Fall Honors Recital Performers Announced

The best of Fall 2019 will be showcased at the Honors Recital on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

Students who accomplished exceptional musical work during the semester will showcase their talents as selected by their private teachers including:

VOCALISTS: Sami Eron, Lila Hyatt, Maya Rickard, Alayna Ross, Katie Snell, Rebecca Young

INSTRUMENTALISTS: Kailyn Buyok (violin), Ariane Hill (flute), Jed McFadden (piano/violin)

Senior Recital: Samantha Eron, Soprano

Music and political science major Samantha Eron (Brighton, Michigan) will perform her senior vocal recital on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. She will be accompanied by pianist Deborah Logan and fellow soprano Rebecca Young. Her program will include classical pieces by Debussy, Mozart along with operetta and musical theatre compositions by Menotti, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Junior Recital: Kendra Garver, mezzo-soprano

Junior music education major Kendra Garver, mezzo-soprano, will present her student recital on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. A graduate of Triway High School, Kendra studies voice with Kimberly States and will be accompanied by Deb Logan (piano). Her program will include classical pieces by Mozart, Strauss, and Martini, along with musical theatre compositions by Gilbert and Sullivan and Andrew Lloyd Webber, as well as a Mexican folk song. The concert is free and open to the public.

Fairy Tales, Comedy & Tragedy at 2019 Opera Scenes

Every spring the Ashland University Department of Music offers audience members a chance to experience live opera through a variety of scenes from a collection of well-known titles. In 2019, the two evenings of opera scenes will be performed on Thursday, April 25 and Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the intimate Studio Theatre at Ashland University. The performances are free and open to the public.

The variety of this year's scenes range from a fairy tale to comedies and a tragedy with many of them featuring story lines of love and romance. One similarity among all four of the operas is the idea of hidden and mistaken identities or masks. Also, all four of these operas are written by well-known composers (Mozart, Verdi, Strauss, and Humperdinck) and their titles (The Marriage of Figaro, La traviata, Die Fledermaus, Hansel and Gretel, respectively) are cornerstones of the opera world.

Based on the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel is associated with the holidays and is often performed around Christmas. The Ashland performance will feature the opening scene where Hansel and Gretel are at their home and Hansel becomes very hungry. We all know what that leads to.

Several songs will be performed from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus (aka The Revenge of the Bat) which is a story of mistaken identities, flirtations at a masked ball, elegant frivolities and confusions of all kinds. Our cast will perform "The Drinking Song" duet, Orlovsky’s aria, "Meir Herr Marquis" and "Sing to Love."

W. A. Mozart's comic opera The Marriage of Figaro tells the story of how the servants, Figaro and Susanna, taught their employer a lesson in fidelity and then succeeded in getting married. Selections from this comedy will include "Porgi Amor," "Voi che sapete" and "Sull’aria."

The most serious of the evenings' opera scenes will come from Giuseppe Verdi's tragedy, La traviata (The Fallen Women). However, the song selection for Ashland's opera scenes is one of the lighter moments of the story as the ensemble performs "The Brindisi," the opera's famous drinking song and one of the best-known opera melodies.

Under the direction of Sandra Ross and accompaniment by pianist Deb Logan, this annual event features vocal performances from student singers. This year's cast includes Drew Berlin (Barberton), Kendra Garver (Shreve), Maggie George (Independence), Mia Kardotzke (Clyde), Maya Rickard (Wooster), Dave Tomlinson (Cleveland) and Rebecca Young (Sherwood, Oregon).

Performers for Spring 2019 Honors Recital Announced

The best of Spring 2019 will be showcased at the Spring 2019 Honors Recital on Monday, Apr. 15 at 7:30 p.m. 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.

Performers will include vocalists Michael Cowan, Maggie George, Alli Lange, Maya Rickard and Rebecca Young; while instrumentalists are Kailyn Buyok (violin), Ariane Hill (flute), Jed McFadden (piano), Jacob Moses (clarinet), Christine Shelton (piano), and Eric Watts (composer, tuba).

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.

2018 Spring Honors Recital Performers

Congratulations to the 2018 Spring Honors Recital musicians who will be performing Monday, April 23 at 8 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. These students have been selected for accomplishing exceptional work this semester: Kailyn Buyok (violin), Moriah Goldsmith (piano), Jed McFadden (piano), Rebecca Young (vocalist), Emily Schordock (horn), Gabby Carr (vocalist)

Three Vocal Ensembles Featured in Spring Choral Collage Concert, April 30

The Ashland University Choir, Chamber Singers, and the Women's Chorus present a spring choral concert program of an eclectic mix from American compositions to spirituals and a cappella pieces. The "Choral Collage Concert" will be held on Sunday, April 30 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel and is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, will conduct the University Choir and Chamber Singers. After their spring tour in Germany and a concert with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, the University Choir has prepared three great works by American composers for their final concert of the year. The selections include  Randall Thompson's The Last Words of David (text from Biblical book of II Samuel), Z. Randall Stroope's Amor de mi Alma   (text by 16th century poet Garcilaso de la Vega) and Eric Whitacre's With a Lily in Your Hand (text by 20th century poet Garcia Lorca).

