Lawrence University News

Nirmala Rajesekar brings Indian classical repertoire to World Music Series

Indian classical music will be highlighted when Nirmala Rajasekar takes the stage Wednesday, Oct 25 in the second concert in Lawrence University’s 2017-18 World Music Series.

Rajasekar will be joined by renowned violinist, violist, composer and educator VVS Murari; Sri Murugaboopathi, a.k.a. Boopathi, one of the world’s most celebrated mridangam players; and acclaimed khanjira artist KV Gopalakrishnan.

Tickets for the concert, at 8 p.m. in Harper Hall of the Music-Drama Center, are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors/students and are available online through the Lawrence Box Office or by calling 920-832-6749.

Rajasekar, who made her concert debut at the age of 13, has established herself as a world-class artist during her nearly four decades of performances. One of the most recognized names in the world of Indian classical music today, Rajasekar has been hailed as a “dynamic and vibrant performer.”

She is known for her creative exploration of the ancient Indian instrument, the seven-stringed Saraswathi veena and her vast repertoire reflects her adherence to the rich tradition, heritage and lineage of her gurus.

Rajasekar has been the recipient of numerous international honors and awards for her contributions to music and education, among them recognition from the Music Academy Madras, known as the Carnegie Hall of India.

The artistic director of the Naadha Rasa (Essence of Tone) Center for Music, Rajasekar travels around the world teaching and performing Carnatic Music vocally and on her veena.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

A living laboratory: Lawrence launching campus-wide initiative focused on sustainability

In an effort to address real-world sustainability challenges, establish sustainability as one of its core values, and establish best practices in sustainable campus operations, Lawrence University is looking to transform itself into a living laboratory through a series of new institutional initiatives.

Project specialist Kelsey McCormick will serve as Lawrence’s new sustainability coordinator and will co-chair a newly formed sustainability subcommittee with Jeff Clark, professor of geology, who is also serving as special assistant to the president for sustainability.

“We’ve made a lot of progress in the past decade or so on the sustainability front, including the construction of the LEED Gold-certified Warch Campus Center, two solar arrays, a 100kW wind turbine at Bjorklunden, a campus-wide bike share and ride share program, a quarter-acre student-run organic garden that has operated since 2005 and a food service program that embraces socially responsible practices with an emphasis on a local farm-to-table sourcing model,” said Clark. “That said, we still have lots of work to do to try and change the culture of campus by integrating sustainability into our daily routines as well as our curriculum.”

A major focus of the new initiative will involve the establishment of an “Eco-rep” program designed to engage students in hands-on efforts in the residence halls to build a culture of sustainability, drastically decreasing the university’s environmental footprint in the process.

Eco-reps will lead by example and educate their peers on issues ranging from recycling and composting to water and energy consumption to food systems, transportation and consumer choices.

“The Eco-rep program is really at the heart of this effort,” said McCormick. “This key educational component will establish expectations around how Lawrentians live on our campus. The goal is to foster sustainability as part of every-day behavior. As a residential campus, a great way to accomplish this is to encourage our students to conserve energy, reduce waste and be more conscious in the spaces in which they live.”

Lawrence also will establish a “Sustainability Institute,” providing faculty with opportunities to deepen their understanding of sustainability issues and incorporate sustainability concepts into the curriculum. The institute will run for two years with as many as eight participants each year, increasing opportunities for faculty to work with students to create new engaged learning experiences.

These new efforts are made possible by a three-year grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. The funding will support leadership opportunities for students, professional development opportunities for faculty and infrastructural improvements to the campus. In addition, part of the grant will be used for a special fund for Lawrence community members to seek support for sustainability-focused projects connected to classes, research or co-curricular programs.

During each year of the grant, Lawrence plans to embark on one major infrastructural improvement with the intended goal of reducing the environmental impact, improving efficiency, and reducing waste, which ultimately should lead to cost savings in the long run.

solar panels on the roof of Hiett Hall — Solar panels on the roof of Hiett Hall are one of the efforts Lawrence already has undertaken to become a more sustainable institution.

Lawrence also will launch a Community Read Program to encourage campus members to read and discuss a common book on a current sustainability topic as a way to engage students with others in the community over these global challenges.

