THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF MUSIC march 2018
Faculty NEWS
In December, Joyce Castle, a University Distinguished Professor of Voice, performed “LENNY! A Toast to Bernstein on the Eve of His Centennial” at the Off-Broadway Theater Company Urban Stages. Castle shared songs, stories and memories of the composer and was accompanied by Ted Taylor on piano. She is pictured with KU Opera alumnae Amy Cahill, Annalize Sussman and Holly White. Abbey Dvor ak, assistant professor of music therapy and music education, and Sherrie Tucker, professor of American Studies, published the paper “The Adaptive Use Musical Instrument (AUMI): A Useful App for Inclusive Practice” in the Technology and Interactive Media edition of Imagine. Former KU graduate student, Borin
(Leanna) Kim and Dvorak had the paper “Music Therapy and Intimacy Behaviors of Hospice Family Caregivers in South Korea: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial” accepted for publication in the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy.
In January, KU hosted “A KUCentennial: The Musical Theater of Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990),” which featured keynote speakers Paul Laird, professor of musicology, and Elizabeth Wells, Mount Allison University professor of music. The event brought back KU musicology alumnus: Erica K. Argyropoulos, Ph.D ’08, presented “Breaking New Ground: Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story, and the Opening of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s Mann Auditorium;” Anthony Bushard, Ph.D ’03, presented “Upper Dubbing Revisited: Towards a Restored Version of Leonard Bernstein’s On the the Waterfront;” and William Everett, Ph.D ‘91, presented “Candide and the Politics of Operetta.”
Pictured left to right are Wells, Laird, Argyropoulos, Everett and Bushard. Other KU faculty and student presenting at the conference included: Scott Murphy, professor of music theory, on “Bernstein quasi Berg: Techniques of Twelve-Tone Ordering in the ‘Kaddish’ Symphony;” Martin Nedbal, assistant professor of musicology on “Exoticism and the Broadway Musical in the ‘City of Waltzes’: Ethnic Conflict in the 1968 West Side Story Production at the Vienna Volksoper;” Colin Roust, assistant professor of musicology, on “Bernstein and Mahler at the New York Philharmonic;” Roberta Freund Schwartz, associate professor of musicology on “Bernstein and the Blues;” and Dorothy Glick Maglione, doctoral student in musicology, on “American Dream to American Icon: The Bernstein Family and the Immigrant Experience.”
Paul W. Popiel, director of bands, conducted the Northeast Kansas Music Educators Association high school allregion band in December at Blue
Cover Photo: At a rehersal on Feb. 17, doctoral student Brooke Humfeld conducted the KU Wind Ensemble in “Stomp,” which she transcribed for wind ensemble, in front of the legendary composer John Corigliano (far right), who was visiting the KU School of Music as part of his 80th birthday celebration.
QuickNotes - March 2018
Valley High School. He also conducted the Arkansas Region V high school all-region band in Jonesboro, on the campus of Arkansas State University. Popiel is pictured (left to right) with Arkansas State Director of Bands Tim Oliver, director of the Marching Jayhawks from 2000 to 2003; and Sar ah Labovitz, DMA ‘12 in wind conducting. Popiel also gave clinics to the Free State High School Wind Ensemble, Jonesboro (Arkansas) High School and Valley View Middle School (Arkansas). Br ad Osborn, assistant professor of music theory, presented his paper “Longing, and the Subdominant Tritone in Film and Television Music” at the joint meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Musicological Societies in Auckland, New Zealand. The paper analyzes and catalogues over 80 examples of a particular interval that connotes heightened emotional states in recent movies and TV shows. Osborn is pictured with the Aukland Harbor in the background.
Ellen Sommer, piano lecturer and third from left, performed at the Montgomery Arts House in Malibu, Hawaii in January in a program titled “Musicians of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.” Sommer performed and is pictured with Laura Hamilton, violinist and concertmaster of the NYC’s Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Lanny Paykin, cellist; along with resident artists Scott Hosfeld, violist and Maria Newman, violinist. Ketty Wong, associate professor of ethnomusicology, taught a 32-hour graduate seminar on Ecuadorian music within the Master’s Program of Musical Interpretation at the Universidad Espíritu Santo of Guayaquil in January. The course was attended by 36 musicians and teachers from the symphony orchestras and conservatories in Ecuador.
