Conservatory Celebrates Recipients of 2022-23 Honors & Awards</h1> <article> <h1>Conservatory Celebrates Recipients of 2022-23 Honors & Awards</h1> <p>jreinier — Tue, 23 May 2023 18:41:50 +0000</p> <span>Conservatory Celebrates Recipients of 2022-23 Honors & Awards</span> <span><span>jreinier</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-05-23T14:41:50-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 14:41">Tue, 05/23/2023 - 14:41</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Recipients of �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory’s 2022-23 Honors and Awards included 43 outstanding students from across the Conservatory’s 11 divisions. Most of the prizes were given to graduating seniors honored for their achievements throughout their time at �鶹��Ƶ. </p> <p>Some awards, such as the Beethoven, Serkin, Elvin, and Dann prizes in piano, and the Senior Concerto Competition winners, were earned earlier in the year through juried competitions. </p> <p>The Flint Initiative, Grindlay, and XARTS grants were awarded by Conservatory Professional Development to fund exceptionally creative, collaborative, and entrepreneurial projects that students completed during Winter Term and summer break. </p> <p>Conservatory Dean Bill Quillen shares: “On behalf of the Conservatory’s faculty and staff, it is a great pleasure to congratulate the 2023 Conservatory Honors and Awards winners. We are incredibly proud of these students — and, indeed, all of our students — and we are inspired every day by their creativity, artistry, hard work, open-mindedness, and their commitment to service and to making the world a better place through music.”</p> <h3>2022-23 Honors and Awards</h3> <p><strong>The Arthur Dann Piano Competition</strong><br> <em>Awarded to the winner of this juried competition for excellence in piano performance.</em><br> <strong>JJ Bui</strong>, third year</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Prof. Alvin Chow, Jiongli Wang</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The Beethoven Prizes in Piano</strong><br> <em>Awarded in a juried competition to piano majors for outstanding performance in works of Beethoven.</em><br> The Takács/Beethoven Prize (First): <strong>Jiongli Wang</strong>, third year<br> The Leon Fleisher Prize (Second): <strong>Yihang (Alex) Chen</strong>, third year<br> The Howard Karp '51 Prize (Third): <strong>Natasha Wu ’23</strong><br> Semi-finalist prize: <strong>Leo Lu</strong>, first year</p> <p><strong>The Carol Nott Piano Pedagogy Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding graduating senior for continued study in piano  pedagogy. </em><br> <strong>Annie (Guoanni) Qin ’23</strong></p> <p><strong>The David S. Boe - C. B. Fisk Prize for Excellence in Organ Performance</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding organ student.</em><br> <strong>Oziah B. Wales ’23</strong></p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Malcolm Bamba, Chris Jenkins</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The Dolores and Donald White Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to Conservatory students who demonstrate leadership in elevating �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals through music performance.</em><br> <strong>Malcolm F. Bamba</strong>, fourth year, Independent Major in Arts Leadership & Marketing<br> <strong>Blake Logan</strong>, second year, Cello Performance and Undecided B.A.</p> <p><strong>The Earl L. Russell Award in Historical Performance</strong><br> <em>Awarded to worthy students majoring in Historical Performance to assist with the purchase of a musical instrument.</em><br> <strong>Kailah Grace Robbins</strong>, third year, Flute Performance and Baroque Flute</p> <p><strong>The Ernest Hatch Wilkins Memorial Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a returning student who has demonstrated academic excellence in the three preceding years.</em><br> <strong>Nik D. Rejto (Divall)</strong>, third year, Classical Guitar</p> <p><strong>The Faustina Hurlbutt Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding graduating student in cello, piano, violin, or voice.</em><br> <strong>Luka C. Stefanovic ’23</strong>, BM/MM, Cello Performance, Historical Performance, Baroque Cello</p> <p><strong>The Flint Initiative Grant (FIGs)</strong><br> <em>Awarded to innovative, motivated, and prepared Conservatory and Double-Degree students to develop imaginative artistic projects.</em><br> <strong>Ishan Loomba ’23</strong>, Piano Performance and Psychology, minor in Computer Science<br> <strong>Ilana McNamara</strong>, fourth year, Viola Performance and Mathematics<br> <strong>Ozüm Pamukcu ’23</strong>, Musical Studies and Economics<br> <strong>Sangeetha Ramanuj</strong>, second year, Musical Studies and Mathematics<br> <strong>Katia Rumin</strong>, second year, Viola Performance</p> <p><strong>The Graham Grindlay '00 Endowed Memorial Music & Computer Science Innovation Fund </strong><br> <em>Supports the development and execution of projects that bring together music and sound with computer science or technological innovation.