Conservatory News: Midwinter 2018

Voice Students Participate in Outreach Trip to the Highland School

On Jan. 23, Chair of Vocal/Choral Division and Associate Professor of Voice (Tenor) Byron Jones ’04, D.M.A., took a group of Shenandoah Conservatory voice students and a graduate student pianist (above photo) to perform two shows at the Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia. The group was invited by John Krumich, lower school chorus teacher, and Michael Hughes, chair of fine and performing arts and Shenandoah University alumnus (Master of Music in Conducting). This visit was presented as part of a school-wide unit on Italy and featured three events: one performance for approximately 250 kindergarten through 8th grade students, a second with approximately 25 9th through 12th graders, and a workshop with the cast of the school’s production of “Sweeney Todd.”

Participants included Gwen Baier ’22 (Master of Music in Performance, Voice), Morgan Myers ’18 (Master of Music in Performance, Voice), Allison Snavely ’23 (Master of Music in Performance, Voice), Blake Ellege ’23 (Master of Music in Performance, Voice), Jack Pinto ’22 (Master of Music in Performance, Voice), Daniel Fleming ’18 (Bachelor of Music in Performance, Voice), Christos Kokkinis ’19 (Bachelor of Music in Performance, Voice), Katie Bell ’19 (Bachelor of Music in Performance, Voice) and Brian Woods ’20 (Artist Diploma, Piano).

The same program was presented to the residents of Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury on Feb. 22, with additional highlights from “The Merry Widow” by Franz Lehár, which is this year’s main stage opera production.

Sexton ’18 Wins Cello Positions in Washington, D.C. and Virginia

Rachel Sexton ’18 has obtained positions at three different organizations in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and Virginia: principal cello of Tysons McLean Orchestra, section cello of Roanoke Symphony and cello faculty at Levine School of Music. Sexton is pursuing a Master of Music in Performance (Cello) and studied with Assistant Professor of Cello Julian Schwarz, M.M., and retired Professor of Cello Clyde Thomas Shaw, M.M.

Stoughton ’18 Advances to MTNA National Competition

Saxophonist Drake Stoughton ’18 won first place in the young artist – woodwind category at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Southern Division Competition and will advance to the national competition in Orlando, Florida in March. Stoughton is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and studies with Professor of Saxophone Timothy Roberts, D.M.A.

Shenandoah University and Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater Partner for Community-wide Residency

Mid-Atlantic Honor Band Celebrates Successful Weekend of Events

Shenandoah Conservatory hosted the 6th Annual Mid-Atlantic Honor Band (MAHB) Invitational from Jan. 19, through Jan. 21. The MAHB comprised 75 of the top high school musicians from across Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. Conducted by Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting Tim Robblee, Ph.D., the MAHB rehearsed all three days, leading up to a culminating Jan. 21 performance in Armstrong Concert Hall. Additional performances included a Collage Concert on Jan. 19.The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” performance on Jan. 20 was cancelled due to the government shutdown.

The MAHB weekend brings high school students to campus to work with conservatory faculty, students, conductors and a prestigious guest composer. This year’s guest composer was Alex Shapiro, from San Juan Island, Washington. Shapiro coached the students on her music, presented clinics for visiting high school teachers and led a rehearsal session on group composition with Director of Composition and Coordinator of New Music Jonathan Newman, M.M.

Penn State University Viola Professor Presents Masterclass at Shenandoah

Viola Professor Timothy Deighton from Penn State University presented a viola masterclass on Feb. 11. Originally from New Zealand, Deighton enjoys a wide variety of performance opportunities. He has appeared at four International Viola Congresses as recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra, and as masterclass presenter and panelist. In 2014, he presented the prestigious William Primrose Memorial Concert at Brigham Young University. Having long held a fascination for new music, he has performed premieres of more than fifty new works for viola, most of which were commissioned by or written for him. His solo CD, “Viola Aotearoa,” featuring music for viola by New Zealand composers, was released in 2002 on the Atoll label. His playing on this disc was described in The Strad as “brilliant and differentiated.” As a member of the contemporary music duo The Irrelevants, he and saxophonist Carrie Koffman have commissioned and premiered many new works. Their “excellent playing” of several new works in a recent New York recital was noted in The Strad, and their CD, “Dialogues,” is available at CD Baby. Deighton is also a member of The Chihara Trio, with Anthony Costa, clarinet, and Enrico Elisi, piano. “Deighton’s technical aplomb and precision were very impressive,” in the trio’s New York debut recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in March 2010, according to the New York Concert Review.

Other chamber music collaborations include those with the American String Quartet, Quartet Accorda, and the New Zealand String Quartet, and with musicians outside the traditional classical field such as the Mäori (Taongo Puoro) instrumentalist Richard Nunns. Many of Deighton’s solo and chamber music performances have been broadcast on U.S., European, and Australasian radio. He is a National Recording Artist for Radio New Zealand, and former member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He performs regularly with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, with whom he also recorded and toured, and has also worked with the Boston-based chamber orchestra, A Far Cry. He also appears in recital with his wife, pianist Ann Deighton.

U.S. Army’s Old Guard Fife and Drum Corp Trumpet Ensemble Performs and Presents Masterclass for Shenandoah University and High School Students

The U.S. Army’s Old Guard Fife and Drum Corp Trumpet Ensemble from Washington, D.C., presented a masterclass and performance from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 31, in Armstrong Concert Hall. The masterclass focused on what to expect in a military audition and how to prepare for it. Three Shenandoah trumpet students played audition excerpts for the ensemble. The ensemble was also involved with part of the Wind Ensemble rehearsal and presented a brief Q&A.

