Woodwinds

Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/17/2024 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

At the CU Boulder Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM), students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. Most recently, the ECM awarded $5,820 in artist assistance grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects including:

Josie Arnett

Josie Arnett
“I’m really picky about which pieces I release on streaming platforms because I’m 20 and need to be able to write really bad music … and then release the things that I really love,” says Josie Arnett, an undergraduate composition student.

“Last fall, I got the opportunity to write a saxophone quartet piece for a group that travels all over the United States. I was really happy with the piece and really proud of it, so I reached out to a faculty member who set me up with the CU Boulder graduate saxophone quartet.”

Sanitas Saxophone Quartet

Working with the Sanitas Saxophone Quartet, College of Music Recording Engineer Kevin Harbison and a mixing artist, Arnett recorded the piece for projected release on streaming platforms this summer. The ECM grant helped pay the artists and distribution fee.

Arnett says she learned a lot about how to interact in a professional recording setting and enjoyed collaborating within the College of Music. “It’s been fun to work with people that have a lot of energy, positive attitudes and are just really excited about what they do,” she shares.

Alice Del Simone
At the end of May, DMA student in voice performance and pedagogy Alice Del Simone was part of a workshop presentation at the Voice Foundation Symposium in Philadelphia titled “Legato Then and Now, Vibrato Edition: A Close-Up of What Happens Between the Pitches in the Classical Bel Canto Tradition.”

“The workshop offered a toolbox of exercises for how to teach the type of legato singing that was happening at the end of the 1800s, beginning of the 1900s when we started to have recordings available,” Del Simone says.

“It was my very first time presenting at a conference where there are often hurdles for a young academic to get an invitation to present. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to work with a group of people who are more prominent in the community than myself.”

During the symposium, Del Simone stayed at the conference hotel, partially funded by her ECM grant.

Zachary Howarth
Zachary Howarth, a DMA student in jazz studies, will go on the road this summer to record music in studios in Reno and South Lake Tahoe. Howarth also hopes to perform this music live in venues across Colorado and Nevada.

The project will involve a contemporary jazz quartet—trumpet, piano, bass, drums—writing and recording the music. The ECM grant will help the project get off the ground by assisting with studio fees, production costs and travel expenses.

“The opportunity to write, record and play music with such high-level artists is invaluable to my collaborative research in compositional tendencies in contemporary jazz mediums and fully improvised music,” Howarth says.

SeaJun Kwon

SeaJun Kwon
SeaJun Kwon, also a DMA student in jazz studies, likes writing compositions that push the boundaries of jazz music including “Avant Shorts”—10 etudes exploring micro tonalities and rhythmic concepts that aren’t commonly used in jazz compositions.

Kwon plans to compose these etudes and begin recording them over the summer, using a microphone setup funded by an ECM grant.

“I thought I’d write a bunch of super short compositions that focus on different ideas to develop myself and provide my community with these resources,” Kwon says.

By keeping them brief, he hopes to make the compositions more accessible and useful for his community.

“People are really busy, there are so many things that you have to do and also so many distractions,” Kwon says. “I think these short compositions put less pressure on people—they can work on them for 10 minutes and still learn from them.”

Er-Hsuan Li with orchestra

Er-Hsuan Li
Er-Hsuan Li graduated from the College of Music in May with a DMA in piano performance. In April, he held a concert featuring the world premiere of John Clay Allen’s “The Stone Harp” concerto for piano and strings along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

“It was a very fun event,” Li says. “Even though it was off-campus, it was really CU that made this possible because that’s how we connected.”

Many CU Boulder musicians participated including conductor and Associate Director of Orchestras Renee Gilliland, composition alumnus John Clay Allen, Anna Kallinikos—who’s majoring in trumpet performance and minoring in business—and the majority of the 18-member orchestra. The ECM grant assisted Li with compensating the performers and renting the venue.

“I had performed in front of an orchestra only once before when I was a high schooler,” Li recalls. “So it was really special for me that—after 13 years—I got to do this again professionally. And I would like to think that I am a better musician now compared to then!”

Ethan Stahl

Ethan Stahl
When Ethan Stahl discovered Nkeiru Okoye’s music, he knew he’d found something special. “I loved her music so much that I began working on it for one of my degree recitals,” he says. “Eventually, it became evident that I had enough material to create a lecture recital.”

