THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Summer 2019
Faculty NEWS
In April DownBeat Magazine named the KU Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Dan Gailey, the best graduate college large jazz ensemble in the country in its 42nd Annual DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards issue. DownBeat also recognized Alex Annan, a master’s student in jazz composition from Omaha, Nebraska. Annan’s big band jazz arrangement “Ima” was awarded DownBeat’s Graduate College Outstanding Arrangement. Under Gailey’s leadership, the KU Jazz Studies Program has received 27 DownBeat Student Music Awards since 1992. Earlier in April, the KU Jazz Ensemble I performed in the 49th Annual Next Generation Jazz Festival. Drummer Vaughn Craddock was named one of five outstanding soloists in the College Big Band Division. Presented by the Monterey Jazz Festival, the event brought together more than 1,300 of the nation’s top middle school, high school and college student musicians. The KU Jazz Ensembl I was one of six collegiate big bands internationally selected to perform. Photo credit: Cole Thompson. Cover Photo: This spring, the KU School of Music collaborated with KU Theatre for the production of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The opera was directed by John Stephens, professor of voice, and featured the KU Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Carolyn Watson, director of orchestral activities. Pictured above are students Sarah Hennessey as Tytania, Zachary Cope as Oberon, and Sarah Stockton, far right, as Puck. Photo credit: Luke Jordan.
Joyce Castle, University Distinguished Professor of Voice, traveled to Boston to perform in Odyssey Opera’s production of Richard Strauss’ Die Aegiptische Helena in a production at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. She performed the role of The Omniscient Seashell. She is pictured third from left. Jacob M. Dakon, associate professor of music education, gave a presentation entitled “PreBowing Exercises: Navigating the Awkward Steps between Pizzicato and Détaché” at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference in San Antonio on February 16. He also served as an adjudicator for the American String Teachers Association National Orchestra Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico from March 6 to 9.
QuickNotes - Summer 2019 - music.ku.edu
Members of the trombone trio DREI BONES — Michael Davidson, associate professor of trombone, Tim Howe, University of Missouri associate professor of trombone, and J Mark Thompson, professor of music at Northwestern State University of Louisana — released their second CD, Of Hammer Gold, on the Emeritus label. The CD features several commissions of new works written specifically for the group by composers James Mobberely, John Cheetham, Paul Seitz, Tom Davis and Sy Brandon, along with newer works by composers/trombonists Marc Lys and PJ Kelley, and older standards by Eugene Bozza, Samuel Scheidt, and Vladislav Blazhevich. Six premiere recordings are on this CD. DREI BONES was formed in 2015, has performed at the International Trombone Festival and the American Trombone Workshop, many regional brass and trombone workshops and festivals, and is committed to performing and recording new music for trombone trio. Of Hammered Gold is available on CD as well as on iTunes, CD Baby, and other similar commercial sites. Abbey Dvor ak, assistant professor of music therapy and music education, was elected to the Assembly of Delegates, the legislative and policy-making body of the American Music Therapy Association. She will serve a two-year term from 2020-2021. Dvorak was invited to the AMTA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference in March and presented: “Models for Engaging Music Therapy Undergraduate Students in Faculty Research: From Individual Mentorship to Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences” and “Developing Research Skills within the Music Therapy Undergraduate Curriculum: Engaging Students in the ‘Real Work’ of Research.” In April, Dvorak presented “Mindfulness in the Schools: An Interdisciplinary Project Integrating Yoga, Meditation, and Music” at the AMTA Midwestern Regional Conference. Dvorak, along with undergraduate music therapy students Julia Davis, Gabriella Bernard and Riley Beveridge-Calvin, presented the poster: “A Systematic Review of Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE): Implications for Music Therapy Education and Training.” Deanna HansonAbromeit, associate professor of music therapy, received the K. Barbara Schowen Undergraduate Research Mentor Award at the 22nd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. The award is named after a professor emeritus of chemistry whose efforts to promote undergraduate research at KU led to the development of the Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Undergraduate Research Awards. Hanson-Abromeit will receive $1,000 for the award. She is pictured with K. Barbara Schowen, the namesake of the award.
