Conservatory of Music

Tag: Conservatory of Music

Lawrence Student Musicians Earn Top Honors at State Flute Competition

Lawrence University student musicians captured the top two places at the recent (3/8) 2014 Wisconsin Flute Festival Collegiate Competition hosted by UW-Oshkosh.

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Caitlynn Winkler ’15

Juniors Caitlynn Winkler, a flute performance and music education major from Sheboygan, and Sam Rolfe, a flute performance major from Boscobel, earned first- and second-place honors, respectively. They were among three finalists selected from an initial pool of nine entries. The competition is open to undergraduates enrolled in a Wisconsin college or university.

Each presented a 15-minute program in the finals. Winkler performed “Among Fireflies” by Elainie Lillios, “Image” by Eugene Bozza, and Movement III from Eldin Burton’s “Sonatina.”

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Sam Rolfe ’15

Rolfe performed “Cinq Incantacions pour Flute Seule” by Andre Jolivet, “Sonata for Flute and Piano in E Major” by Johann Sebastian Bach and the world premiere of “Clockwork Koan” a piece written by Lawrence senior Chris Harrity as part of the flute and composition studio flutist/composer collaboration project.

Winkler received $250 for her winning performance while Rolfe was awarded $100. Both study in the flute studio of Assistant Professor of Music Erin Lesser.

As part of the festival, senior Schuyler Thornton was selected to play a masterclass with guest artist Stephanie Mortimer. The Lawrence Flute Ensemble was one of three groups selected to open the day-long festival as part of a flute ensemble showcase, performing three works, including a new work by Lawrence Associate Professor of Music Joanne Metcalf.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Conservatory, Theatre Arts Dept. Presents Kurt Weill’s American Opera “Street Scene”

Just weeks after a staging of Elmer Rice’s play version of “Street Scene,” a day-long snapshot of life in a “mean” quarter of New York City, the Lawrence University Conservatory presents the opera of the same story with music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by poet Langston Hughes.

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Seniors Jon Stombres (left) portrays Sam Kaplan, a poetic Jewish neighbor of the Maurrants, Lauren Koeritzer (center) plays Jennie Hildebrand, a teenage daughter of a single mother, Michael Uselmann (red shirt) plays Daniel Buchanan, a nervous neighbor waiting for his pregnant wife to go into labor, and Daniel Vinitsky (seated right) portrays Harry Easter, Rose Maurrant’s sleazy boss, in Kurt Weill’s opera “Street Scene.”

Performances in Stansbury Theatre of the Music-Drama Center will be at 7:30 p.m. March 6-7-8 and with a 3 p.m. matinee performance Sunday, March 9. Tickets, at $10 for adults and $5 for seniors/students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

Assistant Professor of Music History Erica Scheinberg will provide a brief introduction to Weill and “Street Scene” beginning at 6:45 p.m. prior to each performance.

SEE A REVIEW OF THE OPERA

Premiering in 1947, the opera was Weill’s embrace of the American musical style, combining opera, popular song, Broadway and jazz.

“Having fled Nazi Germany, his goal was to create a new kind of opera that reflected the diversity of his adopted country,” said Bonnie Koestner, vocal coach of the production.

The opera’s diversity is also reflected in the double-cast production that features 60 actors onstage, accompanied by the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Octavio Más-Arocas.

“Our audience will be astonished by the depth of talent in both casts and will immediately connect with Weill’s rich and tuneful score,” Koestner added.

Like the play, the opera, follows the Maurrant family — Anna, unhappily married to the brutish stagehand Frank, and their two children, Rose and Willie — and their neighbors through an exceptionally hot 24-hour period in the summer of 1929. Anna, who is having an affair with Sankey, the neighborhood milkman, is the subject of much gossip among the others living in the brownstone where the entire production is set, while Rose navigates a romance with her Jewish neighbor Sam Kaplan.

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Senior Graycie Gardner portrays Rose Maurrant, a young woman navigating a romance with her Jewish neighbor, in Lawrence’s production of the opera “Street Scene.”

