Spring 2019 Music Events

A full listing of Ashland University Department of Music events for the Spring 2019 semester is now available online at Ashland.edu/Music. From rehearsals for the Ashland Area Chorus and Ashland Area Community Concert Band to the Annual Maplerock Jazz Festival -- the listing includes many performances which are free and open to the public.

Seven Recitals Performed in Less Than Three Weeks!

The Department of Music at Ashland University announces seven recitals which are scheduled over the next three weeks. From faculty and senior recitals to the fall honors recital, the concerts will offer performances by instrumentalists (flute, saxophone, organ, piano, cello, and guitar) and musical theatre vocalists. All of the following performances are free and open to the public.

The marathon of recitals begins on Sunday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall with a faculty recital by flutist Jane Berkner. Ms. Berkner will perform with cellist Miles Richardson, pianist Susan Gregg and Stephen Aron on guitar. Primarily featuring flute and cello, the program will include Jean-Michel Damase's Sonate en Concert, Eric Lamb and Martin Rummel's arrangement of J.S. Bach's (Re)Inventions, Heitor Villa Lobos' Jet Whistle, Lake Wallenpaupack by Daniel Dorff and Danzas de le Abuela by Ricardo Iznaola.

There will be three separate recitals the following Sunday, November 8 beginning at 1 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall with a senior recital featuring music education major Jessica Barnhouse (Cambridge, Ohio). Miss Barnhouse will present her senior saxophone recital accompanied by pianist Susan Gregg and guest performers Jaylynn Buchmelter, trombone; Derek Rangel, guitar; her private instuctor Dr. Thomas Reed, guitar; and Polly Dexter, drums. Her program will include Giovannini's Rhapsody, J.S. Bach's Two Bourrées from Third Cello Suite, Darius Milhaud's Scaramouche, along with Gershwin's Summertime, Parker's My Little Suede Shoes and more.

At 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel, Dr. Timothy Guenther will present his faculty recital in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the reconstructed Olive Williams Kettering Memorial M. P. Möller Pipe Organ. The repertoire includes music by J.S. Bach, José Lidon, César Franck, Felix Mendelssohn, Paul Hindemith, Eunice Lea Kettering, Knut Nystedt, Paul Desmond, and Joseph Bonnet; and features the Ashland premiere of the Chorale Fantasia by J.S. Bach on “Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält”, BWV 1128, discovered in March 2008.

Returning to the Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m., senior applied vocal major Fatima Imani Smith will perform a musical theatre revue to fulfill her senior music project. Directed by Andrea Disch, accompanied by pianist Deb Logan, and assisted by tenor Jake Riley and baritone Deric Dove, Fatima will present her original show of "Musicals Throughout the Ages." Fatima studies voice privately with Stephanie Sikora.

On Sunday, November 15, senior instrumental music education major Rachel Crow (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) kicks the day off at 1 p.m. in the Recital Hall with her senior piano recital. Under the tutelage of her private instructor Susan Schoeffler, Rachel's program includes piano classics from Brahms' Rhapsody to Beethoven's Sonata (Op. 49, Nov.2), along with Rachmaninoff's Moment Musical, five movements from Prokofieff's Vision Fugitives and The Entertainer by Scott Joplin.

At 7:30 p.m. on November 15, saxophonist and instrumental music education major Shayne Smith (Bellevue, Ohio) will present his senior recital in the Recital Hall. He will be accompanied by pianist Susan Gregg and assisted by fellow sax players Michael Byndas, Derek Rangel, Jessie Barnhouse, Jaylynn Buchmelter, Jason Wolf and Nick Slinger. He will perform classic pieces by Robert Schumann and Jean Baptiste Singelee along with contemporary selections including Rudy Wiedoeft's Saxophobia, Dave Heath's The Celtic Concerto, and Little Gap, Pennsylvania by Charles W. Smith. Shayne studies privately with Dr. Thomas Reed.

On Wednesday, November 18 Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m.,the best of Fall 2015 perform at the Fall Honors Recital in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. Students who accomplished exceptional musical work during the semester will showcase their vocal and instrumental talents as selected by their private teachers.

