<link>/</link> <description/> <language>en</language> <item> <title>No Ordinary Woman: Soprano Katherine Jolly Champions New Music and Womanhood in Art Song /news/no-ordinary-woman-soprano-katherine-jolly-champions-new-music-and-womanhood-art-song <span>No Ordinary Woman: Soprano Katherine Jolly Champions New Music and Womanhood in Art Song</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-06T12:57:34-04:00" title="Monday, April 6, 2026 - 12:57">Mon, 04/06/2026 - 12:57</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="image_resized align-left media-embed-resized" style="width:235px;"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/cke_media_resize_medium/public/2026-04/NV6803_No-Ordinary-Woman.jpg?itok=Cpn0m8iQ" width="500" height="500" alt="album cover"> </div> <p>When creating programs for concerts or recording projects, Associate Professor of Voice&nbsp;<a href="/katherine-jolly">Katherine Jolly</a> creates a blend of the familiar and the challenging. In addition to teaching, the soprano is dedicated to growing an audience for art song, an intimate, Western style of composition that places poetry and music on equal footing. “I’m trying to get back to a place where art song is a normal part of life, like it used to be, rather than this obtuse, fancy thing.”&nbsp;</p><p>It’s with this ear for poetry that Jolly released her new album,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6803"><em>No Ordinary Woman</em></a> (Navona Records/PARMA Recordings), in January with pianist Emily Yap Chua. This album, her first since her 2019 debut&nbsp;<em>Preach Sister, Preach</em>, features three song cycles that are intimate reflections on different sorts of love and on womanhood.&nbsp;</p><p>Two were commissioned and composed for Jolly:&nbsp;<em>Nikki’s Love Songs</em>, a song cycle with poetry by writer and civil rights activist Nikki Giovanni set to music by Dominic DiOrio, and&nbsp;<em>Love in Times of War</em>,&nbsp;which contains texts written and set by composer Carla Lucero. Rounding out the album is the 1997 song cycle&nbsp;<em>No Ordinary Woman</em> by former conservatory faculty member Gwyneth Walker, based on poems by the writer and teacher Lucille Clifton. This is the first label recording of this cycle.</p><p>“There's a lot of humor in the melodic treatments, and you can hear it in, for example, Giovanni’s ‘Good Omelet,’” Jolly says of the music on&nbsp;<em>No Ordinary Woman</em>. “You can also hear the humor in Walker’s ‘Homage to My Hair’&nbsp; and in Lucero’s ‘Electric.’ If I'm going to present something that's a little more challenging for the audience, then there has to be at least one or two sets where people walk away singing something. My goal is to champion living composers and new works, so that we are welcoming current and future audiences to a space where we create beauty and light."</p><p>Jolly recorded the album over a joyful and intense three-day span in 鶹Ƶ’s Clonick Hall, with brief cat naps in between takes to stay sharp. Below, she discusses the album’s gestation and her passion for making art song accessible to all, reflecting current times and, in this case, women’s journeys.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>What sparked your interest in recording this album?</strong></p><p>I grew up in a highly musical and writer-conscious household. Nikki Giovanni’s book&nbsp;<em>Love Poems</em> came out when I was a junior in college. At the time, I thought, “Someday I want to have these set to a cycle for me.” This is really a long-term career goal and passion project for me. I have relationships with everyone involved in this album. I’m so grateful.</p><p><strong>Did you speak with Giovanni before she passed away in 2024?</strong></p><p>Yes, I reached out to Professor Giovanni in 2020 to ask for her permission to set some of her poetry. I came home one day to a handwritten card from her in the mail. I’m going to frame it; I’ve been an ardent reader and fan of hers for so long. My parents followed her work, long before I was born.</p><p>Nikki graciously affirmed that she would be honored to have some of the poems from her book,&nbsp;<em>Love Poems</em>, set by one of my best friends, Dominic DiOrio, and that she'd be honored if I would sing them.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Which poems did you choose?</strong></p><p>This particular album is all about love. Nikki’s poetry celebrates different kinds of love—like aging love or playful love that's very sensual or even spicy. Dominic and I chose the poems that resonated with us. Everyone should have this book of poetry; there is something for everyone.</p><p><strong>Let’s talk about the second set,&nbsp;</strong><em><strong>No Ordinary Woman</strong></em><strong>. How did you settle on Lucille Clifton’s poetry?</strong></p><p>Soprano Kylie Kreucher ’23, a junior at the time, was accepted into the prestigious voice program at Music Academy of the West. So we were tasked with creating a program that had a meaningful theme. For Kylie, it was about female empowerment and unheard voices. So I looked for art songs across time periods that spoke to her and found Walker’s “Homage to My Hips.” It was perfect for the theme.</p><p>Then I began exploring the rest of the cycle and programmed it multiple times: on campus; with Cincinnati Song Initiative; and in guest recitals throughout the country. Women around my age or a little older waited post-recital to share about how this cycle,&nbsp;<em>No Ordinary Woman</em>, resonated with them. The final song in the set is really about aging gracefully. This cycle feels very much like how I want to see myself, and my students keep telling me, “Dr. J, I can just hear your laughter in these.”</p><p><strong>And the third set,&nbsp;</strong><em><strong>Love in Times of War?</strong></em></p><p>Carla Lucero has shaken things up in the opera world; she is a force and an incredible composer. This cycle grew out of conversations between us. A lot of what she's written is based on my personality. There are snappy sections and references to cats at the piano, and it grew into an interesting concept to think about falling in love with somebody that you didn't intend to fall in love with. Vocally and musically, it is very challenging, so I look forward to bringing it to audiences and staging it. It was designed to be operatic in scope, and we've talked about orchestrating it and making it a one-woman, one-act orchestral show.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>What’s next for you?</strong></p><p>I’m working on my next album already! I have had a really lovely operatic career; now, mostly I’m focused on recital and chamber works, singing with symphonies, and teaching. Not only am I still singing, I'm singing and creating. So many of my colleagues at 鶹Ƶ are doing the same, juggling performing, recording, creating, and teaching. What a gift for our students and our community. What a gift for us.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">New album by 鶹Ƶ associate professor of voice includes three song cycles about womanhood, femininity, and aging gracefully.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-04-06T12:00:00Z">Mon, 04/06/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3341">Conservatory Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/katherine-jolly" hreflang="und">Katherine Jolly</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/2026-04/20250826-233.jpg?itok=Q1EV6DZy" width="760" height="506" alt="portrait"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:57:34 +0000 kviancou 776947 at 鶹Ƶ Opera Theater Presents “Later the Same Evening and Bastianello” /news/oberlin-opera-theater-presents-later-same-evening-and-bastianello-double-bill-where-romance <span>鶹Ƶ Opera Theater Presents “Later the Same Evening and Bastianello”</span> <span><span>awillia2</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-19T12:51:29-05:00" title="Thursday, February 19, 2026 - 12:51">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:51</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>From March 5 through 7, 鶹Ƶ Opera Theater will transform paintings and folktale into living drama in <em>Later the Same Evening</em> and <em>Bastianello, </em>with music by John Musto and libretti by Mark Campbell. The double bill, performed by 鶹Ƶ opera students, offers a rare opportunity for students to work directly with Musto and gain firsthand insight into the music.