In February, Matt Otto, assistant director of jazz studies, performed in two of Los Angeles’ most famous jazz clubs: The Baked Potato and the Blue Whale. He also taught a master class at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).
In January, Forrest Pierce, associate professor of music composition, was composer-in-residence with Dan Forrest, DMA ‘06, and Carter Pann at Trinity University for the contemporary festival “A Celebration of Living Composers.” Pierce coached student and faculty ensembles as they performed choral and vocal works from his recent catalog, and lectured on his music. Hosting the event was Brian Bondari, DMA ‘06 in composition, who is an associate professor of composition at Trinity. Steven Spooner, professor of piano, made recital appearances and gave master classes at some of the most renowned music schools including Rice, Colburn, Indiana and Northwestern universities and The Julliard School. Reviews for his 16-volume Dedications box set continue to appear, the latest in American Record Guide, which noted “Such a breadth and variety of difficult pieces made me wonder at first if this (Dedications box set) was a hoax. But, no, the DVD proves that Steven Spooner is the real deal, a pianist of apparently limitless raw technique that’s almost note perfect” and goes on to state “He might be the best faculty pianist I’ve heard.”
Stephanie Zelnick, associate professor of clarinet, recently performed and taught master classes at Yale University, the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s XV Festival del Clarinete, Rutgers University’s Woodwind Day, and the Louisiana Clarinet Symposium, among other appearances.
Student NEWS Crystal Buck, a doctoral student in musicology and opera, presented a paper at Curating Resistance: Punk as Archival Method, a conference held at the University of California, Los Angeles on February 9 and 10. Her paper was “Lights, Camera, Punk: Punk Rock in Film as a Reflection of Changing Punk Rock Youth Culture in the United States.” Emma Piazza, an undergraduate student in music composition, was accepted to the Cortona Sessions in Italy and won a Koch Cultural Trust grant for $2,000, which will help fund her the residency in Italy. Gretchen Pille, a master’s student in voice and opera, received the Friends of Opera Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council District auditions in Lincoln, Nebraska in January. Pille is a student of Joyce Castle, a University Distinguished Professor of Voice. Nick Shaheed, an undergraduate student in music theory, music composition and computer science, was accepted to New Music on the Point’s summer 2018 program in Lake Dunmore, Vermont. He was also accepted to the So Percussion workshop in Princeton, New Jersey.
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Reno Wilson, an undergraduate student in voice and opera, received the Gary Jones Memorial Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council District auditions in Lincoln, Nebraska. Wilson is a student of John Stephens, professor of voice. At the MTNA West Central Division Competition in Iowa City, Iowa in January, Trio Soave — which includes (pictured left) Hilary Lowery, a clarinet performance master’s student of Stephanie Zelnick; Shulin Guo, a piano performance doctoral student of Scott McBride Smith; and Zhaolin Wang, a viola performance doctoral student of Boris Vayner — received first place in the MTNA Chamber Music Strings Competition. Malcolm Liu, a junior piano performance student of Scott McBride Smith, received first place in the MTNA Young Artist - Piano Competition. The students will compete in the National Finals this March in Orlando.
KU Percussion Studio members recorded marimba etudes by Mark Ford for publication on Vic Firth Drumsticks’ internationally esteemed website. The ten percussionists — Jonathan Trudeau, Daichi Tadokoro, Nicholas Wright, Chloe Smith, Johnathon Westcott, Alex Alfaro, Theo Musick, Tanner Lynn, Lauren Molloy, and Tai-Jung TsaiJackson — recorded as part of Vic Firth’s ongoing project to highlight talented young performers while offering “reference” recordings of standard marimba literature. The videos can be watched online.
ALUMNI NEWS Brian Mathias, DMA in organ performance ‘12, was appointed as a Tabernacle organist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mathias joins a long line of distinguished musicians who have served as organists on Temple Square, continuing a tradition that stretches back to early pioneer days. The renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir organists are key members of the choir’s musical family as they bring the sound of the iconic Tabernacle organ to life for tens of thousands of fans throughout
the world. The organists perform in daily organ recitals as well as performances with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in telecasts, recordings, tours, concerts and other appearances. It has been ten years since auditions were held for a Tabernacle organist. As such, Mathias joins an elite group of organists. While at KU, Mathias studied organ with James Higdon, Dane and Polly Bales Professor of Organ, and Elizabeth Berghout, associate professor of carillon and organ. Br ad Walker, MM in voice and opera performance ‘12, was named the Rocky Mountain Region winner for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in January. He will go on to compete in the national semi-finals at the Metropolitan Opera in April.