</em><br> <strong>Ivy Fu ’23</strong>, TIMARA and Art History<br> <strong>Julia Collins</strong>, third year, TIMARA <br> <strong>Maya McCollum</strong>, fourth year, TIMARA and Studio Art</p> <p><strong>The John Elvin Piano Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a student judged by the Piano Department to be the most talented in the junior class.</em><br> <strong>Yihang (Alex) Chen</strong>, third year, Piano Performance</p> <p><strong>The Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts</strong><br> <em>Awarded in the Conservatory every five years and on the faculty’s recommendation to a graduating senior who has performed with uncommon distinction in music performance. The award was established in 1982 by Louis Sudler of Chicago, a musician with a lifelong commitment to the training of young artists in university.</em><br> <strong>Adam S. Chlebek ’23</strong>, Organ Performance</p> <p><strong>The Louis and Annette Kaufman Music Achievement Award in Violin</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding student of violin.</em><br> <strong>Matthew S. Cone ’23</strong>, Violin Performance</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Bill Quillen, Gillian Piper</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The Louis and Marguerite Bloomberg Greenwood Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a graduating student excelling in cello, piano, violin, or voice.</em><br> <strong>Gillian B. Piper ’23</strong>, Jazz Voice Performance<br> <strong>Kylie P. Buckham ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance</p> <p><strong>The Margot Bos Stambler '84 Professional Development Award</strong><br> <em>Awarded to an outstanding vocal performance major of great promise to enhance career opportunities.</em><br> <strong>Kylie A. Kreucher ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance<br> <strong>Brian R. Wacker ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance</p> <p><strong>The Ohio Federation of Music Clubs (OFMC) Agnes Fowler Collegiate Scholarship</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a junior majoring in music, and who is strong in instrumental or voice performance. Made possible by the OFMC, a statewide organization devoted to the love and encouragement of music in Ohio.</em><br> <strong>Felix J. Veser</strong>, third year, Viola Performance</p> <p><strong>The Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for Musicianship</strong><br> <em>Awarded to students judged to be the most outstanding of those elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of music.</em><br> <strong>Clara I. Dahmer ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance<br> <strong>Kylie A. Kreucher ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance<br> <strong>Matthew S. Cone ’23</strong>, Violin Performance</p> <p><strong>The Piano Faculty Prize in Accompanying</strong><br> <em>Awarded to graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in accompanying singers and instrumentalists.</em><br> <strong>Kai-Min Chang ’23</strong>, Piano Performance<br> <strong>Ishan Loomba ’23</strong>, Piano Performance and Psychology, minor in Computer Science</p> <p><strong>The Rudolph Serkin Scholarship</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a student demonstrating excellence in piano performance.</em><br> <strong>Yubo Deng</strong>, second year, Piano Performance</p> <p><strong>The Ruth Cogan Memorial Scholarship in Vocal Performance</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a vocal performance student who has demonstrated significant work in voice pedagogy or in the PACE concentration.</em><br> <strong>Nisha P. Caiozzi ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Adam Chlebek, Oziah B. Wales,<br> Katherine Johnson, Prof. Jonathan Moyer</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The Selby Harlan Houston Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a graduating senior whose performance in organ and music theory is of distinguished quality.</em><br> <strong>Katherine E. Johnson ’23</strong>, Organ Performance and English</p> <p><strong>The Senior Concerto Competition</strong><br> <em>Awarded in a juried competition each fall. Winners are featured as soloists in performances of complete concertos with the �鶹��Ƶ orchestras during the spring semester.</em><br> <strong>Kylie P. Buckham ’23</strong>, Vocal Performance<br> <strong>Annie (Guoanni) Qin ’23</strong>, Piano Performance<br> <strong>Matthew S. Cone ’23</strong>, Violin Performance<br> <strong>Jonathan Kronheimer ’23</strong>, Oboe Performance</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Rachel Yee, Prof. Tom Lopez, Gabriel Baskin</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>The TIMARA Founders Fund John Clough Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a TIMARA major for distinctive work within the department.</em><br> <strong>Gabriel L. Baskin ’23</strong></p> <p><strong>The TIMARA Founders Fund Olly Wilson Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a TIMARA major for distinctive work within the department.