northwestern university Henry and Leigh

fanfareSPRING 2014 , composer Michael Ehrman, director Fully Staged Chicago Premiere February 20, 22, 26, and 28, 2015

Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music music.northwestern.edu

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fanfare Features Departments spring 2014 Opus 50 THE SOUND(PROOFING) OF MUSIC NOTEWORTHY ...... 2 The music school’s new building Northwestern University presents unique acoustical challenges. . . . 8 STUDENTS ...... 18 Bienen School of Music FACULTY ...... 20 A CHORUS OF APPROVAL The Bienen Contemporary/Early ON THE CONCERT STAGE . . . . .24 Vocal Ensemble is the school’s newest choral group ...... 14 ALUMNI ...... 25

DONORS ...... 32

Dean Photo credits Fanfare is the official magazine Other correspondence Toni-Marie Montgomery Madelaine Adams, Howard Ash, of Northwestern University’s Fanfare Editor, Bienen School Marck Bailey, Lev Berenshteyn, Bienen School of Music. of Music, Northwestern Staff Marco Borggreve, Jiyang Chen, University, 711 Elgin Road, Editor Mimi Dixon, Nelson Fitch, Address changes Evanston, Illinois 60208-1800, Kingsley Day Jesse Itskowitz, Peter Kiar, Director of Development, [email protected] Notes Editor Mark Kitaoka, Rafi Letzter, Bienen School of Music, Marck Bailey Lan Nguyen, Ralf Puder and Northwestern University, ©2014 Northwestern University. Nana Franck, Mimi Ross, 1800 Sheridan Road, All rights reserved. Produced by Designer Anneliese Sloves, Katja Tähjä, Evanston, Illinois University Relations Grace Delcano Al Torres 60208-1200 5-14/10.5M/KD-GD/1633-1

On the cover: Construction continues on the atrium of the Bienen School’s new building (photo by Marck Bailey) noteworthy

Esa-Pekka Salonen Wins 2014 Nemmers Prize

The Bienen School’s 2014 Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize “Esa-Pekka Salonen is not only one of today’s leading in Music Composition has been awarded to Finnish composer composers but one whose stylistic evolution sheds a unique Esa-Pekka Salonen. The biennial $100,000 prize honors con- light on music’s future,” said Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery. temporary composers of outstanding achievement who have “The students of the Bienen School will benefit greatly significantly influenced the from his musicianship and insight, both as a composer field of composition. Also a and conductor. We look forward to his visits to the North­ world-renowned conductor, western campus over the next two years.” Salonen joins the illustrious Trained as a European modernist, Salonen composes list of previous Nemmers works that move freely between contemporary idioms, Prize winners—Aaron Jay combining intricacy and technical virtuosity with playful Kernis (2012), John Luther rhythmic and melodic innovations. His catalog includes Adams (2010), Kaija Saariaho several orchestral works, including Foreign Bodies (2001), (2008), Oliver Knussen commissioned by the Finnish Radio Symphony ; (2006), and (2002), cocommissioned by Tokyo’s Suntory Hall (2004). “It is with great pride and “The possibilities at educational institutions appreciation that I accept the Nemmers Prize this year,” are always intriguing, but the Bienen School’s said Salonen. “The Chicago special amalgam of creativity and merit Symphony Orchestra has long been a musical home away from makes this opportunity even more exciting.” home for me, and I look forward to developing a relationship –Esa-Pekka Salonen with the Northwestern students and faculty. The possibilities at educational institutions are always intriguing, but the Bienen School’s special amalgam of creativity and merit and Hamburg’s Norddeutscher Rundfunk; and makes this opportunity even more exciting.” (2004), which premiered at as a Salonen’s numerous honors include the Pro Finlandia gift from the composer to the Philharmonic. of the of the Lion of Finland and ’s In 2007 Salonen conducted the Litteris et Artibus Medal. In 1998 the French government in the first performance of his , dedicated to named him an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and premiered by Yefim Bronfman. Salonen’s Grawemeyer- and in 2010 the American Academy of Arts and Sciences winning Violin Concerto was premiered by the Los Angeles elected him an honorary member. Salonen was awarded the Philharmonic and in 2009. His Floof, LA prestigious Grawemeyer for Music Composition in Variations, and have become modern classics. 2012 for his Violin Concerto. Three major retrospectives of Currently the principal conductor and artistic adviser of his compositions have been mounted to critical acclaim: at London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Salonen is also the con- Festival Présences in (2011), the Stockholm International ductor laureate of the . Next season Composer Festival (2004), and Musica Nova in Helsinki he will lead the Orchestre de Paris, the Vienna and New York (2003). Philharmonics, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and In addition to the $100,000 cash award, the Nemmers the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Prize includes a Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance of Salonen’s extensive discography includes two 2013 a composition by the winner; the CSO will perform a Salonen releases—Henri Dutilleux’s Correspondences on Deutsche work during its 2015–16 season. The composer will also Grammophon with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio interact with Bienen School students and faculty during four , and a two-disc set of the orchestral works of Witold residencies on the Northwestern campus over the next two Lutosławski on Sony with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. academic years. Salonen’s Nyx and his Violin Concerto were released on

2 with Leila Josefowicz and the Finnish Bienen School Cosponsors Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2012. That same year with Israel Studies Conference that orchestra he recorded 2008 Nemmers Prize winner Kaija Saariaho’s Passion de Simone with soprano Dawn Upshaw. The Bienen School of Music was a cosponsor of Deutsche Grammophon has released a portrait CD of Northwestern’s inaugural Israel Studies Conference, Salonen’s orchestral works as performed by the Finnish “The Zionist Ideal in Israel Culture: Dream and Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer. Reality.” The event took place November 17–19 on Salonen has received Grammy nominations as both the Evanston campus. composer and conductor—in 2009 for his with The opening session featured a performance by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Yefim Bronfman and Tel Aviv University’s MultiPiano Ensemble (above), in 2007 for his first Los Angeles Philharmonic recording introduced by Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery. The for Deutsche Grammophon (Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring), Bienen School also presented the group in an eve- the first CD recorded at Walt Disney Concert Hall. ning concert as the conference’s concluding event. After studying horn and composition at the Sibelius In addition, the conference’s session on music and Academy in Helsinki, Salonen studied composition with dance was chaired by Inna Naroditskaya, associate Franco Donatoni, Niccolò Castiglioni, and Einojuhani professor of musicology. Rautavaara. In 2010 he received an honorary doctorate from While at Northwestern for the conference, the University of Southern California, recognizing him as a MultiPiano founder and performer Tomer Lev— “preeminent composer, conductor, and advocate of contem- a professor at Tel Aviv University’s Buchmann-Mehta porary music.” School of Music—gave master classes and private The Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Music Com­ lessons. Discussions are under way to explore further position is made possible through bequests from the late collaborations between the two schools. ❚ Erwin Esser Nemmers, a former member of the Northwestern faculty, and his brother, the late Frederic E. Nemmers, who also enabled the creation of the Erwin Plein Nemmers Prize in Economics and the Frederic Esser Nemmers Prize in Mathematics. ❚

