Executive Committee, and is chair of the Friends of Teacher Education Board of Directors. Like her parents, her desire is to provide opportunities for young people to succeed in life, to grow spiritually, and to enhance their lives through the joys of music.

As work neared completion, one question remained. What would we call the newly revamped recital space? The fulfillment of such an undertaking called for a proper and befitting name. Linda Weaver chose to honor the memory of her parents through the dedication of the new Briley Recital Hall.

Concert space completed and name in hand, Chowan University set out to plan a party to celebrate both the completion and naming of Briley Hall. Special effort was given to making sure the dedicatory fete reflected the personalities of the individuals being honored and the grandness of the occasion. A stirring Piano Duet concert was held on Friday, March 20, 2015 with reception following.

The Piano Duo

The Hwang-Wan Piano Duo was formed in early 2010, when pianists ChiHee Hwang and Agnes Wan were both faculty members at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. The duo has performed on the Signature Series and Nightcap Series at the Blair School of Music, and on the Sondheim Chamber Music Series at the Sondheim Center for Performing Arts, Fairfield Arts and Convention Center in Fairfield, Iowa. Other recitals have been given at the University of Tennessee and the Steinway Piano Gallery of Nashville, to name a few. Despite the distance, the partners intend to continue their periodic collaborations in years to come.

Guest Artist ChiHee Hwang has performed solo and chamber recitals in Korea and the United States, featuring advanced repertoire such as Béla Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. In addition to her collaboration with Agnes Wan, she has been sought after particularly in the area of duo piano performances, partnering with other prominent pianists in Tennessee, such as Jama Reagan and Patricia Carter.

Hwang is currently a Senior Artist Teacher at the Blair School of Music in Vanderbilt University, where she has been on the full-time faculty since 2005. She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Hanyang University – a top music school in Seoul, Korea, and a second Master of Music degree from the University of Tennessee.

Agnes Wan joined Chowan University in the fall of 2014. A Steinway Artist since 2013, the Hong Kong native has been hailed as a “big pianist, big musician, big potential.” She has given solo recitals in fifteen states, the District of Columbia, Canada, France, and Hong Kong. Most recently, she was selected through a worldwide audition to give a solo recital on the “Pianists of the World” Series at the prestigious St. Martinin-the-Fields in London, United Kingdom in September 2015.

Wan holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa and an Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music. She also studied at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Loyola University New Orleans, where she obtained undergraduate and master’s degrees in piano performance and music therapy.

Once Upon a Lifetime Chowan Choir to Perform at Carnegie Hall

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice...or you could go with Chowan University.

Few musicians, even those of the highest caliber, ever expect to see the view looking out over the footlights to a packed audience at Carnegie Hall in New York City. It’s a dream come true, the chance of a lifetime for the small group of Chowan students and local singers who are scheduled to take the stage on the afternoon of February 13, 2016.

“It’s an absolutely wonderful opportunity,” beamed Aaron Rice, Assistant Professor of Music and Choral Director for Chowan University. “We couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Rice has been teaching and directing the University’s various vocal ensembles since his arrival in the fall of 2013, including the Chowan Chorus, Chowan Singers, and Cantare. This opportunity arrived, in part, thanks to Aaron’s involvement. The invitation came by way of Rice’s long-time mentor and friend, a professional conductor who regularly leads concert performances on the Carnegie Hall stage. The Chowan University choir, along with a small group of local supporters who will lend their vocal talents, will join with nearly two hundred other accomplished musicians to present John Rutter’s Magnificat.

“It will be entirely different compared to what our students are accustomed,” mused Rice. “To be part of such a large ensemble, to participate in and be surrounded by such a full sound, and in a hall with such storied history. It will not be the usual performance experience.”

Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891, Carnegie Hall is one of the most prestigious venues in the world. More than 46,000 events have taken place in Carnegie Hall’s three auditoriums since its opening 1891. Please join us in offering our congratulations to the Chowan student and community performers who will be joining their ranks. We wish them the best of luck.

Music Students Garner National Recognition

Two students from the Chowan University Department of Music have been selected to perform with the 2015 National Small-College Intercollegiate Band to be held March 25-28 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.

Junior Music Education major Nick Gaffney (saxophone) of Waldorf, MD has been fully accepted to perform with the ensemble, while fellow Junior Music Education major McKaela Lane (bassoon) of Knotts Island, NC is recognized as an alternate.

“Quite simply, this is the musician’s equivalent of earning a position on the NCAA All-American College Football team,” said Michael Butrico, director of bands at Chowan.

The general spirit and mission of the SCIB is to provide highly talented students from band programs at 4-year universities with fewer than 5000 students the opportunity to perform high quality literature at the College Band Directors National Association’s National Conference under a renowned conductor. This is truly a significant achievement when one considers that 70% of all postsecondary universities in the United States have enrollment of fewer than 5000 students!

This is only the second time that a student of Chowan University has been selected. Current senior Music Education major Vaughn Byrd (trombone) of Stafford, VA was a 2013 participant.

Congratulations to Nick Gaffney and McKaela Lane for their recognition and outstanding achievement!

Jim Guthrie Wins Composer Award

Associate Professor of Music James Guthrie, pictured above, has been chosen as an ASCAP Plus Award recipient. The awards, made by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, reflect its continuing commitment to assist and encourage ASCAP composers. Awards are granted by an independent panel and are based upon the unique prestige value of each writer’s catalog of original compositions as well as recent performances in areas not surveyed by the Society.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has a membership association of more than 500,000 American composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers of every kind of music. Through agreements with affiliated international societies, it also represents hundreds of thousands of music creators worldwide.

The National Association for Music Education gave Chowan the 2013-2014 North Carolina Chapter of Excellence Award after competing against every public and private university in the state for the honor.