Full Slate of Recitals Announced for March

The Department of Music at Ashland University announces numerous recitals in March including a guest artist woodwind quintet, a faculty trombonist joined by several guest performers, and two junior recitals featuring voice, piano and trumpet students. All of the recitals are free and open to the public and are held in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts. 

On Sunday, March 15  at 7:30 p.m., instrumental music education majors Rachel Crow, piano, (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) and Hannah Phillips (Plymouth, Ohio), trumpet, present their junior recital including selections from Handel to Gershwin. Pianist Susan Gregg is the accompanist for the recital. Rachel studies privately with Susan Schoeffler, and Hannah studies with Gary Davis.

The next evening, Monday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m., the Solaris woodwind quintet will perform a guest artist recital with bass clarinetist Dr. Thomas Reed, Ashland University Professor of Music. The program of new and standard works will include Chorale and Fantasy by the late Columbus composer Mark Flugge, a new work written in 2014 by Akron composer Nikola Resanovic, the masterpiece Mladi by Janacek, and the lovely Romantic Suite, Op. 57 by LeFebvre. Since its formation in 1976 as ensemble in residence at the University of Akron, Solaris has established a reputation as one of the foremost woodwind quintets in the United States. In addition to their regular concert series at the University of Akron, Solaris has toured Italy, Brazil, Sweden and the United States.

On Sunday, March 22 at 7:00 p.m. (Note the date and time change from previous publications), Dr. Scott Garlock, Professor of Music, will present a faculty recital on trombone with several guest performers including pianists Emily Garlock and Susan Gregg; fellow trombonists Paul Ferguson, Chris Simmons, Chadwick Applegate and Jaylynn Buchmelter; Don Roger Haught on guitar; Ben Schnell, bass; and Dan Shade, drums. The program will include Benedetto Marcello's Sonata in A minor, Launy Grondahl's Concert pour Trombone et Piano and Sonata Breve for Bass Trombone by Walter Hartley along with Garlock's arrangement "Songs from Liz's Juries" based on Bela Bartok's "Bear Dance," and Paul Ferguson's arrangement of Henry Purcell's Sonata no. 11. The program will conclude with Antonin Dvorak's Three Slavonic Dances and Michael Davis' "Blue on Green." 

The final recital in March presents vocalists Fatima Imani Smith (Copley, Ohio), soprano, and Deric Dove (Newark, Ohio), baritone, as they perform their junior recital on Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m.. Both study privately with Stephanie Sikora with Fatima pursuing a degree in music performance and Deric studying music education. They will be assisted by pianist Deb Logan and percussionist Maria Cardonay.

JANUARY RECITALS ANNOUNCED

The Department of Music at Ashland University announces several senior recitals and a guest artist recital in January featuring brass, percussion and woodwinds.  All of the recitals are free and open to the public and are held in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts. 

Beginning this Sunday, January 12 at 1:00 p.m., the first recital of the year features senior music education major Stephen Morsher, percussion, along with guest performer Jake Lange. A graduate of Bellevue High School, Stephen studies percussion privately with Jeffrey Neitzke. 

The Ashland University flute studio is pleased to host guest artist Alison Brown Sincoff, associate professor of flute at Ohio University, for a masterclass and mini-recital on Thursday, January 16. The masterclass begins at 12:15 p.m. and features performances from all members of the flute studio.  From to 1:35 to 2:15 p.m., Professor Brown Sincoff will perform a mini-recital with pianist Gail Berenson. Known as the Ohio University Lyric Duo, both are highly recognized in their respective disciplines on both a national and international level. After numerous successful engagements, the duo became official in 2004 recognizing their mutual respect for each other's musical contributions and the positive energy achieved in their performances together. In addition to their recital performances, they are frequent master class and workshop presenters. 