fanfare SPRING 2014 3 noteworthy

San Francisco Alumni Concert and Reception

Northwestern’s contributions to the performing arts—a component of “Discover Creative Solutions,” one of the four pillars of the University’s Strategic Plan—were in the spotlight when the Northwestern University Alumni Association and the Bienen School cosponsored “A Night with Northwestern at the San Francisco Symphony” on February 21. Following a concert at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, alumni and friends gathered at a reception with Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery. Eight members of the San Francisco Symphony are Bienen School alumni: associate principal hornist Nicole Cash (98), English hornist Ross deLuna (91), bass trombonist John Engelkes (G80), principal trombonist Timothy Higgins (04), principal percussionist Jacob Nissly (05), trumpeter Guy Piddington (01), and hornists Jonathan Ring (83) and Jessica Valeri (G98, G99). In addition, the orchestra’s director of education is Ron Gallman (G80), and board of governors member Trine Sorensen (parent of a 2013 Northwestern graduate) is a member of the Bienen School of Music Advisory Board. ❚

Top, from left: Dean Montgomery with two alumni members of the San Francisco Symphony—hornist Jessica Valeri and principal trombonist Timothy Higgins, also a member of the Bienen School brass faculty Bottom, from left: Dean Montgomery with Jean Gimbel Lane, her daughter Sharon Lane, and her niece Whitney Miller

Fond Farewell

Richard Van Kleeck retires in June after 13 years as Video Library and developed it into a nationally significant director of concert activities. Looking back on his time archival resource that includes outstanding concerts by Bienen here, he says that “working with our incredibly talented faculty and ensembles as well as master classes by world- students and faculty and our fantastic staff has been an renowned artists. In addition, he coproduced “Music from ongoing privilege and inspiration.” Northwestern,” the radio series on WFMT-FM highlighting Highlights of Van Kleeck’s Bienen School faculty and ensemble performances. tenure include creating the Van Kleeck came to Northwestern after performing widely school’s annual spring festival, as a hornist, teaching at Dartmouth College, and serving as which has brought exciting director of programming at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. diversity to Pick-Staiger both He and his wife, Liz, plan to move back to their home in on stage and in the audience, Louisville, where he will continue to work on projects that and developing the festival’s combine the arts and digital media—developing content, con- original themed concerts sulting on arts programming and presentation, creating new (including Tango­rhythmia, opportunities for artists, presenting live webcasts with artists at Harmonica Convergence, and unique venues, and creating, developing, and programming Clarinetissmo!). He also led the for festivals. ❚ creation of the Davee Online

4 Marco Borggreve Marco

New-Music Conference

The April 26–27 Northwestern University New-Music Conference (NUNC) on the Evanston campus welcomed compos- ers, performers, theorists, and musicologists specializing in new music. Bienen School faculty participants included saxophonist Timothy McAllister, director of choral organizations Donald Nally, musicologist Ryan Dohoney, and composers Lee Hyla, Hans Thomalla, and Jay Alan Yim. Conference events included a master class by composer Brian Ferneyhough, the keynote roundtable “New Music’s Ontological Politics,” and the presentation sessions “Performance Practices and the Tradition of the New” and “Notation, Mediation, and Categorization.” Evening recitals in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall fea- tured and the Mivos Quartet on April 26 and Ensemble Dal Niente, the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal From top: Ensemble Dal Niente, Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble, Nicolas Hodges, and the Mivos Quartet Ensemble, and the Quince Vocal Quartet on April 27. ❚ From top: Mivos Quar- tet, Nicolas Hodges, Ensemble Dal Niente

fanfare SPRING 2014 5 noteworthy

Garrick Ohlsson Wins 2014 Lane Piano Prize

Renowned American pianist , one of the “Garrick Ohlsson is a pianist of exceptional virtuosity, world’s leading exponents of the music of Chopin, is the intellect, and artistry,” said Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery. 2014 recipient of the Bienen School’s $50,000 Jean Gimbel “Mr. Ohlsson has performed several times on campus in Pick- Lane Prize in Piano Performance. The biennial award hon- Staiger Concert Hall. His selection as the winner of the Jean ors who have Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano Performance will be a tremendous achieved the highest gift to Bienen School students and our audiences.” levels of national and Ohlsson’s reputation as a musician of superb interpretive international recog­ and technical prowess has kept him in great demand inter- nition. Previous nationally. His performance itinerary has recently taken him winners are Murray to Sweden, Brazil, Hong Kong, Australia, Hungary, and the Perahia (2012), Yefim United Kingdom. During the 2013–14 season he performed Bronfman (2010), with the of Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Cleveland. He has recently given recitals in (2008), and Richard Montreal, , San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Goode (2006). and Kansas City, culminating in a program Each Jean Gimbel in February that featured works by Beethoven, Schubert, Lane Prize winner and Chopin as well as excerpts from his recent recording spends two to three of music by Griffes. Ohlsson has also appeared with the nonconsecutive Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the orchestras of Dallas, weeks in residency Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Houston, and Baltimore. at the Bienen School, engaging with students and the public Ohlsson was featured in the documentary The Art of Chopin, in master classes, coaching, and lectures. coproduced by Polish, French, British, and Chinese tele­vision, The winner also performs and in a DVD of his a public recital on campus; performance of the Ohlsson’s recital will take place “I look forward to stimulating interactions with the two Chopin . at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall students at the Bienen School of Music. For me, this In addition to cycles on January 29, 2016. is a wonderful intensification of many appearances of the complete piano “I’m honored and delighted works in New York, in the Chicago area.” –Garrick Ohlsson to receive the 2014 Jean Gimbel London, Paris, and Lane Prize in Piano Perfor­ Toronto, Ohlsson mance,” said Ohlsson. “It’s a pleasure to join the distinguished has performed all-Chopin programs at the Ravinia and group of colleagues who have received this award. I look Tangle­wood Festivals as well as in Taipei, Beijing, Sydney, forward to stimulating interactions with the students at the and Melbourne. Bienen School of Music. For me, this is a wonderful intensi- An avid chamber musician, Ohlsson has collaborated fication of many appearances in the Chicago area, both down- with the Cleveland, Emerson, Takács, and Tokyo Quartets, town in recital and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra among other ensembles. With violinist Jorja Fleezanis and and numerous visits to Ravinia.” cellist Michael Grebanier, he is a founding member of the A previous recipient of the 1994 Avery Fisher Prize, the San Francisco–based FOG Trio. He has appeared in recital 1998 University Musical Society Distinguished Artist Award, with Magda Olivero, , and Ewa Podles. and a 2008 Grammy Award, Ohlsson is known for his mas- Ohlsson has recorded for the Arabesque, RCA Victor terly performances of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert as well Red Seal, Angel, BMG, Delos, Hänssler, Nonesuch, Telarc, as the romantic repertoire. He has at his command more than and labels. His 10-disc set of the complete 80 concertos ranging from Haydn and Mozart to 21st-century Beethoven sonatas for Bridge Records has garnered crit- works, many commissioned for him. ical acclaim, and its third volume won a Grammy Award. In 2008 Hyperion reissued his 16-disc set of the com- plete works of Chopin. More recently Hyperion released

