Cleveland Jazz Orchestra Headlines Maplerock

Ashland University’s award-winning jazz program is proud to present the 41st Annual Maplerock Jazz Festival slated for Friday, March 20. Along with free performances by nine area school jazz ensembles from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event presents a main stage concert at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre which will headline The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra.

The Jazz Festival's evening concert will open with the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Scott Garlock fresh off of their tour to Spain. Dr. Garlock will then switch roles and take the stage as lead trombonist in The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra (CJO).

For 35 years, The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra has been Northeast Ohio’s premier jazz voice. Led by Paul Ferguson as the artistic director, the CJO promotes jazz in its historical and contemporary forms, through concerts with gifted jazz musicians, arrangers, composers and educators in northeast Ohio. The CJO aims for worldwide recognition in cooperation with guest artists, and looks to shepherd young musicians toward the future of jazz. Their 2019-2020 season exemplifies this mission and vision through a variety of new music, new compositions and arrangements, and a stellar line-up of well-known guest artists and young up-and-coming talent.

Paul has played with the CJO since 1988 and was named the artistic director in CJO's 31st season. Before joining CJO, Paul traveled with and arranged for the Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller Orchestras. Recognized as one of the leading jazz composer/arrangers of his generation, he was recipient of the Gil Evans fellowship in Jazz Composition in 1995 and was the sole American finalist at the ART-EZ Jazz composition contest in Enschede, Holland in 2012. His works have been recorded by various radio orchestras in Europe and his arrangements for Pops orchestra are performed internationally. His most recent recordings are “Encounter”, “Rays of Light” and “Big Band Christmas.” A graduate of the Eastman school and the University of Akron, Paul is Senior Instructor in music at Case Western Reserve University.

Along with Ferguson and Garlock, the CJO roster includes saxophonists Howie Smith, Brad Wagner, Christopher Burge, John Klayman, Johnny Cochran and George Shernit; Jack Schantz, Theresa May, Dave Banks and Joseph Miller on trumpet; along with Chris Anderson, Paul Hungerford and Chas Baker on trombone. The rhythm section consists of pianist Jackie Warren, bassist Aidan Plank, and Jim Rupp on drums. Evelyn Wright will perform vocals for the CJO concert.

In addition to the evening concert, CJO members will conduct a public clinic with nine high school bands that will perform earlier in the day in Hugo Young Theatre. After each high school band performs their 30-minute concert, the guest artists will meet with the band and offer their expertise to strengthen the ensemble and individual musician's performance. The Jazz Festival's afternoon performances are scheduled as follows:

11:30 a.m. MidOhio Jazz Lab
12:00 p.m. Crestview High School Jazz Band
12:30 p.m. Lake High School Jazz Band
1:00 p.m.   Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Jazz Band
1:30 p.m.   Ashland High School Jazz Band B
2:00 p.m.   MidOhio Jazz Combo
2:30 p.m.   Rittman High School Jazz Band
3:00 p.m.   Galion High School Jazz Band
3:30 p.m.   Ashland High School Jazz Band A

The afternoon performances are free and open to the public while tickets for the evening concert are available through the Ashland University Box Office at 419.289.5125, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or online (additional fees apply) at www.ashland.edu/tickets.

Tickets for the evening concert are $10 for adults; $5 for senior citizens, non-Ashland University students and Ashland University faculty and staff; and free for Ashland University students.

Reed to Perform with Ashland Native, Kevin Jones, Feb. 17

The Department of Music at Ashland University announces a concert featuring Dr. Thomas Reed, Professor of Music, on clarinet, with guest artist and Ashland native, Kevin Jones on piano. The free, public concert will be held on Monday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Arts & Humanities Building).

For his 35th consecutive annual faculty concert at Ashland University, Dr. Reed will perform a program of classical pieces with Mr. Jones including Cantilene by Louis Cahuzac, Gordon Jacob's four-movement arrangement of Tartini's Concertino, and Paquito D'Rivera's Two Pieces for Clarinet and Piano. After an intermission, they will return to the stage for Carl Maria von Weber's Grand Duo Concertante, Op. 48.

Reed is professor of music and chair of the departments of music and theatre at Ashland University where he has taught since 1986 in a number of areas including applied woodwinds, music theory and jazz studies. He is a member of the Akron Symphony and Ashland Symphony, was a long-time member of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, 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 a 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 is also a founding member of Iron Toys, a woodwind quartet that performs original repertoire for saxophones, clarinets and flutes. The quartet released their first CD in 2015. He holds degrees from The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan and the University of Akron.