To prepare, Stahl—who’s pursuing a DMA in piano performance—interviewed Okoye about her music. “We talked on the phone for a few hours and in that conversation, she proposed the idea of writing a piece for me to add to one of the sets of piano pieces that I was studying.” The ECM grant helped fund Okoye’s contribution.

Okoye’s music is already part of the American Music Research Center’s Helen Walker-Hill Collection; her upcoming composition will be added to the collection.

“Okoye is extremely novel in the world of piano composition,” Stahl adds. “I’ve never heard piano music that is similar stylistically to hers.”

Natalie Trejo
Artist Diploma student Natalie Trejo competed in the finals for the Austin Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition in April—and the ECM grant helped her get there.

“I submitted the preliminary recordings back in January. From there, they selected three finalists to perform in the live final round in Austin, Texas,” Trejo says. “It went really well. I ended up getting third but I was very happy with how I played and I was not nervous at all.”

Trejo performed Chen Yi’s “Memory” for solo flute and Frank Martin’s “Ballade” for flute and piano.

“I love doing competitions because I get to learn new repertoire, meet new flutists, make connections and get to know the other finalists—it’s very important and humbling, but still encouraging,” Trejo says.

Jonathon Winter
Another spring 2024 graduate, Jonathon Winter—who earned a DMA in violin performance—recorded four pieces to be compiled into an album titled “Origin: Music by Women of the Americas.” The pieces are “ko’u inoa” by Leilehua Lanzilotti, “Scratch the Surface” by Dana Kaufman, “String Poetic” by Jennifer Higdon and “Sueños de Chambi” by Gabriel Lena Frank.

“I picked some fiendishly difficult music to play but it was so worth it,” Winter says. “I learned so much about preparing for recordings and what that actually entails.”

Winter worked with pianist and Postdoctoral Lecturer Barbara Noyes, as well as Kevin Harbison to record all four pieces over the course of seven months. Winter will continue the project over the summer with the goal of finding a label to disseminate the recordings.

Congratulations to all grant recipients and our thanks to this year’s adjudicators: College of Music staff member Kathryn Bistodeau, Music Advisory Board member Laurie Hathorn and University of Denver entrepreneurship faculty member Neil Pollard.

At the CU Boulder Entrepreneurship Center for Music, students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. This spring, the ECM awarded $5,820 in grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects.

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Graduating senior spotlight: Madison Tallman

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Graduating senior spotlight: Madison Tallman Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/11/2024 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

When Madison Tallman graduates next month, she’ll take away more than a degree—she’ll take a community with her.

Tallman moved to Boulder from Colorado Springs, struck by how tight-knit the College of Music is. “I just love the community here,” she says. “I have really enjoyed getting to work with fellow students and build strong relationships with other people.

“I think it makes us much better musicians when we know people on a personal level because music is such a personal thing.”

Alongside performing, Tallman leveraged the College of Music’s business offerings: She’ll graduate with a Bachelor of Music in flute performance as well as a Music Entrepreneurship certificate and business minor. “I like having a balance of tangible results—like working in the nonprofit world—and very subjective results, like playing music. I like having both. I think it’s a nice balance.”

Business courses empowered Tallman to build practical skills for potential future entrepreneurial ventures. “For the music entrepreneurship capstone, I’m working on studio materials for when I want to start a private studio,” she says. “I think that’s really important.

“There are so many aspects of that, like setting up an LLC and payments and all these nitty-gritty things—I’m really glad that I have the tools and resources to learn those kinds of things now.”

Tallman’s future goals also include playing chamber music and working in the nonprofit sector. She explains, “I want to work for a nonprofit that does outreach to make arts more accessible in schools. I actually had a personal experience with that—in fifth grade through middle school, the arts were not funded by my school. I think it’s important that kids have arts experience.”

Next year, Tallman will continue her journey in both performance and management—she’s starting a master’s program in music and arts management at Colorado State University. “I’m super excited!”

Congratulations to Madison and all of our winter 2023 and spring 2024 graduates!