</em><br> <strong>Rachel Yee ’23</strong>, TIMARA and Computer Science, minor in Music and Cognition</p> <p><strong>The Theodore Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award</strong><br> <em>This award, made possible by the Presser Foundation, is awarded to an outstanding returning student for excellence in musicianship.</em><br> <strong>Abby Lopez</strong>, second year, Bassoon Performance</p> <p><strong>The Walter E. Aschaffenburg Prize</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a graduating senior for outstanding music composition.</em><br> <strong>Isaac Santos ’23</strong>, Composition</p> <p><strong>The Wendell and Bettye Logan Prize in Jazz Studies</strong><br> <em>Awarded to a graduating student who has demonstrated excellence in performance or composition.</em><br> <strong>Kamran M. Curlin ’23</strong>, fourth year, Jazz Bass and History</p> <p><strong>The XARTS Fund</strong><br> <em>Supports the development and execution of collaborative, multi-disciplinary, artistic projects.</em><br> <strong>Awen McKee</strong>, second year, Composition<br> <strong>Analise Granados</strong>, second year, Violin Performance and Undecided (B.A.)<br> <strong>Katie Galt</strong>, fourth year, Viola Performance and Comparative Literature<br> <strong>Mariah Leontopoulou-Cochran</strong>, fourth year, Jazz Voice, minor in �鶹��Ƶ<br> <strong>Maya Irizarry Lambright</strong>, third year, Violin Performance<br> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">43 outstanding students from the Conservatory were selected for honors and awards this year.</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="2023-05-23T12:00:00Z">Tue, 05/23/2023 - 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="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>At the end of each spring semester, �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, academic work, 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 them with instrument purchases.</p></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=2373">Awards and Honors</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=33031">TIMARA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36206">Viola</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33041">Baroque Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=29541">Piano</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35881">Bassoon</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37361">Oboe</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</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/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal 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/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</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/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</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/music-theory" hreflang="und">Music Theory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/musical-studies" hreflang="und">Musical Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/pace" hreflang="und">Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</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">Joshua Reinier</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Ensembles Perform for United Nations at Carnegie Hall</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:47:39 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Ensembles Perform for United Nations at Carnegie Hall</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-11-10T16:47:39-05:00" title="Thursday, November 10, 2022 - 16:47">Thu, 11/10/2022 - 16:47</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ student musicians will take to the stage of New York City’s Carnegie Hall in December for a closed concert before the General Assembly of the United Nations.</p> <p>The performance is part of a wide-ranging new partnership between �鶹��Ƶ, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research New York Office (UNITAR NYO), and the Global Foundation for the Performing Arts (GFPA). <a href="/news/united-nations-institute-training-and-research-oberlin-college-conservatory-global-foundation">Announced in September</a>, the relationship is intended to promote improved access to education for students around the world and to enhance quality of life through higher education and arts training.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Carnegie Hall in New York City<br> (photo by Ajay Suresh)</figcaption> </figure> <p>The �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra and �鶹��Ƶ College Choir, joined by performers representing the conservatory ensembles Musical Union and �鶹��Ƶ Gospel Choir, as well as musicians of the United Nations, will share the stage of Carnegie’s Stern Auditorium. The concert, held in conjunction with the U.N.’s 77th General Assembly, bears the title “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges.” It features works spanning the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries: Adolphus Hailstork’s vivacious curtain-raiser Fanfare on "Amazing Grace;" Sergei Rachmaninoff’s peerlessly popular Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18; and Ludwig van Beethoven’s groundbreaking Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125, commonly known as the “Choral Symphony.”