Kevin Jones began formal musical training at the age of four. After preparatory and high school musical training in Ashland with Judith Thomas and John Gilbert, he attended Southern Methodist University and completed his undergraduate degree at Ashland College, studying organ with Karel Paukert and piano with Elizabeth Pastor. Mr. Jones went on to earn graduate degrees in Collaborative Piano and in Organ Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Pastor, Karel Paukert, Anne Epperson, Thomas Muraco, and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein.

From 1996 to 2004, Jones held the post of Musical Director/Conductor of the New York City based Gilbert & Sullivan ensemble, the Blue Hill Troupe, Ltd. With that ensemble he made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut as guest with Skitch Henderson’s New York Pops Symphony Orchestra. Along with U.S. performances at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Oberlin College, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and many other sites, he has performed throughout Europe and the Far East including a recent performance on the Pipes at One series at St. Paul’s Chapel, NYC.

From 2007 to 2012, Jones was Canon Precentor and Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, Connecticut, as well as being a member of the vocal division faculty at the Hartt School. Since 2013, Mr. Jones is Minister of Music at First Congregational Church, Columbus, Ohio, where he oversees a large music program of four choirs and the longstanding concert series Concerts at First Church.

PANdemonium4 Flute Quartet Performs 11/8

Ashland University Department of Music presents a guest artist recital featuring the Ohio-based flute quartet, PANdemonium4, on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert program will feature contemporary pieces by composers from Ohio, across the U.S. as well as France including an arrangement of the top rock anthem from the American heavy metal band Metallica. The concert is free and open to the public.

This highly talented quartet of teacher-performer professionals represents a diverse group of Ohio universities through their teaching (Capital University, Mariettta College, Ohio University, Otterbein University, West Virginia University), along with a substantial listing of symphonies and chamber ensembles from their performances around the state and beyond (Ashland Symphony Orchestra, Central Ohio Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Westerville Symphony, Mansfield Symphony, Austin (TX) Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Hawaii and Honolulu Symphonies, West Virginia Symphony, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Famous Jazz Orchestra, Breckenridge Music Festival Chamber Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble).

Dr. Kimberlee Goodman, Lindsey Goodman, Lisa Jelle and Alison Brown Sincoff share a mutual passion for promoting all things flute in central Ohio and impacting the global future of chamber music collaborations within the setting of the quartet. They formed PANdemonium4 in 2016, and have performed at two National Flute Association Annual Conventions and in seven different states. They released their first studio recording titled Bolling & Beyond: Lisa Jelle, Jazz-Inspired Flute. Mark Flugge Remembered.

For their concert in Ashland, they will be joined by percussionist Liz Procopio and bassist Jeremey Poparad who are also teaching-performer professionals while teaching in their discipline at Ashland University. They will assist PANdemonium on Mark Flugge's Jazz Fantasy for Flute Quartet with optional bass and percussion in three movements (Ahmad, The Letter, Samba Fantasy).

Other pieces in the program include Daniel Dorff's Musetta Steps Out which is based on "Musetta's Waltz" from Puccini's La Bohème, Eugene Bozza's Jour d'été à la montagne, Cynthia Folio's Four 'Scapes (Cityscape, Seascape, Landscape, Escape), Linda Kernohan's My Compass Still to Guide Me, and Nicole Chamberlin's arrangement of Metallica's Enter Sandman.

Faculty Recital Showcases Trombonists from Cleveland Pops and Jazz Orchestras

The Ashland University Department of Music presents a faculty recital featuring Dr. Scott Garlock, Professor of Music on trombone along with guest ensemble Le Bon Bones on Monday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

The evening's concert will present a program of trombone music culled from the 16th century to our current millenium. Selections will include Mozart's Requiem "Tuba Mirum," G. F. Handel's Dance Suite, Felix Mendelssohn's Nocturne, Pavane for a Dead Princess by Maurice Ravel, Nessun Dorma by Giacomo Puccini, Bear Dance by Bela Bartok, Chorale from Jupiter by Gustav Holst, Prelude, Op. 34 by Dmitri Shostakovich, Afred Reed's Fanfare, Cappricio for 8 trombones by Eric Ewazen, Domine, Salva Nos by William Byrd, as well as, Body and Soul by Johnny Green and Bill Reichenbach's Back to the Fair.