The Chamber Singers will sing Six Chansons written by twentieth century German-turned-American composer Paul Hindemith. Based on the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, the texts deal with natural or pastoral topics. The select-ensemble will also perform three foundational spirituals including Rockin' Jerusalem by André Thomas, Lily of the Valley by Wendell Whalum and Ain'-a That Good News by William L. Dawson.   

Directed by Kimberly Wolbert, the Women's chorus will also perform a spiritual as they sing Mark Hayes' arrangement of Go Down Moses. Other selections include Six Chansons, A Natural Woman by Deke Sharon and Anne Raugh, and Omnia Sol (Let Your Heart Be Staid) by Z. Randall Stroope as a senior tribute for the graduating members.

Fall Honors Recital, Dec. 8

The best vocal and instrumental performances of the fall semester will be showcased in the Fall Honors Recital on Thursday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall. Student performers are chosen by the private studio instructors to be recognized for their exceptional work. Fall 2016 performers include sopranos Abigale Brady and Elisha Hofer, mezzo-sopranos Andrea Disch and Sarah Napier, baritone Deric Dove, pianists Michael Woodeand Moriah Goldsmith, Chanel Bluntschly on saxophone, Jaylynn Buchmelter, trombone and Eileen Navratil, euphonium. The concert is free and open to the public.

Auditions for PIPPIN Open to All

Ashland University Department of Theatre announces open auditions for their upcoming production of the 2013 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival--Pippin. Community members and Ashland University students, faculty and staff are invited to audition.

Vocal auditions for Pippin will be held Thursday, September 1 at 7 p.m. with dance auditions held on Friday, September 2 at 6 p.m., and call-backs immediately following the dance auditions on Friday. All auditions will be held in Ashland University's Hugo Young Theatre located at 331 College Avenue, Ashland.

Pippin will be directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Robert Sean Parker with musical direction by Dr. Rowland Blackley, Director of Choral Activities. Performances are slated for February 10-18 and include roles for three women and three men, chorus members and a young boy. Auditionees should prepare 16-32 bars of a song in a style similar to the show or a song can also be provided for those who do not have one. An accompanist will be provided. 

For more information, contact Tricia Applegate, Coordinator of Publicty and Events, at tapplega@ashland.edu or 419.289.5950, or visit AU Theatre online at www.ashland.edu/theatre or www.facebook.com/AshlandUniversityTheatre.

Vocalists, Flutist and Trombonist Present Senior & Junior Recitals

The Department of Music announces upcoming senior and junior recitals featuring vocalists, a flutist and a trombonist. Scheduled throughout the months of March and April in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, these concerts are free and open to the public.

On Thursday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m., soprano Abigale Brady and trombonist Cody Henderson will present their joint junior recital accompanied by pianists Deb Logan and Susan Gregg, respectively. The program will include vocal selections by Mozart, Strauss and Fauré, while instrumental pieces feature compositions by Marcello, Ewazen and Fauré. Miss Brady is from Ashtabula, Ohio and is majoring in music and psychology while Mr. Henderson is from Bellevue, Ohio and is studying music and business administration.

On Sunday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m., soprano Fatima Imani Smith will perform her senior recital featuring classical, jazz and contemporary pieces from composers including Gioachino Rossini, Georges Bizet, Hugo Wolf, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Ricky Ian Gordon. Accompanied by pianist Deb Logan, Fatima will be assisted by guest performers mezzo-soprano Grace Keller, tenors Jake Riley and Jacob Poiner, baritone Deric Dover and guitarist Darion Dow. Fatima is an applied vocal music major from Copley, Ohio.

Flutist Emily Minns will present her junior recital on Sunday, April 17 at 1 p.m. accompanied by pianist Susan Gregg. Her program will include Fantaisie Pastoral Hongroise by Franz Doppler, Acht Stücke by Paul Hindemith, the first movement of Concerto by Jacques Ibert, Sonata in g minor by J. S. Bach, and Sonate by Francis Poulenc. Emily is from Brunswick, Ohio and is an art education major with minors in music and french.

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.

SENIOR RECITAL FEATURES TWO MALE VOCALISTS

The Department of Music at Ashland University presents a senior vocal recital featuring two male singers on Sunday, October 26 at 4 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Arts & Humanities Building). The recital is free and open to the public. 

Tenor Caleb Stout and baritone Andrew Shaffer will be assisted by Deb Logan for this concert.  Both singers are vocal music education majors and study voice privately with Denise Milner Howell. Caleb is a graduate of North Adams High School and is from Winchester, Ohio.  Andrew is a graduate of Wooster High School in the neighboring city of Wooster, Ohio.

The recital program will include solo pieces performed by each vocalist as well as duets. The concert will begin with the duo singing classical songs such as "Santa Lucia," "O sole mio," and "Funiculi, Funicula."  Each vocalist will then perform solo selections with Caleb singing pieces from Joseph Haydn, Robert Franz, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Richard Hundley and Rick Ian Gordon; and Andrew performing selections from W. A. Mozart, Jules Massenet, Camille Saint-Saens, Poldowski, Charles Ives, Robert Saari and Roger Quilter.  The concert will conclude with a duet of Robert Lopez's "You and Me" from the musical The Book of Mormon.