Steve Leisring, professor of trumpet, was a featured guest at the CIMVO Trumpet Festival in Valencia, Spain in April. He performed Allen Vizzutti’s Mystic Warriors for two trumpets and band with Dai Zhonghui, professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Leisring is pictured with the five 2019 CIMVO guests trumpet artists (left to right): Jose Chafer, internationally renowned soloist; Leisring; Zhonghui; Adan Delgado, principal of the National Orchestra of Spain; and Ismael Bethancourt, principal of Spain’s Grand Canary Philharmonic. Leisring also was a guest professor at two conservatories in Spain. Br ad Osborn, assistant professor of music theory, was an invited colloquium speaker at both Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He presented a paper called “Hearing Music Videos: Popular Music in the Post-MTV Era” to packed rooms of captivated students, faculty and community members. Paul Popiel, director of bands, had a productive spring semester on sabbatical. One of the highlights was a visit to United Kingdom with a week-long teaching residency working with brass bands, wind bands, and conducting students at the University of Salford, and a professional development day leading a rehearsal for the Band of the Welsh Guards in St. James, London. The Band of the Welsh Guards, led by Major David Barringer and Bandmaster David Hatton, is one of five Household Division bands stationed in Central London that support the troops protecting the Royal family at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. The bands play ceremonial functions, public concerts, radio and television performances, and more. Each of the bands rehearses at the monumental Wellington Barracks, opened in 1833 across the street from Buckingham Palace. During his session, Popiel focused on a reading rehearsal of Morton Gould’s Symphony No. 4 West Point, a work he chose for its obvious connections with military bands, and one he hoped would provide the players with musical challenges they do not often face in their daily work. Also during the semester-long sabbatical, Popiel attended the American Bandmasters Association in Loveland, Colorado; did a week-long residency teaching the bands at the Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii; conducted the South Dakota High School All-State Band and Intercollegiate Band; gave a rehearsal clinic to the Manger Folkehøgsküle brass band that was visiting Salford from Bergen, Norway; served as an adjudicator for the Colorado Bandmasters State festival
QuickNotes - Summer 2019 - music.ku.edu
in Fort Collins, Colorado; and gave rehearsal clinics at Olathe South High School, Free State High School, Southwest Middle School, Liberty High School (Iowa City, Iowa) and Winterset High School (Iowa). At the International Double Reed Society Conference in Granada, Spain in September, Margaret Marco, professor of oboe, performed the world premiere of a work by Bryan Kip Ha aheim, professor of music composition. Haaheim composed his four-movement work, entitled Circular Ruins, for oboe, percussion and electronics. Jason Slote performed percussion and electronics at the premiere. On the same recital were the works Moguls, by Ben Justis, DMA ’19 in music composition, Humorada No. 4 by Costa Rican composer Sergio Delgado and Romanza by Costa Rican composer Vinicio Meza. Isabel Jeremias, professor of bassoon at the University of Costa Rica, and Yamileth Perez-Mora, professor of clarinet at the University of Costa Rica, also performed during the conference recital. Moguls and Humorada No. 4 were composed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the partnership between the University of Kansas and the University of Costa Rica and were performed by Marco, Jeremias and Perez-Mora at a celebration of the anniversary held in Costa Rica in 2018. Pictured above is Marco, far right, with colleagues at the International Double Reed Society Conference. In May Roberta Freund Schwartz, associate professor of musicology, presented a paper entitled “The Honeydipper as Chameleon: The Many Faces of Roosevelt Sykes,” at the Annual Conference for Recorded Sound Collections in Portland, Oregon. Schwartz was also elected secretary of the Association of Recorded Sound Collections. In March, Daniel Velasco, assistant professor of flute, traveled to Puerto Rico to perform and teach at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música de Puerto Rico in San Juan and Escuela Especializada Libre de Música de Ponce where he had the opportunity to establish connections with flute faculty at each school. Velasco is pictured above holding a poster promoting his visit.