</p><p>Built around five paintings by Edward Hopper, <em>Later the Same Evening</em> is a one-act opera that follows the individual and intertwined romantic journeys of characters inspired by <em>Room in New York</em>, <em>Hotel Window</em>, <em>Hotel Room</em>, <em>Two on the Aisle</em>, and <em>Automat</em>. While Hopper’s paintings illustrate stillness and solitude, the opera imagines lives that unfold beyond the frame. Set in New York City, the characters’ individual stories intersect when they all find themselves in the same Broadway theater watching the same fictional show.</p><p>That scene is particularly striking, explains composer Musto, because “no one sings at all.” Yet earlier scenes include “allusions to tunes that are in this fictional show.” One of these fictional tunes, “Where is the Man in Manhattan?," is so convincing that, according to Musto, “somebody called the opera office and wanted to know where they could find the music to that old song.” The humor, he notes, is that “there wasn’t any song”—it exists only in the fictional musical <em>Tell Me Tomorrow. </em>While the show tunes may be imagined, the world of <em>Later the Same Evening</em> paints a very real human experience of love in all its stages.</p><p><em>Later the Same Evening </em>is uniquely balanced by <em>Bastianello</em>, an absurd one-act opera by the same composer and librettist. Based on an Italian folktale often compared to “The Three Sillies,” the opera follows Luciano, a husband who—after declaring his wife, father-in-law, and even his own mother to be stupid—sets out to find six people “more foolish, more idiotic, truly stupider, and more without a clue.” Along the way, he encounters a series of absurd characters with equally absurd problems, which Luciano helps to solve.&nbsp;</p><p>Composer Musto praises Campbell’s “genius,” noting that while <em>Bastianello</em> "originally read… very, very comedic,” Campbell "turned it very serious at the end,” a shift that really turned it into an opera… because of that last scene.” Due to Campbell’s expert storytelling and skillful balance of humor and seriousness, <em>Bastienello</em> is full of delightful absurdity and laughter while also exploring deeper, more human themes.</p><p>This double bill is expertly led and put together by Guest Stage Director Scott Skiba ’03 and Conductor Timothy Weiss, professor of conducting and director of the Contemporary Music Ensemble and 鶹Ƶ Sinfonietta.&nbsp;</p><p>Although Skiba has maintained a relationship with 鶹Ƶ since his graduation in 2003—returning for 鶹Ƶ in Italy and several Winter Term operas—he is excited to be back, directing in the room where, in 1997, he discovered that he wanted to “work with singing-actors and help them on their journey to become more compelling, more believable, more dynamic.” He emphasizes that working on newer operas is “an especially good vehicle for talented students to learn,” because there’s no definitive performance of <em>Later the Same Evening</em> or <em>Bastianello.</em>” “It’s a blank canvas, more or less,” he says.</p><p>Skiba hopes the production will draw new audiences to the opera, pointing to the “beautiful moments of melodic writing and poignant, inspiring words” from both composer Musto and librettist Campbell. “You will laugh, you will cry, you get to see a lot of talented students,” he says, highlighting the unique balance between the two stories and the energy and work brought by the students of 鶹Ƶ Opera Theater.</p><p>Conductor Weiss, who frequently works with contemporary music, highlights the unique challenge of performing newer works such as <em>Later the Same Evening </em>and <em>Bastianello. </em>“There’s not a lot of performance history to go on,” he explains, so even though 鶹Ƶ Opera Theater “is not the first to do it, there’s an element of making the wheel, inventing the wheel, or at least remaking a wheel that was just made.” Weiss emphasizes that when working on newer compositions, “it’s always best to do it in consultation—or with—the composer,” which was an experience offered to both staff and students by the John Musto residency.&nbsp;</p><p>Weiss says there are many reasons to see these operas: “Comedy—there's ridiculous slapstick comedy. There’s uncontrollable, laugh-out-loud, belly-laugh funny moments, but there are also some incredibly tender, emotional scenes.” And in true 鶹Ƶ fashion, he adds, “It's cold outside…the weather has been miserable, and this is a way to come together and just bask in the glow.”</p><p>Performances will be held in Hall Auditorium from March 5 through 7 at 8 p.m., and March 8 at 2 p.m. Tickets are now available online at the <a href="/artsguide/opera" target="_blank" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="f8f47558-9014-44a3-a1c8-42857cf91a24" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Opera 2025-26 Season">鶹Ƶ College Artsguide</a>. Reserved seating is $15, while discounted tickets for students, faculty, alumni, and senior citizens are available for $10.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Spring production features two one-act operas with music by John Musto and librettos by Mark Campbell.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-19T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kailey Pritchard ’26</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3873">鶹Ƶ Opera Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32971">Opera Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/2026-02/opera-021926.png?itok=Xae1suM1" width="760" height="570" alt="A portion of an Edward Hopper painting which is a red theater curtain and a portion of a yellow stage. The titles &quot;Later the Same Evening&quot; and &quot;Bastianello&quot; are in white&nbsp;typeface."> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-48236" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <hr><p><em>Kailey Pritchard ’26 is a fourth-year voice major and a student communications assistant for the Office of Conservatory Communications. She is a member of the cast of this spring’s opera production.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:51:29 +0000 awillia2 769629 at Richard Miller Voice Competition and Daniel Okulitch: Honoring a Legacy of Excellence /news/richard-miller-voice-competition-and-daniel-okulitch-honoring-legacy-excellence <span>Richard Miller Voice Competition and Daniel Okulitch: Honoring a Legacy of Excellence</span> <span><span>srasmuss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-02-11T13:55:04-05:00" title="Tuesday, February 11, 2025 - 13:55">Tue, 02/11/2025 - 13:55</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>鶹Ƶ Conservatory’s Richard Miller Voice Competition—founded in 2023 by professor <a href="/salvatore-champagne">Salvatore Champagne '85</a> who serves as the competition director—is now in its second year. The competition shines a spotlight on exceptional high school vocal talent from across the nation. It honors the legacy of a former faculty member renowned for his contributions to vocal pedagogy. This year's event saw a remarkable turnout of talented young singers, who competed in the morning and received afternoon masterclasses from 鶹Ƶ voice faculty and distinguished alumnus <a href="https://www.danielokulitch.com/">Daniel Okulitch</a>.</p> <p><a href="/news/voice-professor-daune-mahy-honored-may-12-celebration"><img alt="man wearing collared jacket, looking at camera" class="obj-left" height="120" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/medium_daniel_okulitch_c_rob_daly_1_1.jpg" width="120"></a>Okulitch, a world-renowned opera singer and former student of Richard Miller, returned to 鶹Ƶ to lead a guest masterclass for the competition participants. His approach made the one-on-one experience deeply personal for each student. “Sometimes, very short masterclasses are like speed chess,” Okulitch says. “It rewards bold, unpredictable moves that keep the person you’re playing (against) on their toes or maybe surprise them. And that’s what shorter masterclasses are; you have to do something that will surprise them out of their habits and introduce a new idea.”