As a part of Lawrence’s strategic plan, Veritas Est Lux, the university is committed to enhancing “a culture of sustainable living by integrating sustainability goals across all aspects of the Lawrence experience.” Lawrence aims to be a steward of the surrounding community and the environment by preparing students to be responsible citizens of the world.

Cultural competency series presentation examines antisemitism

What is the difference between antisemitism and anti-Israelism?

Elliot Ratzman, postdoctoral fellow of Jewish studies in Lawrence University’s religious studies department, will help clarify how we can identify and distinguish between the two in the second installment of Lawrence’s 2017-18 cultural competency series.

Ratzman presents “Antisemitism and Intersectionality: Understanding the Subtleties of Anti-Jewish Oppression and Jewish Privilege” Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 11:30 a.m. in the Esch Hurvis Room of the Warch Campus Center. The event is free and open to the public.

While Jews are an admired, powerful, successful and mostly white subgroup within the United States, antisemitism persists. Targeted by the “alt-right,” Jews are seen as racially other and subject to periodic violence.

Outrage on the left of the political spectrum over the state of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has led to robust boycott campaigns and made the Palestinian cause highly visible on college campuses and in protest movements regarding racism and policing.

In his presentation, Ratzman will examine the question of when does Israel-critique become antisemitism and argue for the importance of attending to antisemitism for intersectional analysis and activism.

Ratzman joined the Lawrence faculty this fall as part of the university’s post-doctoral fellow program. His scholarship interests include modern Jews and Judaism, religious ethics, secularism/atheism, race and religion. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University, a master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Lawrence students shine in state music competition

Three Lawrence University students captured first-place honors at the 2017 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Wisconsin state competition held Oct. 7 at Lawrence. The performance competition recognizes exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence.

Senior Nicholas Suminski, Williamsburg, Mich., earned first-place honors in young artist piano division. He performed Paul Schoenfield’s Boogie from “Peccadillos”; Schumann/Liszt’s “Widmung”; Beethoven’s “Sonata in C minor” opus 53″ and Piazzolla’s Tango #1 from “Tango Suite.”

Senior flutist Ned Martenis, West Newton, Mass., won the young artist woodwind competition. His winning program included CPE Bach’s “Sonata in A minor”; Griffes’ “Poem”; Kapustin’s “Sonata opus 125” and Robert Dick’s “Lookout.”

Freshman Robert Graziano, Kenmore, N.Y., won the senior division piano competition. His winning performance featured Chopin’s “Etude in C minor opus 10 #1”; Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody #5 in E minor”; Debussy’s “Hommage a Rameau” from Images book 1 and Ginastera’s “Danzas Argentinas.”

The young artist division is for state musicians aged 19-26 while the senior division is open to musicians 15-18.

Sophomore violinist Abigail Keefe of Appleton and Third Form Trio – junior flautist Bianca Pratte, Walnut Creek, Calif., junior bassoonist Stuart Young, Arlington, Texas, and senior pianist Mayan Essak of Shorewood — were named “state representatives” as the only entrants in their divisions.

The three winners and the designated state representatives advance to the regional competition Jan. 7, 2018 at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana with regional winners competing in the MTNA national finals March 17-21, 2018, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Also at the competition, senior Anthony Cardella, Porterfield, and freshman Noah Vasquez, Zurich, Switzerland, earned second place and honorable mention honors, respectively, in the young artist piano division.

Suminski and Vasquez study in the piano studio of Cathy Kautsky. Graziano is a student of Anthony Padilla. Cardella is a student of Michael Mizrahi. Keefe studies with Wen-Lei Gu, while Martenis and the members of Third Form Trio are all students of Erin Lesser.

Appleton’s Abigail Peterson, a ninth-grade, piano student at the Lawrence Academy of Music, won the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association High School Virtuoso Competition held at the same time. A student in the piano studio of Catherine Walby, Peterson received $100 for her winning performance.

Kaleidoscope: “A buffet of the largest and richest variety”

Since its first performance in 2006, Lawrence University’s Kaleidoscope — a 75-minute musical extravaganza — has literally entertained thousands.

