MUSIC ED GRADS BEGIN THEIR TEACHING CAREERS!

Chris Simmons '11, directs the Marching
Band at Catholic Central H.S. in
Steubenville, OH 

Congratulations to these Music Education graduates, now out in the teaching world!  Here's a brief listing of where some of our graduates are working.  We'd love to hear from other graduates, and hear more information about any of our graduates, recent and not-so-recent!

Rachel Blenman (2010): St. Paul Schools (band director, choir director, junior high general music teacher), Norwalk, Ohio

John Grimm (2011): Hebron Elementary School (K, 1, 2 general music), Lakewood High School (assistant band director), Hebron, Ohio

Erica Koenig (2010): Cleveland State University (studying music therapy), Deepwood School for Children with Disabilities (volunteer), Cleveland, Ohio

Lauren Owens (2010): Olmsted Falls City Schools (K – 5, general), Olmstead Falls, Ohio 

Jessie Rowe (2010): Ruffing Montessori in Rocky River (instrumental), Cleveland, Ohio

Lauren (Salopek) Dickerhoof (2010): St. Peter's School (preschool - 8th grade, general and choral), Mansfield, Ohio

Ali (Savitsky) Harrar (2010): Imagine Penn Hills (K-2, general), Pennsylvania

Chris Simmons (2011): Bishop John King Mussio Elementary and Junior High Schools, and Steubenville Catholic Central High School (instrumental, general, and choral), Steubenville, Ohio

Jim Slike (2011): St. Thomas More, Mary Queen of Peace, Our Lady of Angels, and St. Bridget of Kildare (4^th – 8^th grade band), Immaculate Conception Church (choir director), Cleveland, Ohio

Aly (Slotterbeck) Horn (2011): Perrysburg Junior High School (choral), Perrysburg, Ohio

Dennis Terlaak (2010):  Olmstead Falls Local Schools (beginning band director), Olmstead Falls, Ohio

Graduates can contact us with news items at treed@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.