The members of Le Bon Bones including Dr. Garlock are members of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, The Akron Symphony Orchestra, The Suburban Symphony and The Ashland Symphony Orchestra.

Lipsky, Reed & Hoca: A Chamber Music Concert, Oct. 22

Maestro Arie Lipsky (cello and flute), Dr. Thomas Reed (clarinet) and Claudia Hoca (piano) combine and showcase their talents for a chamber ensemble concert on Monday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital. The performance is free and open to the public.

The program begins with Maestro Lipsky on flute and Ms. Hoca on piano as they perform Paul Schoenfield's Achat Sha'alti, a passionate piece based on Psalm 27, and the playful and rhythmic Ufaratsta (Hebrew for Valentine), followed by Lili Boulanger's fast and lively D'un Matin de Printemps (A Spring Morning). Maestro will then switch to the cello for Sergei Rachmaninoff's Sonata in G minor for cello and piano, op. 19 in four movements in which most of the themes are introduced by the piano then embellished by the cello. After the intermission, Dr. Reed will perform Igor Stravinsky's Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo which begins on a clarinet in A then changes to a B-flat clarinet for the final movement while the asymmetrical piece is characterized by constant shifts in meter and time signatures. The concert will conclude with all of the musicians performing Johannes Brahms' Trio, op. 114, in four movements for clarinet, cello and piano.

Known in the Ashland area as the music director and conductor for the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, Arie Lipsky is a native of Haifa, Israel, where he received extensive training as a cellist and flutist. He holds degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and Music which he received before serving in the Israeli armed forces as a tank commander. After moving to the United States, Arie served as Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra and graduated from there with distinction. During this period he also assumed conducting responsibilities with the Ohio Light Opera. He moved to Buffalo, New York in 1984 to become the Philharmonic's principal cellist and, in 1990, also became the Resident Conductor, a position he held for twelve years. He was a prize winner in the Chicago Cello Society Competition and performed as principal cellist with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Opera and the Colorado Music Festival; and has performed as cellist with the New Arts Trio since 1996. Maestro Lipsky is currently in his twenty-first season as Music Director and Conductor of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, and in his seventeenth season as Music Director and Conductor of the Ann Arbor (Michigan) Symphony. He is also the Principal Guest Conductor of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra and is also a frequent conductor with orchestras in Europe, Israel, and North America.

Dr. Reed joined Ashland University faculty in 1986 and serves as professor of music and chair of the Department of Music and Theatre. He is a member of the Akron Symphony (bass clarinet) and Ashland Symphony (principal clarinet), was a long-time member of 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 a soloist with the Akron, Mansfield, Clarence and Ashland Symphonies and performs on CDs from the Akron Symphony, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Unit and the Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra. His clarinet CD “Mutually Inclusive” was released in 2008 on Capstone Records. He is also heard as a founding member of Iron Toys, a woodwind quartet that performs original repertoire for saxophones, clarinets and flutes, on their CD released in 2015. He holds a DMA in Clarinet Performance from The Ohio State University, an M.M. in Saxophone Performance from The University of Akron, and a B.M in Music Education from The University of Michigan.

Ms. Hoca is the recipient of numerous awards, including top prizes in the Chopin Young Pianist Competition and the Washington International Bach Competition. While still a teenager, she appeared with the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic in a Young People's Concert, broadcast live on network television. She has played over 20 different concertos with the Buffalo Philharmonic, has appeared in recitals throughout the United States and abroad and is much sought after as a chamber music collaborator. Her recordings include a premier recording of the piano music of Leo Smit on the Spectrum label and two collaborations with Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York available on the Essay label. She is often seen on the Kleinhans Stage as orchestral pianist with the BPO and has for the past five summers been the orchestral pianist of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Hoca is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, the State University of New York at Buffalo, and she received a Fulbright grant to return to her native Austria, where she pursued advanced studies under Bruno Seidlhofer.

Pianist Performs AU Concert to Tell the Story of Her Father

Ashland University Department of Music will present a guest artist recital by pianist Sandra Shapiro titled, “Ïn My Father's Footsteps: A daughter's search for answers,” on Sunday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. Free and open to the public, the concert is the first of four musical narratives created by Shapiro as she followed her musical journey as a proud daughter and sister of immigrants.

“In My Father's Footsteps” is the story of Shapiro’s discoveries of the man she called “Abba” (Hebrew for father) by tracing his journey through life.