At the 45th Annual Employee Recognition Ceremony on May 8, faculty and staff were recognized for their years of service at the university. They include: Paul Laird, 25 years; Paul Stevens, 20 years; Amar a Simons, 15 years; Eric Stomberg, 15 years; Paul Tucker, 15 years; Br andon Dr aper, 10 years; Laur a McCorkill, 10 years; Terri Morris, 10 years; Scott McBride Smith, 10 years; Michael Kirkendoll, five years; Christine Metz Howard, five years; Vincent Mryk alo, five years; and Colin Roust, five years. Also, during the ceremony, Rita Riley, director of undergraduate student services, was recognized as the KU Employee of the Month for October. Congratulations to four faculty members who were awarded promotion and tenure, which will take effect at the start of the upcoming academic year. They include: Stephanie Zelnick, professor of clarinet, Abbey Dvor ak, associate professor of music therapy, Martin Nedbal, associate professor of musicology, and Br ad Osborn, associate professor of music theory.
2019 FACULTY AWARDS 2019 OUTSTANDING FACULTY TEACHING AWARD Debr a Hedden 2019 OUTSTANDING FACULTY RESEARCH AWARD Forrest Pierce
Student NEWS Elizabeth Phillips, oboe performance and psychology major, was a finalist in the 2019 T. Gordon Parks Collegiate Concerto Competition which is sponsored by the Arapahoe Philharmonic in Arapahoe, Colorado. Phillips was invited to compete in the final round of the competition after submitting a recording. She performed Concerto for Oboe, Op. 45 by Eugene Goossens. More than 26 music therapy students presented at KU’s 22nd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at the Kansas Union on April 27. Of the more than 300 students who presented, 36 presentations received Outstanding Presentation Awards. The award winners received $50 and were recognized at the Symposium Banquet. Five music therapy students, all mentored by Deanna HansonAbromeit, associate professor of music, received Outstanding Presentation Awards: Julia Davis for the presentation “Quality of Life Parameters for Three Medically Complex Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.” Abria Fisher, Kena Flood and Sar ah Morrill for the presentation “The Developmental Function of Music for Adolescence Ages 13-18 Years.” Brian Locascio for the presentation “Music & Harm – A Preventative Model for Premature Infants in the NICU.”
QuickNotes - Summer 2019 - music.ku.edu
In May, current and former students traveled to Lawrence’s sister city Eutin, Germany to participate in the Classical Beats Music Festival, including students pictured above Murphy Smith, Hilary Lowery, Alex Fr ank and Lianna Bartlett as well as alumni K ai Ono, BM ‘17 in music composition and piano; Brian Scarborough, BM ‘13 in trombone performance and Doug Perry, MM ‘12 in percussion performance. On May 5, the Xi Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia held its annual American Music Recital, which included choral and instrumental works and accompanied the talents of KU Men’s Glee and the Beta Beta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota. These groups combined to perform pieces such as For Spacious Skies, She Walks in Beauty, My Girl and For the Longest Time. Individuals in these ensembles also had the opportunity to engage in solo and small group work and show off talents that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
2019 STUDENT AWARDS E. THAYER GASTON AWARD Brian Locascio MARCUS E. HAHN AWARD Courtney Marie Nottingham CARL AND FRANCES HAVEN PREYER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING GRADUATING PIANIST Guobi Malcolm Liu CARL AND FRANCES HAVEN PREYER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING GRADUATING VOCALIST Michaela C. Mack SIGMA ALPHA IOTA SCHOLASTIC AWARD Whitney Michelle Wells 2019 ANTHONY CIUS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING STUDENT COMPOSER AT KU Fr ank Charles Steen Nawrot EUGENE AND MARY MINGLE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE MUSIC THEORY & MUSIC COMPOSITION STUDENT Lauren Molloy ROBERT E. FOSTER PRIZE FOR THE MOST OUTSTANDING WIND BAND WORK BY A RESIDENT KU COMPOSITION STUDENT Benjamin Justis SANDRA KELLER DAUGHERTY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING GRADUATE CHORAL CONDUCTING Ryan Welker
On May 16, the Kappa Chapter of the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society inducted its newest members. They are pictured with faculty: Dean Robert Walzel, Nicholas Good, Dorothy Glick Maglione, Mark Stotler, Benjamin Dominguez, Thar ach Wuthiwan, Tianna Smith, Ben Justis, Jennifer Potter, Emily Rossin, Shayla Van Hal, Sar ah Hennessey, Evan Edwards, Emma Piazza, Jonathan Young, Alex Schneider, Assistant Professor Colin Roust, Assistant Professor Ingrid Stölzel, Assistant Professor Hannah Collins, Associate Professor Jacob Dakon, Sabrina Jacobs, and Professor Julia Broxholm. Inductees not picture are Amelia Davidson, Nathan Dame, Julia Davis and Brett Keating.