</p> <p>The December 2 concert is a private event presented for the U.N. A <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/musical_union_and_oberlin_college_choir_with_oberlin_orchestra_8604">public performance</a> of the Carnegie Hall program is scheduled for �鶹��Ƶ’s Finney Chapel on Tuesday evening, November 29.</p> <p>“At �鶹��Ƶ, we believe deeply in the power of music, and the arts more broadly, to foster connections between individuals and facilitate expansive new opportunities and access,” says <a href="/node/49511">William Quillen</a>, dean of �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory. "We are deeply honored to join in the global conversation with our partners at UNITAR and the GFPA, and we are so very proud to share our belief in the transformative power of music through this remarkable concert experience for our students.”</p> <p>Annual concerts are a U.N. tradition, though previous performances have typically featured only professional musicians. This year’s event is made possible through the support of the U.N.’s presenting partners: the Member States of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Hungary, Monaco, Oman, Rwanda, and Singapore.</p> <p>Created in 1963, UNITAR is dedicated to developing high-quality learning opportunities for United Nations delegates. The organization believes that a sustainable world is one where people can escape poverty and enjoy decent work without harming the earth's essential ecosystems and resources. UNITAR’s partnership with �鶹��Ƶ represents the group’s first major foray into undergraduate cultural arts education. A longtime partner with UNITAR, the GFPA promotes education in the arts and support to individuals engaged in the performing arts through cross-cultural exchange.</p> <p>�鶹��Ƶ is one of a small number of U.S. institutions of higher education invited to take part in the initiative—and the only higher ed partner focused on undergraduate study.</p> <p>The partnership will create new opportunities for students worldwide to know and discover �鶹��Ƶ. The first students selected through the program may begin as early as fall 2023. The agreement may also extend to the implementation of joint programs based on performance, research, conferences, and other experiences. A separate facet of the partnership, focusing on teaching English for speakers of other languages, is also being developed and would be hosted at �鶹��Ƶ.</p> <p>The December 2 concert at Carnegie Hall will be led by �鶹��Ƶ Professor of Conducting <a href="/node/6636">Raphael Jiménez</a>. It features artist Byron Wei-Xin Zhou as piano soloist for the Rachmaninoff, as well as four accomplished international vocal soloists: �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory alumni mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis ’05 and tenor Joshua Blue ’16, and a pair of world-renowned artists invited by UNITAR, baritone Marco Chingari and soprano Sarah Tisba of Italy.</p> <p>“We could not be more excited by the invitation to participate in such a special event,” says Jiménez, who also led the �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra in Carnegie Hall performances in 2019 and 2013. “Every aspect of it makes it a unique experience for our students: the occasion, the venue, the audience, and the repertoire, which includes the awe-inspiring Beethoven Symphony No. 9. I cannot think of a more appropriate occasion and place to play this universal hymn of brotherhood.”</p> <p>“Music is a universal language and a powerful tool for cultural exchange. Its many positive spirits are the elements required for transformative solutions, and it will help to lead us through this watershed moment,” says pianist Zhou, who performed a solo recital for the 2021 U.N. Gala at Carnegie Hall. “As a musician, I firmly believe that utilizing music could promote the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and eventually lead us to a better future.”</p> <p>For �鶹��Ƶ’s student musicians, the December U.N. concert marks the first of two engagements at Carnegie Hall in a span of less than two months: The orchestra and choral ensembles return for a public performance in Stern Auditorium on January 20.</p> <p>Learn more on the <a href="/united-nations-partnership">United Nations Partnership page at �鶹��Ƶ.edu</a>.</p> <hr style="margin: 1.25rem 0;"> <p><em>The <strong>United Nations Institute for Training and Research</strong> (UNITAR) was established in 1963 pursuant to a United Nations General Assembly resolution. UNITAR is governed by a Board of Trustees with the mission to develop the individual, institutional, and organizational capacities of countries and other United Nations stakeholders through high-quality learning resources. Rooted in the goal of enhancing global decision-making and supporting country-level political and social action, UNITAR provides innovative learning resources to individuals, organizations, and institutions, with established programs offering advanced degrees in international leadership, diplomacy, law, and policy, as well as science and business. The partnership marks UNITAR’s first major program in arts and cultural education.