Born in Soviet Russia in 1923, her father’s life unfolded as a fantastic portrayal of courage and perseverance in pursuing his dreams. Her search for answers uncovered his many roles and adventures: WWII as a medic in the Russian army, serving as a doctor in a DP camp in Berlin’s Russian sector, a daring escape from Stalin’s clutches to Foehrenwald DP camp in the American sector, a brief time in Argentina, recruited to the newly formed Israel and finally on to America where she was born.

The music presented in this recital will reflect what she was able to learn about her father’s life, the places he lived, joys and hardships, and his final years. The program consists of pieces by Lyadov, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Schubert.

Shapiro’s father died when she was quite young and she never knew him when she was an adult. Her curiosity piqued in 2006 after discovering a very old letter written to her father from Moscow. This is when she began her quest to learn about his life and journey to America, which traversed four continents.

Her quest resulted in “Musical Roots: An Exploration of Cultural Heritage and Influences,” which consists of four musical narratives presented as recitals or lectures either individually or as a series including:
I. In My Father’s Footsteps: A daughter’s search for answers
II. Songs My Safta Sang to Me
III. A Portrait of the Musician as a Melting Pot
IV. My Country 'tis of Thee

Shapiro enjoys an active career as performer, teacher, adjudicator and recording artist throughout the United States and Europe. Known as a versatile performer, she appears as soloist both in recitals and with orchestras, and as a highly sought-after chamber musician. She has received national and international awards along with glowing reviews and recognition in each of these areas.

She began her studies at the age of three and a half, and by age 11, was performing in recitals and as a soloist with orchestras. Because of her prodigious talent, Shapiro left home at age 15 to study at the Juilliard School upon the recommendation of her childhood mentor.

As a member of the renowned duo-piano team of Hecht & Shapiro, Shapiro's laureates include winning the Munich International Duo Piano Competition, the Ellis National Duo Piano Competition, and top prizes in the Dranoff International Two Piano Competition and the International Jeunesses Musicales Competition.

She is a member of the Piano and Chamber Music faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Visiting Chamber Music Teaching Artist at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and is an Alumni Teaching Artist for The Juilliard-Nord Anglia Global Partnership Program.

Cleveland Orchestra Violinist Joins Schoeffler for Ashland Recital

On Sunday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, Susan Schoeffler, Adjunct Professor of Applied Piano at Ashland University, will perform a concert with The Cleveland Orchestra violinist Kim Nolen Gomez. The Northeast Ohio duo performs repertoire from Mozart to the 20th century masterworks. The concert is free and open to the public.

Schoeffler received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in piano performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), where she studied with Vitya Vronsky-Babin and Sergei Babayan and was the recipient of the Sadie Zellen Prize in Piano. She has performed in numerous masterclasses, including those at the 1993 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. For the last decade she has collaborated frequently with Nolen Gomez at performance venues including Severance Hall, CIM's Mixon Hall and broadcasts on WCLV Cleveland. Mrs. Schoeffler also serves as adjunct faculty and staff accompanist at Baldwin-Wallace University and teaches privately at her home in Cleveland Heights. Her previous appointments as teacher and accompanist include Westminster College, Indiana University Summer String Academy and the CIM.

A member of The Cleveland Orchestra since 1990, Nolen Gomez studied at the Peabody Conservatory, then earned a bachelor of music degree and an artist diploma from CIM, where she was a concerto competition winner. Her teachers have included David Cerone, Josef Gingold, Daniel Heifetz, Virginia Schneider, David Updegraff, Donald Weilerstein, and Mimi Zweig. Ms. Gomez has appeared on three occasions as a soloist with the Louisville Symphony Orchestra and solo appearances with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and the CIM Orchestra. 

Turkish Musician Presents as 2016 Gretchen French Visiting Artist

Turkish singer, composer and scholar Latif Bolat has been selected for the 2016 Gretchen French Visiting Artist Series in Music at Ashland University. Bolat will visit Ashland University on October 31 and November 1 to present two workshops and a concert. All of the events are free and open to the public.

The first workshop titled "1000 Years of Eastern and Western Music Journeys" is scheduled for Monday, October 31 at 2 p.m. in Room 303 of the Center for the Arts. The second workshop will focus on the religion of Islam and will be held on Tuesday, November 1 at 1:40 p.m. in the Schar College of Education's Ronk Lecture Hall. 

