Shenandoah Conservatory welcomed incoming and returning students to the 2026/27 academic year during its annual Conservatory Convocation on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre. Centered on this year’s theme, “A Groundbreaking Year: Innovation, Adaptation & Sustainability,” the event featured an exciting lineup of music, theatre and dance performances alongside remarks from conservatory and university leadership and a keynote address by HGA’s Nancy Blankfard, FAIA, LEED AP.

The program showcased the breadth of artistic work across the conservatory, with performances including:

• A prelude and postlude by the Trombone Collective, led by Director of Jazz & Commercial Music and Associate Professor of Trombone Matthew Niess, D.M.A.
• “Unlucky Lady,” originally performed by TROY and written by Troy Doherty and Evan Frederiksen, performed by members of the CONTEMPO Ensemble.
• “Static in the Wires,” featuring choreography by Christopher Harmon and performed by members of the Dance Ensemble.
• Reynaldo Hahn’s “Ô mon bel inconnu,” performed by vocalists Kinsey McCulloch, Aislin Given and Savannah Stephens with Assistant Professor of Music and Vocal Coaching Maja Tremiszewska, D.M.A.
• The third movement of Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, op. 73, performed by Jonathan Toomer, Caroline Stephenson, Steven Gestrich and Andrew Stewart.
• Philippe Geiss’ “Sax Heroes,” performed by the Saxophone Ensemble under the direction of Chair of the Instrumental Division, Coordinator for Conservatory in the Community and Professor of Saxophone Timothy Roberts, D.M.A.
• Isaac Albéniz’s ‘Triana’ from Book 2 of “Iberia,” performed by pianist Andrew Wood.
• ‘Do the Work’ from “The Prince of Broadway” by Jason Robert Brown, performed by musical theatre students.

Shenandoah Conservatory Student Council President Brodie Meyers ’27 (Bachelor of Music in Music Production & Recording Technology) welcomed fellow students to the new academic year, followed later in the program by remarks from Shenandoah Conservatory Dean and Professor of Music Jennifer Smolos Steele, Ph.D.

Blankfard, vice president and principal in the Arts, Community & Education Practice at HGA, delivered the keynote address. An award-winning architect with more than 25 years of experience designing cultural, arts and community spaces, Blankfard specializes in innovative, sustainable design and high-performance buildings. Her visit complemented this year’s focus on innovation, adaptation and sustainability as Shenandoah prepares to break ground on the new Shenandoah University Center for the Arts.

Shenandoah University President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D., further connected the theme to the university’s future during a special address unveiling the Center for the Arts. The new state-of-the-art facility will create expanded spaces for creativity, performance and community, with a groundbreaking celebration scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22.

The annual Conservatory Convocation serves as a celebration of the conservatory community and a creative launch into the academic year, bringing students, faculty and staff together across disciplines while setting the stage for a year of learning, artistic exploration and performance.