On Sunday, January 19 at 3:00 p.m., Catherine Stone, clarinet, will perform her senior recital assisted by pianist Emily Grabinski. She will also be joined by guest performers including Emily Dine, Alex VanScoy and Robin Wolf on clarinet, and Devyn Renninger on flute. Catherine is a music education major and Spanish minor from Sarasota, Florida. She studies privately with Dr. Thomas Reed. 

The final recital in January presents Andrew Bartelheim for his senior recital assisted by Susan Gregg on piano on Sunday, January 26 at 3:00 p.m. Andrew is a graduate of Wooster High School and studies trumpet privately with Amanda Bekeny.

BACK-TO-BACK FACULTY AND GUEST ARTIST RECITALS ON FEB. 4 & 5

The Department of Music at Ashland University will present a faculty recital and a guest artist recital on back-to-back days Monday, February 4 and Tuesday, February 5 at 7:30 p.m. each evening in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The Monday evening recital will feature Music Department Chair and Professor of Music Dr. Thomas Reed on clarinet and saxophone, while the Tuesday recital features mezzo-soprano Dr. Susan Olson. The performances are free and open to the public.

Please note that Dr. Reed's recital has been rescheduled to a different date than what was originally published. He will be assisted by pianist Pavlina Draganova and violinist Jane Reed on his program including music by Dvorak, Maurice, Bonneau and Bartok.

Dr. Reed joined the music faculty at Ashland University in 1986 and has taught in a number of areas including applied woodwinds, music theory, and jazz studies. He is a member of the Akron Symphony (bass clarinet), Ashland Symphony (principal clarinet), and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra (saxophone), and has performed on clarinet or saxophone with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom Festival Orchestra, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic, Youngstown Symphony, Blossom Festival Band, and the Jazz Unit. He has been soloist with the Akron, Mansfield, and Ashland Symphonies and performs on CDs from the Akron Symphony, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, and the Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra. His clarinet CD “Mutually Inclusive” was released in 2008 on Capstone Records. He holds degrees from The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Akron.

The Department of Music is pleased to welcome Dr. Olson back to her home state of Ohio for a guest artist recital. She received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Capital University Conservatory of Music, and her Master of Arts in Vocal Pedagogy and Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from The Ohio State University. Dr. Olson is currently Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has performed as soloist with the San Antonio (TX) Symphony Orchestra, Monroe (LA) Symphony Orchestra, the Westerville (OH) Symphony Orchestra, and the Zanesville (OH) Civic Orchestra and with many professional choral ensembles in her home state of Ohio. Dr. Olson has had the opportunity to perform and record under the baton of many well-known conductors, most notably the late Robert Shaw – with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and at Carnegie Hall and in the south central region of France, as a member of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers.

Dr. Olson has performed with San Antonio Opera as the Mistress of the Novices in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Louisiana Lyric Opera as Ruth in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance and Opera/Columbus’ Education Outreach Program as The Narrator in Mark Bucci’s Sweet Betsy from Pike. Some other operatic roles performed include la zia principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Madame Flora in Menotti's The Medium, The Old Lady in Bernstein’s Candide, Cecilia March in Adamo's Little Women, Isabella in Rossini’s L'Italiana in Algeri, and Mrs. Anderssen in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music.

FALL SEMESTER CLOSES WITH HONORS RECITAL, WINTER FESTIVAL CONCERT & FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

The Ashland University Department of Music begins to wrap up the 2012 fall semester with three remaining performances including the Fall Honors Recital, Winter Festival Band Concert and the Festival of Lights which are all free and open to the public.

Fall Honors Recital: Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m., Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall
The Fall Honors Recital features performances from the department’s student instrumental and vocal musicians who accomplished exceptional work in the fall semester. 

Winter Festival Band Concert: Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m., Hugo Young Theatre

Under the direction of Leonard Salvo, Ashland University Director of Bands, the Ashland Area Community Concert Band begins the concert with "Marche Lorraine" by French composer Louis Ganne followed by W. Francis McBeth's "Chant and Jubilo" which is a work in two contrasting movements including the melodic Chant and the explosive Jubilo featuring the lower brass and percussion sections.  Based on the well-known Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts",  the third piece of the program, "Chorale and Shaker Dance II" by American composer John Zdechlik, begins with the woodwinds introducing the theme followed by solos for flute, clarinet, saxophone and trumpet then ending with the brass sections playing the chorale while woodwinds perform the fiery obbligato.