On October 31 at 7:30 p.m., Bolat will perform a concert titled "The Healing Sounds of Turkey:  A Night of Turkish Mystic Sufi Music, Poetry and Images." Specializing in the ancient Turkish mystic-devotional music genre, Bolat provides a unique philosophy and approach to the performance of traditional music. By creating an intimate, almost "storytelling" atmosphere, he explains Turkish folk and mystic music and its sociopolitical and cultural elements. The performance both entertains and invites the audience to ponder questions such as how major sociopolitical factors influence culture and the art it produces.

As an important part of the performance, Turkish devotional poetry from the 13th century mystics Rumi and Yunus Emre as well as later Turkish mystic poets are also sprinkled throughout the program. Also, slides are used to create a complete experience by providing scenes of the Turkish countryside, cities, artwork, architecture, and people. This provides a deeper understanding of the culture by combining the musical presentation with images of its origin.

Latif Bolat, one of the most renowned Turkish musicians in North America, is a native of the Turkish Mediterranean town of Mersin. After receiving his degree in folklore and music at Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey, he taught traditional music throughout the country. He then went on to manage Ankara Halk Tiyatrosu, a musical theater company, which performed traditional musical plays. Mr. Bolat also received additional degrees in Turkish History and Middle East Religion and Politics from Ankara University and an MBA from San Francisco State University.

Now residing in the United States, Bolat is one of the most distinguished Turkish musicians in this country. With a vast repertory that includes songs in classical, folk and Sufi mystic music styles, he accompanies his singing on the baglama (long-necked lute), and various other traditional instruments from the Turkish folk music tradition. 

The Gretchen French Endowed Visiting Artist Series at Ashland University was established through a bequest from the estate of Gretchen French.  Although Ms. French never attended Ashland University, it was through close friends and alums, Phillip (‘53) and Jean (‘55) Lersch, that she decided Ashland was well suited to demonstrate in perpetuity her values and hopes for young people.  Her entire life was dedicated to people, placing others' needs before her's by unselfishly serving them, in particular her family and many, many young musicians. This is a fitting tribute to her and will be a continual reminder of her love not only of music but most importantly people.

The goal of the Series is to provide Ashland University students close contact and mentoring with an outstanding visiting musician/music teacher. The particular field of expertise for the Series will vary from year to year. It is a goal of the Series to find Visiting Artists that have the widest possible expertise and appeal to students in various areas of music study.

AU Music Begins Year with Vocal Recital & Emmy-Nominated Composer

The Department of Music at Ashland University announces its first recital of the new academic year and a special presentation by an Emmy-nominated composer all to be held on Thursday, September 8. Both programs are free and open to the public.

After a visit to Ashland University last winter, Emmy-nominated composer and Wooster native Philip Giffin returns to campus on Thursday Sept. 8 at 9:25 a.m. in room 303 of the Center for the Arts. He will give a presentation about his most recent film score and about producing and arranging for pop artists. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Giffin has scored and contributed music to numerous features and television programs including "Like Mike," "Fatal Instinct," "Beethoven’s 3rd (and 4th)", "Muppet’s Tonight" and more. As an orchestrator, his many credits include "Sommersby," "Die Hard" (I and II) and "Lethal Weapon" (I and II).

At 7:30 p.m. on September 8 in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, mezzo-soprano Sarah Napier will present her junior recital accompanied by pianist Deb Logan. Her program will include pieces by Handel, Donizetti, Mendelssohn, Chausson, Lerner & Lowe, Heisler & Goldrich and Mercer & Arlen. Sarah is a music major studying voice with Denise Milner Howell and she is a graduate of Willard High School.

Four Guest Artists Headline Jazz Festival

Ashland University’s award-winning jazz program is proud to present the 2016 Maplerock Jazz Festival slated for Friday, March 18. Along with free performances by area high school jazz ensembles in the afternoon, the event presents a main stage concert at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre.

The evening concert opens with the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Scott Garlock and features guest jazz artists pianist Dr. Michael Stryker, saxophonist Mike Lee, bassist Aidan Plank and guitarist Justin Haynes.