</em></p> <p><em><strong>�鶹��Ƶ </strong>uniquely combines a world-class conservatory of music with a top-ranking liberal arts college. An independent institution in Ohio, �鶹��Ƶ was the first college to grant undergraduate degrees to women in a coeducational program and, historically, has been a leader in the education of African American students. The �鶹��Ƶ community is known for its commitment to social and global engagement and diversity. The Conservatory of Music provides flexible programs to prepare students as professional musicians and teachers of music. Deeply committed to academic excellence, �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Arts and Sciences offers a rich and balanced curriculum in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences. Recognizing that diversity broadens perspectives, �鶹��Ƶ is dedicated to recruiting a culturally, economically, geographically, and racially diverse group of students. �鶹��Ƶ aims to prepare graduates with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives essential to confront complex issues and to create change and value in the world.</em></p> <p><em>The <strong>Global Foundation for the Performing Arts </strong>(GFPA) is an international foundation with a mission to provide valuable artistic education and professional support in service of those in the performing arts while fostering a global community and enabling cross-cultural exchange. A longstanding partner of UNITAR, the foundation is dedicated to supporting the performing arts, particularly in the realms of classical music and ballet through education, mentorship, and collaboration. GFPA is centered in the belief that young artists deserve professional guidance from experienced musicians in order to remain true to their artistic practice. The foundation provides advice to artists, competitions, and institutions dedicated to rewarding the world’s future performers. It has been a long-term partner of UNITAR.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">December 2 concert before U.N. General Assembly celebrates new partnership;  public preview in �鶹��Ƶ slated for November 29.</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="2022-11-10T12:00:00Z">Thu, 11/10/2022 - 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=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3859">United Nations Partnership</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=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36206">Viola</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36156">Double Bass</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37361">Oboe</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35911">Flute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35881">Bassoon</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37266">Clarinet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=7491">Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35266">Trumpet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37371">Horn</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35836">Trombone</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=37356">Tuba</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="/raphael-jimenez" hreflang="und">Raphael Jiménez</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/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">The �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra, seen here at Carnegie Hall in 2019, returns to the famed New York City venue in December.</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">Fadi Kheir</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Composer, Instrumentalist, and Educator Katherine Young '03 Earns Guggenheim Fellowship</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 18 May 2021 16:34:03 +0000</p> <span>Composer, Instrumentalist, and Educator Katherine Young '03 Earns Guggenheim Fellowship</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-05-18T12:34:03-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 18, 2021 - 12:34">Tue, 05/18/2021 - 12:34</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Collaboration lies at the heart of Katherine Young’s creative existence. A bassoonist and composer as well as an educator, she writes for and plays with chamber ensembles and rock bands, classical performers and improvisers. So the isolation that accompanies life in a pandemic left her to focus on solo works and ponder the sense of community she and so many others had suddenly lost.</p><p>Now Young’s COVID detour has earned the support of the Guggenheim Foundation, which honored her in April with a 2021 fellowship for composition. The award, presented to established scholars across the artistic spectrum, supports the completion of a series of electroacoustic solo works that explore community, sustainability, and accountability—themes percolating in Young’s brain throughout 2020.