6 Ohlsson’s recordings of the complete Brahms piano variations, Granados’s Goyescas, and music by Griffes. The latest CDs in his ongoing association with Bridge Records are two Liszt and Close Connections, a recital of 20th-century works. A native of White Plains, New York, Ohlsson began piano studies at age 8 and entered the at age 13. Although he won first prizes in ’s 1966 Busoni Competition and the 1968 Montreal Piano Competition, it was his 1970 Gold Medal at the International Chopin Competition in that brought him worldwide recog­ nition as one of the finest pianists of his generation. His musical development has been influenced by a succession of distinguished teachers, notably , Olga Barabini, Tom Lishman, Sascha Gorodnitzki, Rosina Lhévinne, and Irma Wolpe. The prize is made possible by a generous gift from Ned@90 Celebrates Composer 1952 Northwestern graduate Jean Gimbel Lane and the Ned Rorem late Honorable Laurence W. Lane Jr. ❚ The Bienen School’s Institute for New Music celebrated the 90th birthday of composer and Northwestern alumnus Bienen Junior on Wheel of Fortune Ned Rorem October 10–11 with the two-day festival Ned@90. Featured Bienen School faculty members included - Emily Fagan, a junior major- ists Steven Cohen and J. Lawrie Bloom, saxophonist Timothy ing in performance, was McAllister, flutist John Thorne, trumpeter Robert Sullivan, a contestant in the April 8 baritone W. Stephen Smith, pianist James Giles, and conduc- episode of ABC’s Wheel of tor Donald Nally with the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Fortune as part of the show’s Ensemble. Joining them as guest artists were pianist Kathryn “College Week.” She solved Goodson and the Civitas Ensemble. The event included per- the most puzzles and won the formances of Ariel, Picnic on the Marne, Nine Episodes for Four Players, most cash but placed second Four Prayers, Aftermath, and Cries and Whispers, among other Rorem because of the cash value of works. another contestant’s winnings. Hailed by Time magazine as “the world’s best composer Fagan applied for the of art songs,” Rorem has also composed three symphonies, show after her first year four piano concertos, and numerous orchestral, chamber, and at Northwestern and nine choral works. He is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, Fulbright months later was asked to and Guggenheim Fellowships, an ASCAP Deems Taylor submit a video for the next Award, and an ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award. ❚ round of the application process. Her video performance of the Wheel of Fortune theme song led to a live audition—involving practice rounds and a written test—that won her a spot as a contestant. Her episode was filmed in California in February. “It was just so fast paced, and there’s no do-overs,” Fagan told the Daily Northwestern. “It was really kind of a blur. It was an extremely fun time, but it was a lot of thinking, and it went by really fast.” ❚

fanfare SPRING 2014 7 the soundproofing musicof

THE MUSIC SCHOOL’S NEW BUILDING PRESENTS UNIQUE ACOUSTICAL CHALLENGES. BY MARIANNE GOSS “How do you keep sound from going through relatively thin glass? I’ve never seen it done before on a music building.”

—acoustic consultant Joseph Myers

n the early days of construction of the new Music and Communication Building, senior project manager Chris Erickson of Power Construction would hear stu- Idents practicing at adjacent Regenstein Hall of Music. As mellifluous as the sounds may have been, they weren’t music to a contractor’s ears. Soundproofing, Erickson observes, has come “light years” in the less than four decades since Regenstein was built. “The new building has some exotic materials, but what sets it apart are the acoustic fea- tures,” he says, meaning not only how performances sound to listeners but especially how well each of the 99 practice rooms, 35 teaching studios, 12 classrooms, 4 music tech­ nology rooms, and 3 performance halls trap sound. Joseph Myers of the acoustics design firm Kirkegaard Associates is principally responsible for the building’s soundproofing. Before describing the how of the sound isolation, he describes the whys and wherefores: “Sound is vibration in a medium—air or a solid surface. When the energy of vibrating molecules hits a wall, the wall moves, and, like a loudspeaker diaphragm, recreates this sound on the other side. To make a sound inaudible outside the room, we need to get rid of 99.9 percent of the energy. We strive for three things: airtightness—no holes or cracks; mass—the thicker and heavier the surface, the more it resists vibrating; and separation—inefficient contact between what’s vibrating and what it’s in contact with.”

fanfare SPRING 2014 9 EXTERIOR Insulating glass Perforated aluminum shadow box

Heavy aluminum mullion CURTAIN WALL ➤ ➤ Heavy laminated glass Jockey sash RESILIENT INTERIOR Multi-layer gypsum board Multiple layers of gypsum CONSTRUCTIONS below and above window board on isolated studs Fiberglass

PRACTICE ROOM PRACTICE ROOM Kirkegaard Associates Kirkegaard This detail of a practice room shows how the jockey sash windows and exterior insulating glass, with an aluminum and fiberglass shadowbox between them, work to trap sound.