Dr. Stryker is co-leader of the jazz quintet Condition Blue. He can also be heard on Roots and Branches with the Shirantha Beddage Quartet, and regularly performs with the Todd Kelly Quintet and many other fine musicians throughout Illinois. With a D.M.A. in Jazz and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music, B.M. and M.M. in Jazz Performance from DePaul University, and a B.S. in Biology from Purdue University, Stryker is Associate Professor of Jazz Piano at Western Illinois University where he directs big bands and coaches jazz combos, teaches various jazz classes and is a member of the Dale Hopper Faculty Jazz Sextet. He is also on the faculty of the Birch Creek Summer Music Performance Center (Wisconsin).

Mike Lee has been a part of the greater New York Jazz Scene for almost 30 years. Since his early associations with Dave Douglas and Joe Lovano, through his stint with the Woody Herman Orchestra and regular gigs with The Village Vanguard Orchestra and Maria Schneider Orchestra, to his current associations with Oliver Lake's ensembles, Wallace Roney Orchestra, and Michele Rosewoman's New Yor-Uba -- Lee has a proven track record as a versatile soloist and a consummate ensemble musician. As a leader, he fronted the renowned Cecil's Big Band and co-leads the ground breaking quartet New Tricks. He performs with his trios regularly at his weekly Hat City Kitchen Jam Session as well as Trumpet's Jazz Club and other venues.

Aidan Plank has performed in a wide range of musical genres with many musicians from pop legends Frankie Avalon and Chubby Checker, to classical ensembles such as The Case Baroque Orchestra and The Oberlin Opera, and with contemporary jazz artists Bobby Selvaggio and Dominic Ferannaci along with many others. Aidan has performed at Carnegie Hall, Severence Hall, The Knitting Factory, The House of Blues, The Beachland Ballroom, The Bop Stop, Blossom Music Festival, and other venues throughout the country. He can presently be heard in duo performances with guitarist Daniel Lippel and as the bassist for the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra's 2015-2016 season.

Justin Haynes has been recognized as an outstanding soloist and composer at the University of North Texas Jazz Festival, the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Festival, the University of Louisville Jazz Festival, and the Western Illinois University Jazz Festival. One of his charts, “I’ve Gone Crazy,” was debuted at the Rootabaga Jazz Festival featuring Greg Osby on alto saxophone. As an educator, Justin is a member of the Knox College Music Department faculty where he teaches jazz saxophone, jazz guitar, jazz bass and basic improvisation skills. Justin also directs the Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival Alumni Band every spring.

The Jazz Festival's afternoon performances begin at 1 p.m. with the Wellington High School Jazz Band followed at 1:30 p.m. with the Ashland High School Jazz Band B, the Rittman High School Jazz Band at 2 p.m., the Galion High School Jazz Band at 2:30 p.m. and the Ashland High School Jazz Band A presents the final high school performance at 3 p.m.

The afternoon performances are free and open to the public while tickets for the evening concert are available through the Ashland University Box Office at 419.289.5125, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or online (additional fees apply) at www.ashland.edu/tickets.

Tickets for the evening concert are $10 for adults; $5 for senior citizens, non-Ashland University students and Ashland University faculty and staff; and free for Ashland University students.

Orff Specialist Roger Sams Presenting at AU, April 12-14

Orff specialist Roger Sams has been selected for the 2015 Gretchen French Visiting Artist Series in Music at Ashland University.  Mr. Sams will visit Ashland University on April 12 to 14 to present four workshops each focusing on a different music classroom setting. All of the workshops are free and open to the public and will be held in Room 242 in the Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Arts & Humanities Building).

The first workshop title "The Artful Music Classroom" is scheduled on Sunday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. and will focus on primary grades. On Monday, April 13 at 10 a.m., he will present a workshop on using improvisation in elementary general music; and at 3:30 p.m. he will return to "The Artful Music Classroom" but focus on middle and upper elementary grades. His visit will conclude with a composition in elementary general music workshop at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14.

Roger Sams retired from the music classroom in 2013 after 31 years of teaching music in public and private schools.  He has served as adjunct faculty teaching methods courses and supervising student teachers at Cleveland State University. He also has been on the faculty in teacher education programs at the University of St. Thomas, Cleveland State University, Akron University, the University of Montana, University of Missouri-St. Louis and other venues throughout the US. 

Roger is a regular presenter at state, regional, and national conferences, has served on the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) National Board of Trustees, and has worked with teachers in Canada, China, Indonesia and India. He currently serves as Director of Publications and Music Education Consultant at Music is Elementary. He is the co-author of “Purposeful Pathways:  Possibilities for the Elementary Music Classroom” with Beth Ann Hepburn.  He has published works for children’s choirs in the “Crooked River Choral Project” series and a collection of rounds and partner songs entitled, “A Round My Heart.” 

