CADENZA
03 06 10 14 19 22
A word from Department of Music Chair, Dr. Tracy Cowden WELCOME
CONCERTO WINNERS
Troy Peters conducts concert featuring winners of annual competition
GUEST PRESENTERS
Institute for Music Research Donald Hodges Lecture Series
ROLL ON!
Ensembles hit the road on spring recruitment tours
GUITAR FESTIVAL
A three-day schedule of guitar masterclasses, concerts, and a competition
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Silvia Santinelli of Classical Music Institute
CONTRIBUTORS:
Shelby Gorden - Graphic Designer
Cindy Solis - Senior Events Manager
Alissa Stolt - Editor
Douglas Summers - Intern
Showcasing UTSA Music
FRIENDS, Welcome to
In the month of February, we hit our stride in the Department of Music, with ensemble tours to San Antonio high schools, faculty and student performances, guest artist concerts and lectures, and MuTeFest, our annual multi-day festival of events involving cutting-edge music technology! Please continue to check our calendar of events at music.utsa.edu or any of our social media pages for updated information about events.
February always feels like “Alumni Appreciation Month” for a variety of reasons. First, several alumni are prominently featured in local performances as part of the Tuesday Musical Club Artist Series and the Woodlawn Theatre’s production of The Music Man. We also welcome the annual Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention to San Antonio, where we enjoy the opportunity to visit with our alumni who are teaching all across Texas (and beyond!). We invite all alumni in the area to join us for a reception on Friday, Feb. 14th as part of the TMEA events. And as always, this issue of Cadenza also includes an alumni spotlight. Please read and share widely!
This month we also welcome prospective students and families to campus for two audition days. We look forward to introducing the unique ethos of our department to a new generation of musicians. If you know of outstanding young musicians looking for a supportive and challenging environment in which to hone their skills, send them our way!
Please mark your calendars for lots of exciting events right at the beginning of March, as well, beginning with five days of concerts in our Festival of New Music, March 1st-5th. We hope to see many of you at these events this semester!
Tracy Cowden
Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Music and Chair
02/27 B e n H o d g e
03/05 S h a r i l y n M a y h u g h
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
DR. SILVIA SANTINELLI
For some, music is something to enjoy--a pastime. For others, the first introduction to music is life- changing; music becomes a passion. For Dr. Silvia Santinelli, music became her raison d’être at an early age. A pianist since the age of five, Santinelli has performed in international festivals and has won numerous awards, scholarships, and grants while earning accolades from her musical peers. Many of her performances have been broadcasted on national and international radio and television. She graduated from UTSA in 1998 with a Bachelor of Music in Marketing and in 1999 received her Master of Music in Piano Performance. Santinelli is an active solo performer and co-founder of Classical Music Institute, a San Antonio-based organization that promotes the arts through classical music education and highly artistic performances.
Why did you choose to study at UTSA?
I established a trajectory with the UTSA Music Department through their summer programs and competitions from the time I was a kid. At the age of seven and as a piano student in Mexico, I was taken under the tutelage of the late pianist and composer Robert Avalon to study and begin my musical career in this country. I soon received sponsorships from connections in San Antonio who, over the years, became dear family friends and who not only supported summer studies in the United States but also other performance engagements and contests, including my debut as soloist with the San Antonio Symphony through their Young Artist Award Competition.
The mentorship I received through the UTSA faculty at their summer programs was enriching. When I was offered the Marjorie Powell Zachry Keyboard Endowment to study piano performance with Dr. Valeri Grokhovski, a renowned Russian concert pianist who had just joined the faculty of music, the choice to attend UTSA became clear.
What is your current position and what are your responsibilities as related to Music Marketing?
I continue to support classical music performance and education for the new and versed music lover as a Co-founder of the Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio, now Classical Music Institute. My involvement with the organization, a resident
(Photo credit: Niki Aguirre)
company of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, has allowed me to expand on my solo career, collaborating as pianist, artistic programming and education advisor, and program notes and grant writer in order to further the vision of bringing a new, shared experience of international classical music to listeners of all ages, backgrounds, and aspirations. As architect of the music education program, I was granted the opportunity to choose and unveil a Steinway D concert piano in performance at the Edgewood Fine Arts Academy, thereby helping to provide an underserved community of San Antonio with access to highly artistic performances.
Where did you receive your DMA in Piano Performance and how did the UTSA Music Department help to make you a stronger performer?
With a grant awarded through the Fulbright division in Mexico (FONCA/CONACULTA), I continued my piano studies with acclaimed pianist Anton Nel at the University of Texas at Austin, where I obtained a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Piano Performance.
It was through my private piano teacher at UTSA that many festivals and performances were programmed, not only within the university setting, citywide or nearby communities and major cities, but also internationally. Through the support of the UTSA International Scholarship Funds, I performed and studied at renowned schools and with acclaimed pianists abroad in many international festivals, in such countries as Russia, the Czech Republic, France, and Switzerland.
While studying at UTSA, did you find it necessary to reach out to faculty for support/mentorship, and if so, what was the response?
As a 16-year-old freshman with a full scholarship and a double major, the support of my professors became a unique part of the driving force that allowed me to excel in my music studies. There was a semester when I came down with mononucleosis that forced me to lower my school load. While a bit disheartened, I fondly remember the support I received from faculty members, peers, friends, and family; however, I always had confidence in myself and in my hard work. Quitting was never an option.
Did you participate in any ensembles or other extracurricular activities while at UTSA? What benefit did you derive from that?
I was a part of the Women’s Choir under Gary Mabry and Wayne Wyman. I also performed in various chamber ensembles collaborating with other musicians and singers and occasionally with the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and the San Antonio Symphony. I highly recommend that all aspiring musicians perform in large and small ensembles to develop that precious art of listening amongst each other and to broaden their sphere of music through communication with diverse audiences.
Finish this sentence: My time at UTSA was fundamental because...
...it gave me a solid foundation in the understanding of the art of music making, while learning international perspectives on performance and culturally connecting with audiences through music festivals. That experience also gave insight into my future endeavors in elevating the art of music through the nonprofit I founded and also in educating the public about the importance of the fine performing arts.
Would you recommend UTSA Music to students seeking a music degree?
I would absolutely! For me, there was no doubt to attend UTSA, given the organic convergence of so many elements in my life. Just one of them is enough to recommend UTSA.
FEBRUARY DATES
28 JI HYUN KIM
Piano student Ji Hyun Kim performs an hour long recital that is free and open to the public. 7:30PM - UTSA Recital Hall
Students audition to join the music program. 8:00AM - UTSA Music Building
11:30AM - UTSA Recital Hall
Adam Workman, Flutistry/Boston: The Anatomy of a Match.
11:30AM - Arts Classroom 2.03.08
Students audition to join the music program. 8:00AM - UTSA Music Building
Mandatory meeting to discuss catalog changes. 11:30AM - UTSA Recital Hall
Vocalist Alissa Stolt will perform a 30 minute recital accompanied on piano by Mary Lowder. 5:00PM - UTSA Recital Hall
Parking for many UTSA Department of Music events is on an individual pay basis in the nearby Ximenes Avenue Garage.
Click on the icon to find XAG (Ximenes Avenue Garage) off of UTSA Blvd and Ximenes Avenue.