AACCB then presents a special event featuring local storyteller Dave Kowalka reciting the story of "The Polar Express" as the ensemble performs the Concert Suite from the animated feature movie.  Written by Silvestri and Ballard and arranged by Jerry Brubaker, the featured songs include "Believe," "The Polar Express," "When Christmas Comes to Town" and "Spirit of the Season."  The Community Band concludes their portion of the concert with Warren Barker's "It's Christmas," a medley of holiday favorites including "Jingle Bells," O Come All Ye Faithful," "Joy to the World," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "Deck the Halls," "Silent Night" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

The 60-piece Ashland University Wind Ensemble, also under the direction of Salvo, performs “A Festival Prelude” by Alfred Reed which is a single movement piece with four distinct sections. The opening “Carol” sets a restrained and gentle mood then the chant from the trombones and trumpets climaxes into the “Antiphonal Chant” carried by the woodwinds. The rhythm picks up for the “Village Song,” which is presented in two bar phrases that rise and fall with the liturgy. The church bells herald the final “Cathedral Chorus” that builds in a steady crescendo, pausing for a soft and sonorous chorale, before continuing with the introduction of additional instruments until all of the colors and intensity of the celebration fill the hall.

The concert concludes with selections from the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra directed by visiting professor Ashley L. Summers.  Members of the Jazz Orchestra include saxophonists Trent Kimball, Amanda Hall, Jessica Barnhouse,Shayne Smith and Stephen Matis; trombonists William McDonald, Dylan Pyanowski, Benjamin Marbut and Chris Prichard; along with Hannah Phillips, Eileen Navratil and Katie Metz on trumpet.  The rhythm section consists of Kyle Gould, piano; Benjamin Schnell, bass; and Aaron Hill, drums.

Festival of Lights: Sunday, Dec. 9 at 7:00 p.m., Jack and Deb Miller Chapel
This annual candlelight service symbolizes Christ coming into the world. The story is communicated in verse and song with Scripture readings, traditional carols and seasonal choral music by the Ashland University Choir and Ashland Area Chorus directed by Dr. Ron Blackley, and the Ashland Area Chorus directed by Dr. Marla Butke. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Canned food for needy families of Ashland County will be collected at the event and donated to Associated Charities of Ashland.

SEVERAL STUDENT RECITALS SLATED FOR NOVEMBER

The Department of Music at Ashland University is presenting a full slate of student recitals in November including senior and junior recitals as well as student ensemble performances.  All of the student recitals are free and open to the public and are held in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Arts & Humanities Building).

The student recitals begin on Sunday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. with a senior recital by Margaret Rickard on oboe.  She will be accompanied by pianist Pavlina Draganova and joined by guest musician Margaret Couts on oboe.  Margaret is a graduate of Cloverleaf High School (Lodi, OH), and is an instrumental music education major studying privately with oboist Andria Hoy.  

On Sunday, November 11 at 5:00 p.m., clarinetists Alex VanScoy and Katie Stone will present a joint junior recital.  They will be accompanied by pianist Pavlina Draganova and joined by guest clarinetists Robin Wolf and Janet Ankomah. Alex and Katie are music education majors and both study privately with Professor Thomas Reed. Alex graduated from Huron High School (Huron, OH) and Katie graduated from Riverview High School (Sarasota, FL).  

Also on November 11 at 7:30 p.m., Janet Ankomah will perform her senior recital on clarinet.  She will be accompanied by pianist Pavlina Draganova and joined by her applied Music Professor Thomas Reed on bass clarinet, and clarinetists Robin Wolf, Alex VanScoy, and Katie Stone. Janet is a native of Erie, PA and a graduate of Mansfield Senior High School studying music education with an instrumental emphasis.

