All posts by knapps

BGSU Names Dean of College of Musical Arts

 

Jeffrey Showell

Dr. Jeffrey Showell, a professor and director of the School of Music at James Madison University, has been appointed the next dean of the College of Musical Arts. Dr. Kenneth Borland, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, made the announcement today (March 28) following a national search. Showell’s appointment becomes effective June 30.

“Dr. Showell has the passion, intellect, gifts and outstanding leadership experience to bring the College of Musical Arts into a well-deserved place of national prominence,” Borland said of Showell.

Showell holds bachelor’s and master’s of music degrees from the Eastman School of Music and a master and doctorate of musical arts from Yale University.

As director of the School of Music at JMU, he oversees 45 full-time and 20 part-time faculty members and 450 majors. In the fall of 2009 he worked to create the Harlem Symphony Initiative, a reciprocal exchange of master classes and recitals by JMU faculty and symphony members. JMU also will become the summer home of the symphony.

While at James Madison, Showell was involved with the design, programming, construction and fund-raising for a new, 175,000-square-foot performing arts center that opened in May of 2010, and helped secure $1 million in private donations to help JMU become the first All-Steinway School in Virginia.

For nine years he’s been an Accreditation Visitor for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), having made accreditation visits to about 15 universities. For the last three years, he’s also been a member of the NASM central accreditation commission.

Before becoming an administrator, Showell was an accomplished violist. He served for eight years as the principal violist for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, was a soloist with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and violist in the Rymour String Quartet.

“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to step into Richard Kennell’s large shoes as dean of the BGSU College of Musical Arts, to continue his work in elevating the national profile of this extraordinary College,” Showell said.

(Submitted by Susan Knapp)

MIDSEM 2011: Music in Everyday Life

A conference to discuss various topics regarding Music in Everyday Life will be held Friday- Sunday, April 8-10, 2011 in various locations in the Bowen Thompson Student Union and in the community.  For a complete listing of events click here

(Submitted by David Harnish)

Memorial Jazz Concert to honor Dave Melle, April 10, 3:00pm

Bowling Green State University celebrates the legacy of legendary musician Dave Melle in a special memorial jazz concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 10, in Kobacker Hall.

The free concert will feature performances by the BGSU Jazz Lab Band, the BGSU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the Dave Melle Alumni Jazz Band and special guests 6th Edition.

Dave “Dak” Melle was a professor of performance studies at the BGSU College of Musical Arts from 1967-95. He directed the Jazz Lab Band from 1970-95 and also performed as flutist with the BGSU Venti da Camera Woodwind Quintet from 1973-92, appearing on campus, in the community, at state and national music conventions and on tour in Belgium in 1991.

In 1980-81, he helped found and directed the Toledo Jazz Orchestra in its first two seasons. He was appointed director again in 1996 and continued in that capacity through the spring of 2003. With the BGSU Jazz Lab Band and the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, he directed and produced 14 recordings.

6th Edition is a five-piece vocal jazz group whose members include Lori Lefevre, Kevin Eikum, Kim Buehler, Lisa Young and John Johnson. The group has released its first CD, “It’s About Time,” available at CDBaby.com.

(Submitted by Susan Knapp)

12th Annual Conrad Art Song Competition winners announced

The 12th Annual Conrad Art Song Competition at BGSU was held on Saturday, April 2, 2011.  Congratulations to the following winners:

UNDERGRADUATE DIVISION

  • First place: Melissa Penkava, mezzo-soprano and Jacintha Ratnasamy, piano
  • Second place: Rachel Taylor, mezzo-soprano and Melinda Sondag, piano
  • Third place: Cassandra Utt, soprano and Sara Tobe, piano

GRADUATE DIVISION

  • First place: Christine Amon, mezzo-soprano and Heidi Clausius, piano
  • Second place: Theresa Zapata, soprano and Tatiana Gorbunova, piano
  • Third place:  Amanda Deboer, soprano and Karl Larson, piano

Congratulations to all the participants and their coaches on a job well done!

(Submitted by Susan Knapp)

Semi-finalists announced for First Annual Dubois Piano Competition

Congratulations to the following semi-finalists who were selected to participate in the First Annual Dubois Piano Competition! Competitors will be on the BGSU campus the weekend of February 4-6, 2011 to compete for prizes and hear pianist Robert Levin in recital and master classes.

For more information on the competition, visit:
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/music/duboiscompetition/index.html

Alex Berko, 15, Solon, OH
Ricardo Acosta Murguia, 17, Interlochen, MI (Mexico)
Michael Lenahan, 16, Rossford, OH
Meredith Bixel, 18, Bluffton, OH
Vivian Anderson, 15, Ann Arbor, MI
Brooke Evans, 18, Findlay, OH
Iris Jang, 16, Westerville, OH
Brook Zhang, 16, Gahanna, OH
Arianna Korting, 16, Gates Mills, OH
Amy Fan, 15, Bowling Green, OH
Scott Sherman, 17, W. Bloomfield, MI
Naomi Causby, 16, Columbia, SC
Cathy Li, 16, Sewickley, PA
Miguel Morrissey, 16, Interlochen, MI (Port Charlotte, FL)
Kangling Gu, 15, Troy, MI
Michelle Lui, 18, Interlochen, MI (Hong Kong)
Danni Feng, 17, LaSalle, Ontario, Canada
Michael Tsang, 18, Pittsburg, PA
Heather Shen, 15, Birmingham, MI

(Submitted by Susan Knapp)