The sixth iteration of Kaleidoscope returns Saturday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. to the stage — and the floor and balconies — of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, 400 W. College Ave., Appleton.

Tickets, at $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $7 for students, are available at both the Lawrence University Box Office, 920-832-6749, and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Box Office, 920-730-3760.

From Bernstein to Balinese gamelan, the symphony orchestra to saxophone quartet, choir to chamber ensemble, Kaleidoscope showcases the musical talents of 300 Lawrence students in 15 ensembles.

“Kaleidoscope allows the listener to experience an extremely wide range of musical styles in one sitting,” said Andrew Mast, Kimberly-Clark Professor of Music, associate dean of the conservatory and director of bands, who is coordinating the concert for the second time in its history. “Virtually every area of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music is represented in this 75-minute presentation of non-stop, back-to-back performances. If music was food, Kaleidoscope is a buffet of the largest and richest variety.”

Gawain Usher, a senior from Shoreham Vt., will be performing in his second Kaleidoscope concert, this time as principal viola with the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra.

“For both performer and viewer this concert is a non-stop rollercoaster ride of excellent performances ranging from the intimate to the extravagant. It really offers a wonderful snapshot of what we do at the Lawrence conservatory,” said Usher, a self-described avid chamber music performer. “As a musician getting the opportunity to play at the PAC on the big stage is special. For us instrumentalists, we crave the opportunities to perform in the big halls because it’s something we don’t usually get to do.

“If music was food, Kaleidoscope is a buffet of the largest and richest variety.”
— Andrew Mast, Kimberly-Clark Professor of Music

“For anyone thinking about going or not going to this concert,” Usher added, “even if you think you don’t like classical music, you will love Kaleidoscope. The whirlwind of performances from different eras, cultures and instrumentations will surely leave you feeling invigorated.”

Senior Kin Le from Hanoi, Vietnam, a soprano in Lawrence’s Concert Choir, calls Kaleidoscope “the most exciting moment that performers and audience can experience together.”

“The spectrum of sounds from various ensembles seemingly come from every corner of the auditorium — from the main stage to the balcony,” said Le, who will be singing in her second Kaleidoscope concert. “The audience members get to immerse themselves in so many different performances in just 75 minutes.”

Regardless of one’s tastes, Kaleidoscope^{6 —}as its name implies — is sure to offer at least one irresistible musical morsel in its 17-piece program. Among the tasty samples will be some Mozart (Mozart Chamber Winds) and Benjamin Britten (opera soloists), Astor Piazzolla (cello ensemble) and Philip Glass (saxophone quartet). The Cantala women’s choir performs its version of Natasha Bedingfield’s contemporary hit “Unwritten” while the symphony orchestra honors Leonard Bernstein with a performance of his “Overture to Candide.”

Works by two composers with local ties — John Harmon and the late Fred Sturm, both Lawrence graduates — will be highlighted by the Lawrence Viking Bassoon Ensemble and the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble, respectively.

Closing the concert, and encompassing the entire array of Kaleidoscope performers, will be an encore presentation of “The Music Makers,” a massive seven-minute work written by Emmy Award-winning composer and 2010 Lawrence graduate Garth Neustadter. “The Music Makers” made its world premiere at the 2015 Kaleidoscope concert.

As a prelude to the concert, art work created by six student studio art majors will be displayed in the PAC lobby.

Faculty members, alumna among the 2017 Fox Cities Book Festival presenting authors

Lawrence University faculty members Jerald Podair and Melissa Range will be among the 50 authors who will conduct readings and talks Oct. 9-15 during the 10th annual Fox Cities Book Festival.

Author events will be held at 13 venues throughout the Fox Cities, including several at Lawrence, during the week. All are free and open to the public.

Podair, Robert S. French Professor of American Studies, professor of history and life-long baseball fan, explores one of the country’s earliest owner-city new ballpark negotiations and the subsequent economic and cultural impact in his 2017 book “City of Dreams: Dodger Stadium and the Birth of Modern Los Angeles.”

Podair, a member of the Lawrence faculty since 1998, delivers two readings from “City of Dreams”: Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Appleton Public Library and Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Neenah Public Library.