To minimize sound vibration, Myers specified multiple if I thought it couldn’t be done,” he says. “I would have told layers—each room a box within a box, with the inside box not the architect it was impossible if I thought so. I thought the rigidly attached to the outside box. Though scarcely simple, the aesthetic value of more light and connection to the exterior construction of five sides of each box followed Kirkegaard’s was considerable and made it worth the acoustic challenge.” standard practice for a music building. But the sixth side posed With his three-pronged formula for isolating sound, Myers a unique challenge: except for three large performance spaces, could get airtightness but not mass from glass, so “we went for which have an outside cladding of Indiana limestone over con- more separation than normal. Essentially the approach is to crete, most of the building’s exterior is a glass “curtain wall.” have a series of inner windows—the architect calls them ‘jockey The glass exterior was the architect’s response to a request sash’ windows, a term that was new to me—that are resiliently from Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery. Inspired by at separated from the outer curtain wall. The inner windows kiss ’s Appel Room—where a glass wall behind the up to the exterior with rubber gaskets but are structurally sepa- stage overlooks ’s Columbus Circle—she pro- rate from it and from the concrete slabs above and below them.” posed a glass backdrop for the recital hall stage to provide an The jockey sash windows are made of laminated glass that inspiring view of the Chicago skyline. The final design uses Myers describes as “like windshield glass but much heavier. It glass not only for the recital hall but for most of the building’s doesn’t like to vibrate.” A perforated aluminum shadowbox outer walls—a much bigger challenge. with fiberglass insulation sits behind some of the outer glass, “How do you keep sound from going through relatively covering the edges of the walls and slabs. “If a sound wave thin glass?” asks Myers, who’s been in the business 26 years. strikes the jockey sash window, some sound will get into the “I’ve never seen it done before on a music building. In most cavity,” says Myers. “To get out, it would have to travel through music schools, if you’re lucky you may have some punched-out the heavy aluminum mullion through fiberglass through more windows, and many music buildings have no windows in aluminum back through the jockey sash into the adjacent practice rooms because of sound transmission.” room. If I were an eight-foot sound wave, I’d be intimidated.” But Myers embraced the challenge. “I wouldn’t have tried Project architect Patrick Loughran of Goettsch Partners

“There are 70 sheets of gypsum board, about 4,000 pounds, in each practice room. The average single-family home has about 150 sheets in the entire home.”

—senior project manager Chris Erickson

10 TRADITIONAL CURTAIN WALL DOUBLE WALL Goettsch Partners With a traditional curtain wall (left), sound leaves the room. With the inner- and outer-wall system in the new Music and Communication Building, sound will be isolated within the room.

notes that the jockey sash window system fulfills aesthetic sound in the corridors. The administration has been very as well as acoustic requirements. “It is virtually undetectable clear that it wants to hear music within the corridors and from the exterior,” he says. “This allows the facade to appear public spaces—they don’t want it to be sterile.” uniform, even though the rooms behind the facade have Because the rooms aren’t sealed up yet, Erickson is able varying acoustic requirements.” to point out the multiple layers on a walk-through. He com- The other five sides of the box may be standard practice pares the sound isolation techniques to a cellphone on a table: for Kirkegaard Associates’ design of a music building, but they “If you put a cellphone without a case down on a hard surface, aren’t standard practice for most new construction. Instead of it vibrates when it rings. If it’s in a soft case, it’s resiliently a single layer of gypsum board on either side of a wall, there are isolated. You may not hear it vibrating.” two separated studs with several layers of gypsum board on each All of this layering of course means that the building will side and two fiberglass insulating blankets between them. Two cost more and take longer to build than an office building or a tracks on the floor replace the typical single track for studs, and college humanities building. Projected to cost $117 million in felt separates the outer track fastening to the concrete from the all, the building has been under construction since July 2012 inner one holding the studs. The studs are also farther apart and is expected to be finished in spring 2015. “It’s certainly at the bottom than the top, producing slightly sloped walls that premium cost,” says Erickson. “The materials alone—there push the sound up toward the absorptive ceiling. A squishy are 70 sheets of gypsum board, about 4,000 pounds, in each acoustic sealant makes for an inefficient sound-transmitting practice room. The average single-family home has about connection of walls to floor and ceiling. 150 sheets in the entire home. That’s an immense amount For the floors, rubber pads—which do not transmit sound of gypsum board.” efficiently—are laid on top of the concrete slab, covered by two “The practice rooms have four times as much building layers of ¾-inch plywood and then the top layer of flooring. material in the same space as a normal office, which would have For the ceiling, gypsum board and fiberglass blanket layers a single-stud wall and a layer of gypsum board on either side,” separate the concrete slab from the visible wire-hung tile. adds Myers. So, will four times the usual amount be enough The teaching studios, where faculty will work one-on-one to achieve his goal of isolating 99.9 percent of the sound? with students, will have the highest level of sound isolation, “I wish I were answering when it’s finished,” says Myers, the practice rooms slightly less. “A little awareness of low-level “but, yes, I believe we will achieve it.” ❚ background sound we think is desirable in the practice rooms so that students won’t feel they’re in bunker-like isolation from Marianne Goss is a senior editor in the Department of University Relations. their community,” explains Myers. “And you will hear low-level

fanfare SPRING 2014 11 12 UNITED KINGDOM retractable seats in cables for the CANADA opera hall custom air handlers glass wall SOUTH KOREA SPAIN ITALY aluminum extrusion limestone Shivakashi granite fabrication and Indiana limestone, glass, theatrical support fabrication painting rigging, lobby skylight, steel, wood

MEXICO curtain wall WEST AFRICA assembly wood veneer in recital halls INDIA Shivakashi SINGAPORE COLOMBIA granite design support of seats in recital hall materials curtain wall

