Janet Anthony

Tag: Janet Anthony

Cellist Miles Link Wins State Competition

Lawrence University cellist Miles Link earned first-place honors at the recent (Jan. 26) Wisconsin Cello Society Solo Competition conducted at UW-Stevens Point.

Miles-Link_newsblog
Miles Link ’16

A sophomore cello performance and economics major from Wilmette, Ill., Link competed in the competition’s Young Artist division (age 18-25). He received a $500 prize for his winning performance, which featured Bach’s “Prelude from the Suite in D major” and Tchhaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme, op. 33.”  Students in the competition perform 10-15 minutes of music of their own choosing.

Link’s winning performance was played on the college’s Cox cello, an instrument built by master luthier Douglas Cox of West Brattleboro, Vt. Allen Greenberg, a music lover from Chevy Chase, Md., commissioned the instrument, along with two violins and a viola, after visiting Lawrence in 2006 with his son, a prospective student and string musician.

Link was one of three Lawrence students selected as finalists for the competition, joining senior Claire Bachman, Minneapolis, Minn., and sophomore Alex Lessenger, Golden, Colo. All three study in the cello studio of Janet Anthony.

Founded in 2000, the Wisconsin Cello Society is a state-wide organization that promotes the art and appreciation of cello playing, furthers the musical development of its members and provides performance opportunities for professional, amateur and student cellists.

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 Welcomes Chicago Symphony Orchestra Cellist John Sharp for Guest Recital

John Sharp, principal cello of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, performs a guest recital at Lawrence University Sunday, May 19 at 5 p.m. in Harper Hall. He will be accompanied by Lawrence University faculty pianist Catherine Kautsky, who played with Sharp during her graduate studies at Juillard School.

Following his recital, Sharp will conduct a master class at 7:30 p.m. in Shattuck Hall 163.  Both events are free and open to the public.

John Sharp, principal cello, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

In 1986 at the age of 27, Sharp was among the youngest players ever named a principal chair for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He joined the CSO after three years as principal cello with the Cincinnati Symphony. Prior to the CSO, Sharp also performed as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York String Orchestra.

“We are delighted to have John Sharp back on campus playing with our very own Catherine Kautsky,” said fellow cellist and Professor of Music Janet Anthony. “John is a cellist’s cellist. He has a gorgeous, elegant sound and is an exceptionally interesting and insightful musician. We are in for a real treat.”

A graduate of Juillard School, Sharp has been a featured performer across the country, including concert appearances at the Marlboro Music Festival and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.  He was the featured soloist in several CSO recordings, including Strauss’s “Don Quixote,” Beethoven’s “Triple Concerto” with Itzhak Perlman and Benjamin Britten’s “Symphony for Cello and Orchestra.”

Sharp performs on a cello made in 1694 by Joseph Guarnerius.

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 2013 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.

Earthquake Relief Funds Heading to Haiti for Music School Reconstruction

Almost two years after a devastating earthquake leveled much of the island nation of Haiti, Lawrence University’s campaign to help rebuild the Holy Trinity Music School in Port-au-Prince is taking shape.

The school, a long-time destination for Lawrence student and faculty volunteers, was destroyed by the January 12, 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 Haitians. Nine days later, Lawrence hosted the “Concert for Haiti” which was recorded by Fox-11 WLUK and rebroadcast several times across Northeast Wisconsin.

The concert raised $32,000 through donations from the community and a recent gift from the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac pushed the overall total to more than $40,000. The funds are now being sent to Haiti to begin reconstruction efforts.

Tom Clowes '01 is one of numerous alumni who have traveled to Haiti to work with young music students there.

“Weeks after the earthquake, musicians from Holy Trinity began performing for displaced people living in makeshift tent cities. With this donation the music school will build a temporary rehearsal structure enabling work to go on even in inclement weather,” said Lawrence Professor of Cello Janet Anthony, who has traveled to Haiti annually to teach music. “Plans have been drawn up to rebuild the entire cathedral complex (cathedral, convent, elementary, trade and music schools, art museum, concert hall, administrative offices, guest house) but, even with the most optimistic estimates, the completion date is several years off. This donation marks the first large step in the process of rebuilding and is hugely important. The generosity of our local community is astounding, moving and extremely gratifying.”

The funds raised, with generous support from Fox-11 WLUK, the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac, the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the American Red Cross and the Northeast Wisconsin community, are being used to build a temporary shelter in downtown Port-au-Prince that will house two rehearsal halls, a studio and an instrument depot, as well as office space at the school’s annex in nearby Petionville.

“This was a wonderful example of our community pulling together to collaborate for an important cause,” said Lawrence President Jill Beck. “Lawrence could not have done this alone. We are so grateful to our many community partners, especially to the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region for stewarding the donated funds and to the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac for raising additional funds and coordinating with the diocese in Haiti to ensure the money is safely transferred to the school.”

Since 1996, Lawrence students and faculty have traveled to Haiti to teach at various music programs. The Holy Trinity Music School began in 1963 and slowly became one of the only institutions in Haiti to integrate children from all economic levels. At the time of the earthquake, more than 1,200 students attended the school with its five orchestras, three bands and the renowned Petits Chanteurs. Over the years, the music school has gained international acclaim, touring the United States several times.

Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among America’s best colleges, it was selected for inclusion in 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 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries.