A specialist in 20^th-century history, especially presidential history and race relations, Podair also is the author of “The Strike that Changed New York” and “Bayard Rustin: American Dreamer.”

Range, assistant professor of English who joined the faculty in 2014, will read from her collection of poems entitled “Scriptorium” as well as more recent work Saturday, Oct. 14 at 11:30 a.m. at The Draw on S. Lawe Street in Appleton.

“Scriptorium” was selected as one of five national winners in the annual National Poetry Series’ Open Competition by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith. “Scriptorium,” which Range began writing in 2006, explores the relationship between standardized, official languages and vernacular languages, particularity as they play out in religious settings. It features poems about medieval art, poetry and theology, as well as poems about the Appalachian slang of Range’s upbringing.

Callie Bates, a 2009 Lawrence graduate, is the author of “The Waking Land,” which has been named both an IndieNext and LibraryReads pick. She will read from her debut fantasy novel Thursday, Oct 12 at 4:30 p.m. in Main Hall, Room 201.

Hailing from northern Wisconsin, Bates’ essays have appeared in “Shambhala Sun,” “The Best Buddhist Writing 2012,” “All Things Girl” and several online journals.

As a student English major at Lawrence, Bates was named the winner of the 2007 Nick Adams Short Story Contest sponsored by the Associated Colleges of the Midwest for “The Swans at Roxleigh,” a tale of a declining English country house in the days just after World War II.

Lawrence also will host two author visits during this year’s festival.

New York native Will Schwalbe returns to the festival to discuss themes from his books while encouraging audience members to talk about books that have shaped their lives Thursday, Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in Lawrence’s Warch Campus Center.

Schwalbe is the author of “The End of Your Life Book Club,” which spent 12 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was named an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year. His most recent book, “Books for Living,” was published last December. Schwalbe has worked in publishing, digital media and as a journalist for publications ranging from The New York Times to the South China Morning Post.

Benjamin Ludwig will share passages from his 2017 “Ginny Moon,” Saturday, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. in Lawrence’s Wriston Art Center. Ludwig’s first novel, “Ginny Moon,” a story of a teenage girl with autism, was inspired in part by his conversation with their parents at Special Olympics basketball practices.

On Sunday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. at Menasha’s Elisha D. Smith Public Library, Ludwig will discuss the dual aspects of Ginny Moon’s two voices: her inner voice and the voice she uses to speak with her family, friends, and classmates, and how her two voices serve as a vehicle for his own personal beliefs.

Shortly after Ludwig, a long-time English teacher, and his wife married, they became foster parents and adopted a teenager with autism.

Give. Share. Watch. Live 10-hour webcast highlights fourth annual Giving Day

For everyone who has ever wondered what Lawrence University is all about, a LIVE, 10-hour webcast Wednesday, Oct. 11 will provide an insider’s look at some of the people and programs that make the university an interesting and vibrant place.

Lawrence’s fourth annual Giving Day event, which will be webcast live at go.lawrence.edu/givingday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., features interviews with faculty, administrators, accomplished alumni and students, including some who currently are studying abroad. There also will be nearly a dozen live musical performances, hands-on demonstrations and maybe a surprise guest appearance or two.

Kasey Corrado, Lawrence’s social media director, will be back in the hostess chair for the fourth year in a row. She’ll be joined by Ken Anselment, dean of admissions and financial aid, who returns for his second stint as co-host.

“Even though this is our fourth annual Giving Day and we’ve gotten into a bit of a groove when it comes to the live show, there is still that undeniable excitement about what is going to take place when the red light goes on,” said Corrado, who calls Giving Day “her favorite day of the year at Lawrence.”

“I love meeting with guests and showcasing how they contribute to the Lawrence community in a variety of ways” she added. “We’ve put together another wonderful line-up of student musicians, leaders and athletes, alumni and staff. I’m looking forward to sharing their stories with our audience.”

Anselment, whose lone battle scar from his initial Giving Day hosting duties — a scratchy throat from over talking — admitted that will serve as a helpful reminder to keep the focus on the guests.

“Giving Day is about letting members of the Lawrence community shine in all their multi-interested, multi-talented ways,” said Anselment. “My job is to set them up and let them be at their brightest.”