</p> <p><a href="/news/oberlin-conservatory-launches-new-competition-high-school-classical-vocalists">Richard Miller</a>, whose tenure at 鶹Ƶ left an indelible mark on generations of voice students and educators, was celebrated through the second annual competition and Okulitch’s participation. Miller was known internationally for his unique pedagogical approach, which focused on building strong foundational technique with undergraduate students exclusively—an approach which Miller described as “pushing baby ducks into the water.”&nbsp;</p> <p>On Miller’s influence, Okulitch shares, “He’s with me in every lesson that I teach,” and describing him as a “Renaissance man” whose teachings continue to resonate deeply with both teachers and students.</p> <p>Okulitch notes the distinctiveness of 鶹Ƶ’s Miller Competition compared to other vocal contests. He expressed his surprise and admiration for the level of talent among high school participants, many of whom he found to be on par with college-level singers. “It’s great because it attracts high-level students to 鶹Ƶ, and that’s ultimately what happened to me as well.” When Okulitch was 17, he attended a summer program at 鶹Ƶ that was run by 鶹Ƶ faculty Gerald Crawford and <a href="/news/voice-professor-daune-mahy-honored-may-12-celebration">Daun Mahy</a>.</p> <p>Reflecting on his time at 鶹Ƶ, Okulitch spoke about the profound friendships and professional connections he made, including fellow professional collaborators Rhiannon Giddens, Michael Preacely, and Limmie Pulliam, who were all at 鶹Ƶ at the same time. He emphasized the focused, distraction-free environment of 鶹Ƶ, which allows students to fully develop their skills.</p> <p>The Richard Miller Voice Competition, along with the involvement of alumni like Okulitch, continues to build a bridge between past and present generations of vocalists. As Okulitch put it, “It’s a beautiful thing for Professor Champagne to create this competition and scholarship,” ensuring that Miller’s influence endures and inspires future generations of singers and teachers.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-02-11T12:00:00Z">Tue, 02/11/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">George Rogers</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2974">Conservatory Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3341">Conservatory Faculty</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32971">Opera Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/salvatore-champagne" hreflang="und">Salvatore Champagne ’85</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/d_okulitch_1.png?itok=r2e7zzqi" width="760" height="570" alt="A man stand at a piano, smiling at a young woman who is facing him, singing, while another man sits at the piano"> </div> Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:55:04 +0000 srasmuss 484682 at Conservatory Celebrates Standout Students for 2024 /news/conservatory-celebrates-standout-students-2024 <span>Conservatory Celebrates Standout Students for 2024</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-13T16:02:44-04:00" title="Monday, May 13, 2024 - 16:02">Mon, 05/13/2024 - 16:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Each spring, 鶹Ƶ Conservatory’s faculty and administration celebrate students whose academic and artistic work is especially meritorious. They are selected by committees and competition juries for exemplary musicianship and academic and personal achievement. Awards generated by numerous endowed funds are dedicated to acknowledging these musicians’ demonstrated excellence, supporting their ongoing study and creative projects, and even assisting with instrument purchases.</p> <p>This year’s honorees were celebrated at a May 13 reception in Stull Recital Hall (<a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBqtKj">see photos</a> of the event on Flickr). They are listed below in alphabetical order by last name:</p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano: Finalist</strong><br> Awarded to piano majors by the piano faculty for excellence in performing works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>Nio L. Ajero</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Louis and Annette Kaufman Music Achievement Award in Violin</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding student of violin<br> <em><strong>Max W. Ball</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Theodore Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding returning student for excellence in musicianship<br> <em><strong>Max W. Ball</strong></em></p> <p><strong>James H. Hall Prize in Musicology</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in work in musicology<br> <em><strong>Eliza R. Balmuth</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Delores and Donald White Prize</strong><br> Awarded to conservatory students who demonstrate leadership in elevating 鶹Ƶ Conservatory’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals through music performance<br> <em><strong>Joshua A. Barron</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Walter E. Aschaffenburg Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior for outstanding music composition<br> <em><strong>Jake L. Berran</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Flint Initiative Grant</strong><br> Awarded to innovative, motivated, and prepared conservatory and double-degree students to develop imaginative artistic projects<br> <em><strong>Holly Bogle&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Faustina Hurlbutt Prize</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding graduating student in cello, piano, violin, or voice<br> <strong><em>JJ Jun Li Bui</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano: Finalist</strong><br> Awarded to piano majors by the piano faculty for excellence in performing works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>James Chen</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Arthur Dann Senior Piano Competition</strong><br> Awarded to the winner of this juried competition for excellence in piano performance<br> <em><strong>Yihang Chen</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Four winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with 鶹Ƶ orchestras during the spring semester<br> <em><strong>Drew Dansby</strong></em>, cello</p> <p><strong>Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Four winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with 鶹Ƶ orchestras during the spring semester<br> <em><strong>Juan Pedro Espinosa Monteros</strong></em>, clarinet</p> <p><strong>Margot Bos Stambler ’84 Professional Development Award</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding voice major of great promise<br> <em><strong>Elizabeth N. Hanje</strong></em></p> <p><strong>James H. Hall Prize in Musicology</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in work in musicology<br> <em><strong>Sam C. Hart</strong></em></p> <p><strong>TIMARA Founders Fund John Clough Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a TIMARA major for distinctive work within the department<br> <em><strong>Ben P. Hochster</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Carol Nott Piano Pedagogy Prize</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding graduating senior for continued study in piano pedagogy<br> <em><strong>Soyoung Jeong</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Delores and Donald White Prize</strong><br> Awarded to conservatory students who demonstrate leadership in elevating 鶹Ƶ Conservatory’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals through music performance<br> <em><strong>Daniela Jimenez Ochoa</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Four winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with 鶹Ƶ orchestras during the spring semester<br> <em><strong>Maya Irizarry Lambright</strong></em>, violin</p> <p><strong>John Elvin Piano Prize</strong><br> Awarded to the student judged by the piano department to be the most talented in the junior class<br> <em><strong>Yu-Wei Lee</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano Third Place: Howard Karp ’51 Prize</strong><br> Awarded to the third-place finisher of this juried competition for excellence in performance of works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>Leo Lu</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano First Place: Peter Takács Prize</strong><br> Awarded to the winner of this juried competition for excellence in performance of works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>Iskandar O. Mamadaliev</strong></em></p> <p><strong>TIMARA Founders