The Jazz combos and percussion ensemble will present a student ensembles recital on Wednesday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m.  Under the direction of instructors Jeff Neitzke and Ashley Summers, these  ensembles will perform a wide variety of traditional and contemporary pieces.

On Thursday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m., the student chamber ensembles will each perform a selection of chamber music.  The ensembles include the brass under the direction of Michael Metcalf, clarinets with Dr. Reed, flutes with Jane Berkner and strings with Jane Reed.

The last student recital for the month is a senior recital with oboist Margaret Couts on Sunday, November 18 at 3:00 p.m.  She will be accompanied by pianist Pavlina Draganova and joined by guest musician Margaret Rickard, English horn. A graduate of Delaware Hayes High School (Delaware, OH), Margaret is an instrumental music education major studying privately with Andria Hoy.

For more information about the music department and a full events schedule, visit the Web site at www.ashland.edu/music or contact Tricia Applegate, coordinator of performing arts publicity and events, at 419-289-5950 or tapplega@ashland.edu.

MARATHON OF MUSIC RECITALS SLATED FOR SEMESTER'S END

The end-of-the-semester rush begins with numerous student recitals presented by the Ashland University Department of Music.  From senior recitals to various student ensembles and an honors recital, all of the following recitals will be held in the Center for the Arts’ Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall unless otherwise noted.  All recitals are free and open to the public.

Beginning on Sunday, April 15 at 5:00 p.m., a senior recital will feature mezzo-soprano Lauren Massaro who studies with vocal instructor Dione Bennett.  Accompanied by pianist Pavlina Draganova, Massaro will perform works by Franz Schubert, Giovanni Pergolesi, Robert Schumann, Edward Elgar, John Ireland and more.  She is a graduate of Norwayne High School (Creston, Ohio), and is a vocal music education major. 

Also on April 15 at 7:30 p.m., pianist Kara Mitchell-Mumea will present her senior recital under the direction of Trustees Professor Elizabeth Pastor.  Kara is a piano performance and philosophy major from Butler, Ohio.

The Ashland University percussion ensemble directed by Jeffrey Neitzke and various jazz combos directed by Scott Garlock will perform a joint recital on Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Soprano Chanae Curtis presents her senior recital on Sunday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m.  A vocal student of Dionne Bennett, Chanae is a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School.

On Tuesday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m., the University brass, string and woodwind ensembles will present a joint recital at the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium.  Michael Metcalf directs the brass ensemble while Lindsay Brown leads the strings and Tom Reed directs the woodwinds.

The spring honors recital is slated for Wednesday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. which showcases the department’s student musicians who accomplished exceptional work in the spring semester.

The final performance of the semester will be performed by the University's newest music ensemble Surround Sound on Sunday, April 29 at 8:30 p.m.  Advised by Rowland Blackley, Surround Sound is a student vocal a cappella organization that was formed last year. 

BENNETT AND DRAGANOVA PRESENT FACULTY RECITAL

The Department of Music at Ashland University presents a faculty recital with soprano Dione Bennett and pianist Pavlina Draganova on Sunday, February 26 at 5:00 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert program offers a "World of Colors" through the Latin rhythms of Xavier Montsalvage, the jazz fusion of Ricky Ian Gordan, the classical musings of Robert Owens, H. T. Burleigh, John Carter and Rosephanye Powell. Bennett will also highlight the poetry of Langston Hughes.

An established pedagogue, Bennett is in her eighth year at Ashland University and is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). She expects the conferral of her doctorate in May from the University of Illinois where she studied with professor Cynthia Haymon. Further study has taken her to Graz, Austria with the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) where an Austrian newspaper said she was “the discovery of the evening”. A performer in such operatic roles as Micaela (Carmen), Bess (Porgy and Bess); Mimi (La Bohéme); Suor Genevieffa (Suor Angelica); and Lucy (Treemonisha); and such oratorio’s as Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Mass in C, Schubert's Mass in G, Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ, and Mozart's Vespers, she has been featured with the Warren Philharmonic, Akron Symphony, Ashland Symphony, Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Eastern Illinois Symphony as well as Cleveland Opera and Opera Western Reserve. As an avid recitalist, she paired with pianist John Wustman singing Brahms, Berlioz, and Burleigh as well as a journey of the development of spirituals.