It’s the surprises that come with hours of planned, yet improvised, programming, where some of the best moments happen, said Anselment.

STudent musicians performing on Giving Day — Musical performances are always a staple of Lawrence’s Giving Day webcast.

“I knew last year the day was going to be special during our very first segment when President Burstein picked up the pom-poms and shook them right along with the dance team. Now that’s commitment,” he said, adding that getting lifted by Lawrence dance instructor Margaret Paek— who is about half his size — was a lesson in grace and physics “I won’t soon forget.”

An eclectic cast of Lawrence “celebrities” scheduled to visit with Corrado and Anselment include:
• President Mark Burstein

• Gary Vaughan, discussing Lawrence’s innovation and entrepreneurship program, including a presentation from a member of last spring’s winning team at The Pitch Competition.

• Amy Ongiri from the film studies program, with staff videographer Chris Gore-Gammon, who will give a virtual reality demonstration.

• Copeland Woodruff talking opera

• Coaches from the athletic department

• Biologist Israel Del Toro discussing the Pollinator Project.

• Performances by the Faculty Brass, Cantala women’s choir, an ensemble of 19 cellists, and others.

• The student bands Sol Studios and The Embers as well as singer Bernard Lilly, a student from the Academy of Music and the student duet Jerry Wang and Eva Tourangeau.

Garrett Katerzynske, Lawrence’s director of video production, not only juggled most of the proverbial chain saws in lining up the guests for this year’s production, he also steps into the director’s chair for the first time.

“The live show is a marathon of technical demands and I’ll be positioned at the epicenter of the creative storm, directing crew back stage and talent on screen,” said Katerzynske. “Beautiful moments and unexpected issues can unfold simultaneously and if we’re lucky, we’ll spin problems into happy accidents. The cameras keep rolling and the results are always entertaining.”

In scouring the campus the past several months for guests, Katerzynske said he uncovered some incredible stories and witnessed many remarkable performances.

A chemistry demonstration on Giving Day — Hands-on demonstrations always add an element of the unknown to the Giving Day webcast.

“The faculty and students on this campus surprise me every year,” he said. “I can’t wait to watch everything come together in the studio.”

Lawrence held its first Giving Day in 2014 as a one-day-only fundraising event for alumni and friends to show their support for Lawrence, its programs and students. Since that first event, Giving Day has generated more than $3.7 million from more than 6,400 students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the university.

Many of the guests appearing on the webcast are grateful beneficiaries of the generosity of Giving Day donors and serve as examples of the way funding assists faculty, students and programs on campus.

As in previous years, Lawrence Giving Day 2017 has been made possible by a generous group of alumni, parents and friends who have committed to be “Game Changers,” providing matching funds as motivation for others to support the college.

“Giving Day’s goal isn’t just to raise money, although that is an important aspect,” said Kayla Schumacher, Lawrence’s director of annual giving. “This is a chance for everyone in the Lawrence community to come together for 24 hours and celebrate the things they care about here.

“The entire community is encouraged to take advantage of the fantastic giving challenges on Giving Day,” Schumacher added. “We hope participation in the day continues growing this year as more members of our community choose to give back. For the fourth time, Lawrence will show the world what we can accomplish when we all come together in just one day.”

Current political clout and future of teachers’ unions examined in guest lecture

The political role of teachers’ unions in local, state, and national elections will be examined in a Lawrence University guest lecture.

Michael Hartney, assistant professor of political science at Boston College, presents “Down, But Not Out! The Resilience of Teachers Unions in American Politics and What It Means for Our Schools,” Thursday, October 5 at 4:30 p.m. in the Thomas Steitz Hall of Science 202. The event is free and open to the public.

Hartney is a specialist on education politics and policy and the interplay between political and educational inequality. In his talk, Hartney will discuss some of the contemporary challenges facing teachers’ unions and the prospects of the future.

While teachers’ unions have long played consequential roles in elections at all levels, cuts to collective bargaining, increasing teacher evaluation and pervasive student assessment have seriously eroded their clout according to Hartney, especially in Wisconsin since the passage of Act 10 in 2011.

Prior to joining the faculty at Boston College, Hartney worked for the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, providing policy analysis to governors and other state officials on issues related to teacher quality and high school redesign.