Professor Timothy X. Troy, who is directing the opera, noted the uniqueness of presenting back-to-back productions based on the same story.

“Producing both works allows us and our audiences to explore the whole process of adaptation,” he said. “Rice, Langston Hughes and Weill joined their efforts to reimagine the play as an opera. They chose core themes, explored relationships, and developed the context of the play’s action supported with orchestra and song. We hope our audience’s will take advantage of this truly unique opportunity. Anyone who attended the play first, now seeing the opera will provide the unusual experience of thinking like the composer and librettist.”

The performance is funded in part by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc., New York, N.Y.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Unexpected Gift Nets Lawrence Conservatory a New Steinway Grand Piano

The Lawrence Conservatory keyboard department recently received a welcome surprise: a sizeable and unexpected gift earmarked for the purchase of a new Steinway D Concert Grand Piano. The gift came courtesy of the generosity of 1958 Lawrence graduate Kim Hiett Jordan.

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Members of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music keyboard department — Michael Mizrahi, Anthony Padilla and Catherine Kautsky — show off their new Steinway D Concert Grand Piano.

Choosing a concert-quality piano, though, isn’t as simple as ordering the right model number from the Steinway catalog. Three members of the conservatory’s keyboard department —  faculty members Catherine Kautsky, Michael Mizrahi and Anthony Padilla — all traveled to New York City to do some hands-on work selecting just the right instrument. The trio was accompanied by a representative from Appleton’s Heid Music, an authorized Steinway dealer. Leaving nothing to chance, the piano faculty recruited additional expertise from renowned concert pianist Richard Goode, who has performed several times as a guest artist at Lawrence.

“We eventually narrowed it down to two beautiful instruments after playing two roomfuls of Steinway D’s,” explained Kautsky, current chair of the department. “We were privileged to have both Richard Goode and his technician along with us to help us make the choice. In the end, the decision was completely unanimous. The instrument we chose is wonderfully flexible and has a beautiful, warm sound that is large enough to fill the largest of halls.

“One tries to find a piano that both feels good under the hands and sounds wonderful to the listener,” Kautsky added. “We think we’ve succeeded extraordinarily well on both counts.”

The magnificent new instrument has taken up residency in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. It will be available to be played by students, faculty and a roster of distinguished visiting artists and enjoyed by audience members for years to come.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Pianist Elizabeth Vaughan Earns Second-Place Honors at Regional Competition

Lawrence University’s Elizabeth Vaughan placed second in the recent (Jan. 11) Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) East Central Piano Division competition held at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio.

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Elizabeth Vaughan ’15

Vaughan, a junior from Highland Park, Ill., is only the second Lawrence pianist to finish first or second in the Young Artist (19-26 years of age) category in the MTNA’s five-state regional competition. She performed works by Bach, Chopin, Liszt and Scriabin. Majoring in both piano performance and vocal performance, she studies in the studios of Catherine Kautsky and Joanne Bozeman, respectively.

Vaughan qualified for the regional competition by winning the 2013 MTNA Wisconsin state competition last October.

The MTNA performance competitions provide educational experiences for students and teachers and recognize exceptionally talented young artists in their pursuit of musical excellence.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

The Gift of Music: Lawrence Conservatory Offerings for Holiday Shoppers

Still looking for a holiday stocking stuffer? A pair of recently released CDs by the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble and Lawrence faculty jazz percussionist Dane Richeson will fit neatly into just about any size stocking.

Performed under the direction of conductor Andrew Mast, the 16-track Wind Ensemble disc features seven pieces performed between 2005 and 2010. It includes six world premieres from Lawrence commissions as well as the first-ever digital recording of Vincent Persichetti’s “Turn Not Thy Face.”LU-Wind-Ensemble-CD-Facebook

“This disc represents a culmination of several passions of mine – the creation and performance of new music written by amazing friends and colleagues who have all given wonderful gifts of repertoire to the wind ensemble world,” said Mast. “This disc enables me to share and celebrate these treasures.  Additionally, the inclusion of Persichetti’s  “Turn Not Thy Face,” represents the first digital recording of this work by one of my favorite composers. I truly believe there is something for everybody on these two discs and I am incredibly honored that so many people were involved with them, including students from several years of the Wind Ensemble.”