A native of Bulgaria, Mrs. Draganova is a staff accompanist at Ashland University and the principal pianist of Ashland Symphony Orchestra. She earned her first masters degree in piano performance from Pancho Vladigerov State Academy of Music, Sofia studying with Stela Dimitrova and the prominent Bulgarian piano duo Konstantin and Julia Ganev. After moving to the United States, she graduated with a masters in piano performance from The University of Michigan where she was a student of Louis Nagel. Mrs. Draganova has been on the faculties of the Music High School, Plovdiv; The Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv; and Pancho Vladigerov State Academy of Music, Sofia. An active performer as a collaborative and solo musician, Pavlina has performed in major cities in Bulgaria, Michigan and Ohio, and appeared as a soloist with the Plovdiv Symphony Orchestra under Maesto Dobrin Petkov. As a member of the Michigan Music Teachers Association she performed at the organization's 120th State Conference.

FACULTY PIANO RECITAL FEB. 12

The Department of Music at Ashland University presents a faculty recital with pianist Pavlina Draganova on Sunday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert program begins with J. S. Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier" followed by Beethoven's Sonata Nr. 21 in C Major, and "Reflections in the Water" from Debussy's Book 1 of "Images."  After a brief intermission, Pavlina performs Rachmaninov's Variations on a Theme by Corelli, Op. 42 and Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody in A minor. 

A native of Bulgaria, Mrs. Draganova is a staff accompanist at Ashland University and the principal pianist of Ashland Symphony Orchestra. She earned her first masters degree in piano performance from Pancho Vladigerov State Academy of Music, Sofia studying with Stela Dimitrova and the prominent Bulgarian piano duo Konstantin and Julia Ganev.  After moving to the United States, she graduated with a masters in piano performance from The University of Michigan where she was a student of Louis Nagel.  Mrs. Draganova has been on the faculties of the Music High School, Plovdiv; The Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv; and Pancho Vladigerov State Academy of Music, Sofia.  An active performer as a collaborative and solo musician, Pavlina has performed in major cities in Bulgaria, Michigan and Ohio, and appeared as a soloist with the Plovdiv Symphony Orchestra under Maesto Dobrin Petkov. As a member of the Michigan Music Teachers Association she performed at the organization's 120th State Conference.

FACULTY FLUTE & PIANO RECITAL SLATED FOR FEB. 5

The Department of Music at Ashland University presents a faculty recital with flutist Jane Berkner and pianist Kim Bakkum on Sunday, February 5 at 3:00 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

Jane Berkner and Kim Bakkum have been performing together since 1997 appearing in concert venues across the Midwest, as well as Sere Musicale and Corofest Assisi in Italy. They have performed for the National Flute Association and with the Singers Companye at the National Gallery in Washington, DC; and in 2007 released a CD together, “In Cynthia’s Garden”.  For their faculty recital at Ashland, they will perform works by Paul Taffanel, Fikret Amirov, Shulamit Ran, Daniel Dorff, Carl Reinecke and Michael Garson.

Jane Berkner is on the music faculties of both Ashland University and the University of Akron, and has performed with the Akron, Ashland, Canton and Youngstown Symphonies, the Ohio Ballet Orchestra, O’Neil Chamber Players and the Chamber Music Society of Ohio. Currently performing with guitarist Stephen Aron in the duo AronBerkner, they are presenting concerts across the United States, and will be playing and teaching at Suonare in Italia in Assisi, Italy during the summer of 2012.  Recognized for her expertise as a flute choir director, she was coordinator of the National Flute Association’s High School Flute Choir from 2001 to 2006, and is the director of a summer flute choir camp for adults at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.  She is also arts and enrichment director for the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and currently serves on the board of directors of the Ohio Arts Presenters Network.  www.janeberkner.com

A Montana native, Kim Bakkum is an active pianist in the Akron-Cleveland area of Ohio.  She holds a masters in piano performance from Western Michigan University, and has done extensive studies in art song and opera in Graz and Vienna, Austria.  She has been on the faculties of the University of Montana, the University of Akron and Kent State University.  She has performed with Cleveland Opera on Tour, Porthouse Summer Theatre, O’Neil Chamber Players, Canton Players Guild, the Wiener Symphoniker Percussion and Flute Seminars, and was coordinator of piano studies for the Western Michigan High School piano camp.  She has been chairperson of the Independent Music Teachers Forum for the state of Ohio, and is a popular adjudicator and clinician throughout the state.