EXCEPTIONAL MUSICIANS SELECTED FOR SPRING HONORS RECITAL

Ashland University Department of Music presents the best of Spring 2014 at the Honors Recital on Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts. Students who accomplished exceptional musical work during the semester will showcase their vocal and instrumental talents. 

Featured instrumentalists include Jaylynn Buchmelter, trombone; Emily Minns, flute; Katie Metz, trumpet; and Rachel Crow, piano. Vocal performances will feature sopranos Katie Mounts and Kelsey Bowens, mezzo-soprano Samantha Diemer, tenors Caleb Stout and Jacob Poiner, and baritones Deric Dove and Andrew Shaffer.

BEST OF SPRING 2013 FEATURED AT HONORS RECITAL

The Ashland University Department of Music presents the spring honors recital on Wednesday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Arts & Humanities Building).  The concert will showcase the department’s student musicians who accomplished exceptional work in the spring semester from instrumentalists including piano, percussion, guitar, trumpets and flute, to vocalists and an opera scene. The concert is free and open to the public.

Featured instrumentalists include seniors Ian Dively, trumpet; and Eddie Carney, piano; and Spencer Stadnik, guitar; juniors Andy Bartelheim, trumpet; Steve Morsher, percussion; and sophomore Devyn Renninger, flute.  Vocal performances will feature seniors Brandy Kay Riha, soprano; freshman Fatima Imani-Smith, soprano; along with a vocal ensemble performing a scene from the Pirates of Penzance including seniors Bret Cowden, baritone; Derek Jackenheimer, tenor; Katie Vargo, soprano; and Emily Plank, mezzo-soprano.

JANUARY RECITALS BEGIN THURSDAY NIGHT

The Department of Music at Ashland University presents several student recitals and a faculty recital in January featuring vocalists, a percussionist and organist.  All of the recitals are free and open to the public.  The student recitals are held in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Arts & Humanities Building), and the faculty organ recital is slated for the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. 
 

The student recitals begin on Thursday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. with a junior recital by soprano Kathryn Mounts.  She will perform with pianist Deb Logan and fellow soprano Erin Lingenfelter including classical pieces from Rossini, Shubert and Debussy to contemporary works by Ricky Ian Gordon and Stephen Schwartz. Kathryn is a graduate of Ashland High School and is a musical theatre and vocal performance major studying privately with vocal instructor Denise Howell.  

On Sunday, January 27 at 2:30 p.m., soprano Katie Vargo will perform her senior recital with pianists Pavlina Draganova and Kyle Gould, and Maggie Rickard on oboe.  Katie is a music education major and studies privately with vocal instructor Dione Bennett. She graduated from Riverside High School (Painesville, OH).  

Dr. Timothy Guenther

At 4:00 p.m. on January 27, University organist and instructor of music Dr. Timothy Guenther will perform a faculty recital on organ and harpsichord in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. In addition to serving as the University Organist since 1996, Dr. Guenther also teaches applied organ and harpsichord, as well as courses in fundamentals of basic musicianship, and serves as accompanist as needed for the University Choir, Chamber Singers and Ashland Area Chorus. He holds degrees in organ performance from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, the University of Alabama, and The American Conservatory of Music. He frequently performs as keyboardist for both the Ashland Symphony Orchestra and the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra. Rostered as an Associate in Ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, he currently serves as Organist and Director of Music Ministry at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Columbus. He is active professionally in the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, the Hymn Society, the Organ Historical Society, the Reed Organ Society, the American Theatre Organ Society, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He also performs regularly on the Mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ at the Renaissance Theatre in Mansfield. 

Also on January 27 at 7:30 p.m., percussionist Matthew Dawson will present his senior recital.  Matthew is from Perrysville, Ohio and is a graduate of Lexington High School.  He is a music education major studying privately with percussion instructor Jeff Neitzke.

UNIVERSITY OFFERS TWO FUN EVENINGS OF OPERA SCENES

Ashland University Department of Music presents two evenings of music, romance and fun with opera scenes from The Magic Flute to The Marriage of Figaro and La Traviata.  The performances which are free and open to the public are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14, 7:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.

Under the direction of Stephanie Sikora, Professor of Music and Head of the Voice Area in the Department of Music at Ashland University, this annual event features vocal performances from fifteen student singers. The female cast includes sopranos Jessica Blake, Chanae Curtis, Rachel Gollhart, Kara Minton, Brandy Riha and Katie Vargo along with mezzo-soprano Susie Strobel.  Male singers include tenors Jordan Black, Derek Jackenheimer, Chris Sherer and Caleb Stout; baritones Christopher Goffos and Andrew Shaffer; and bass-baritones Bret Cowden and John Fielding.

With scenes from six different operas each evening, the program presents scenes from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute, Donizetti’s Elixir of Love, Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Lehar's The Merry Widow and Verdi's La Traviata.