AUSTRALIA raw aluminum materials for curtain wall A TRULY GLOBAL BUILDING

To a layperson, the choice of materials for the materials wherever possible and rare Nowhere are the components more crit­ new Music and Communication Building may materials for a few critical components. ical than in the unique glass curtain wall on seem to pose conflicting goals: a dramatic Their exterior walls are clad with Indiana the building’s exterior. The high-performance architectural statement and unprecedented limestone by Illinois Masonry of Chicago, acoustical facade was manufactured by an acoustical performance meant looking all over and the steel beams, catwalks, and stairs international curtain wall company, Benson the world for materials, but LEED certification come from Waukegan Steel. Under the Industries, based in Portland, Oregon, and meant looking close to home. To project archi­ thin veneer of African moabi wood on the the curtain wall’s design and fabrication tect Patrick Loughran of Goettsch Partners, walls of the recital and choral halls is Forest were completed across the globe. Altogether, there was just one goal: “the right balance of Stewardship Council–certified wood from the glass wall represents five countries: the local and imported materials.” the United States. “The African wood is just design, Singapore and the United States; raw The US Green Building Council a small fraction of the wood used in the final aluminum, Australia; aluminum extrusion LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environ­ panels,” says senior project manager Chris fabrication and painting, South Korea; glass, mental Design) points for using materials Erickson of Power Construction, whose job the United States; and, finally, assembly in extracted from, processed, and manufactured involves not only overseeing construction , where all of those materials were put within 500 miles of the project. The new but also procuring the materials for the together into unitized sections before being building looks to exceed LEED gold standards, new building. Loughran also notes that to shipped to the construction site. and, for most needs, regional sources met the build the walls and ceilings of the recital hall, “The materials traveled the world to get highest architectural as well as environmental “the most renowned craftsman in the world” here,” says Erickson. “What we’ll have is a standards. “But we reached beyond local bor­ —Imperial Woodworking—was found right truly global building—with LEED certification.” ders for a few critical components in order to in suburban Palatine. —Marianne Goss achieve the aesthetic and performance wishes Another blend of regional and inter­ of the University,” says Loughran. “World- national sources will make for a dramatic class buildings require world-class materials.” first impression in the lobby. The skylight is The three performance spaces—the from a Milwaukee firm, Super Sky; the floor recital, opera, and choral halls—are prime of Shivakashi granite was quarried in India examples of using regionally sourced and cut in Italy into irregular pieces to be fit together like a puzzle.

fanfare SPRING 2014 13 A Chorus of Approval

he Bienen School’s first so as to make way for a new ensemble large ensemble was a chorus. devoted to music dating from before TPeter Christian Lutkin founded 1700 and after approximately 1975. the Men’s Glee Club in 1891—his first Nally conducts both BCE and the Uni- year as head of Northwestern’s music versity Chorale; his faculty colleague conservatory, and four years before Emily Ellsworth leads the University the conservatory became the School Singers. of Music with Lutkin as dean. Why a new ensemble? “Because a Over the decades the school’s choral primary focus of our program is post- ensembles have multiplied and evolved modern choral music,” Nally explains. under a series of distinguished directors. “That includes minimalism and post- Lutkin founded the celebrated A Cappella minimalism and an incredibly eclectic Choir, which flourished from 1907 to stylistic palette from composers all over 1970—including 15 years under George the world whom we can now access with

“WHILE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE WESTERN CANON, THE MUSIC OF TODAY SHOULD BE THE FIRST PLACE WE START PROGRAMMING.” —Donald Nally

Howerton, who in 1951 became the ease. While we have a responsibility to school’s fourth dean. That ensemble was the Western canon, the music of today superseded by the Concert Choir under should be the first place we start pro- Margaret Hillis, who left Northwestern gramming.” Why the name? “I wanted to in 1977 to become the first director of find an initialism that was catchy (in this the Chicago Symphony Chorus. Early case all e vowels), included the name of in his 35-year tenure, her successor, the school, and could mean a number of Robert A. Harris, established the Uni- things: Is it Before the Common Era (in versity Chorale and University Singers musical practice)? Beyond the Common as the school’s primary choruses. Era (today)? It’s all of those!” Those two groups are still going Nally came to Northwestern with a strong, but now there’s a new choir on wide range of experience in opera, pro- the block: the Bienen Contemporary/ fessional choruses, and academia. He Early Vocal Ensemble. Many college had served as chorus master for Italy’s choruses are devoted to early music, Festival, , and some to new music, but BCE’s , and the Opera dual focus may be unique in American Company of Philadelphia. Until recently academia. the music director of Cincinnati’s Vocal BCE is the brainchild of Donald Arts Ensemble, Nally has also led the Nally, the latest in Northwestern’s illus- Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia and trious line of choral conductors. Upon Philadelphia’s Bridge Ensemble and joining the faculty in 2012, he chose continues as founding director of The not to continue the University Chorus— Crossing, a Philadelphia-based profes- a joint University-community group— sional chamber choir focused on new

14 Donald Nally’s Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble writes a new A Chorus of Approval chapter in the illustrious history of Northwestern choruses. BY KINGSLEY DAY

Donald Nally (far left) with composer and the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble in a rehearsal at Alice Millar Chapel

