Violinist Maya Irizarry Lambright to Solo with �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra</h1> <article> <h1>Violinist Maya Irizarry Lambright to Solo with �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra</h1> <p>cstrauss — Thu, 09 May 2024 18:50:17 +0000</p> <span>Violinist Maya Irizarry Lambright to Solo with �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-09T14:50:17-04:00" title="Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 14:50">Thu, 05/09/2024 - 14:50</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>With the 2023-24 academic year coming to a close, we'll hear the �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra, led by conductor <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez</a> in their final concert of the spring semester at <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_oberlin_orchestra_3257">7:30 p.m. on Friday, May, 10</a> in Finney Chapel. The program opens with Senior Concerto Competition winner Maya Irizarry Lambright in a performance of Shulamit Ran's Violin Concerto. The second half of the program features the orchestra in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's <em>Scheherazade</em>.</p> <p>Ran is an Israeli-American composer who was based at the University of Chicago for many years and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for her Philadelphia Orchestra commissioned Symphony; she was only the second woman to ever win win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. She wrote the Violin Concerto in 2003. It was last performed in �鶹��Ƶ in 2017. </p> <p>Written in 1888, <em>Scheherazade</em> was composed for a ballet based on <em>One Thousand and One Nights</em>, a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. The much-played symphonic suite features gorgeous melodies distinguished by Rimsky-Korsakov's masterful orchestration and expansive violin solos that will be performed by Benjamin Seah, concertmaster of the orchestra for this performance.</p> <h6><em><strong>Meet the soloist</strong></em></h6> <p>Violinist Maya Irizarry Lambright, from West Hartford, Connecticut, studies violin performance at �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory with <a href="/sibbi-bernhardsson">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a>. Irizarry Lambright's musical journey is deeply rooted in a childhood surrounded by diverse musical influences, shaping a performance style that transcends genres. Their passion for improvisation, contemporary music, and small ensemble work fuels their artistic expression. As a member of the <a href="https://www.danielknapp.net/the-eris-quartet">Eris Quartet</a>, Irizarry Lambright has performed more than 50 concerts, including a 2023 tour to nine cities up the East Coast. Eris is dedicated to curating programs of traditional and contemporary repertoire and will be the Fellowship String Quartet in Residence at 2024 New Music On the Point (NMOP) in Vermont. In January 2022, Irizarry Lambright spearheaded "Why We Breathe," a project created as a result of the pandemic’s effects on collaborative music projects, uniting musicians and visual artists to create a fusion of art and music. At �鶹��Ƶ, Irizarry Lambright leads a traditional Latin music band. Next academic year, they will attend the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, under the tutelage of Lina Bahn. With an unwavering dedication to pushing musical boundaries, they eagerly embrace the exploration of both notated and improvised music.</p> <h6><em>Q&A</em></h6> <p><em><strong>What moved you to select the Shulamit Ran Concerto?</strong></em></p> <p>Last spring my quartet, the Eris Quartet, took Shulamit Ran’s string quartet <em>Glitter, Doom, Shards, Memory </em>on tour. It is a beautiful piece that we really fell in love with. The different sound worlds and surprising compositional decisions that she made excited us as a group that enjoys playing less traditional repertoire. Additionally, it is an emotionally charged piece that we felt important to share with a large audience. When I was deciding which concerto to prepare for the competition, I knew I wanted to choose a 21st-century concerto. I am passionate about new music, and since it has been less common for violinists to prepare 21st-century concertos for competitions, I was very excited to present a less well-known piece. The violist of the Eris Quartet, Felix, recommended I listen to Shulamit Ran’s Violin Concerto, and told me that �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory music theory professor <a href="/christa-cole-17">Christa Cole</a> '17 had won the 2017 �鶹��Ƶ concerto competition with this piece and teaches the third movement in her theory class as an example of an octatonic scale. </p> <p><em><strong>What has the piece taught you about your playing and how to reach an audience?</strong></em></p> <p>Working on a piece with only one public recording gave me the freedom to create a more original interpretation unaffected by preconceptions of how the piece “should" be played. I was given the space to take more ownership of how I personally wanted the piece to be received by the audience. In addition, because it is a 21st-century concerto, I have to be very convincing in my interpretation of it and prepare it to be enjoyable to the unfamiliar ear. I have become more confident in my creative decisions while working on this piece and have grown to appreciate myself as a solo player more than ever.</p> <p><em><strong>When you think back on your time at �鶹��Ƶ, what stands out about the experience of going to school here?</strong></em></p> <p>�鶹��Ƶ is the type of school where exploration and experimentation are encouraged. I have had the opportunity to be proactive in my education and guide it in a way that works towards my personal goals, no matter how unique they are. The faculty at �鶹��Ƶ is talented, encouraging, and supportive. Additionally, they have created an environment where the students always encourage and support each other. We are always collaborating on student-led projects, which is very unique to the environment at �鶹��Ƶ. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Concerto competition winner will perform Shulamit Ran's Violin Concerto in Finney Chapel</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="2024-05-09T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/09/2024 - 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=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4052">Concerto Winners</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3155">�鶹��Ƶ Orchestra</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=35116">Violin</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="/sibbi-bernhardsson" hreflang="und">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/christa-cole-17" hreflang="und">Christa Cole ’17</a></div> <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/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</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">Tanya Rosen-Jones</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Orchestra and Choirs to Preview Upcoming Carnegie Hall Performance at Finney Chapel</h1> <p>jreinier — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 18:30:31 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Orchestra and Choirs to Preview Upcoming Carnegie Hall Performance at Finney Chapel</span> <span><span>jreinier</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-10-06T14:30:31-04:00" title="Thursday, October 6, 2022 - 14:30">Thu, 10/06/2022 - 14:30</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The program includes music by �鶹��Ƶ composition alumnus R. Nathaniel Dett and showcases the artistry of faculty, guest, and alumni soloists. Both concerts will feature the �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra, joined by voices from the �鶹��Ƶ College Choir, �鶹��Ƶ Gospel Choir, and Musical Union.</p> <p>"If there is a title for the program, it should be ‘Freedom,’" says conductor <a href="/raphael-jimenez">Raphael Jiménez</a>. "Two of the pieces on the program are inspired by our eternal fight for justice and freedom: <em>A Metaphor for Power</em> by <a href="https://www.ivanrodriguezmusic.com/home/">Iván Enrique Rodríguez</a> (an ASCAP award-winning composer from Puerto Rico) and Nathaniel Dett’s <em>The Ordering of Moses</em>." The �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra will also perform Johannes Brahms’ <em>Tragic Overture</em>.</p> <p>R. Nathaniel Dett, the first Black double-major and Phi Beta Kappa honoree of �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory, graduated from �鶹��Ƶ in 1908 and was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 1926. Jiménez shares, "For the �鶹��Ƶ ensembles, bringing life to <em>The Ordering of Moses</em> has a special significance. Dett wrote a lot of piano and choral pieces, but unfortunately, he didn’t write much for orchestra. So, I am very grateful for the fact that this piece—written for chorus, a full orchestra, and four soloists—gives a large part of our community the opportunity to perform his music."</p> <p>The soloists for the October performance here in �鶹��Ƶ are faculty soprano <a href="/mathilda-edge">Mathilda Edge</a>, guest mezzo-soprano <a href="http://www.krystyswann.com/">Krysty Swann</a>, alumnus tenor <a href="https://www.limmiepulliam.com/">Limmie Pulliam</a> '98, and faculty baritone <a href="/timothy-lefebvre">Timothy LeFebvre</a>. </p> <p>�鶹��Ƶ musicology professor <a href="/courtney-savali-andrews">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a> adds some historical context: “Upon graduating from �鶹��Ƶ, Dett became an early champion for the preservation and re-articulation of the folk idioms of his ancestors. He concentrated particularly on interpreting the melodies and harmonies of the Negro Spirituals and the rhythms of purge music and recreational dances carried out between the plantation and the town square. These Negro folk idioms would serve as source material for many of his piano and choral compositions, notably his large-scale works <em>Listen to the Lambs</em>, <em>The Chariot Jubilee</em>, and <em>The Ordering of Moses</em>.”</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-left"> <figcaption>The orchestra and choirs prepare for their concert at Finney Chapel. Credit: Ben Johns</figcaption> </figure> <p>Dett’s oratorio carries an important political message: it tells the story of Moses, one of the most important prophets of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, while also serving as a metaphor for the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. According to Jiménez, "The piece is cinematic and full of drama. It is cleverly written and full of orchestral and choral effects: at one point, the entire chorus sings ‘Go Down Moses’ with great contrapuntal treatment, and then there is the beautiful march of the Israelites as they cross the Red Sea, full of hope, en route to the promised land."</p> <p>Andrews highlights how the fugal treatment of “Go Down Moses” emphasizes the shifting identities present in Dett’s piece: “When considering how enslaved Africans employed coded messaging and double meaning in their expressive cultures as a survival mechanism, this doubling moves between past, present and future using symbolic language and 'call-and-response.'”</p> <p>This will be the first time that �鶹��Ƶ's ensembles have performed Dett's oratorio. Choral conductor <a href="/ben-johns">Ben Johns</a> concludes, “I'm elated about the music we are making together. I'm excited to give more voice to this underperformed work and composer. And I'm grateful that we get to tour such a large ensemble to Carnegie Hall. <em>The Ordering of Moses</em> is inspiring, imaginative, and joyful. At every step in the process, I have found delight.”</p> <p> </p> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">October 13 program features an oratorio by 1908 �鶹��Ƶ alumnus R. Nathaniel Dett.</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="2022-10-06T12:00:00Z">Thu, 10/06/2022 - 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>�鶹��Ƶ musicians are preparing for a January trip to New York for an engagement at Carnegie Hall—�鶹��Ƶ's third Winter Term tour to the iconic venue this decade. But the excitement begins at home, with a <a href="/events/musical_union_and_oberlin_college_choir_and_gospel_choir_with_oberlin_orchestra">preview performance</a> of the program in �鶹��Ƶ's own Finney Chapel, in person and <a href="/events/musical_union_and_oberlin_college_choir_and_gospel_choir_with_oberlin_orchestra">streamed live</a> at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 13.