Category Archives: Uncategorized

Early Music Ensemble Invited to Nationally Acclaimed Festival

BGSU Early Music Ensemble[2] (1)

BGSU’s Early Music Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Arne Spohr, has been selected by Early Music America to perform at Early Music America’s Young Performers Festival in Berkeley, CA. This nationally recognized festival will be featuring top university early music ensembles from around the United States, including groups from Indiana University, University of Southern California, Case Western Reserve University, and Brigham Young University Idaho. All performances will take place at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church from June 8th – 10th as part of the Berkeley Music Festival.

Professors Papanikolaou and Merritt presenitng pre-performance talks at Toledo Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess

 

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Eftychia Papanikolaou, Associate Professor of Musicology, and Myra Merritt, Professor of Voice, will present two pre-performance talks at Toledo Opera’s production of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Friday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 14 at 1 p.m. in the Grand Lobby of the Valentine Theatre.

For more information please visit:

http://www.toledoopera.org/events/main/porgy-bess/

http://www.toledoopera.org/learn/pre-opera-talks/

BGSU makes strong presence at the 2016 New Music Gathering

NEW MUISC GATHERING

Bowling Green State University will be well represented at the 2016 New Music Gathering held at the Peabody Conservatory. The following list includes those from BGSU performing and lecturing during this highly acclaimed new music conference:

  • Alumnus Ryan Muncy, part of panels: “Commissioning New Music”, and “New Music and Community Building”
  • Faculty member Ryan Ebright, part of panel: “New Music(ology) Gathering: Scholarly Perspectives on American New Music Since 1960”
  • Current DMA student Aaron Hynds: performance, 60 minute lecture/demo/question workshop
  • Current DMA student Hillary LaBonte: panel, “The Church of New Music: Places of Worship and the New Music Community”
  • Alumnae Viola Yip and Ellery Trafford: performance, “Instrumentalists Using the Voice”

BGSU students, faculty, and alumnae will participate in this interdisciplinary event taking place January 6-9, 2016.

From the mission statement of New Music Gathering:

“Even in a culture that thrives on connectivity, the ancient idea of simply being in the same place at the same time to exchange ideas continues to be the most effective, and New Music Gathering fills that need. 

Following the conference model, the event will be three days of performances, presentations, and discussions, but as it is to be run not by an organization but by four working musicians – Lainie FeffermanDaniel Felsenfeld, Mary Kouyoumdjian, and Matt Marks – it should be a way to “skip the middleman” and focus on the needs and desires of the community directly. 

As it is to be based in a different city annually, aside from bringing together those who write, perform and promote “contemporary classical” music to meet, talk, and develop collaborative relationships, the Gathering will also focus on the dedicated population in that specific region.”

Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard selects Mikel Kuehn for 2015 Composer Commissions

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The Board of Directors of the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University is pleased to announce the names of fourteen composers selected to receive 2015 Fromm commissions. These commissions represent one of the principal ways that the Fromm Music Foundation seeks to strengthen composition and to bring contemporary concert music closer to the public. In addition to the commissioning fee, a subsidy is available for the ensemble performing the premiere of the commissioned work.

Among the fourteen recipients is local composer Mikel Kuehn, a resident of Sylvania, Ohio, and faculty at Bowling Green State University.

Founded by the patron of contemporary music, the late Paul Fromm, the Fromm Foundation is now in its sixtieth year, having been located at Harvard University for the past forty. Since the 1950s, it has commissioned well over 300 new compositions and their performances, and has sponsored hundreds of new music concerts and concert series.

Doctoral Student Nick Zoulek Performs with Contemporary Dance Company

WildSpace_saxDoctoral student Nick Zoulek appeared with Wild Space Dance Company at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory Annex in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 22-24, 2015. His saxophone duo provided music for Luminous, part of Wild Space’s Neighborhood Sites initiative.  Mr. Zoulek is a student of Distinguished Artist Professor John Sampen.

Reviews of the performances highlighted the musical contribution to the dance piece:

Milwaukee magazine writes— “At times, the musicians take center stage, and they are extraordinary players. They use overblowing to create symphonic textures from only two instruments, and they used the vast volume of the space to create unearthly echos. Nick Zoulek’s alto saxophone solo in the middle of the dance was a tour de force, and the pair’s use of odd instruments like found-object percussion and horns made of long tubes (was that an elephant, or a speeding Maserati in full Doppler Shift) took you to other worlds.”

The Shepherd Express adds— “In moments of silence, you heard the rain. Otherwise, you heard the lush saxophone playing of Duo d’Entre-Deux (Tommy Davis and Nick Zoulek)—saw them, too, since they played live, interacting with the dancers and drawing ambient sound from the room itself. A playful episode in which they improvised in sound and movement with dancer Dan Schuchart was a delight; overall, their contribution to Luminous was profound. Beautiful harmonies sang in contrast to mysterious knockings and hums, and finally to ungodly, soul-shattering blasts.”

Toledo Symphony Orchestra featured in BGSU’s composer reading session

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BOWLING GREEN, OH— Orchestral compositions written by Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts students will be read, rehearsed and recorded by Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) musicians on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 3:30-6 p.m. in BGSU’s Kobacker Hall. Michael Lewanski, a prominent figure on the international contemporary music scene, will lead the orchestra while acclaimed composer, conductor author and educator Samuel Adler will be present to observe the session and give comments in an evening masterclass.

After a review of the submitted scores, the following works were selected for the session:

– Richard Arndorfer       Aurora
– Andrew Binder           Endleofan
– Emily Custer               Seelenruhe
– Matthew Ramage        Mutability
– Jacob Sandridge           I-77

The TSO will be bringing its largest complement of players to BGSU, 72 musicians in all. “Few academic institutions can offer this kind of professional experience, making this a unique opportunity for BGSU students,” said Christopher Dietz, a faculty member in musicology, composition and theory and organizer of the session.

The event is open to students, faculty and staff of the BGSU College of Musical Arts and invited guests. Members of the public who would like to attend should email faculty liaison Christopher Dietz (cjdietz@bgsu.edu) to be included on the guest list.