Junior Recital: Rebecca Young, soprano, Mar. 24

Ashland University Department of Music presents a junior recital with soprano Rebecca Young accompanied by pianist Deb Logan on Sunday, Mar. 24 at 1 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

Rebecca is a vocal music and history major from Sherwood, Oregon and she studies voice with Sandra Ross. The program for her recital will consist of classical pieces by Haydn and Faure; as well as selections from operas and musical theatre such as The Merry Widow, Princess Ida, Firefly, Have a Heart and She Loves Me.

Students Place at Ohio NATS Competition

Congratulations to the Ashland University voice students of Denise Milner Howell who participated in the Ohio NATS competition at Youngstown State University. Accompanied by Deb Logan, freshman Gabriella Carr was awarded 3rd place overall in the Lower College Women and Men's Musical Theatre category, and post-secondary student Katie Harrigan was awarded 2nd place in High School Musical Theatre. They are both now eligible to compete at the Great Lakes Regional Competition in March 2018.

AU VOCALISTS WIN AT OHIO NATS COMPETITION

Several Ashland University voice students were award winners at the Ohio NATS (National Association of teachers of Singing) competition held April 6, 2013 at Kent State University.  With over 300 performers and their voice teachers attending, all participating students performed before judges and received comments regarding their singing. At the awards presentation, Ashland University's name was called out three times:

• Johanna Regan, student of Stephanie Sikora - 2nd place, Upper College Musical Theatre category 1
• Katie Mounts, student of Denise Howell  - 2nd place,Upper College Musical Theatre category 2
• Fatima Imani Smith, student of Stephanie Sikora - 1st place, Freshmen College Women Category II

FEBRUARY'S SENIOR RECITALS FEATURE A FLUTIST, A BARITONE AND A TENOR

The Department of Music at Ashland University presents three senior recitals in February featuring a flutist, a baritone and a tenor. 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 (formerly known as the Arts & Humanities Building).

Flutist Lisa Mongiardo begins the February senior recitals on Sunday, February 10 at 3:00 p.m. She will be accompanied by pianist Susan Gregg for her program including music by Handel, Bloch, Colquhoun and Godard. She is a music education major from Collins, Ohio, a graduate of Edison High School and studies privately with flute instructor Jane Berkner. 

At 5:00 p.m. on February 10, baritone Bret O. Cowden will be accompanied by pianist Pavlina Draganova. Bret will perform pieces from Handel, Mozart and Beethoven to Rodgers & Hammerstein. He is a music major with a theatre minor and studies privately with Voice Professor Stephanie Sikora. He is a graduate of United Local High School and is from Paris, Ohio. 

Tenor Derek Jackenheimer presents his senior recital on Sunday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m. Derek is a resident of Ashland and graduate of Ashland High School. He is a music education major and studies privately with vocal instructor Denise Howell. He will be accompanied by pianist Deb Logan.

JUNIOR VOICE MAJOR BRET COWDEN RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR TALENT

Ashland University Department of Music congratulates junior, voice-performance major Bret Cowden (United Local High School, Hanoverton, Ohio) for recent achievements based on his talent.  

In Akron Tuesday Musical Association's annual competition, Cowden was awarded second place in the voice area.  This scholarship program is widely recognized as one of the best in Northeastern Ohio. Since its inception in 1955, nearly 500 scholarships have been awarded in categories of voice, piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, organ and music education.

Bret also auditioned and was selected to participate in this summer's Johanna Meier Opera Theatre Institute in Spearfish, South Dakota.  Now in its fourteenth year, the institute selected 20 to 25 aspiring pre-professional opera singers from all over the United States and Canada for this unusual two-week program. Students are assigned roles in April and are asked to memorize their roles before arriving in South Dakota. World famous operatic soprano Johanna Meier is the artistic director, and the stage director is Bruce Donnell of the Metropolitan Opera and the Santa Fe Opera. Operatic conductor John Stewart is a former leading tenor at the Metropolitan Opera and in Europe who recently retired from teaching voice and opera at the University of St. Louis. New York pianists Charis Dimaris and Elizabeth Hastings serve as vocal coaches and accompanists. Melanie Palm provides instruction in movement and dance. By working in an ensemble atmosphere, student camaraderie develops an important understanding of future rapport with colleagues, coaches, and those in charge of opera production.

Studying under voice professor Stephanie Sikora, Cowden will present his junior recital at Ashland University with fellow voice major Brandy Kay Riha on Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.  He also will appear in the music department's annual Opera Scenes performances on Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14, 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall.  These events are free and open to the public.