 

Lawrence University Receives $1.5 Million Gift to Establish Endowed Professorship in Music

A $1.5 million gift from a pair of life-long, music loving Lawrence University graduates will establish an endowed professorship in the college’s conservatory of music university officials announced today.

Cellist Janet Anthony, professor of music, will be the first holder of the new George and Marjorie Olsen Chandler Professorship in Music, effective July 1. Appointments to endowed professorships are made in recognition of academic and artistic distinction through teaching excellence and/or scholarly achievement.

The Chandler Professorship is the fourth endowed professorship established during Lawrence’s six-year, $150 million “More Light” campaign, which concludes in October.

“Professor Anthony has inspired students at Lawrence and around the world with her passion for music,” Lawrence President Jill Beck said in announcing the appointment. “She is a respected teacher, mentor and performer who has dedicated her career to enriching others’ lives with her scholarship and music.

“Janet Anthony is an extraordinary asset to the Lawrence faculty and to the Conservatory of Music and I am proud to be able to recognize her contributions with this professorship,” Beck added.

While George and Marjorie Chandler both attended Lawrence, they did not meet as students, having graduated seven years apart, 1951 and 1944, respectively. They married in 1962 and shared a mutual love of music — George sang in the choir as a student, Marjorie played piano — and an appreciation for their experiences at Lawrence.

George Chandler '51

Originally from Waukegan, Ill., George Chandler earned a degree magna cum laude in classics from Lawrence and went on to earn a law degree from the University of Illinois. He enjoyed a distinguished career as an attorney, planner and manager with the Interstate Commerce Commission and the U.S. Department of Transportation.  He retired in 1985 and makes his home today in Durham, N.C.

Marjorie Chandler, an Oshkosh native, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Minnesota. She was a statistician with Educational Testing Service in Princeton, N.J., and later in her career worked as a senior official at the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education.  Marjorie died in 2003.

“We were always attracted to classical music,” said George Chandler in explaining the decision to endow a music professorship. “During our 35 years in the Washington D.C., area, it was a rare week when we failed to attend some kind of musical performance at the Kennedy Center, the National Cathedral or George Mason University. We selected our retirement home in North Carolina with the rich musical life provided largely by the many nearby colleges and universities in mind.”

He also credited many of his former professors for forging a life-long affection for Lawrence.

“Not only were they all brilliant teachers who knew how to draw the best out of their students, but they were able to make a callow youth brought up on the Chicago Tribune, ‘see the light,’” said Chandler.

The Chandlers met Anthony in the early 1990s when they took a Bjorklunden summer seminar on Mozart she taught. In 2007, the Lawrence Chamber Players, of which Anthony is a member, performed in Durham in George Chandler’s honor.

Professor of Music Janet Anthony

Anthony, an active soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, has taught cello at Lawrence since 1984. She has toured with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Austrian Radio Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of the Vienna Symphony. She also has performed or taught in Argentina, China, Curacao, Japan, Venezuela and Vietnam and, as a member of the Duo Kléber, she has performed in England, France, Italy and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Since 1996, Anthony has made annual trips to Haiti to conduct, perform and teach at music schools there. She often takes students with her and to date, nearly 50 have accompanied her on her travels to assist at the schools.

After a devastating earthquake hit the country in 2010, Anthony helped organized a benefit concert in Appleton for Haiti and collected needed supplies for the survivors, including gently used instruments. Since the quake, she has performed in four memorial concerts in Haiti, including one this past Jan 12 — the one-year anniversary of the quake — for an audience of those who had lost their homes and who were living in tents on the main square of Jacmel, home of the Dessaix-Baptiste Music School, Haiti’s second largest, which was heavily damaged.

A frequent performer on Wisconsin Public Radio, Anthony earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She also studied at Vienna’s famed Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst.

Lawrence University Hosts “Concert for Haiti”

The Lawrence University Memorial Chapel will be the backdrop for a special “Concert for Haiti” Wednesday, January 20, at 7 p.m. The concert is the inspiration of Lawrence student Carolyn Armstrong ’10 and Lawrence Professor of Cello Janet Anthony, who last month traveled to Haiti to teach music. The Holy Trinity Music School in Port-au-Prince, where many of the lessons took place, was destroyed in the earthquake January 12 that killed an estimated 200,000 Haitians and left many more injured and homeless.

The “Concert for Haiti” will feature performances by Lawrence students and faculty, Bob Levy and John Harmon, Jeremiah Nelson, world-renowned improvisational cellist Matt Turner and others. A collection will be taken to benefit Holy Trinity Music School. In addition, donations can be given to the American Red Cross Haitian Relief efforts. Haitian music and music composed at Holy Trinity Music School will be performed. Tickets are not required.

On Thursday, January 21, at 9:30 p.m., Fox 11 WLUK will broadcast the concert highlights, sharing the message and music with viewers across Northeast Wisconsin. “We are grateful for the opportunity to take this message to a larger audience,” Anthony said. “More than 40 Lawrence students have visited Haiti in the last 15 years, many of them working with music students at Holy Trinity. We care deeply about their welfare and we look forward to, when the time is right, bringing music education back to Haiti.”

Lawrence University is grateful for the support of the American Red Cross, Fox-11 WLUK and others for this “Concert for Haiti.”

To support Lawrence University’s fund-raising efforts for Haiti, click here.