Sound Artist and Performer Chris Kallmyer of wild Up Presents a Discussion on ‘Interdisciplinary Experiments with Site, Sound, and Sheep’

Sound artist and performer Chris Kallmyer, of L.A.-based modern music collaborative wild Up, presented a discussion on “Interdisciplinary Experiments with Site, Sound, and Sheep,” on Feb. 19. His talk explored how settings and architectural spaces impact audience/participant engagement. Kallmyer, who received an M.F.A. from California Institute of the Arts, has garnered commissions from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Symphony, Walker Art Center, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, The Biennial of the Americas, Chicago Cultural Center, Indianapolis Museum of Art, and the City of Los Angeles, among others. As a member of wild Up, Kallmyer serves as guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and thought-leader—helping the band to embrace an emergent practice in cross-disciplinary work.

Lunch and Learn Program Launched by Shenandoah Conservatory Academics Division

The Shenandoah Conservatory Academics Division has launched Lunch and Learn, a brown bag program that provides opportunities for conservatory students to hear from experts and engage in discussions with students from different academic programs. All three lecture presentations begin at noon and take place in Ruebush Hall, Room 146.

“Whatever Happened to Grand Opera?” was presented on Wednesday, Feb. 21, by Coordinator of Music History at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Matthew Franke, Ph.D. It was moderated by Associate Professor of Music History and Literature Laurie McManus, Ph.D. Largely forgotten today, grand opera was the dominant form of multimedia entertainment in the West for much of the 19th century. This presentation investigates the reasons for grand opera’s decline in the early 20th century and traces its influence on operas and musicals that have remained in the modern repertory, such as Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot,” and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera.”

“Performing Artists have a Leadership Brain: Who Knew?” will be presented on Wednesday, March 21, by Director and Associate Professor of Performing Arts Leadership and Management at Shenandoah Conservatory David Edelman, M.F.A. It will be moderated by Director of Graduate Music Therapy Studies and Associate Professor of Music Therapy Tony Meadows, Ph.D. This presentation looks at leadership styles that are based on the theory of emotional intelligence and compares them to the way a performing artist’s brain works.

“Teaching Music Theory in the 21st Century,” will be presented on Wednesday, April 18, by Professor and Coordinator of Music Theory in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University Jennifer Snodgrass, Ph.D. It will be moderated by Assistant Professor of Music Theory Rachel Short, Ph.D. How can we best equip our classrooms, both in terms of environment and content, to better support the 21st-century music student? This interactive session will highlight some of the emerging teaching trends found in classrooms across the country and offer insight into how instructors are seeking to make music theory and aural skills applicable and accessible to all students. Through immediate polling, small group response and interactive conversation, participants will be challenged to answer the questions of how and why we teach music theory and aural skills, particularly in a musical and institutional environment that is constantly evolving.

Jazz Students and Faculty Celebrate John Kirby Legacy with Concert at Museum of the Shenandoah Valley

The John Kirby Sextet Project, consisting of Shenandoah Conservatory jazz students, performed at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley on Sunday, Feb. 4. Nick Serbu ’18 (Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies, Trumpet), Kelli Hess ’18 (Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Clarinet), Austin Crowder ’20 (Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Saxophone), Brett Orenstein ’19 (Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Saxophone), Noah Flanigan ’21 (Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Trombone), Jacob Pembelton ’19, (Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies, Bass) and Daniel Kelly ’18 (Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies, Drums), joined Harrison Endowed Chair in Piano and Associate Professor of Jazz Piano Robert Larson ’08, D.M.A., for a tribute concert and educational presentation of the Onyx Club Boys Sextet, John Kirby’s 1930s ensemble. This tribute to Kirby, who was born in Winchester, was in collaboration with the local chapter of the NAACP.

Jazz Ensemble Performs to Help Raise Funds for Abiding Presence Mission Team Trip to Dominican Republic

The Shenandoah Conservatory Jazz Ensemble performed on Feb. 11, at the Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke, Virginia, as part of a Mardi Gras/”Carnival Latino” event. It was a free concert with a silent auction where the proceeds benefited the Abiding Presence Mission Team. The team will travel to the Dominican Republic in August to work on a construction project and help some people who live and work in the sugar cane Batays.

Cantus Singers and Shenandoah Chorus Present Broadway Valentines Concert

On Sunday, Feb. 11, Cantus Singers and Shenandoah Chorus, under the direction of Professor of Choral Conducting and Choral Music Karen Keating ’02, D.M.A. and accompanied by Dan Miller, performed a Broadway Valentines concert at First Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Virginia. An enthusiastic crowd enjoyed arrangements of musical numbers from a variety of Broadway shows.

Wren ’18 Hosts Dance Event to Raise Support for Childhood Cancer Research

On Jan. 7, Laura Wren ’18 combined her art and management skills to present the inaugural “Applause for a Cause: Dancing for a Cure,” event to raise awareness about, and financial support for, childhood cancer research. Wren is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Performing Arts leadership and Management. Watch the video on Facebook. 

Shenandoah Student Photo Featured On ArtScape Banner

“SU Lights Up the Night,” a photo by freshman musical theatre student Caleb Rouse, has been selected for the Shenandoah Arts Council’s 2018 ArtScape banner project in Old Town Winchester. Rouse’s photo will be displayed on a downtown Winchester banner beginning in mid-April. The photo will also be part of the “ArtScape Originals,” exhibit at “Art in the Halls,” at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in April. There were 186 works submitted by 68 artists for the ArtScape project, which is in its ninth year. Thirty pieces were selected to be reproduced for banners, along with seven alternates.