36th ANNUAL MADRIGAL FEASTE TICKETS ON SALE

Ashland University Department of Music cordially invites everyone to celebrate the holidays at the 36^th Annual Madrigal Feaste slated for Wednesday through Sunday, November 30 – December 4.  All performances begin at 6:30 PM in Redwood Hall.   Tickets go on sale to the public on Monday, September 26 at 12:00 p.m. through the Ashland University Box Office at 419.289.5125 or online at www.ashland.edu/tickets.

Directed by Dr. Rowland Blackley, director of choral activities, the Madrigal Feaste is a dinner theater based on the period of Queen Elizabeth I of England around 1600.  With entertainment provided throughout the evening, the event includes Christmas carols, ceremonial music and madrigals  performed by the Ashland University Chamber Singers while the Madrigal Players present a new play each year along with other theatrical stunts throughout the evening. Performer costumes are designed as authentic reconstructions of period apparel; and the Feaste includes a four-course meal culminating in flaming bread pudding. Vegetarian meals are available upon request.

The 2011 Madrigal Feaste Chamber Singers feature Jonathan Barko as the King and Lauren Massaro as the Queen along with their court including  Jessica Blake, Sam Diemer, Erin Lingenfelter, Brandy Riha, Katie Stone, Alex VanScoy, Katie Vargo, Jordan Black, Bret Cowden, Matthew Dawson, Christopher Goffos, Derek Jackenheimer, Curtis Reynolds and Drew Rothhaar. Led by Eddie Carney as the Jester, the Madrigal Players include Austin Arnold, Maddie Beer, Kelsey Bowens, Jensen Glick, Katie Mounts and Nate Sayatovich. 

Tickets for the event are $25 for adults; $15 for children under 12; and $22 for groups of 10 or more.  A special $11 ticket is available to Ashland University students for the Wednesday performance only.  A vegetarian option is available upon request. Due to preparation of meals, tickets are not available at the door.

 For more information, 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.

Alumnus Attends Conference in France

Colleen (Fielding) Cook, '07

Colleen (Fielding) Cook, '07, recently spent two weeks in France as part of the staff for the ninth Pan European Voice Conference (PEVOC).  Colleen received her bachelor's degree in music education from Ashland in 2007 and is now a full-time graduate student pursuing two master's degrees in voice pedagogy and arts management at Shenandoah Consevatory in Winchester, Virginia.  Colleen was the only PEVOC staff member from the United States and was recommended for the position by Shenandoah faculty.  Prior to the conference, at the suggestion of former AU music faculty member Dr. Donald Sloan, Colleen spent a week sight-seeing in Paris.  During her free time, she had the opportunity to visit many famous landmarks and museums, eat as many French pastries as possible, and become friends with travelers from around the globe.  At the PEVOC congress, Colleen had the privilege to attend many lectures and workshops sharing cutting edge research in the field of voice science, voice care, and singing voice instruction.  Colleen's current research interests focus on Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) styles and methodologies; as staff for PEVOC, Colleen had the opportunity to meet with some of the leading researchers and teachers in this field of research.  "Being a part of the staff for PEVOC and having the opportunity to travel in France has exposed me to many new and exciting ideas and expanded my education in a way a classroom never could... but I never would have been equipped to do it without the exceptional education I received in the classroom at both Ashland and Shenandoah."

5 Voice students are winners in Ohio competition

Several Ashland University voice students were award winners at the Ohio NATS (National Association of teachers of Singing) competition held April 2, 2011 at Cleveland State University.  All participating students performed before judges and received comments regarding their singing.

265 performers from all over the state participated along with 56 voice teachers. At the awards presentation, Ashland University's name was called out five times:

Katie Mounts, 2nd place, Lower College Musical Theatre, student of Denise Milner Howell

Japhael Bonderant, Honorable mention, Lower College Musical Theatre, student of Denise Milner Howell

Madeline Beer, 1st place, Upper College Musical Theatre, student of Dione Bennett

Derek Jackenheimer, 2nd place, Freshmen Men, student of Denise Milner Howell

Chanae Curtis, 2nd place, Junior Women, student of Dione Bennett


Congratulations to all!

Voice students win awards at competition

Several Ashland University voice students were award winners at the Great Lakes Regional National Association of teachers of Singing (NATS) competition on March 5, 2011.  All participating students performed before judges and received comments regarding their singing.

The following students placed in their categories:

Lower College Musical Theatre:  Katie Mounts (Honorable Mention)
Freshman College Men:  Derek Jackenheimer (1st place)
Junior College Women:  Chanae Curtis (2nd place)

Katie is a Music and Musical Theatre major from Greenwich; Derek is a music education major from Ashland, and Chanae is a junior music major from Cleveland Heights.

Attending the NATS Regional with these students were 2 of Ashland University’s voice instructors, Dione Parker Bennett and Denise Milner Howell.

Congratulations to all!