IN MEMORY Kerry Gotschall, MM in voice performance ‘09, passed away in her sleep on Dec. 22, 2017 at her home in Bronx, New York. Gotschall was a student of Joyce Castle, a University Distinguished Professor of Voice. She taught music at The Stanwich School in Greenwich, Connecticut while also teaching voice and piano to students privately in the area. She maintained a professional performing schedule with Connecticut Lyric Opera, Bronx Opera, Greve Music Festival in Chianti, Italy, Opera Dell’Arte, Seagle Music Festival and Lyric Opera Kansas City.
Upcoming Events MARCH MAR. 26 FACUTLY RECITAL SERIES: Matt Otto, saxophone 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall MAR. 27 FACULTY RECITAL SERIES: Joyce Castle, mezzo-soprano 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall MAR. 29
KU TUBA EUPHONIUM CONSORT 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
MAR. 31
VISITING ARTIST SERIES: Molly Barth, flute 3 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
APRIL APR. 4
KU PERCUSSION GROUP 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
APR. 5
LIED CENTER PRESENTS: KU JAZZ ENSEMBLE I with Anat Cohen, clarinet and saxophone* 7:30 p.m. | Lied Center
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APR. 6 VISITING ARTIST SERIES: Craig Rutenberg, Opera Gala with KU Music Students 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall APR. 6
KU PERCUSSION GROUP featuring the music of Robert Honstein 7:30 p.m. | Cider Gallery
APR. 7 FACULTY RECITAL SERIES: Michael Kirkendoll, piano 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital hall APR. 8 KU CHORAL FESTIVAL: The Joy of Singing 3 p.m. | Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts free admission but tickets required see kauffmancenter.org or (816)994-7222 APR. 8 HELIANTHUS CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall APR. 9 VISITING ARTISTS: Kansas City Lyric Opera Resident Artists 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall APR. 10
KU CHOIRS: Chamber Singers 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
APR. 12
WORLD PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
APR. 18 CHANCELLOR’S CONCERT: KU WIND ENSEMBLE & JAZZ ENSEMBLE I Kennedy Center Preview: Freedom From Fear 7:30 p.m. | Lied Center | Free APR. 23 KU JAZZ COMBOS 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall APR. 24
KU TROMBONE CHOIR 5 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
APR. 24
KU SAXOPHONE QUARTETS 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
APR. 26
KU UNIVERSITY BAND & JAZZ ENSEMBLES II & III* 7:30 p.m. | Lied Center
MAY MAY 1
KU OPERA WORKSHOP 3:30 p.m. | Baustian Theatre
MAY 1
KU CHOIRS: BALES CHORALE 7:30 p.m. | Bales Organ Recital Hall
MAY 1
KU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA* 7:30 p.m. | Lied Center
MAY 2 KU CHOIRS: Concert Choir & Women’s Chorale 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall MAY 3 KU OPERA WORKSHOP 7:30 p.m. | Baustian Theatre MAY 3 KU SYMPHONIC BAND* 7:30 p.m. | Lied Center MAY 5 KU SAXOPHONE STUDIO 9 a.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
All events subject to change. Please visit music.ku.edu for the latest event information. Admission is free unless otherwise noted. * Tickets available at the Lied Center Ticket Office. Concert will be live streamed. Live stream updates available here.
APR. 27 TONAL MODEL COMPOSITION CONCERT 7:30 pm. | Swarthout Recital Hall APR. 29
INTERGENERATIONAL CHOIR 2:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall
APR. 29 KU WIND ENSEMBLE & JAZZ ENSEMBLE I World Premiere of Freedom From Fear 3 p.m. | The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. |$25 Tickets available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, charge by phone at (202)467-4600 or kennedy-center.org.
KU MUSIC ALUMNI - SEND US YOUR NEWS Land a new job or finish that Ph.D? We want to hear about the great work our alumni are doing in the world of music. Send your music related news to musicnews@ku.edu. QuickNotes - March 2018