Madison Tallman graduates in May with a Bachelor of Music in flute performance along with a Music Entrepreneurship certificate and business minor. She shares highlights of her College of Music experience … and her plans for the future!

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Celebrating winter graduates: Ashley Civelli

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Celebrating winter graduates: Ashley Civelli Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/13/2023 - 00:00

Adam Goldstein

The fields of music and education are closely intertwined for transfer student Ashley Civelli.

Like any other musician, Civelli finds a very personal kind of magic in performing. As a clarinet player, Civelli depends on the instrument for inspiration. But she doesn’t operate in a musical vacuum.

Soon after Civelli began connecting with music and performance on a personal level, she knew she wanted to share the experience with others.

“I’ve known I wanted to teach music since I was in 7th or 8th grade,” recalls Civelli, who graduates from the CU Boulder College of Music this month with a bachelor’s in music education (instrumental band emphasis). “It’s always been something that’s been there.”

The dual drive to play and to teach is part of what brought Civelli from Connecticut, where she completed the first two years of her college career, to CU Boulder—a place she felt had more to offer in terms of her professional and personal ambitions. Transferring to the College of Music halfway through her undergraduate studies boiled down to a “gut feeling,” she recalls, a sense that Boulder was the right place to refine her skills.

Two years later, that intuitive leap to a new learning environment has proved invaluable. “I don’t think I really knew what was in store for me while I was transferring. I saw opportunities as they came up and I discovered more than I thought I would,” Civelli says, crediting her professors, TAs and fellow students with helping her find new dimensions to her playing and teaching. “I’m a far better clarinet player than I ever thought I could have been, and a far better teacher as well.”

True to the college’s mission to develop multiskilled, multifaceted universal musicians, Civelli found opportunities in both realms. Between playing high-profile performances with concert ensembles and coaching high school marching band students, Civelli’s time in Colorado has deepened her firsthand experience as both a musician and an educator, roles that are equally important as she looks beyond graduation.

“One of my strong beliefs in music education is that I am developing lifelong lovers of music,” Civelli says. “Whether they end up becoming professional musicians or not, at the end of the day they will be consuming music for the rest of their lives. Having the ability to explain why they like or do not like a song they hear, or why a guitar riff is really neat, is important.”

Congratulations to Ashley and all our winter grads!

Clarinetist Ashley Civelli doesn’t operate in a musical vacuum. Her College of Music education has deepened her firsthand experience as both a musician and an educator, roles that are equally important as she looks beyond graduation.

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Celebrating winter graduates: Isabel Goodwin

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Celebrating winter graduates: Isabel Goodwin Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/13/2023 - 00:00

Adam Goldstein

Isabel Goodwin sees a cosmic quality in their connection to the bassoon.

Goodwin graduates this month with dual Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder—one in composition and one in bassoon performance. During their four years at our College of Music, the instrument has served as a gateway to creative growth, personal connections and artistic expression. They performed with the entire bassoon studio for holiday concerts, composed works that have been performed by the Chicago-based ~Nois saxophone quartet and collaborated with the university’s dance department.

All of these achievements stemmed from a connection to an instrument that could very well be considered accidental. “I was in fifth grade and it was pick-your-instrument-night at school,” says Goodwin, recalling a pivotal moment in their native Texas suburb. “All the flute spots were filled and my next two instruments of choice were also filled,” they add, explaining how they landed on the bassoon. “Now I know it was fate.”

Goodwin soon fell in love with the instrument—its low range, its expressiveness, its unique role in the orchestra. “Bassoon just happened to be the reason why I made so many friends, too—it was my gateway into the orchestra world,” they say.

Playing the bassoon ultimately led to an interest in composition—a passion sparked in 8^th-grade orchestra class—that eventually helped steer Goodwin’s path from Texas to Boulder.

“I knew that I wanted to study both bassoon performance and composition,” Goodwin reflects. “I knew I wanted to go to a place where I was able to do both, where a well-rounded education was encouraged. The CU Boulder College of Music was one of the only schools I applied to that was flexible in terms of the course load.”

Indeed, our College of Music with its universal musician mission proved to be the perfect environment for Goodwin. In their eight semesters here, they not only successfully completed a double major, but also meaningfully connected with professors, peers and fellow musicians who helped chart their course in performance and composition.

