Tim Cloeter, Assistant Professor of Choral Music, conducted a chorus of 370 high school students at the Youth Symposium of the 13th Annual Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod in Kuala Lumpur on June 13-14. Coming together from all across their country, the students participated in massed chorus rehearsals and individual choir coaching sessions led by Cloeter that culminated in a concert of nine high school choirs and the massed chorus. While in Kuala Lumpur, Cloeter also led masterclasses at two higher education institutions: the Malaysian Institute of Art and the University of Malaysia.
Category Archives: voice-alumni
Cassie Utt, BGSU ’13, featured in Washington Post
Cassie Utt was featured in an article in the Washington Post on June 3, 2015. She will be traveling the world in the coming year, living for a month in each of about 12 different cities around the globe, for her job with Eaton Corporation, as part of their Remote Year program. Participation in the program is highly selective. See the link to article for more details.
Opera singer BGSU Alumnae Sara L. Emerson wins grand prize in Chicago’s Opera Idol
BGSU Alumnae Sara L. Emerson wins grand prize in Chicago’s Opera Idol competition.
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An enduring gift to BGSU
By Jordan Cravens
Service above self was the lifelong mantra of Dr. Ramona Cormier.
The former dean of Continuing Education and Summer Programs and associate provost at Bowling Green State University tirelessly put the University and Bowling Green community first and never sought praise or affirmation for her efforts.
Even after her death on Oct. 28 in Louisiana, the alternative energy crusader continued giving back to BGSU. Cormier made a $100,000 bequest to the University, which will benefit the Cormier Endowed Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund was established for nontraditional students who have resumed classes after a break in their formal education.
Her final gift was symbolic of her lifetime of giving to BGSU and other organizations dear to her heart. Her philanthropy at BGSU extended to the Gish Film Theater, WBGU, Pro Musica, Library Enrichment, BGSU Opera, College of Musical Arts and many more.
Dr. Christopher Scholl, an associate professor in the College of Musical Arts and coordinator of voice/opera, said without generosity like Cormier’s the arts would cease to exist.
“Opera is the culmination of all art forms, music, theater, visual arts, dance and acting. It is very expensive to produce. Her generosity helped create productions that were visually and aesthetically pleasing,” Scholl said.
While always humble, Cormier leaves behind a legacy that has not gone unnoticed.
“Ramona Cormier touched the University and community in many, many ways,” said Wally and Diane Pretzer, former colleagues and long-time friends. “She was always willing to step up.”
Cormier came to BGSU in 1965 and remained until her retirement in 1990. She began as a faculty member in the Philosophy Department, but worked her way up the University ranks before she retired as dean of Continuing Education and Summer Programs.
During her tenure, she held numerous posts and belonged to a host of professional organizations, garnering a multitude of awards along the way. One of her greatest contributions to the philosophy realm was her development of research tools as associate director of the Philosophy Documentation Center. She composed many publications and was well-known as a high-caliber scholar. She later served as president of the BGSU Retirees Association.
Suzanane Crawford, who succeeded Cormier following her retirement as dean of Continuing Education and Summer Programs, called Cormier a “forward-thinker” with high standards and a relentless pursuit to advance the department and University.
“We called her the ‘orphan dean’ because she took on projects other deans didn’t want. This benefited our program, but also the institution and our students,” Crawford said.
“She left behind a sense of community, of positivity and a sense of forward-thinking that sometimes gets lost,” Crawford said.
Forward-thinking seems an appropriate way to describe Cormier who was a staunch supporter of alternative energy in an era where such ideas were almost unthinkable.
Cormier served the community in several capacities, including her time as a member of the Bowling Green Board of Public Utilities. She was an integral player in promoting wind and hydroelectric energy, solar power panels at the BGSU Ice Arena, load management and Green Power. She served four years as board chair.
She was strong in her convictions and didn’t shy away from giving her opinion, but she was also known as a good listener.
Prior to coming to BGSU, Cormier earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (1943), a master’s in music from the University of Southern California (1948) and a doctorate in Philosophy from Tulane University (1960). She also held teaching positions at the University of Tennessee, Tulane and Newcomb College.
Outside of academia, Cormier served in the U.S. Navy shortly after graduating from college in 1943. She retired in 1946 as a first class ensign.
Cormier was also known for being a master gardener, world traveler, excellent cook, wine connoisseur and avid Shakespeare fan. She was a native speaker of Cajun French and immersed herself in French culture.
Cormier was born on Jan. 21, 1923 in Breaux Bridge, La. She died on Oct. 28, 2014, in Sulphur, La., where she had relocated to be closer to her family. She was 91
Errin Brooks, Alumni ’09-12, Wins Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists
Errin recently won a National Competition called the Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists sponsored by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women Club, Inc., (NANBPWC) to promote and support young black singers. He first heard about the competition from Myra Merritt in 2010 and after competing that year he placed 4th in Nationals. The age limit then was only 25 until they raised it to 30 in 2013 so he tried again this Summer. This time, however, he was able to win the competition while singing Scaramuccio and covering Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos with Opera Theater Pittsburgh.
Errin was sponsored locally by the Toledo Club and Maumee Club then represented the North Central District in the National Finals both years in which he competed.
“So it has just been a blessed Summer for me this year and I am truly grateful!!! I really appreciate it. Although I am with Chicago Opera Theater/Roosevelt University’s Young Artist/Artist Diploma Program, BGSU will always be my home!!!”
BGSU Alum Kisma Jordan named 2014 Kresge Artist Fellow in Music.
BGSU Alum Kisma Jordan, Masters of Music, 2006, named 2014 Kresge Artist Fellow in Music.
Kresge Arts in Detroit is honored to announce the 2014 Kresge Artist Fellows, including the inaugural fellowships in the new film/theatre category. This year, 18 metropolitan Detroit artists working across a wide range of artistic practices within the dance/music and film/theatre disciplines were selected to receive a fellowship, which includes an unrestricted prize of $25,000 to reward an artist’s creative vision and commitment to excellence.
The Kresge Artist Fellowships are funded by The Kresge Foundation and administered by the Kresge Arts in Detroit program of the College for Creative Studies. The fellowships program represents the foundation’s desire to advance the artistic careers of Detroit artists living and working in its hometown, as well as to elevate the profile of the area’s artistic community.
The work of the 2014 Fellows encompasses creative practices that push boundaries and blur lines between established disciplines, advocate for social justice and embody Detroit’s complex, evolving narrative. Representing the depth and multiplicity of Detroit’s artistic communities, the 2014 Kresge Artist Fellows include world-renowned musicians working in diverse genres, multidisciplinary artists incorporating sound and new media, local filmmakers presenting stories with universal themes, and emerging artists bringing fresh perspectives to their chosen mediums.