</p><p>The working title of her project, <em>Mycorrhizae</em>, refers to fungal networks that develop on the roots of plants and assist in absorption of nutrients and repelling environmental stressors. It’s a concept she began to liken to the interconnectedness of human existence, so starkly foregrounded by the pandemic.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking a lot about intentional community and the significance of collaboration as an artist and as a person,” says Young, who is completing her <a href="http://music.emory.edu/home/people/biography/young-katherine.html">first year on the faculty</a> at Emory University, where she teaches composition, improvisation, and electronic music.</p><p>The project was initially conceived as four distinct solo works—solo largely out of necessity, as Young initially had no idea what opportunities for collaboration with larger groups might exist. She has since expanded her scope to six pieces composed for six different instruments and electronics. “Each one will be very much its own thing, with its own musical language and sound world that’s very specific to the person I’m making it with,” she says.</p><p>More recently, and as pandemic restrictions have begun to ease up, Young seized upon the idea of developing the six completed solo compositions into a single chamber work.</p><p>“Once I started thinking about it as an ensemble piece, I started thinking <em>Oh, I want a cello! I want a harp!</em>” So far, saxophone, violin, percussion, and piano also figure into the mix. The final ensemble piece may also include choreography, video, or other components.</p><p>“At the time of the proposal, I didn’t even know what would be possible,” she says. “I’ve been working on them simultaneously—and all remotely—over the last year. They began to inform each other, and so now I understand them to be related—part of a network work, if you will.</p><p>“What’s exciting to me is that with the fellowship, I have started to allow myself to once again think further into the future, and to imagine bigger projects again.”</p><p>At �鶹��Ƶ, Young completed degrees in bassoon performance and comparative literature. In those days, she recalls, she was more self-assured in the classroom than onstage. “In some ways, I found my creative voice as a reader. I was more confident in that sphere, so my college courses were really important for me.”</p><p>Young counts among her fondest �鶹��Ƶ memories playing chamber music—especially student compositions—and performing with the Contemporary Music Ensemble and other new music groups. “I remember not only playing in CME, but going to CME concerts and hearing some incredible pieces I have not heard live since.”</p><p>After �鶹��Ƶ, she relocated with �鶹��Ƶ friends to Chicago, where her passions for composition and improvisation took hold. She went on to study under legendary experimental composer Anthony Braxton at Wesleyan University, then completed a DMA at Northwestern University.</p><p>Today, she performs routinely with improvisational groups and longtime projects including the duos Beautifulish (with Sam Scranton) and Architeuthis Walks on Land (with violist, musicologist, and �鶹��Ƶ alumna Amy Cimini ’03). She’s working on an outdoor sound installation and performance projects with the New York-based new music quartet Yarn/Wire and the Chicago collective Mocrep, and her debut solo album, <em>Further Secret Origins</em>, earned praised from <em>The Wire</em>—which invoked the phrase “bassoon colossus”—and <em>Downbeat</em>. Young’s music has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW series, Ensemble Dal Niente, and numerous other groups.</p><p>In the near future, she plans to join forces on a project with two more �鶹��Ƶ bassoonists: Ben Roidl-Ward ’15 and Dana Jessen, director of Conservatory Professional Development.</p><p>“We bassoonists have a way of finding each other!” she says.</p><p>The Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1925 by U.S. Senator Simon Guggenheim and wife Olga in honor of their late son. Young is one of 184 recipients of a Guggenheim Fellowship for 2021 and one of 13 composers to be honored, including �鶹��Ƶ alumna Nkeiru Okoye ’92.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Award supports completion of suite of electroacoustic pieces developed during the pandemic.</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="2021-05-18T12:00:00Z">Tue, 05/18/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</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=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</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=35881">Bassoon</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</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/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</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">Deidre Huckabay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> </main></body></html>