Specifically, Goodwin credits Professor of Composition Carter Pann and Professor of Bassoon Yoshiyuki Ishikawa for their constant support and guidance, just as they offer thanks to their fellow College of Music students for consistent inspiration.

“I feel like I learned a lot about perseverance and endurance, in terms of training and learning and studying,” they say. “I also learned about attention to detail—I think I really expanded that skill in college. Those lessons are applicable to almost any field.”

Congratulations to Isabel and all our winter grads!

Isabel Goodwin graduates this month with dual Bachelor of Music degrees—one in composition and one in bassoon performance. During their four years at our College of Music, the instrument has served as a gateway to their creative growth, personal connections and artistic expression.

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Alumni spotlight: Scheherazade Music Festival

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Alumni spotlight: Scheherazade Music Festival Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/07/2023 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

Photo credit: Dwan Miller Photography, LLC

Great ideas can come from anywhere—even a meal with your friends. Three CU Boulder College of Music alumni—Colleen White (DMA ’17), Paul Zaborac (DMA ’17) and Cecilia Lo-Chien Kao (DMA ’19)—developed a vision for the Scheherazade Music Festival (SMF) over brunch, and soon started working to make their dream come to life.

“We casually thought, ‘What if we developed our own chamber music festival?’ Less than a year later, we had funding and a business plan,” White says.

The nonprofit festival, held in Manhattan, Kansas, debuted in 2023 and will return for its second season in June 2024. [Experience the SMF performing “The Gorgeous Nothings” by Ingrid Stölzel.]

The SMF aims to tell stories through chamber music and each season features a unique theme. The 2024 theme is “Creatures Great and Small,” focusing on music inspired by wildlife and creatures of all sizes.

The festival also hosts community events, children’s events and a composition competition that encourages composers to submit new works for voice, flute, saxophone and piano. The compositions must highlight narrative, focusing on the untold stories of underrepresented or marginalized groups and the festival theme; winning works will premiere during the summer festival.

“There’s something really unique and special about chamber music,” Kao says. “There’s an intimate and powerful connection among the performers and this connection extends to the audience.

“Each performance is unique. This is especially true when composers are creating new music, performed for the first time in front of a live audience.”

In their festival activities, these music alumni say they regularly apply skills learned at our College of Music.

“Entrepreneurial know-how gained at CU has been instrumental in helping us develop this festival,” explains Zaborac. “From arts administration, marketing and audio/video production to audience relations and creative concert programming. Being able to draw on this wide skill set has significantly contributed to the success of the festival, allowing us to create something really exciting.

“Perhaps most important was the entrepreneurial mindset itself, of looking at challenges and finding creative solutions—and the will to overcome, persevere and build something.”

Congratulations!

Three College of Music alumni recently launched the Scheherazade Music Festival—an incubator for innovation and connection through chamber music, pushing the art form forward and bringing performers, composers and audiences together.

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2023-2024 Ekstrand Competition winners announced

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

2023-2024 Ekstrand Competition winners announced Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/16/2023 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

On Nov. 14 in Grusin Music Hall, violinist Rinat Erlichman (’25) won first prize in the 2023-2024 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition! Under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Violin and Artist in Residence Harumi Rhodes and Artist in Residence Edward Dusinberre, Erlichman prepared a program featuring works by Ernest Bloch, Paul Ben Haim and George Gershwin.

Erlichman was awarded $2,000—plus the audience favorite prize ($250). “Winning first prize and audience favorite for this year’s Ekstrand Competition is incredibly meaningful to me,” she shares. “Preparing for the competition has helped me expand my repertoire and develop my skills. I was honored to play the program in the final round with pianist Max Randal and all the wonderful finalists.

“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Ekstrand family. Your generosity means I can devote more of my time to develop my career and share my music.”

Congratulations, Rinat, on this well-deserved achievement!

Cellist Chas Barnard—a student of Associate Professor of Cello David Requiro—won second prize ($1,000). Other finalists ($500 each) include Maggie Brady, violin (student of Harumi Rhodes); Jenna Clark, mezzo-soprano (student of Associate Professor of Voice Abigail Nims); and Allyson Kreider, flute (student of Professor of Flute Christina Jennings).