Richeson’s “Maxim Confit” features many of his friends both inside and out of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. The nine-track jazz disc blends Richeson’s infectious drum work with the musical chops of pianist Bill Carrothers and saxophonist Jose Encarnacion, both colleagues at Lawrence, along with an array of all-star artists outside the campus, including saxophonist David Liebman, guitarist Vic Juris, and fellow percussionists Jamey Haddad (drums), Joe Locke (vibraphone/marimba), and Michael Spiro (bata/congas).

Maxim-Confit-web“It was great fun collaborating with so many great friends and colleagues in the music business on this project, some of whom I’ve worked with for years and some of whom I worked with for the first time,” said Richeson. “I’m really proud of this work. It’s raw jazz seasoned with a dash of world percussion from cultures I have been fortunate to live in. The tracks are quite different from each other, which keeps the listener wondering what to expect next.”

Both CDs — as well as several other Lawrence-affiliated recordings — are available at Lawrence Apparel and Gifts in the Warch Campus Center . They can be ordered online as well as purchased in person.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

 

Pianist Benny Wollin Places Third in State Music Competition; Will Perform with Lakeshore Wind Ensemble

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Benny Wollin ’14

Lawrence University senior Benny Wollin will perform George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” Saturday, March 8 with the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble after placing third in the recent Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Young Artist Competition held at the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc.

A piano performance major from Galesburg, Ill., Wollin also received a $750 scholarship for his performance at the competition, which drew 11 musicians from around the state in piano, brass and woodwinds. He is a student in the piano studio of assistant professor Michael Mizrahi.

Now in its 26th year, the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Young Artist Competition is open to students 16-25 years of age.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

Three Students Win Titles at State Singing Competition

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Katy Harth

Three Lawrence University students won their division at the 2013 Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition held Nov. 1-2 at UW-Stevens Point.

Katy Harth, Naperville, Ill., earned first-place honors in the women’s Upper College Music Theater division and third-place honors in the senior women’s division.

Ian Grimshaw, Afton, Va., and Kathleen Baudendistel, Farmersville, Ohio, joined Harth in the winner’s circle, earning first-place honors in the freshman men and women’s divisions, respectively.

Harth is a student in the voice studio of Associate Professor Karen Leigh-Post, while Grimshaw and Baudendistel both study in the studio of Professor Ken Bozeman.

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Ian Grimshaw

A total of 20 Lawrence students participated in the competition with nine of them advancing to the finals. In addition to the three winners, four students earned second-place honors with one third and one fourth-place finisher as well. The first-place finishers each received $150 for their winning efforts, while second- and third-place finishers received $125 and $100, respectively.

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Kathleen Baudendistel

The 2013 auditions drew nearly 400 singers from around the state. The competition features 22 separate divisions grouped by gender and level. Depending upon the category, NATS competitors are required to sing two, three or four classical pieces from different time periods with at least one selection sung in a foreign language.

Lawrence placewinners with their category and (teacher) include:

First-Place Honors
  • Kathleen Baudendistel, freshman women (Ken Bozeman)
  • Ian Grimhsaw, freshman men (Ken Bozeman)
  • Katy Harth, women’s upper college music theater division (Karen Leigh-Post)
Second-Place Honors
  • Max Kligman, junior men (Ken Bozeman)
  • Zoie Reams, senior women (John Gates)
  • Elizabeth Vaughn, junior women (Joanne Bozeman)
  • Daniel Vinitsky, men, upper college music theater (John Gates)
Third-Place Honors
  • Katy Harth, senior women, (Karen Leigh-Post)
Fourth-Place Honors
  • Froya Olson, freshman women (Karen Leigh-Post)

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Senior Ian Koziara Advances to Regional Level of Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions

It is on to St. Paul, Minn., for Lawrence University senior Ian Koziara.