Fund Olly Wilson Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a TIMARA major for distinctive work within the department<br> <em><strong>Maya T. McCollum</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Watson Fellowship</strong><br> Awarded by the Thomas J. Watson Foundation to graduating seniors for pur­pose­ful, inde­pen­dent explo­ration out­side the Unit­ed States<br> <strong><em>Maya T. McCollum</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Agnes Fowler Collegiate Scholarship</strong><br> Awarded to a junior majoring in music and strong in instrumental or vocal performance<br> <em><strong>Ian N. McEdwards</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Ruth Cogan Memorial Scholarship in Vocal Performance</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding voice major who has dedicated significant time to the Otto B. Schoepfle Vocal Arts Center<br> <em><strong>Isabel Merat</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for Musicianship</strong><br> Awarded to students judged to be the most outstanding&nbsp; of those elected to Pi Kappa Lambda<br> <em><strong>Immanuel B. Mykyta-Chomsky</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Piano Faculty Prize in Accompanying</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated excellence in accompanying singers and instrumentalists<br> <em><strong>Immanuel B. Mykyta-Chomsky</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Ernest Hatch Wilkins Memorial Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a returning student who has demonstrated academic excellence in the three preceding years<br> <em><strong>Khai Nien K. Nguyen</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Flint Initiative Grant&nbsp;</strong><br> Awarded to innovative, motivated, and prepared conservatory and double-degree students to develop imaginative artistic projects<br> <em><strong>Sangeetha Ramanuj</strong></em></p> <p><strong>David S. Boe-C. B. Fisk Prize for Excellence in Organ Performance</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding organ student<br> <em><strong>William F. Rehwinkel</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Earl L. Russell Award in Historical Performance</strong><br> Awarded to a student majoring in Historical Performance to assist with the purchase of a musical instrument<br> <em><strong>William F. Rehwinkel</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Margot Bos Stambler ’84 Professional Development Award</strong><br> Awarded to an outstanding voice major of great promise<br> <em><strong>Alan F. Rendzak</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for Musicianship</strong><br> Awarded to students judged to be the most outstanding of those elected to Pi Kappa Lambda<br> <em><strong>Alan F. Rendzak</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Wendell and Bettye Logan Prize in Jazz Studies</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating student who has demonstrated excellence in performance or composition<br> <em><strong>Coleman Rose</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Selby Harlan Houston Prize</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating senior whose performance in organ and music theory is of distinguished quality<br> <em><strong>Mark U. Slatter</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Rudolph Serkin Scholarship</strong><br> Awarded to a student demonstrating excellence in piano performance<br> <em><strong>Chau Minh Tran</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Flint Initiative Grant&nbsp;</strong><br> Awarded to innovative, motivated, and prepared conservatory and double-degree students to develop imaginative artistic projects<br> <em><strong>Sebastien Tsai</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Louis and Marguerite Bloomberg Greenwood Prize in Voice</strong><br> Awarded to a graduating student excelling in cello, piano, violin, or voice<br> <em><strong>Jordan L. Twadell</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Four winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with 鶹Ƶ orchestras during the spring semester<br> <em><strong>Jiongli Wang</strong></em>, piano</p> <p><strong>Beethoven Prize in Piano Second Place: Leon Fleisher Prize</strong><br> Awarded to the second-place finisher of this juried competition for excellence in performance of works by Beethoven<br> <em><strong>Fiona Wu</strong></em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Annual reception held May 13 in Stull Recital Hall.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-05-13T12:00:00Z">Mon, 05/13/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=29541">Piano</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=39981">Piano and Vocal Accompanying</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=42726">Piano Pedagogy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33031">TIMARA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/music-theory" hreflang="und">Music Theory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Elizabeth Hanje (middle), a fourth-year soprano from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, won the Margot Bos Stambler ’84 Professional Development Award. She is pictured with Dean of the Conservatory Bill Quillen and Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs Leah Brockman.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/conservatory_awards_ceremony_in_stull_hall-38_0.jpg?itok=wr-XwFKC" width="760" height="570" alt="Elizabeth Hanje with conservatory deans."> </div> Mon, 13 May 2024 20:02:44 +0000 eburnett 472087 at 鶹Ƶ Conservatory Presents Holocaust Remembrance Day Programs /news/oberlin-conservatory-presents-holocaust-remembrance-day-programs <span>鶹Ƶ Conservatory Presents Holocaust Remembrance Day Programs</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-05T15:31:18-04:00" title="Sunday, May 5, 2024 - 15:31">Sun, 05/05/2024 - 15:31</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Yom HaShoah, known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, is observed annually to honor the lives and memory of the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust as well as the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution between 1933 and 1945. It also commemorates the heroism of the survivors and rescuers. The observance commonly centers educational programs that include talks by Holocaust survivors, readings, and music.&nbsp;</p><p>On Sunday, May 5 and&nbsp; Monday, May 6, 鶹Ƶ Conservatory is joining in the observance of this important day by presenting a powerful set of programs on campus and in Lorain, Ohio. The first of these will take place in <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/program-holocaust-remembrance-day">鶹Ƶ Conservatory's Warner Concert Hall at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 5</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Additional presentations of the program have also been scheduled by collaborative partner Arnie Milner, president of Agudath B’Nai Israel Synagogue in Lorain. A slightly expanded format, with additional speakers and musical selections, will be given at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 6, at the Lorain Palace Theater—a historic theater in Lorain, Ohio. During the school days on May 6 and 7, hundreds of children will also experience a shorter program with performances by 鶹Ƶ Conservatory students.</p><p>These programs all feature honored guest and Holocaust survivor Carol Wilner who will share an address that includes stories about her family’s experience. A meaningful centerpiece of the event is the exhibit of four instruments from the important Violins of Hope collection.</p><p><a href="https://www.violins-of-hope.com/">Violins of Hope</a> is an internationally acclaimed, Tel Aviv-based project that has toured the world and been part of numerous concerts and educational programming. It is also an exhibition of more than 70 instruments and their powerful individual stories. This private collection of violins, violas, and cellos—all collected since the end of World War II—have been restored by Israeli father and son luthiers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein. Many of the instruments belonged to Jews before and during the war. Many were donated by or bought from survivors; some arrived through family members and many simply carry Stars of David as a decoration.