EDWARD AND NANCY MATTILA ELECTRONIC MUSIC COMPOSITION AWARD Shelby Scott DICK WRIGHT JAZZ AWARD Alexander Jeffrey Fr ank ELIZABETH AND MORTON GREEN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE KANSAS UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Krista Halbleib William Foss HARRY AND JESSIE JACOBS PRIZE IN MUSIC Whitney Michelle Wells
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 - Summer 2019 - music.ku.edu
Alumni NEWS
Lauryn (Reid) Moscon, MM ’17 in voice performance, has been offered an internship in the educational and community outreach program with the Houston Grand Opera. This summer she will be singing the role of Agnes Sorel in Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans, with the Russian Opera Workshop. Performances are at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
Brian Allred, DMA ‘18 in flute performance, won first place and best performance of a commissioned work in the Texas Flute Society’s Myrna Brown Competition.
Mark Sweeney, DMA ’18 in trombone performance, has been hired as a trombone professor at the University of Idaho for the 2019-20 academic year.
Brock Chart, MM ’17 in music composition, composed music for The Museum of Modern Art short film The Imax of the 1890s, which was released in May and broadcast on BBC. The 11-minute film explores the early history of cinema. Soprano Etta Fung, DMA ‘15 in voice performance, performed the role of Keiko in Elena Langer and David Pountney’s Beauty and Sadness, which had its world premiere with the Hong Kong Lyric Theater. A review noted “in a work whose success depends as much on acting as singing, Fung not just held her own in this rather exalted company but created a complex character out of whole cloth. If her career continues to develop, this may be remembered as her breakout role.”
Paulina Wu Leisring, DMA ’06 in piano performance, was featured on the CD Eternal Gratitude by trombonist Domingo Paglicua, an international performing artist from Venezuela and member of the Boston Brass. The CD was recorded in Swarthout Recital Hall in January with Brock Babcock, KU recording engineer. The CD was the final project of Grammy-nominated producer Sam Pilafian, who passed away in April.
Where world-class faculty and future stars come together
FOR UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMANCES 20TH ANNUAL
KU COLLAGE CONCERT
7:30 p.m. | Friday, Sept. 13 | Lied Center KU SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND LIED CENTER PRESENT:
KU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
with Juan Miguel Hernandez, viola 7:30 p.m. | Thursday, Sept. 26 | Lied Center
KU WIND ENSEMBLE
7:30 p.m. | Tuesday, Oct. 1 | Lied Center
KU WIND ENSEMBLE and SYMPHONIC BAND
Experience the exceptional talents of KU School of Music students, faculty and visiting artists at MUSIC.KU.EDU
7:30 p.m. | Wednesday, Oct. 23 | Lied Center
KU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
7:30 p.m. | Thursday, Oct. 31 | Lied Center
KU WIND ENSEMBLE and CROSSROADS WIND ENSEMBLE
7:30 p.m. | Thursday, Nov. 14 | Lied Center 95 TH ANNUAL
HOLIDAY VESPERS
2:30 & 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Dec. 8 | Lied Center
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QuickNotes - Summer 2019 - music.ku.edu