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Senior Ian Kozaira was among five winners at the recent Wisconsin District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

The voice performance major from Itasca, Ill., was one of five singers from the recent Wisconsin district selected by judges to advance to the second round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

A tenor, Koziara next competes at the Upper Midwest Region auditions Feb. 1, 2014 in St. Paul for the opportunity to sing in New York City for the Met’s national semifinals.

Koziara was among 36 singers from throughout the Midwest who competed in the 52nd edition of the annual district auditions Oct. 19 at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield. A student in the Lawrence Conservatory of Music voice studio of Teresa Seidl, Koziara received $2,000 as a district winner.

Justin Berkowitz, a 2011 Lawrence graduate, also competed in the Wisconsin District Met auditions and was a awarded a $500 Appreciation Award by the judges.

The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions are designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers. The auditions are held annually in 13 regions of the United States and Canada. There are 40 districts within these regions, providing opportunities for singers to enter the auditions at the local level.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

 

Pianist Elizabeth Vaughan Wins State Music Competition

Lawrence University pianist Elizabeth Vaughan earned first-place honors Saturday, Oct. 15 in the 2013 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Wisconsin state competition conducted at UW-La Crosse.

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Elizabeth Vaughan ’15

Vaughan, a junior voice and piano performance major from Highland Park, Ill., won the Young Artist (19-26 years of age) competition. She advances to the MTNA’s five-state East Central Division competition Jan. 10-11 at Baldwin Wallace University. Winners at the division competition advance to the MTNA’s national competition March 22-26, 2014 in Chicago.

Vaughan is the 13th Lawrence student in the past 15 years to win the Wisconsin MTNA piano competition. She is a student in the studio of Professor Catherine Kautsky.

Lawrence pianists dominated the competition, which featured a total of 12 students. Besides Vaughan’s first-place finish, senior Thomas Lee, Chicago, Ill., earned alternate (second place) honors while seniors Max Feldkamp, Appleton, Jonathan Gmeinder, Hartland, Daniel Kuzuhara, Madison, and junior Laetitia Lehman-Pearsall, Bainbridge Island, Wash., each were accorded honorable mention honors.

Gmeinder and Laetitia also study in Kautsky’s studio. Lee, Feldkamp and Kuzuhara are students of Associate Professor Anthony Padilla.

The MTNA performance competitions recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Lawrence University Kaleidoscope4 Concert: A Musical Buffet

Regardless of one’s musical tastes, Lawrence University’s Kaleidoscope4 concert offers a musical buffet sure to satisfying the palates of even the pickiest of music lovers.

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The Lawrence Concert Choir, under the direction of conductor Stephen Sieck, performs from the balcony of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center during the 2010 Kaleidscope concert.

The fourth edition of Kaleidoscope, which showcases the musical talents of more than 300 Lawrence students, will be performed Saturday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. at 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.

An encore presentation of Kaleidoscope4 will be broadcast on Wisconsin Public Television in early 2014.

First performed in 2006, Kaleidoscope’s non-stop, 75-minute format provides a rapid-fire musical spectrum running the gamut from traditional Russian choral music to Latin orchestral rhythms to 11 bassoons churning out memorable Beatles classics.

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Phillip Swan

“Kaleidoscope is designed to showcase the broad variety and musical depth of our conservatory ensembles and chamber groups in an all-inclusive, musical extravaganza and this year’s performance promises to do just that,” said Phillip Swan, co-director of choral studies at Lawrence and the coordinator of this year’s concert.

The most comprehensive music program Lawrence will present during the 2013-14 academic year, Kaleidoscope spotlights both large ensembles (Symphony Orchestra, Concert Choir, Gamelan Cahaya Asri, Wind Ensemble, Opera, Jazz Ensemble) and chamber groups (bassoon ensemble, voice/cello ensemble, string quartet, piano/oboe/viola, saxophone/marimba, piano duet). Providing a joyful exclamation mark on the evening will be an excerpt from the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

Lawrence University gratefully acknowledges the Appleton Group for its sponsorship of the Kaleidoscope4 concert and extends its deep appreciation for its generous support of this special community arts showcase.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.