</p><p>Wilner’s granddaughter and soprano Emily Mandell, an 鶹Ƶ Conservatory alumna from the Class of 2023, will perform songs with 鶹Ƶ faculty pianist <a href="/thomas-bandy">Thomas Bandy</a>. One of the works she will sing is Dave Ragland’s I Believe, the text of which was taken from a poem written by a Jewish prisoner on a wall in a concentration camp.</p><p>There will also be performances of two works by composers whose careers were cut tragically short when they died in Nazi concentration camps. These include the second movement from Erwin Schulhoff's Sonata for Solo Violin and Gideon Klein's String Trio, performed by 鶹Ƶ Conservatory String Department faculty—violinist <a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a>, violist <a href="/kirsten-docter">Kirsten Docter</a>, and cellist <a href="/dmitry-kouzov">Dmitry Kouzov</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Bernhardsson will perform on one of the violins from the collection—a violin that once belonged to Ole Dahl, a violin maker turned member of the Danish Resistance who fought Nazis and hid Danish Jews escaping the Nazis. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1chLRbzid6XUdFLA-isri5IbiwTv_CmEj8j9ga_BCclg/edit">Three additional violins from this important collection</a> will be on display.</p><p><strong>About the featured speaker: Holocaust survivor Carol Wilner</strong></p><p>Carol Wilner was born in Boryslaw, Poland on March 7, 1941—the eve of the invasion by Germany. Only a few months old at the time, she survived the impossible in a unique story of unimaginable events that border on the miraculous. She lived in hiding throughout the duration of the war until Boryslaw was liberated by the Soviet army. Only three members of her extended family survived; more than 30 did not. After liberation, Carol spent three years, from 1946-49, in a displaced persons camp named Sedan-Kaserne in Ulm, Germany. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 8 and began the process of transforming herself into an American girl. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from George Washington University and earned her master's degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. She became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and specialized in gerontology, eventually opening a private practice in Maryland. Carol has three children and six grandchildren, all of whom, like Emily, are immensely creative and talented. They are her testament to survival. <a href="https://stlholocaustmuseum.org/oral-history/carol-wilner/">Wilner’s oral history</a> was recorded and is available at the St. Louis Holocaust Museum.&nbsp;</p><p>This Holocaust Remembrance Day programming has been made possible by Arnie Milner, President of Agudath B’Nai Israel Synagogue in Lorain; Chabad at 鶹Ƶ; and 鶹Ƶ Conservatory of Music.&nbsp;</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Programs include talk by Holocaust survivor Carol Wilner, instruments from Violins of Hope, and performances by Conservatory faculty, students, and alumni</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-05-01T12:00:00Z">Wed, 05/01/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss ’84</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/thomas-bandy" hreflang="und">Thomas Bandy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson" hreflang="und">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/kirsten-docter" hreflang="und">Kirsten Docter</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/dmitry-kouzov" hreflang="und">Dmitry Kouzov</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Violins of Hope</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/violins_of_hope_image_760x570.jpeg?itok=3u-T3Yyk" width="760" height="570" alt="backs of Holocaust era violins with inlaid Stars of David on the backs"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> Sun, 05 May 2024 19:31:18 +0000 cstrauss 471980 at Rhiannon Giddens to Deliver Commencement Address to Class of 2024 /news/rhiannon-giddens-deliver-commencement-address-class-2024 <span>Rhiannon Giddens to Deliver Commencement Address to Class of 2024</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-04-10T12:54:11-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - 12:54">Wed, 04/10/2024 - 12:54</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Rhiannon Giddens, the genre-defying singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who trained as an operatic soprano at the 鶹Ƶ Conservatory of Music, will deliver the keynote address for <a href="/node/70636">鶹Ƶ’s Commencement ceremony</a> honoring the Class of 2024 on Monday, May 27. She will also be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree.</p> <p>Giddens has stretched her singular brand of folk music, with its miles-deep historical roots and contemporary sensibilities, into just about every field imaginable. A composer for opera, ballet, and film, she has won two Grammy Awards, a MacArthur “Genius Grant,” and the <a href="/news/rhiannon-giddens-00-wins-2023-pulitzer-prize-music">Pulitzer Prize</a>. Giddens centers her work around the mission of lifting up people whose contributions to American musical history have been overlooked or erased, advocating for a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins through art.</p> <p>“A consummate musician, equally noteworthy for her accomplishments as a performer, composer, scholar, lyricist, and more, Rhiannon Giddens stands as one of the most important creative and artistic voices of our time,” says Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/node/49511">William Quillen</a>.</p> <p>Giddens has resisted categorization throughout her celebrated career. After graduating from 鶹Ƶ in 2000, she moved back home to North Carolina, where she picked up the fiddle and “fell in love with old-time banjo,” as <a href="/news/record-rhiannon-giddens-00">she told the <em>鶹Ƶ Alumni Magazine</em> </a>(<em>OAM</em>) in the Winter 2023 issue. Eventually she formed the Grammy-winning string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops.&nbsp;</p> <p>“There’s been Black people singing opera and writing classical music forever,” she told the <em>New Yorker</em>. Giddens has also used her spotlight to reclaim the banjo as an instrument with roots in Black culture. “It’s not enough to say, <em>Oh, let’s talk about the banjo being an African American instrument</em>,” she said to <em>OAM</em>. “We also have to talk about <em>Why don’t we know that?</em>”</p> <p>As Quillen explains, Giddens’ passion to educate exemplifies the values at the core of 鶹Ƶ’s mission: using one’s art to change the world for good. “Throughout her work, Giddens has brought to light previously overlooked or suppressed voices and histories,” Quillen says. “In so doing, she has helped recast conventional narratives and defamiliarize the familiar, single-handedly transforming musical life not only in our country, but globally. It is a tremendous honor to welcome her back to her alma mater, award her an honorary doctorate, and have her address our community.”</p> <p>Giddens and composer Michael Abels, known for his scores for the Jordan Peele films <em>Get Out</em> and <em>Us</em>, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music for their opera <em>Omar</em>, based on the autobiography of the West Africa-born Muslim scholar Omar Ibn Said, who was sold into slavery in 1807. As Giddens told the <em>New York Times</em>, it was “a return to opera, but on my own terms.”</p> <p>Last fall, she partnered with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and director Daniel Madoff to create a video for her song “Another Wasted Life,” inspired by the story of&nbsp; Kalief Browder, who took his own life after spending three years on Rikers Island without being convicted of a crime. Released on October 2, 2023—the 10th annual #wrongfulconvictionday—the video features 22 wrongfully convicted men set free by what Giddens calls the “profound work” of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.</p> <p>A founding member of the all-female banjo supergroup Our Native Daughters, Giddens has also published children’s books and written and performed music for the soundtrack of <em>Red Dead Redemption II</em>, one of the best-selling video games of all time. She appeared on the ABC hit drama <em>Nashville</em> and throughout Ken Burns’ <em>Country Music</em> series on PBS. Giddens sang for the Obamas at the White House, is a three-time NPR Tiny Desk Concert alum, and hosts her own show—<em>My Music with Rhiannon Giddens—</em>on PBS as well as the <em>Aria Code</em> podcast, which is produced by New York City’s NPR affiliate station WQXR.