fanfare SPRING 2014 15 music. He previously taught at West as the chorus in the opera program’s I make sure that BCE joins University Chester University and the University acclaimed Chicago-area premiere of Chorale so that we have a symphonic of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath, choir experience with the Western where he earned his doctorate in with Nally as chorus master. He and canon. It wouldn’t be responsible to choral . Michael Ehrman, director of opera, allow any students to spend most of their During his four years as Lyric Opera plan to continue this arrangement with university choral experience in BCE and chorus master, Nally realized that he a major-chorus opera every other year; graduate without having sung Brahms!” wanted to return to teaching. “I wanted next up is Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking The response of students in BCE to teach graduate students who share an in winter 2015. has been overwhelmingly positive. A interest in the variety of ensembles I Another Nally goal was “introducing typical reaction is that of graduate voice have led and also have the entrepreneur- students to new repertoire that they major Kyle Sackett: “We have the incred- ial spirit to create their own musical might not otherwise have come across— ible opportunity to sing repertoire off home, which I’ve done with The Cross- not just here at Northwestern, but any- the beaten path of a typical collegiate ing and previously did with the Bridge where.” This objective led directly to choir and play a part in the exposure of Ensemble,” says Nally. He also hoped the creation of BCE, which has recently up-and-coming composers and compo- “to convey all sorts of ideas about pro- programmed such contemporary sitional techniques. This ensemble, gramming and contemporary music, works as David Lang’s Pulitzer-winning without a doubt, has provided the most which are big issues for me, and also to The Little Match Girl Passion, Ted Hearne’s fulfilling musical experiences of my pass on my experiences with symphonic Ripple, Wolfgang Rihm’s Astralis in its Northwestern career.” Nally sees choral singing as an “THIS ENSEMBLE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, HAS PROVIDED THE MOST FULFILLING invaluable part of a singer’s education. MUSICAL EXPERIENCES OF MY NORTHWESTERN CAREER.” “Let’s face it, there’s very little chance —Kyle Sackett, graduate voice major that their first professional job is going to be singing a role on an opera stage,” choruses, opera houses, and the world US premiere, and James MacMillan’s he explains. “There’s a great chance that of professional music making.” After St. John Passion in its Midwest premiere. their first professional job is going to leaving Lyric, he returned to Phila­ Lang, who visited campus for BCE’s per- be singing in a church choir or an opera delphia to work with The Crossing, formance of his work in January, is now chorus. But that’s only a part of the “hoping that the right university situa- composing a substantial new choral work purpose of ensemble work. The main tion would come up.” And indeed it for BCE—one of two Bienen School reasons for ensemble work are its collab- did, bringing Nally back to the Chicago commissions to celebrate the opening orative nature—the value of community area as the Bienen School’s director of of the school’s new building. Nally music making—and the acquisition of choral organizations. reports that BCE’s singers welcome this stylistic and musical skills that are often Given his previous positions with new music. “They don’t struggle with it, not required in solo singing. There are major opera houses, it is no surprise they don’t struggle against it; they seem so many aspects to what our work does that one of Nally’s initial goals at North- to really get it. It’s their music, music for the students’ education.” western was “making a strong alliance written for their time.” Conducting BCE and Chorale is between studio voice instruction, opera, The ensemble’s mix of recent only one facet of Nally’s Northwestern and the choral program. Together, we and early music has brought out many responsibilities. In addition to teaching are curating young people’s voices on connections between the two eras. the choral-conducting segment of the three different levels, and that’s a big “Interestingly enough, though not by three-quarter Advanced Conducting responsibility. They’re young, and they coincidence,” says Nally, “the music of class, he mentors four graduate students want to do everything, and we’d like the medieval and renaissance periods has (two master’s and two doctoral), meeting them to have every opportunity, but you highly influenced what composers in our with them twice weekly in a year-round can’t sing seven hours a day. So these postexperimental period are doing.” But graduate seminar. “We work together three faculty contingents communicate BCE’s focus on early and contemporary every single day,” says Nally, who teaches often on this topic, to the benefit of all.” music isn’t exclusive; students also gain them “conducting, analysis, standard That cooperation quickly bore fruit in familiarity with the standard choral rep- repertoire, and new repertoire. We 2013 when the University Chorale served ertoire. “At least a couple of times a year talk a lot about what the composer is

16 “I FEEL REALLY FORTUNATE THAT I’M ABLE TO DO MY WORK AT THE LEVEL I CAN AND WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE CAPABLE OF DOING IT AT THE LEVEL I ENVISION.” —Donald Nally

intending, both in the sound and in multifaceted life of a professional choral Nally appreciates his good fortune. content, the music’s emotional quality conductor. “I was in West Virginia over “Having come here by such a circuitous and meaning. the weekend, and I’m going to Phila­ route, not knowing that it would lead “That’s the art stuff; but then how delphia on Friday, and I’m there for here, not necessarily having this as my do you really run an ensemble? So I also three days, because The Crossing is goal years ago, having lived and worked teach programming, planning, hiring going to Carnegie Hall in two weeks,” in many places in the world, I feel that (and firing), and marketing. We discuss he noted in February. “I’m also the it’s truly a gift to be in a place where I every aspect, from seating charts to chorus master of the Chicago Bach am supported by faculty and administra- maintaining vocal health to raising Project here—the eminent conductor tion and staff,” he says. “And it is a daily money. And what’s your niche? How do leads one of the three great gift to come to work with students who you, as a graduate student, determine Bach choral masterworks each year, and have such a desire to learn and are so who you are right now as an artist and we work with an incredibly high level open to new ideas. I feel really fortunate the direction you’re headed? I make it of singers. And The Crossing—they’re that I’m able to do my work at the level I clear to students that they’re not here to miraculous; I don’t know how they do can and with people who are capable of learn how to be university professors, what they do! So my professional career doing it at the level I envision. This is though they’ll be really good ones if they informs everything I do, in terms of my exactly the right place for me; BCE has choose that path; they will know all that’s expectations of singers—what I know I had tremendous success here, and its required of an academic position, plus can offer them, but also as a demonstra- mission is a great marriage with our everything else you need to run a profes- tion of what the life of a working artist Institute for New Music. And University sional ensemble. I imagine that half of entails. It really is that you leave on Chorale offers me the opportunity to them will go directly to a university job Friday night and have eight hours of work on the Western canon, which had and half of them will decide to create rehearsal in another city and you fly back been absent from my life for a decade. their own ensembles, their own niches.” on Tuesday morning, teach a class at The grad students in the choral program Nally gives his graduate students noon and then rehearse the entire week are of exemplary caliber. With the numerous opportunities to conduct the for a concert with a visiting orchestra school’s reputation and academic stan- school’s major choral ensembles. “I work from Germany the following Tuesday dards, all of those things just led to with them as if it were a master class; the night, and then you get back on a plane the conclusion ‘This is great.’ And it’s ensembles are very generous with the on Wednesday, have one more rehearsal turned out to be true. I love my job.” ❚ graduate conductors, and the interaction for Carnegie Hall, and the next night with the students is awesome. I try to get you’re in New York, and then you fly Kingsley Day is a senior editor in the Department of University Relations. each grad student conducting at least back the following day and resume half an hour every week. That’s a really teaching. I think students actually learn + To learn about the activities of the Bienen great part of our program; in a larger a lot from that—you have to be on, School’s choral ensembles, visit the program’s program, you might get a quarter of all the time.” new website at www.northwesternchoirs.org. the podium time we get here.” As someone who stepped down as Though Nally insists “I won’t call chorus master for one of the world’s myself a role model,” his ongoing career leading opera houses in hopes that the offers a vivid demonstration of the right teaching situation would appear,