We applaud all performers as well as their teachers and collaborative pianists, including Jude Markel, Barbara Noyes, Max Randal and Christine Teng!

Our gratitude goes to the college’s Ekstrand competition co-chairs: Professor of Music Education and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Margaret Berg and Postdoctoral Lecturer in Collaborative Piano Barbara Noyes. We’re also deeply appreciative of this year’s adjudicators: Philip Hembree, Assistant Principal Trumpet, Colorado Symphony and Instructor, University of Northern Colorado; Wilbur Lin, Assistant Conductor, Colorado Symphony and Music Director, Denver Young Artists Orchestra; and Seoyoen Min, Principal Cellist, Colorado Symphony.

This year’s semi-finalists who were chosen in their respective departmental preliminaries included:  

Percussion: Gavin Kitchen
Piano: Alice Hyoung
Strings: Chas Barnard, cello; Maggie Brady, violin; Rinat Erlichman, violin
Voice: Jenna Clark, mezzo soprano; Alice Del Simone, soprano; Samuel Wetzel, baritone
Winds: Sophie Maeda, oboe; Allyson Kreider, flute; Joeli Schilling, flute

Faculty judges for this year’s semi-final round included Professor of Conducting and Director of Bands Don McKinney, Teaching Associate Professor and Chamber Music Coordinator Meta Weiss and Voice Lecturer Jennifer DeDominici.

The Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition was established by then-Dean Robert Fink at the suggestion of Bruce Ekstrand—later renamed to pay tribute to the late vice chancellor for academic affairs and psychology professor. An ardent supporter of our College of Music, Ekstrand was also a member of the CU Boulder Golden Buffalo Men’s Chorus.

The competition grants cash prizes for professional development to outstanding graduate student performers. After preliminaries among individual departments and a semifinal round, five finalists are selected to compete before a panel of judges.

Partially funded by the Ekstrand Competition Endowment Fund, this annual event is the premier performance competition for the College of Music’s most outstanding graduate students.

Congratulations to first-prize recipient and audience favorite Rinat Erlichman—and all winners and participants in the College of Music’s premier performance competition for outstanding graduate students!

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Alumna spotlight: Indigo Fischer

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Alumna spotlight: Indigo Fischer Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/11/2023 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

Alumna Indigo Fischer. Photo credit Cristina Cutts @cuttsphoto.

Indigo Fischer is a CU Boulder alumna, a flutist and now the artistic operations manager at the Music Academy of the West. She graduated from the College of Music in 2019 with a Bachelor of Music in flute performance and an Arts Administration micro-credential. The College of Music recently caught up with Fischer to ask about her current job and her time at CU Boulder!

Why did you choose the CU Boulder College of Music for your degree?

From the moment I listened to Professor of Flute Christina Jennings’ Rochberg album, I was enthralled (and still am!) with her sound. I had simply never heard a flute sound like that and knew immediately I had to study with her. Then it sealed the deal when I learned all of the holistic offerings that CU Boulder provides. I knew early on that I wanted to attend a school with a conservatory feel but still had the wealth of opportunities that a large institution can offer. I remember being so excited at the start of each semester picking out my classes—early music ensemble, Impressionism and Expressionism theory class, French, orchestral excerpts class with Brook Ferguson of the Colorado Symphony, Alexander Technique, fundamentals of audio recording—such a breadth of options!

When you think of your time at the CU Boulder College of Music, is there an experience that stands out?

As a total flute nerd, my weekly highlight was flute studio class where I refined my skills of critical listening, giving and receiving feedback, and performing under pressure. I learned so much from the graduate students in particular who were outstanding mentors. The close proximity to the Colorado Symphony was another major highlight, as was the access to the Colorado Flute Association. I was also very involved with chamber music throughout my entire degree and some of my favorite memories are late-night rehearsals preparing the Poulenc Sextet. We somehow convinced what felt like every instrumental faculty member to coach us and it was an incredible experience.

Fischer with Professor of Flute Christina Jennings at graduation.

Who were the faculty members that had an impact on you?

I was lucky to work with many of the stellar faculty at the College of Music. One of the most special parts of the college is the close-knit community and low student-to-faculty ratio that allows you to seek out opportunities for collaboration. Of course I credit so much of my development to Professor Jennings—she shaped the way I approach music and flute playing and also taught me the importance of developing a strong community, as evident in the “fludio” (flute studio) who are some of my closest friends.