Much of Hartney’s research has been supported by grants from the National Academy of Education, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Council on Teacher Quality.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Notre Dame.

Wen-Lei Gu performs as guest soloist with Fox Valley Symphony

Lawrence University violinist Wen-Lei Gu will be the guest soloist Saturday, Oct. 7 when the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra opens its 2017-18 season with an all-Russian program. The 7:30 p.m. concert will be held at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in downtown Appleton.

Tickets are available through the PAC’s ticket office, 920-730-3760.

Gu, an award-winning and internationally popular soloist, will be featured in a performance of Shostakovich’s emotionally challenging and technically brilliant Violin Concerto No. 1.

Brian Groner, the FVS’s music director since 1995, calls Gu “phenomenal” and says he was “charmed” the first time he had a chance to hear her play.

“Her playing was (and remains) so elegant and so sophisticated,” says Groner. “It has been my distinct privilege to work with her on almost 10 different occasions.’

A native of China, Gu came to the United States as a 13-year old after winning first-place prizes in both violin and piano state competitions at age seven. When she was 12, she was named gold medalist in China’s Fourth National Violin Competition.

Gu, an associate professor of music, joined the Lawrence faculty in 2006. She has performed throughout the world, including the Bach Festival at Carnegie Hall in commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s death, the Kennedy Center for the Millennium Concert Series as a guest soloist with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra and China Beijing Philharmonic on concert tours of Europe.

Renowned pianist Jonathan Biss opens 2017-18 Artist Series

Internationally acclaimed pianist Jonathan Biss shares his talent, passion and intellectual curiosity with classical music Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. in the opening concert of Lawrence University’s 2017-18 Artist Series.

Tickets for the performance in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, at $25-30 for adults, $20-25 for seniors, $18-20 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

Born into a family of musicians in Bloomington, Ind., Biss has nearly two decades on the concert stage. He has forged relationships with the New York Philharmonic; the Philadelphia, Cleveland and Philharmonia orchestras; the Boston, Chicago and Swedish Radio symphony orchestras; and the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Budapest Festival and Royal Concertgebouw orchestras, among others.

Piano teacher Catherine Kautsky, George and Marjorie Olsen Chandler Professor of Music, hailed Biss as “one of the most interesting leading pianists of the younger generation.”

“His programming is unfailingly original,” said Kautsky. “He grapples with the most challenging repertoire and his musical thinking, in both words and performance, is sophisticated, articulate and personal.

“Getting him to Appleton is a coup,” she added. “We’re in the company of the world’s leading musical capitals.”

Earlier this year, Biss performed the world premiere of “City Stanzas,” a concerto by British composer Sally Beamish, as the second installment in the “Beethoven/5” project. For the project, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra co-commissioned five composers to write new piano concertos, each inspired by one of Beethoven’s.

Biss’ virtuosity has been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2005 Leonard Bernstein Award at Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award, which honors young artists of exceptional accomplishment and the biannual Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, which rewards musical excellence.

His 11-album discography includes a Schumann recital album which received a Diapason d’Or de l’année award and a recital album of Beethoven Piano Sonatas, Op. 13, 28, 90 and 109 which won the Edison Award, an annual Dutch music prize presented in honor of outstanding achievements in the music industry.

Biss served as artist-in-residence on American Public Media’s Performance Today and was the first American chosen to participate in the BBC’s New Generation Artist program.

In addition to his concert, Biss will conduct a free master class on Thursday Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. in Harper Hall.

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Lawrence University News

Nirmala Rajesekar brings Indian classical repertoire to World Music Series

A living laboratory: Lawrence launching campus-wide initiative focused on sustainability

Cultural competency series presentation examines antisemitism

Lawrence students shine in state music competition

Kaleidoscope: “A buffet of the largest and richest variety”

Faculty members, alumna among the 2017 Fox Cities Book Festival presenting authors

Give. Share. Watch. Live 10-hour webcast highlights fourth annual Giving Day

Current political clout and future of teachers’ unions examined in guest lecture

Wen-Lei Gu performs as guest soloist with Fox Valley Symphony

Renowned pianist Jonathan Biss opens 2017-18 Artist Series

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