Trained in Gestalt therapy, Roger is interested in the power of choice in the artistic process, teaching, and life. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University.

The Gretchen French Endowed Visiting Artist Series at Ashland University was established through a bequest from the estate of Gretchen French.  Although Ms. French never attended Ashland University, it was through close friends and alums, Phillip (‘53) and Jean (‘55) Lersch, that she decided Ashland was well suited to demonstrate in perpetuity her values and hopes for young people.  Her entire life was dedicated to people, placing others' needs before her's by unselfishly serving them, in particular her family and many, many young musicians.  This is a fitting tribute to her and will be a continual reminder of her love not only of music but most importantly people.

The goal of the Series is to provide Ashland University students close contact and mentoring with an outstanding visiting musician/music teacher. The particular field of expertise for the Series will vary from year to year. It is a goal of the Series to find Visiting Artists that have the widest possible expertise and appeal to students in various areas of music study.

Guest Artist Recital Presents Mezzo-Soprano Sandra Ross

Mezzo-soprano Sandra Ross joins pianist Emily Grabinski to perform a guest artist recital on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert program will include pieces by Debussy, Dvorak, Ives and Weill.  The recital is Free & Open to the Public.

Ms. Ross has appeared with numerous Opera companies including the Cincinnati Opera, Opera North, Cleveland Opera, Central City Opera, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Sorg Opera and most recently with the Ohio Light Opera. Internationally she appeared as Madame Giry in the German production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera. On the concert stage Ms. Ross has appeared as mezzo-soprano soloist in L.v. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Alexander Nevsky, W.A. Mozart Requiem and the Antonio Vivaldi Gloria as well as others.  

AWARD-WINNING VIOLINIST AND PIANIST PERFORMING AT AU

Ashland University Department of Music presents a guest artist recital with award winning violinist Jinjoo Cho and pianist HyunSoo Kim on Monday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public. 

The program for the concert will begin with Claude Debussy's final composition, Sonata No. 3 in G minor, followed by Czech composer Leoš Janáček's Violin Sonata, and Grammy-winning contemporary American composer Joan Tower's String Force.  After intermission, the concert will conclude with Sergei Prokofiev's Sonata No. 1 in F minor. Inspired by one of Handel's violin sonatas, and the four-movement structure, slow-fast-slow-fast, the Sonata's first movement is a haunting prelude while the second movement is a vigorously contested debate. The third movement is a lullaby followed by a folk dance in shifting meters for the finale. Prokofiev described the violin scales at the end of the first and fourth movements as 'wind passing through a graveyard'. These movements were played at Prokofiev's funeral.  

Violinist Jinjoo Cho has won several international violin competitions including the Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition, the Buenos Aires International Violin Competition, the Montréal International Musical Competition and the Stulberg International String Competition. She has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras such as The Cleveland Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Aspen Concert Orchestra, and Ashland's own Symphony Orchestra. Jinjoo is a native of Seoul, South Korea, and a graduate of Yewon Art School and the Korean National University of Arts (Pre-College). She came to the U.S. in 2002 to study with Paul Kantor and participate in the Cleveland Institute of Music's Young Artist Program. Jinjoo attended the Curtis Institute of Music, but returned to CIM earning Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in violin performance. 

HyunSoo Kim is also a native of South Korea and began to play piano at the age of eight. He received a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from the University of Delaware and completed his Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2011 where he received the Rosa Lobe Collaborative Piano award. HyunSoo recently completed his Artist Diploma with Anita Pontremoli at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and has served as a staff pianist at Kent State University since 2011. HyunSoo has served as a collaborative pianist at Interlochen Arts Academy and recently joined the CIM collaborative piano staff. He has performed as soloist with the University of Delaware Symphony Orchestra, the Newark Symphony Orchestra and numerous community orchestras in the Delaware region.

GUEST ARTISTS PERFORM SONGS OF BEETHOVEN

Ashland University Department of Music presents a guest artist recital, “Songs of Beethoven,” on Thursday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

This recital will feature sopranos Stephanie Sikora (Ashland University Professor of Voice) and Katharine DeBoer, tenor Timothy Johnson, and James Meadors on the guitar. This program of Beethoven songs with guitar transcriptions by James Meadors is presented in approximate chronological order by poet, which generally correlates with the order in which Beethoven set the texts. Of Beethoven’s sixty-six songs composed for accompaniment by the (then) new pianoforte, Meadors’ transcriptions favor those which are most adaptable to guitar. 