Other faculty highlights were working with Joan Braun and SoYoung Lee in the arts administration certificate courses. It was so influential to work with and learn from women in leadership roles. My time with them helped motivate me to pursue my interests beyond just performance. And of course I have to mention studying with Margaret McDonald and working with the incredible collaborative piano department, chamber music coachings with Nicolò Spera, developing my ensemble skills in the Wind Symphony with Don McKinney, the weekly career workshops with Jeff Nytch at the Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM) … the list goes on.

Fischer with fellow alumni Brice Smith and Kaleb Chesnic after a CU Boulder Symphony Orchestra concert.

The current dean of the College of Music, John Davis, has a vision for the college that includes developing what he calls universal musicians. This means developing multiskilled, multifaceted musicians with a broader education to help them in their future careers. Why is this important in a musical career?

Developing a holistic skillset is a necessary requirement in the current musical landscape. Pursuing a broad education actually helps you specialize because it gives you opportunities to explore and discover what is best suited to you. A degree in music at a well-rounded institution such as CU Boulder gives you transferable skills for many different career paths. Your life will take many twists and turns—and when you’re first starting college it’s impossible to predict the trajectory of your career. The college’s ECM, Diverse Musicians’ Alliance, Arts Administration micro-credential and working in the box office at CU Presents opened up the world of arts administration for me. Through these offerings, I learned about internships at summer festivals and ultimately found a rewarding career path fitted to my unique skill sets and complimenting my training and background in performance.

What are you up to now?

I work in the artistic operations department at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. My role is focused on supporting our annual eight-week summer festival and year-round programming, and includes coordinating the logistics of our guest artists, creating the festival schedule and helping put on over 120 master classes, concerts and competitions each summer. It’s a very fulfilling job—I love getting to know so many different musicians and supporting their artistry. When you work “behind the scenes” of any organization, you realize just how many details go into everything.

I had such an amazing undergrad and am so grateful for my time in Boulder. I miss the Flatirons, the farmers market, but mostly the community at the College of Music—I can’t wait to visit! ‘Sko buffs!

College of Music alumna Indigo Fischer reflects on her time at CU Boulder and tells us about her new role at Music Academy of the West!

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The Cleveland Orchestra residency—“A great partnership” resumes

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The Cleveland Orchestra residency—“A great partnership” resumes Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/08/2023 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

It’s been a while, thanks to COVID’s unwelcome interruption, but beginning Sept. 11, The Cleveland Orchestra residency at the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Music returns. For three days packed with sectionals, rehearsals, mock auditions, master classes, a Q&A and a Faculty Tuesdays concert, 14 members of the renowned Ohio orchestra will work side-by-side (literally) with CU Boulder student musicians eager to learn.

“It’s been a great partnership,” observes Steve Rose of this every-other-year collaboration that began a decade ago—until 2020 when the pandemic “got in the way,” as The Cleveland Orchestra’s principal second violinist puts it. This program, he says, “serves as a testament to CU Boulder to have the foresight to support the wonderful College of Music faculty and to have our orchestra lend our talents.”

Rose has been more than a cheerleader and faculty member since the birth of the residency. By pure luck, he was instrumental (pardon the pun) in its birth. The story begins with College of Music Dean-Emeritus Daniel Sher’s son Martin, who was a close friend of Rose’s back when Sher was dean at Louisiana State University (where Rose and Martin were students). The two friends would then continue their studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Later, the saga shifts to Boulder where the elder Sher was about to retire as dean. “Dan called me and told me of this dream of his (to have a Cleveland residency),” Rose recalls. “He asked, ‘Could this be possible?’” Yes, it could, thanks to Sher’s commitment and the financial assistance of The Clinton Family Fund led by Bruce Clinton.

Daniel Silver is another longtime participant in the Cleveland residency, but he’s locally based (albeit with Ohio roots). “I grew up in Cleveland,” says the College of Music professor of clarinet. “I grew up with that orchestra. I’ve known a lot of the players.” More than that, he learned to understand what makes them more than merely members of a world-class ensemble. “They bring to Boulder their wisdom—their realization of what it’s like to engage in a collaboration with others, to be a part of a team. Szell [longtime Cleveland music director George Szell] talked about players needing to listen to each other.” That spirit, he says, will be imparted to College of Music students—along with so many other extra-musical qualities.