SENIOR CLARINET RECITAL, STUDENT CHAMBER AND JAZZ ENSEMBLES CONCERTS SLATED

The Department of Music at Ashland University hosts several concerts throughout next week including a senior clarinet recital, student chamber ensembles recital, and a performance from the University Jazz combos. All of these performances are free and open to the public.  

The busy week of music begins on Sunday, November 13 at 3:00 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall with senior music education major Emily Geib presenting her senior recital on clarinet.  A graduate of Waynedale High School in Apple Creek, Ohio, Geib begins her program with Germaine Tailleferre’s “Arabesque” followed by Aaron Copland’s three-movement Sonata for Clarinet and Piano and concluding with Felix Mendelssohn’s Concertpiece No. 1, op. 113.  She is assisted by Pavlina Draganova on piano and Jonathan Barko on clarinet.

The evening of Thursday, November 17 will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall with a student ensemble recital featuring the Ashland University woodwind and clarinet ensembles directed by Dr. Thomas Reed, and the string ensemble led by Lindsay Brown.  At 9:00 p.m., the Jazz combos will perform at the Eagle’s Landing student lounge in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center.  The combos are under the direction of Dr. Scott Garlock and Jeff Neitzke.

For more information about these concerts, visit the Web site at www.ashland.edu/music or contact Tricia Applegate, coordinator of performing arts publicity and events, at 419-289-5950 or tapplega@ashland.edu.

CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA’S CONCERT MASTER AND ASHLAND NATIVE PERFORMING GUEST RECITAL AT ASHLAND UNIVERSITY

The Department of Music at Ashland University is proud to announce an encore performance by The Cleveland Orchestra’s concertmaster William Preucil and Ashland native Christine Fessenmeyer-Hill.  The guest artist recital will be held Friday, October 7, 7:30 p.m., in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall located in the Center for the Arts at the corner of College Avenue and Grant Street.  The performance is free and open to the public. 

The performance with violin and piano will open with three movements from Ludwig von Beethoven’s Sonata No. 4 in A Minor followed by Gabriel Fauré’s Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano.  After a brief intermission, the program will conclude with  Johannes Brahms’ Sonata No. 3 in D Minor.       

As concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra since 1995,  William Preucil has appeared regularly as a soloist with the Orchestra in concerto performances at both Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center.  Prior to joining The Cleveland Orchestra, Mr. Preu­cil served for seven seasons as first violinist of the Grammy-winning Cleveland Quartet, performing more than 100 concerts each year in the world’s major music capitals.  He began studying violin at the age of five with his mother, Doris Preucil, a pioneer in Suzuki violin instruction in the United States.  At 16, he graduated with honors from the Interlochen Arts Academy and entered Indiana University to study with Josef Gingold (former concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra).  He was awarded a performer’s certificate at Indiana University and also studied with Zino Francescatti and György Sebök.  In addition to performing, Mr. Preucil serves as Distinguished Professor of Violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at Furman University.  He previously taught at the Eastman School of Music and at the University of Georgia.

Christine Fessenmeyer-Hill began her early studies in Ashland, Ohio with Barbara Jones and Elizabeth Pastor.  She holds degrees from the Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Ms. Hill is a very sought after collaborative pianist and has made her mark in this specialized area of ensemble performance.  She appears frequently as a soloist, recitalist and chamber music pianist for many venues throughout the country.  Her expertise has attracted many elite talents and her collaboration has assisted many successful careers.  She has won numerous prizes in performance and has earned favorable reviews from critics worldwide and distinguished musicians.  Aside from her extensive appearances, she collaborates with members of many major symphonies, vocalists, and chamber musicians.  A member of the Collaborative Piano Faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Cleveland State University Piano Faculty, she maintains a very active career as a pedagogue.  Also, she is a member of the Accompanying Staff at CIM and the Encore School of Strings. 

