THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF MUSIC October 2017
Faculty NEWS The KU West African Drum Ensemble, directed by Dylan Bassett, percussion lecturer, was selected as the winner of the Percussive Arts Society’s World Percussion Ensemble Competition. The ensemble will perform at the society’s international convention in November in Indianapolis. The Percussive Arts Society selects just one high school or college world percussion ensemble to showcase a year, making it a national honor to be chosen. Bassett was also named among the top five Teachers in Higher Education in the 2017 Best of Lawrence magazine. Joyce Castle, University Distinguished Professor of Voice, performed the role of Mme. Armfeldt (pictured left) in Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music this summer at the Des Moines Metro Opera.
In May, New Morse Code, composed of Hannah Collins, assistant professor of cello, and Michael Compitello, assistant professor of percussion, premiered Alex Weiser’s And All the Days Were Purple, a song cycle for singer Eliza Bagg and small ensemble, at Brooklyn’s Roulette. In June, the duo performed music of Robert Honstein and Christopher Stark at the Geneva (NY) Music Festival. The duo worked as co-directors for Avaloch Farm Music Institute, a residency for professional chamber ensembles and composer/performer collaborations in Boscawen, New Hampshire, and in the summer served as resident directors. In August, Michael Davidson, associate professor of trombone, taught at the 2017 Jeonju Trombone Camp in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Br andon Dr aper, a lecturer in jazz percussion, travelled throughout Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Colorado
this summer with his company Drum Safari. The tour engaged with more than 7,000 children and adults at libraries, community centers and festivals. The company’s performance in Vail and Minturn, Colorado was featured in an article by the Vail Daily. Drum Safari is a children’s interactive music edu-tainment company that Draper and his wife Teryn started more than 10 years ago. Pictured above is a photo of Draper at a library show. The KU Women’s Chorale, conducted by Mariana Far ah, associate director of choral activities, was selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association Southwest Division Conference in March in Oklahoma City. The choir is composed of 24 to 30 women who specialize in music for treble voices.
Cover Photo: The KU West African Drum Ensemble, pictured above at the 18th Annual Collage Concert on Sept. 15, was selected as the winner of the Percussive Arts Society’s World Percussion Ensemble Competition. The ensemble will perform at the society’s international convention in November.
QuickNotes - October 2017 - music.ku.edu