fanfare SPRING 2014 17 students

Matt Amedio, a master’s Sun Chang, a freshman piano student article “Play It Again Billy, But This Time saxophone student of of Alan Chow and dual-degree student with More Mistakes: Divergent Improvi- Tim McAllister and a in the Weinberg College of Arts and sation Activities for the Jazz Ensemble” Vandoren Emerging Sciences, won first place in the 14- to appeared in the March 2014 Music Educators Artist, competed in New 18-year-old category of the 2013 Seattle Journal, and his chapter “Improvisation York City’s 2013 Concert International Piano Festival competition. and Music Teacher Education” will be Artists Guild Competi- She was also honored for “best perfor- published in the forthcoming Volume for tion with his quartet, Project Fusion, mance of a work by J. S. Bach” and Society for Music Teacher Education (Rowman which made the competition finals. named the “most promising artistic & Littlefield). talent” and “teacher’s favorite.” Kimberly Ankney, a doctoral candidate in Hillary Hempel, a master’s music education, has been hired as assis- Jon Corin, a freshman violin student of Almita tant professor and director of music edu- dual-degree student Vamos, won the string cation at Christopher Newport University majoring in mathematics division of the 2013 in Newport News, and saxophone as a stu- Union League Civic and Virginia, beginning this dent of Tim McAllister, Arts Foundation fall. In March she copre- performed Villa-Lobos’s Competition. sented “New Approaches Fantasia in an October to Teaching Improvisa- broadcast of the National Public Radio Sara Jones, a doctoral tion in Classrooms or program From the Top. candidate in music edu- Ensemble Settings at Any cation, gave the presen- Level of Instruction” with fellow music Caitlin Finnie, a sopho- tation “In the Deep End education doctoral student Daniel Healy more voice student, won with Formally Taught in the New Directions Conference at first place in the Music Band Students” at the Michigan State University. In April, Theater Competition of National Association for Ankney presented “Teacher Noticing of the Chicago Chapter of Music Education conference in St. Louis Student Thinking in Improvisation” at the National Association in April. Her article “Teaching Students the National Association for Music Edu- of Teachers of Singing, with Disabilities: A Review of Music Edu- cators biannual conference in St. Louis. division 6, in March. Alyssa Giannetti, cation Research as It Relates to the Indi- also a sophomore, received honorable viduals with Disabilities Education Act” Sandra Bailey, a junior mention in the same competition. Both will be published soon in Update: Applications student, won are students of Pamela Hinchman. of Research in Music Education. second place in the 2014 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Daniel Healy, a doctoral Sherry Kim, a senior piano student of Competition at its student in music edu­ Alan Chow, was admitted as a student annual symposium in cation, copresented and performer at the Aspen Music Festival Round Top, Texas. The “Implications of a and School last summer. prize included a cash award of $5,000. Free Musical Improvi­ sation Class for Music EunAe Lee, a graduate student of James Chad Carter, a sophomore majoring Teacher Education” Giles, won third prize in the 2014 Hilton in classical guitar and German, was with fellow music education doctoral Head International Piano Competition. awarded a Northwestern undergraduate candidate Kimberly Ankney in the 2013 research grant to research punk music Symposium for the Society for Music in Hamburg, Germany. Teacher Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His

18 MTNA PIANO COMPETITIONS Julia Shaw, a doctoral candidate in music edu- Three piano students of Alan Chow distinguished themselves in Music Teachers National cation, will begin her Association piano competitions in March. Doctoral student Xia Jiang was named first-prize new position as assistant winner of MTNA’s Steinway Young Artists Competition; he and senior Sherry Kim were two of professor of music the seven finalists—the first time in the competition’s history that two students from the same education at Ohio State school made the national finals in the same category. Jiang previously won the MTNA’s Illinois University this fall. State and East Central Division young artist competitions, and Kim previously won in the Nevada State and Southwest Division. In the senior category the seven national finalists included fresh- man Sun Chang, a dual-degree Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences student, who previously won the Illinois State and East Central division senior competitions.

Elisa Sutherland (left), a master’s voice student, won first prize at the Madison From left: Xia Jiang, Sherry Kim, (Wisconsin) Early Music Festival’s Sun Chang inaugural Handel Aria Competition last July. Alison Wahl, a doctoral voice student, was runner-up. Both study Igor Lipinski, a doctoral Gretchen Snedeker Prize for best perfor- with Pamela Hinchman. piano student of Alan mance of Tim Martin’s Lament. Chow, gave a recital last Jason D. Thompson, a October for the Chopin Carolyn O’Brien, a doctoral student in doctoral candidate in Society of Chicago at music composition, was named a fellow music education, was the Pianoforte Salon as well by the MacDowell Artist Colony in Peter­ invited choral clinician as a radio recital as part borough, New Hampshire. She was in for the 2013 High School of the “Live from WFMT” series. In residence at the colony last fall to work All-County Chorus November he gave a special recital cele- on several pieces for her doctoral recital. of North Carolina’s brating Poland’s Independence Day at Winston Salem–Forsyth County schools. the Polish Consulate General in Chicago, Joan Arnau Pàmies, a doctoral student in and in January he presented a recital and composition, wrote the essay “Noise- Conner VanderBeek, a fourth-year dual- lecture for the Chicago chapter of the Interstate(s): toward a subtextual formal- degree student in music composition and International Women Associates. In ization,” published in the book Noise In South Asian studies, has been awarded February he was a soloist with the Butler and As Music (University of Huddersfield a prestigious Beinecke Scholarship. County (Pennsylvania) Symphony Press, 2013). Orchestra in Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody Claire Werling, a master’s on a Theme of Paganini. Adam Michael Rothenberg, a double major clarinet student of Steven in mathematics and piano performance Cohen, performed the Ryan Little, a junior horn student of Gail and a student of James Giles, received the Copland Clarinet Con- Williams, won second prize in the univer- Academic Excellence Award from North- certo with the North- sity division of the 2013 International western’s European Humanities Program western University Horn Competition of America in Louis- last fall. He spent the fall quarter in Symphony Orchestra this ville. He also received the competition’s Copenhagen, where he took courses at spring as a winner of the 2014 Northwest- the Royal Danish Academy of Music. ern University Concerto Competition.