Rose stresses the value of students getting close to musicians living daily lives as full-time orchestra members, to learn what that’s really like. “The experience of this residency comes in addition to their studies at CU Boulder, of course,” he says. “These students are so fortunate in getting a great music education. What we’re doing is contributing to that.”

One can imagine that participating students will be soaking up every minute of those three intense September days and evenings. Fact is, the same enthusiasm exists among the Cleveland contingent, Rose says. “I reached out to my colleagues to see who might be interested and available, concentrating on principal players in each of the sections.” He had no trouble getting takers. “We have some tremendous performers, ones who have the desire and the ability to teach,” the violinist adds.

Silver seconds that view. “They all look forward to coming here,” he observes. And yes, the students will be thrilled to participate in the three-day program ... but these aren’t a bunch of wide-eyed youngsters, he cautions. “We have highly motivated students with a range of sophistication.” While it’s a shame that the residency is only three days, Silver acknowledges, “it’s still possible for them to be sparked to a deeper awareness. Our goal is for the experience to leave them with something to work on. Maybe they’ll come away with a patience they didn’t have before.”

Members of The Cleveland Orchestra residency will join College of Music faculty and students in a free Faculty Tuesdays concert on Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. in Grusin Music Hall. Preview, download or print the program.

The Cleveland Orchestra’s biennial residency at our College of Music returns for three days packed with sectionals, rehearsals, mock auditions, master classes, a Q&A and a Faculty Tuesdays concert.

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Meet Allan McMurray: Honoring a career in service to music

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Meet Allan McMurray: Honoring a career in service to music Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/26/2023 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

His dad played a little ukulele and liked to collect sheet music, but that’s about how serious it got for music in Allan McMurray’s home way back when. And yet, the boy had developed a hunger. “I was learning trumpet,” he recalls. “We moved around a lot, and I found that music was a way to make friends.” He would spend time with his dad’s sheet music, connecting his trumpet to the song’s melody lines. “I liked practicing.”

His playing got good enough so that he could jam with a few small ensembles. “Later, I turned professional and was in a brass quintet, and I found I was not afraid to share my views on how a piece should be played. I’d say to them, ‘Why don’t we try it like this?’” The path toward a career as a conductor of winds clearly beckoned. But he was haunted by the memory of his parents’ scoldings.

“They wanted me to be a lawyer,” McMurray says. “For years, I kept hearing the same warning from them: ‘You’ll never amount to anything if you pursue music.’”

In 2013, McMurray retired after 35 years as professor at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music, directing the college’s bands, developing the master’s and doctoral programs in instrumental conducting, hosting the first College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Summer Conducting Symposium and becoming the first in the College of Music to receive a lifetime appointment as a Distinguished Professor.

No reason to stop there. McMurray has guest-conducted in 15 countries, guest-taught at more than 200 universities and conservatories, been keynote speaker at various CBDNA events and—you can catch your breath here—he has just been awarded the University Medal by the CU Board of Regents, one of five individuals to be honored on May 10 at a private ceremony on the Boulder campus.

Now, at age 76, McMurray is truly a man of the world. He continues to travel and work with no sign of slowing down. He’ll be conducting in Canada through April, then in Illinois, finally returning to Boulder early in May to receive his award. “CU will always be a significant part of who I’ve been as a musician,” he noted. “This [University Medal] is a great honor.”

Few in music can boast such an impressive résumé, and few can speak with such modesty and passion for their chosen profession. “My life has been so enriched by music,” he says. “I love working with students.

“You know, the term maestro translates as teacher. When I teach, I dialogue with my students a lot—I ask them about the score we’re working on. I tell them, ‘The score is your friend. Talk to it. Get to know it.’ I tell them that you have to work hard, and if you do, you’ll get closer to where you want to be. Learning is a journey. What’s better than that?”

McMurray bubbles with endless optimism, even in these chaotic times. Amidst all the divisiveness around us, there is a common source of unity, he reminds us. “Everybody loves music—from lullabies for babies to taps at the end, there is music. The world needs music. Life needs music.”