</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=2390">Events</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3155">�鶹��Ƶ Orchestra</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3119">�鶹��Ƶ College Choir</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3328">Musical Opportunities for College Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2974">Conservatory Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</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 class="field__item"><a href="/mathilda-edge" hreflang="und">Mathilda Edge</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/timothy-lefebvre" hreflang="und">Timothy LeFebvre</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/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</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-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">R. Nathaniel Dett (1908), �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory's first Black double major graduate and Honorary Doctorate recipient (1926).</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">Library of Congress</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>A Conversation with Phlox Ensemble Conductor Sophia Bass</h1> <p>hhempste — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 17:10:52 +0000</p> <span>A Conversation with Phlox Ensemble Conductor Sophia Bass</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-01-30T12:10:52-05:00" title="Thursday, January 30, 2020 - 12:10">Thu, 01/30/2020 - 12:10</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Phlox ensemble, an orchestra and choir promoting women and trans individuals in classical music, is an intensive winter term project that provides a space for students of traditionally underrepresented gender identities and those with a commitment to gender inclusion to engage with classical music, and celebrate repertoire by composers of these identities.</p> <p>The Phlox ensembles will present two events during the final week of winter term, featuring a program of primarily women composers, ranging from Fanny Mendelssohn to �鶹��Ƶ <a href="/timara" target="_blank">TIMARA</a> student, Rachel Gibson.</p> <p>We sat down with student conductor and senior Sophia Bass to find out more about her thoughts on this project.</p> <p><strong>Sophia, how did you become involved in the Phlox ensemble? </strong></p> <p>It happened in a roundabout way. After I completed my sophomore year at �鶹��Ƶ, I decided to take a year's leave of absence to pursue my own independent study in music. During my time away, I scored a thesis film entitled ‘‘Thicker than Water’’ in association with Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. This is where I started to find my own voice as a female composer of color. In fall 2018, I began conducting studies with Visiting Assistant Professor of Conducting <a href="/tiffany-chang" target="_blank">Tiffany Chang</a> ’09. Working with her is what inspired me to take the ‘‘Thicker than Water’’ composition further. One day, when I was sitting at home in my PJs, I had this crazy idea to record the 22-minute film soundtrack with a live orchestra. Even though I had only had a semester and a half of conducting at the time, I challenged myself to do it . I assembled a 45-piece orchestra, from musicians in the conservatory and in the Arts and Sciences Orchestra , and in April 2019, we recorded a live session of the composition where I led as the conductor. Because of that project, I was approached by Anne Pinkerton, an oboist who participated in the recording, about the Winter Term Phlox Orchestra. When she explained their mission to promote gender inclusivity in classical music, and asked if I would be open to participating in their spring concert as student conductor, I was happy to come on board!</p> <p><strong>Why is this project, and projects supporting women and trans people in the classical music scene, meaningful to society and for you personally? </strong></p> <p>We are living in a time in which there is greater awareness of the lack of diverse gender representation in the classical music scene, and strides are being made to amend that. For example, this past fall I participated in a research project that made large-scale efforts to unearth the hidden legacy of African American composer and �鶹��Ƶ alumna, Shirley Graham Du Bois. My research was part of a StudiOC cluster class that was spearheaded by professors Fredara Hadley and Tamika Nunley. Du Bois is the first known African American woman to have written a major opera, but her opera hasn’t been performed since 1932 and efforts are being made to stage it on campus in December. This project, along with the Winter Term Phlox Orchestra, are important because they help to further the wide efforts toward gender inclusion within classical music by providing greater awareness and access, both in the classroom and on the stage.</p> <p>For me personally, it was not until I stepped to the podium as a conductor that I had to learn my own confidence as an African American female conductor. The things I have learned from Shirley Graham Du Bois’ life as a black woman who had to navigate spaces in the classical music scene also inspired me to find my place on the podium.</p> <p><strong>What is it that you're most excited about in this coming year? </strong></p> <p>I am in the process of writing my first symphony, which I hope to have completed and recorded before I graduate. I am also looking forward to continuing my conducting studies with my teacher, Professor of Conducting <a href="/raphael-jimenez" target="_blank">Raphael Jiménez</a>. </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="2020-01-30T12:00:00Z">Thu, 01/30/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hannah Schoepe ’20</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=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2370">Ensembles & Orchestras</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3318">Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3155">�鶹��Ƶ Orchestra</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=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="/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/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Sophia Bass, Phlox ensemble student conductor.</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">Courtesy of Sophia Bass</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>