Two master classes will also be offered by guitarists Dr. Meadors and Dr. DeBoer on March 20. The two sessions are located in the Center for the Arts at 10:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m. in Rm. 102 and 12:15-1:05 p.m. in Rm. 242. These classes are free and open to public observation.

COMPOSER/CONDUCTOR IANNACCONE FEATURED AS 2014 GRETCHEN FRENCH VISITING ARTIST

Award-winning composer and conductor Anthony Iannaccone has been selected for the 2014 Gretchen French Visiting Artist Series in Music at Ashland University.  Dr. Iannaccone will visit Ashland University on February 25 and 26 to present lectures about his music and conduct two concerts performing his original compositions. All of the events featuring Dr. Iannaccone are free and open to the public.

The residency begins on Tuesday, February 25 at 1:40 p.m. in Room 303 of the Center for the Arts with Dr, Iannaccone's lecture focusing on a selection of his original compositions.  At 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, the Ashland University Faculty Chamber Ensemble will perform a recital featuring music by Composer Iannaccone. The recital program will include: 

• Trio for flute, clarinet and piano with guest artist Denise Krain, flute; Thomas Reed, clarinet; Susan Gregg, piano  
• Toccata Fanfares for brass ensemble with a faculty/student ensemble including Scott Garlock and Mike Metcalf 
• Night Song for euphonium and piano with Scott Garlock  
• Remembrance for saxophone and piano with Thomas Reed 
• Various songs with soprano Stephanie Sikora 

On Wednesday, February 26 at 2 p.m. in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts, Dr. Iannaccone will continue his visit with his second lecture which will focus on contemporary Classical music.  At 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre, his visit at Ashland University will conclude with him conducting some of his pieces at a concert by the Ashland University Choir and Concert Band. The concert program will be selected from Iannaccone’s pieces including:

With the Ashland University Concert Band:
After a Gentle Rain (conducted by Dr. Iannaccone)
Plymouth Trilogy 
Psalms for a Great Country 
Scherzo

With the Ashland University Choir: 
The Soul's Expression (conducted by Dr. Iannaccone)
The Sky Is Low  
Song of Thanks
Exsultate

The Gretchen French Endowed Visiting Artist Series at Ashland University was established through a bequest from the estate of Gretchen French.  Although Ms. French never attended Ashland University, it was through close friends and alums, Phillip (‘53) and Jean (‘55) Lersch, that she decided Ashland was well suited to demonstrate in perpetuity her values and hopes for young people. Her entire life was dedicated to people, placing others' needs before her's by unselfishly serving them, in particular her family and many, many young musicians.  This is a fitting tribute to her and will be a continual reminder of her love not only of music but most importantly people.

The goal of the Series is to provide Ashland University students close contact and mentoring with an outstanding visiting musician/music teacher. The particular field of expertise for the Series will vary from year to year. It is a goal of the Series to find Visiting Artists that have the widest possible expertise and appeal to students in various areas of music study.

Dr. Iannaccone studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Eastman School of Music. His principal teachers were Vittorio Giannini, Aaron Copland, and David Diamond. His catalogue of approximately 50 published works includes three symphonies, smaller works for orchestra, several large works for chorus and orchestra, numerous chamber pieces, large works for wind ensemble, and several extended a cappella choral compositions. His music is performed by major orchestras and professional chamber ensembles in the U.S. and abroad. He is an active conductor of both new music and standard orchestral repertory. Since 1971, he has taught at Eastern Michigan University, where, for 30 years he conducted the Collegium Musicum.

Iannaccone’s works have won many first prizes in national and international competitions while several of his works for chamber and large ensembles have entered the standard repertory. He has received grants, awards, and commissions from numerous institutions, orchestras, foundations, and organizations, such as the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the National Endowment for the Arts, ASCAP and the Eastman School of Music, among many others. Recent commissions include a quintet for clarinet and strings for Richard Stoltzman, a choral work for the Ithaca College School of Music, and an orchestral work for the Dearborn Symphony.

Describing his music, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians states, "organic growth inspires music of great strength and formal clarity, as opening bars generate the textural and thematic contours that forge contrasting sections of reflection and cross-rhythmic dynamism."

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.