&nbsp;</p> <p>Most recently, Giddens received a Grammy nomination for her 2023 album <em>You’re the One</em> and played banjo and viola on Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em,” a global No. 1 hit and the first song from a Black woman to ever top the <em>Billboard</em> Hot Country Songs chart.</p> <p>“I used to say many times as soon as Beyoncé puts the banjo on a track my job is done,” Giddens wrote on Instagram after the song’s release. “Well, I didn’t expect the banjo to be mine, and I know darn well my job isn’t done, but today is a pretty good day.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Giddens’ address will be livestreamed as part of <a href="/node/394846">Commencement weekend festivities</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Grammy-winning musician and 鶹Ƶ alum will receive an honorary doctorate.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-04-10T12:00:00Z">Wed, 04/10/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3152">Commencement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/william-quillen" hreflang="und">William Quillen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Ebru Yildiz</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/rhiannongiddens_credit_ebru_yildiz.jpg?itok=rYdgIIC4" width="760" height="570" alt="Rhiannon Giddens."> </div> Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:54:11 +0000 eburnett 471385 at The Dark Side of Orpheus /news/dark-side-orpheus <span>The Dark Side of Orpheus</span> <span><span>srasmuss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-03-07T13:14:26-05:00" title="Thursday, March 7, 2024 - 13:14">Thu, 03/07/2024 - 13:14</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has appeared in art for centuries, in everything from books, to paintings, to music. So why do we keep telling it? That question weighed on <a href="https://www.stephaniehavey.com/">Stephanie Havey’s</a> mind as the stage director began planning for 鶹Ƶ Opera Theater’s production of <a href="/artsguide/opera"><em>L’Orfeo</em></a>.</p> <p>“There’s something very relatable in that doubt that Orpheus has,” Havey says about the bard’s quest to rescue his wife from the underworld. “That fear of losing his loved one, and also doubting himself—I think these themes are all very universal.”</p> <p>Written at the turn of the 17th century, Claudio Monteverdi’s <em>L’Orfeo</em> is one of the earliest examples of opera as an art form. But it’s not the only operatic take on Orpheus. Havey, 鶹Ƶ’s visiting assistant professor of opera theater for 2023-24, has directed the versions by Gluck and Offenbach at other points in her career. But she says Monteverdi’s has a distinct perspective on the dark side to Orpheus’ musical power.</p> <p>“This is not just a story about how he uses his lyre to win, to vanquish gods and beasts,” she says. “There’s something about how he has to vanquish himself.”</p> <p>All of this culminates in a darker, modern-era staging of the tale, which will be <a href="/artsguide/opera">presented on March 14 to 17</a> in Hall Auditorium. Havey doesn’t want to give too much away, saving some surprises for opening night. But she notes that Orpheus’ lyre has been replaced with a “weapon” — one that he hides behind and “sort of symbolizes ego.”</p> <p>Havey credits Alessandro Striggio’s libretto as a key element in exploring the flaws and vulnerabilities behind the Greek hero. The new production is a psychological exploration of Orpheus’ point of view, which is plagued by fear and doubt.</p> <p>The underworld setting, for example, is populated by distorted versions of characters from the opera’s opening wedding scene. “The man who Orpheus saw flirting with his wife at the wedding is now the king of the underworld who’s holding her captive,” Havey explains. “And some beautiful woman who made a toast is now the queen.” This twisted view is supplemented with “larger and exaggerated” choreography (<a href="/holly-handman-lopez">Holly Handman-Lopez</a>) and “otherworldly” lighting (<a href="/jeremy-benjamin">Jeremy K. Benjamin</a>).</p> <p>Creative thought also went into the placement of the orchestra, which will be visible onstage behind the singers. That location poses some logistical challenges for the cast and musicians (cue extra cameras and monitors), but Havey isn’t too worried.</p> <p>“This is very much driven by the text and driven by the performer,” she says. Rather than the singers needing to follow the conductor's exact pattern, “it’s really that the continuo are following the singers and how they want to convey the text.”</p> <p>Conductor <a href="https://www.christiancapocaccia.com/">Christian Capocaccia</a> agrees, adding that the beauty of Monteverdi’s music is tied to the simplicity of the text. “Sometimes the line is a repetition of the same notes,” he says. “But even when there’s almost no melody, it’s the articulation, it’s the elegance, you know—it’s incredibly touching.”
</p> <p>The small ensemble of period instruments under Capocaccia’s baton was created in collaboration with the Conservatory’s Historical Performance program. The conductor has been working with the students on creating their own musical interpretations, emphasizing the expressive freedom inherent in the Baroque style.</p> <p>“Interpreting music, it is an expression of an opinion. When you make a choice, people sometimes are afraid to make a statement that is personal,” he says, referencing how musicians can sometimes feel compelled to prioritize ‘perfect’ performances to advance in their careers.</p> <p>He applies the same thought process to opera performances more generally. “Sometimes we are forgetting to tell the stories in a fresh way, and if you don’t do that, people get bored. But if you are engaging and eloquent and you focus on the storytelling, I think it might make a difference.”</p> <p>Capocaccia particularly enjoys working with students for this reason. “I always find it beautiful to work in schools, especially this caliber of school,” he says. The musicians “retain the unjaded quality of people that haven’t had to deal with the profession yet, which is great. They’re still having a blast doing it.”</p> <p>The conductor is also focused on making sure he’s enjoying himself while on the podium. “When people ask me, ‘How do you think it went?’ I say, ‘I wasn’t in the audience, so I don’t know how it sounded. But for me, I think it went great because I had a blast.’ And typically, if I had a blast, I always get good feedback.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>TICKET INFORMATION</strong><br> $10 reserved seating ($8 students)<br> Tickets are available online and by phone at 800-371-0178. Patrons may also purchase them in person between noon and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 鶹Ƶ College's Central Ticket Service, located at 67 N. Main Street, in the lobby of the Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Complex.</p> <p><a href="/tickets/event-details?EventId=11401">Online Box Office</a><br> <br> <strong>PRODUCTION DETAILS</strong><br> Thursday, March 14 - Saturday, March 16 at 8:00 p.m.<br> Sunday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m.<br> 鶹Ƶ College Hall Auditorium<br> 67 N. Main Street<br> 鶹Ƶ, Ohio</p> <p>This production will be available via <a href="https://vimeo.com/event/690987/2eb3338452">livestream</a> on Thursday and Friday, March 13 and 14 only.</p> <p><em>Proudly supported by <a href="https://www.ideastream.org/">Ideastream Public Media</a>, official media partner of 鶹Ƶ's Artist Recital Series and Opera Theater productions.</em></p> <hr> <p><em>Stephanie Manning '23 completed her bachelor’s degree in bassoon performance with a dual concentration in arts management and journalism. A 2022 fellow of the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, she has contributed frequently to ClevelandClassical.com and Early Music America. She is currently pursuing a graduate diploma in journalism from Concordia University in Montreal.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">鶹Ƶ Opera Theater’s latest production gives a complex, contemporary take on the familiar story of the Greek hero in Monteverdi’s "L’Orfeo."