For more information about this performance and other Department of Music events, visit the Web site at www.ashland.edu/music or contact Tricia Applegate, coordinator of performing arts publicity and events, at 419-289-5950 or tapplega@ashland.edu.

FACULTY AND GUEST ARTIST RECITALS IN SEPTEMBER

Amy Malyuk and Dan Persszyk

The Department of Music at Ashland University begins the fall semester with several faculty and guest artist recitals offered in September. Beginning this Saturday, September 17 at 3:00 p.m., a guest artist recital will feature flutist Dan Perszyk and pianist Amy Malyuk followed on Sunday, September 25 with a mini-guitar festival presenting a faculty recital by guitarist Adam Sarata at 3:00 p.m. and a guest artist recital by Akin for Jazz at 7:30 p.m.

The flute and piano guest artist recital presents two musicians with roots at the University of Akron.  Perszyk received a Spotlight Series Performer Award while at the University of Akron and is now a freelance flute performer and teacher in the Washington, D.C. area.  He has a bachelor of music from the University of Northern Iowa, a master of music from the University of Akron, and most recently spent a year studying with Thomas Robertello at Indiana University.  Malyuk has a bachelor and a masters degree in piano performance, as well as a piano pedagogy certificate, from The University of Akron School of Music where she is a piano instructor and staff accompanist. She has served as the accompanist and assistant director for the Stow Chamber Orchestra Chorus, the Chagrin Valley Choral Union, and the Cuyahoga Falls Community Chorus., and has been the music director for numerous musical theater productions at The University of Akron and Coach House Theatre.

Faculty member Adam Sarata

As the guitar faculty member and advisor of the Guitar Club at Ashland University, Adam Sarata has planned a mini-guitar festival on September 25 beginning with his own faculty recital at 3:00 p.m. In addition to Ashland University, Sarata is currently on the faculty of Mount Union College and The Summit Music School where he is also the founder of guitar studies.  He maintains an active performance schedule appearing at venues such as Severance Hall, E.J. Thomas Hall, Stan Hewitt Hall, and many colleges. Adam performs in a wide variety of styles such as classical, sacred, jazz and popular music.

Dean Newton and Tim Akin

Following Sarata‘s concert, a guest artist recital at 7:30 p.m. will feature Akin for Jazz with Dean Newton on guitar, Tim Akin on bass, and percussionist Mark Gonder.  With over forty years of teaching and performance experience, a master’s  degree in music education and bachelor’s in jazz studies, Newton is currently a faculty member at Cuyahoga Community College and the University of Akron where he also conducts the University of Akron Jazz Guitar Ensemble.  His experience is vast, from the theater pit to the jazz club and the concert stage with the The Cleveland Pops Orchestra, The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Akron Symphony, Canton Symphony, Youngstown Symphony, Kent State Symphony and with members of the Cleveland Symphony.  Bassist Akin studied at The University of Akron and is a member of the Reunion Band of Hudson and freelances with other groups while teaching Spanish at Mentor Public Schools and The University of Akron.  As the principal drum set instructor at The University of Akron, Gonder has also been on the faculty at Kent State University, Lakeland Community College, Cuyahoga Community College, Youngstown and Cleveland State Universities.  He  has extensive performance and recording experience with The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Glen Miller Orchestra, and Ernie Krivda Fat Tuesday Big Band as well as jazz artists including Wynton Marsalis, Mel Torme and Maria Schneider.

All of the above performances are held in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, and are free and open to the public.  For more information about these recitals, visit the Web site at www.ashland.edu/music or contact Tricia Applegate, coordinator of performing arts publicity and events, at 419-289-5950 or tapplega@ashland.edu.