Congratulations on your well-earned distinction, Allan McMurray!

Professor of Conducting Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Allan McMurray was nominated for the University Medal by Dean John Davis and Conducting Area Chair, Professor of Conducting and Director of Bands Donald McKinney; Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Enrollment Management, and Associate Professor of Conducting and Music Education Matthew Roeder; and Professor of Piano and former College of Music Dean Daniel Sher. Also supporting his nomination was alumna Karen Fannin who earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from our College of Music, studying with McMurray; she’s now professor and director of bands at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

In 2013, Allan McMurray retired after 35 years as professor at the College of Music, directing our bands, developing the master’s and doctoral programs in instrumental conducting, and more. He was the college’s first to receive a lifetime appointment as a Distinguished Professor and he’s recently been awarded the University Medal by the CU Board of Regents.

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Student spotlight: Erika Gossett

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Student spotlight: Erika Gossett Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/10/2023 - 00:00

Sabine Kortals Stein , Kathryn Bistodeau

When Erika Gossett enrolled at CU Boulder, she never imagined she’d win funding for a business pitch.

“I thought I was going to come in, get a music degree and leave,” says the senior who—four years later—will graduate next month with a BM in flute performance, as well as a BA in media studies, a minor in business and a Music Entrepreneurship Certificate, exemplifying the College of Music’s universal musician vision.

“CU Boulder has given me a lot of different opportunities and a lot of space to grow as a musician, and as a student and a professional,” she adds.

When the COVID pandemic hit, Gossett took it as an opportunity to expand her horizons—she started exploring other programs offered at CU Boulder and the College of Music. Subsequently, in taking courses for her business minor and pursuing the Music Entrepreneurship Certificate, she brainstormed a new business venture that led to her compete in CU Boulder’s New Venture Challenge (NVC) run out of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, also known as CU Boulder’s entrepreneurial “flight simulator.”

The NVC connects the CU Boulder campus with the Boulder community to develop and fund innovative ideas. Participants attend year-round events, network and collaborate with mentors to refine their ideas and form startup teams to pitch for funding at the NVC Finals.

“My venture is called Piña Designs,” explains Gossett. “We’re trying to make a completely biodegradable and a more sustainable option for hair care accessories.” Specifically, luxury, biodegradable and sustainable hair ties made from pineapple silk and natural rubber designed for the everyday person who wants to make a positive green footprint and a difference in the ongoing fight against climate change.

“I created the idea for the business minor and my team was formed through the business capstone class. We worked on that throughout the semester and then we were like, let’s do the NVC!”

That turned out to be a good call: Gossett and her teammates placed second in the NVC Climate Change Competition. “The NVC is extremely competitive and this is a major victory,” says Jeffrey Nytch, director of the Entrepreneurship Center for Music. “I’ve been coaching the team through each round of the NVC and I’m so proud of them. Just getting to this stage is a huge achievement!”

Having reached the NVC Finals, the Piña Designs team—which also includes Sage Dobby (Neuroscience, Business), Sydney Kobak (Integrated Design Engineering, Business), Kelley Levaggi (Psychology, Business, '22) and Aly Nelson (Political Science, '22)—will compete for the grand prize on April 12 at the Boulder Theater.

That’s when CU Boulder’s top student and faculty startups will pitch their business ideas to a panel of esteemed judges and a live audience.

“It’s been surreal,” says Gossett, whose music and entrepreneurial interests have intersected in many ways, facilitating her success in both areas. “The New Venture Challenge is intense, but being a music student is intense, too. I feel like it prepared me to take on the challenge.

“If I had to narrow it down to one sentence, it would be creative solutions to everyday problems. This is something that I do a lot in the practice room—if I’m not getting something, I’m like, ‘how am I going to help myself get that?’ I feel like that’s also an entrepreneurial mindset.”

Erika Gossett will graduate next month with a BM in flute performance, as well as a BA in media studies, a minor in business and a Music Entrepreneurship Certificate, exemplifying the College of Music’s universal musician vision. Additionally, her climate change-focused venture, Piña Designs, is a finalist in the New Venture Challenge. Finals are April 12: Join us!

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