</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-03-07T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/07/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Stephanie Manning '23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3873">鶹Ƶ Opera Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3515">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28886">Historical Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=38696">Historical Instruments</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/holly-handman-lopez" hreflang="und">Holly Handman-Lopez</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jeremy-benjamin" hreflang="und">Jeremy Benjamin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Nick Giammarco</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/24_con_lorfeo_news_center_graphic.png?itok=0oulPVRO" width="760" height="570" alt="Graphic depiction of chest of man in black suit with red tie, staircase and back of a figure wearing a white gown and one wearing a black suit"> </div> Thu, 07 Mar 2024 18:14:26 +0000 srasmuss 467964 at 鶹Ƶ Alumni and Faculty Celebrated for Composition Achievements /news/oberlin-alumni-and-faculty-celebrated-composition-achievements <span>鶹Ƶ Alumni and Faculty Celebrated for Composition Achievements</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-03-05T16:44:20-05:00" title="Tuesday, March 5, 2024 - 16:44">Tue, 03/05/2024 - 16:44</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The American Academy of Arts and Letters—an honor society of artists, architects, composers, and writers—announced the 20 recipients of its <a href="https://artsandletters.org/pressrelease/2024-music-awards">2024 Awards in Music</a>. A number of 鶹Ƶ Conservatory alumni and a member of the Conservatory faculty were awarded prizes or scholarships. The honor celebrates and supports both established and emerging composers. 鶹Ƶ’s five honorees run the gamut of these career phases.</p> <div class="grid grid--1-2 left-right"><img alt="portrait of Giddens" height="250" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/giddens.jpg" width="250"> <p>Vocal performance alumnus <a href="https://rhiannongiddens.com/">Rhiannon Giddens ’00</a> was awarded the Virgil Thomson Award of $40,000, which goes to an exceptional American composer of vocal works. Giddens work was recently recoginized with the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her opera <em>Omar</em>.</p> </div> <div class="grid grid--1-2 right-left"><img alt="portrait of Helgeson" height="250" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/helgeson.jpg" width="250"> <p>The Benjamin H. Danks Award of $20,000, given to a composer of ensemble works was granted to double degree alumnus and composer <a href="https://www.aaronhelgeson.com/">Aaron Helgeson ’05</a> (BM in composition and BA in theater). Helgeson serves as Associate Professor of Composition and Music Theory at Montclair State University’s Cali School of Music. His music has received awards and grants from institutions like the Fromm Music Foundation, Aaron Copland Fund, Barlow Endowment, ASCAP, and American Composers Forum. Recordings of his music are available on Carrier Records, 鶹Ƶ Music, and Innova Recordings.</p> </div> <div class="grid grid--1-2 left-right"><img alt="Jones portrait" height="244" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/jones.jpg" width="250"> <p>鶹Ƶ Conservatory composition faculty <a href="/jesse-jones">Jesse Jones</a> received the Walter Hinrichsen Award, established by the C. F. Peters Corporation for the publication of a work by an American composer. The Rome Prize- and Guggenheim-winning composer has also just <a href="https://ezraquartet.bandcamp.com/album/ezra">released a new album with his group EZRA</a>, which includes nine works written by Jones. This musician&nbsp;collective is focused on the creation of genre-crossing and style-inclusive new music and consists of banjo virtuoso and 鶹Ƶ Conservatory composition student <a href="https://maxallard.com/">Max Allard</a>, world-renowned mandolinist Jacob Jolliff, and bassist Craig Butterfield, with Jones on guitar and keyboard instruments.</p> </div> <div class="grid grid--1-2 right-left"><img alt="Weiss headshot" height="250" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/weiss.jpg" width="250"> <p>Composer and conductor <a href="https://www.justinweissmusic.com">Justin Weiss ’17</a> (B.M. in Music Composition with a minor in Music Theory) is currently a PhD Fellow in Composition at the University of Chicago where he studies with Augusta Read Thomas and is conductor of the university’s New Music Ensemble. He has received a Charles Ives Scholarship of $7,500.</p> </div> <div class="grid grid--1-2 left-right"><img alt="Santos portrait" height="250" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/santos.jpg" width="250"> <p>Composer <a href="https://isaacsantoscomposer.wordpress.com/">Isaac Santos ’22</a>, now a PhD candidate in Princeton University’s Department of Music, also received a Charles Ives Scholarship of $7,500.</p> </div> <style type="text/css">.basic-copy .grid.grid--1-2 {; margin: 2rem 0; } .basic-copy .grid.grid--1-2.left-right { grid-template-columns: 1fr 2fr; } .basic-copy .grid.grid--1-2.right-left { grid-template-columns: 2fr 1fr; } .basic-copy .grid.grid--1-2.right-left > :first-child { grid-column: 2; grid-row: 1; } .basic-copy .grid.grid--1-2.right-left > :last-child { grid-column: 1; grid-row: 1; } .basic-copy .grid p { margin-top: 0.125rem; margin-bottom: 0; } </style></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">American Academy of Arts and Letters awards prizes and funding to four alumni and a member of the Composition Department faculty</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-03-05T12:00:00Z">Tue, 03/05/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss ’84</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2974">Conservatory Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35616">Conducting</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jesse-jones" hreflang="und">Jesse Jones</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/music-theory" hreflang="und">Music Theory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/bibbins_yevhen_gulenko_3.jpg?itok=P4kFYYcz" width="758" height="570" alt="Bibbins Hall exterior view"> </div> Tue, 05 Mar 2024 21:44:20 +0000 cstrauss 467920 at Fourth Year Soprano Elizabeth Hanje Wins Houston Grand Opera's Eleanor McCollum Competition /news/fourth-year-soprano-elizabeth-hanje-wins-houston-grand-operas-eleanor-mccollum-competition <span>Fourth Year Soprano Elizabeth Hanje Wins Houston Grand Opera's Eleanor McCollum Competition</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-02-03T18:12:42-05:00" title="Saturday, February 3, 2024 - 18:12">Sat, 02/03/2024 - 18:12</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After an exhaustive international search and multi-round competition, 鶹Ƶ Conservatory fourth-year soprano Elizabeth Hanje has won first prize and $10,000 at the 36th Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. Hanje is a student of Professor <a href="/salvatore-champagne">Salvatore Champagne</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>While this is a highly anticipated vocal competition, the event also serves as a job interview for the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio, one of the world's most prestigious operatic training programs for young artists. Each of the young artists in the Studio has access to regular coaching sessions with industry professionals, roles in Houston Grand Opera (HGO) mainstage productions, recital performances, and other concert engagements. HGO is one of the largest, most innovative, and most highly acclaimed opera companies in the United States.&nbsp;</p> <p>During this past week, Hanje had the opportunity to learn more about HGO and work with company music staff in the lead up to the Concert of Arias. "I'm living my dream," she says.</p> <p>Hanje's journey to the finals began last fall. She emerged from 900 applications followed by 300 live auditions in four cities. From those early rounds, 20 singers were brought to Houston for the semifinal round of competition held on Monday, January 29. As one of the eight finalists chosen for the <a href="https://www.datocms-assets.com/95816/1706860325-coa_8-5x11in_program-final-digital.pdf">2024 Concert of Arias</a>&nbsp;on February 2nd, Hanje performed two works—“Il est doux, il est bon” from <em>Hérodiade</em> by Jules Massenet and “Ain't it a Pretty Night” from <em>Susannah</em> by Carlisle Floyd.</p> <p>The competition was presented for a live audience in Houston in the Wortham Theater Center and it was broadcast on Facebook Live&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LevZlf1jdM%5D">YouTube Live</a>, capturing the attention of nearly 6000 online viewers. (The full finals performance video remains online. An interview with Hanje begins at 47:23, with her first aria performance immediately following. Her second aria begins at 1:22:02.)&nbsp;</p> <p>Born and raised in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, Hanje is the child of first generation immigrants from Tanzania, Africa. Her first musical experiences in school were as a trombonist. She played for six years in middle school and high school performing in marching band, wind ensemble, and jazz ensemble. In high school, Hanje began singing in choir where her outstanding voice was identified and she had her earliest voice lessons. She then attended Interlochen Arts Academy for her senior year of high school. In 鶹Ƶ Conservatory's Opera Theater program, Hanje's lead roles have included Ernestina in <em>L’occasione fa il ladro</em>, Comedian in Matthew Recio’s <em>Puppy Episode</em>, and Lyra in Melissa Dunphy’s <em>Alice Tierney</em>. She also performed in the chorus of <em>Acis and Galatea</em>. Hanje has sung in master classes with director Michael Capasso, soprano Christine Goerke, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, and soprano Harolyn Blackwell. She is a winner of the 2023 Duncan Williams Voice Competition and the 2022 George Shirley Vocal Competition. In 2021, she received the Richard Miller Award for Fine Singing and a YoungArts Award.&nbsp;She is an alumna of HGO’s Young Artist Vocal Academy and the Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Program.</p> <p>Other recent 鶹Ƶ alumni who have earned placement as Fellows in the HGO Butler Opera Studio during the last decade are soprano Meryl Dominguez '14 (2022-24), bass-baritone Corey McGee '18 (2020-23), and Kevin Ray '07 (2012-14).</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The operatic singer emerged from 900 international applicants.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-02-03T12:00:00Z">Sat, 02/03/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss ’84</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32971">Opera Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/salvatore-champagne" hreflang="und">Salvatore Champagne ’85</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Soprano Elizabeth Hanje, at the Houston Grand Opera's Eleanor McCollum Competition.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Michael Bishop</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/elizabeth-hanje_pc_michael-bishop_760x570_0.jpeg?itok=uqGKyAdZ" width="760" height="570" alt="Soprano Elizabeth Hanje, at the Houston Grand Opera's Eleanor McCollum Competition."> </div> Sat, 03 Feb 2024 23:12:42 +0000 cstrauss 467067 at 鶹Ƶ Opera Theater presents Benjamin Britten’s “Albert Herring” November 2-5 /news/oberlin-opera-theater-presents-benjamin-brittens-albert-herring-november-2-5 <span>鶹Ƶ Opera Theater presents Benjamin Britten’s “Albert Herring” November 2-5</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-10-23T18:00:52-04:00" title="Monday, October 23, 2023 - 18:00">Mon, 10/23/2023 - 18:00</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The 鶹Ƶ Opera Theater is back this fall with another social commentary comedy about finding your place in the world. Benjamin Britten’s acclaimed chamber opera <a href="/events/oberlin_opera_theater_presents_brittens_albert_herring"><em>Albert Herring</em></a> will be presented in four performances, November 2 through 5, in 鶹Ƶ College's Hall Auditorium.</p> <p>This comedy comes after 鶹Ƶ Opera’s “wonderful” March 2023 outing of Bernstein’s dark satire, <em>Candide</em>, praised for its “several layers of brilliance” (<a href="https://clevelandclassical.com/oberlin-opera-candide-mar-12/">ClevelandClassical.com</a>).&nbsp;</p> <p>For <em>Albert Herring</em>, Opera Director <a href="https://www.stephaniehavey.com/">Stephanie Havey</a> is collaborating with 鶹Ƶ alumnus and music director <a href="http://www.michaelsakir.com/">Michael Sakir ’06</a> to bring this opera to life. Upon his return to 鶹Ƶ, Sakir expresses, “it’s an honor, a joy, and in some ways, a reset for my creative spirits.”</p> <p>This production is double cast with students from 鶹Ƶ’s Vocal Studies Division and will be performed with the 鶹Ƶ Chamber Orchestra.</p> <p>The three-act opera takes us to the year 1947 in the English village of Loxford where Albert—a timid and shy teenager—longs for change amidst the town’s preparations for the annual May Day Festival. As the search for a May Queen turns to disaster when none of the young girls are deemed virtuous enough, one contest judge asks, “What about Albert?”</p> <p>In Havey’s answer to that question, she observes, “Albert has a sweetness to him, a vulnerability, and I think he is very genuine. But, he is caught in a place of wanting to please everyone around him—his mother, the elders, the town—but he is doing that to his own detriment.”</p> <p>Havey emphasizes the opera’s commentary on the relationship of how the adults treat children. “The adult characters in this story are all the leaders of the town. You have the mayor, the vicar, the head of police, and these are all town leaders who determine what’s acceptable in society, and they have the power to reward or punish a person’s behavior within the society,” explains Havey. “And I think Albert, this teenage boy, sees these folks as his oppressors, where he can’t really be himself.”</p> <p>In a story that finds itself tangled in mischief, scandal, and adventure, Albert realizes he wants more in life.</p> <p>Havey continues, “I think you fall in love with Albert for his sweetness, in the beginning. But then you really root for him to self-actualize and give in to himself at the end.”</p> <p>The audience is left with no choice but to cheer on Albert as he discovers himself and turns the Village of Loxford upside down in the process.</p> <p>Sung in English, and with supertitles, <em>Albert Herring</em> is an opera everyone can enjoy. One is also sure to lose themselves in the ingeniously and beautifully constructed score.</p> <p>“I think comedies are so infrequently seen on the opera stage and this one is truly hilarious,” remarks Sakir. “If we do our job right, the audience will laugh, and laugh hard! And secondly, I hope they have a deeper appreciation of Britten’s mastery of storytelling through music.”</p> <p>Showtimes are 8 p.m. for the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances, November 2 through 4; a 2 p.m. matinee will be performed on Sunday, November 5.</p> <p>Reserved seating is $10, with discounted $8 tickets available for senior citizens and 鶹Ƶ faculty, staff, alumni, and students. Tickets may be <a href="/tickets/event-details?EventId=10801">purchased online</a>, by calling 800-371-0178, or by visiting the 鶹Ƶ College Central Ticket Service weekdays from 12-5 p.m.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Opera director Stephanie Havey and conductor Michael Sakir ’06 make their 鶹Ƶ debuts.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-10-23T12:00:00Z">Mon, 10/23/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Abbi Getty</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3878">Conservatory of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3873">鶹Ƶ Opera Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32971">Opera Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">In the opera “Albert Herring” the concept of time is constantly referenced: “Time is racing us around the clock...youth must hurry at headlong pace.”</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Nicole Slatinsky</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/23_con_albert_herring_news_center_graphic.jpeg?itok=rGEbMwdN" width="760" height="570" alt="graphic created for Albert Herring opera, purple curtains, pink flowers, and green tiles"> </div> Mon, 23 Oct 2023 22:00:52 +0000 cstrauss 464617 at