fanfare SPRING 2014 19 faculty

Stephen Alltop (conducting and ensembles) Karen Brunssen (voice and opera) was Orchestra. He per- led a series of 2013 concerts and record­ the 2013 recipient of Luther College’s formed recitals this ing sessions devoted to the music of Weston Noble Award in recognition year on Brevard’s Stephen Paulus with of her distinguished “1st Monday” concert the Apollo Chorus of achievements in voice series as well as at the Chicago and mem- and opera. Brunssen University of South bers of the Chicago taught last summer at Carolina, the Texas Chamber Musicians. the Castleton (Virginia) Clarinet Colloquium, and the Costa In September, Alltop Music Festival and Rica Clarinet Festival. prepared the chorus served a teaching resi- for Bach’s St. John Passion for the opening dency with the Zürcher Sing-Akademie Drew Edward Davies (musicology) has concert of the International Beethoven at Zurich’s Tonhalle. Currently the compiled Catálogo de la Colección de Música Festival in Chicago. In February he Central Region governor-elect of the del Archivo Histórico de la Arquidiócesis de conducted the world premiere of Joseph National Association of Teachers of Durango, published Schwantner’s Chapel Music: Five Diverse Songs Singing, she gave presentations and in Mexico City last for Chorus and Orchestra, commissioned master classes for the Ohio Buckeye November by the to celebrate the 50th anniversary of and Tennessee NATS chapters as well National Autonomous Alice Millar Chapel. Over the last year as master classes at Tennessee’s Austin University of Mexico’s Alltop has performed organ recitals Peay University and Chicago’s Merit Instituto de Investiga­ in Wisconsin and at the Netherlands’ School of Music. Recent performances ciones Estéticas and the Bovenkerk as well as a harpsichord have included Alexander Nevsky with the Association for the Support and Devel­ recital in Wisconsin. Last winter he Rockford Symphony and Bach Cantatas opment of Archives and Libraries of presented “Musical Mysteries, Masters, 130, 79, 150, and 43 with the Grace Mexico. The book includes a complete and Masterworks,” a 10-lecture series Cantata Series. catalog of the sheet music collection of for Northwestern’s Alumni Continuing Mexico’s Durango Cathedral as well as Education Series. Alltop is enjoying Mark J. Butler (music an essay on the characteristics of the rep- his first season as music director and theory and cogni- ertoire and the criteria for the catalog. conductor of the Champaign-Urbana tion) presented his Symphony Orchestra; a February con- research at Harvard Bernard J. Dobroski (music studies) cert featured faculty colleague James University as part of its was recently appointed Giles (piano) as soloist in a Mozart Sawyer Seminar series a life member of . “Hearing Modernity.” the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Linda Phyllis Austern (musicology) is Alan Chow (piano) was a visiting asso- Center board of the author of two recently published ciate professor of piano at Oberlin directors. He recently articles: “Music and Manly Wit in Conservatory for the completed his fourth Seventeenth-Century fall semester. Recent three-year term as a member of the England: The Case of performances have Illinois Arts Council music panel. the Catch” in Concepts included a solo recital of Creativity in Seventeenth at Arkansas’s John Ryan Dohoney (musicology) recently gave Century England (Boydell Brown University and the presentations “How to Sound Gay: Press, 2013) and appearances with the A Conversation with David Halperin” “Women, Gender, and Fort Smith (Arkansas) and St. Joseph at the American Musicological Society Music” in The Ashgate Research Companion (Missouri) Symphony Orchestras. annual meeting in Pittsburgh and to Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe “Whitehead’s Process, Music’s Reality” (Ashgate, 2013). Her review of Steven Cohen (clarinet) continues as at the conference “Sound and Affect, Christopher R. Wilson’s Shakespeare’s principal clarinet with the Brevard Voice, Music, World” at New York’s Musical Imagery recently appeared in (North Carolina) Music Center Stony Brook University. His recently Shakespeare Quarterly.

20 published writings DC; ACDA’s Southwestern Division Center, in January include articles in New in Little Rock, Arkansas; the New with the Jazz at Lincoln York Collaborations: The York State School Music Association Center Orchestra Color of Vowels (Palgrave, conference in Rochester; and South featuring Branford 2013) and Tomorrow Is the Dakota State University. She served Marsalis. Goines and Question: New Approaches to as guest clinician for festivals at JLCO have recently Experimental Music Studies Concordia University and Indiana’s performed with Chick (, 2014) as well Valparaiso University and St. Mary’s Corea and Chorale le Chateau in as several entries in The Grove Dictionary College. Ellsworth prepared children’s addition to touring extensively with of American Music and Musicians (Oxford choruses for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s in the United States, University Press). and the Chicago Bach Project’s Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, St. Matthew Passion. Germany, and France. Goines’s recent Michael Ehrman (director of opera) arranging credits include Flight to Russia directed his 19th production of La James Giles (piano) recently returned for Ahmad Jamal and JLCO, The Duke Bohème last August for the National from Russia, where he performed in for Wynton Marsalis and JLCO, and Symphony Orchestra Glinka Hall with the Helplessly Hoping for Crosby, Stills and of the Dominican St. Petersburg Chamber Nash and JLCO. In November, Goines Republic in Santo Philharmonic and appeared at the Music Institute of Domingo. Featuring recorded Timothy Chicago’s two-day Benny Goodman alumnus Evan Boyer Dunne’s Piano Festival. His recent recordings include (07) as Colline, the Concerto with that Morning Swing (Rosemary Joseph Records) production was a ensemble. He recently and Bolden (with Wynton Marsalis), national event, shown live across the performed with the Champaign-Urbana commemorating trum- country in movie theaters and on Symphony Orchestra and played recit- peter Buddy Bolden. television. In October, Ehrman was als in Florida, California, and North appointed director of the Bonfils- Carolina. Last fall he gave master Robert Hasty (conducting and ensembles) Stanton Artists Training Program at the classes in Shanghai and Hong Kong. completed a successful first season as Central City (Colorado) Opera, where Giles plays regularly with the Chicago music director and conductor of the this summer he will stage Bernstein’s Chamber Musicians and with members Kenosha (Wisconsin) Trouble in Tahiti; he will be in residence of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Symphony Orchestra. at Central City for 10 weeks each sum- Last September he mer to teach classes and administer the Robert Gjerdingen (music theory and conducted former stu- program. Among the 2014 young artists cognition) gave lectures recently at dents of Bienen School chosen for this exclusive program are the University of faculty members Roland current Bienen students Kelsey Park Chicago, the University and Almita Vamos in the and Ethan Simpson and alumni Evan of Michigan, the gala “Vamos Celebration” at Chicago’s Bravos (13), Julie Tabash (11, G13), University of Texas, Orchestra Hall. As artistic director of and Sofia Troncoso (13, WCAS13). , and orchestras for the International Schools the University of Choral Music Society, he recently per- Emily Ellsworth California, Berkeley, formed at Beijing’s Forbidden City (conducting and where he spoke about his recent Concert Hall, where he collaborated ensembles) served as research into the methods of old con- with two-time Grammy-winning com- guest conductor of servatories in Italy and France, espe- poser Christopher Tin. Hasty contin- honor choirs at the cially with regard to teaching harmony. ues to play fiddle in the band led by American Choral his wife, singer-songwriter Christina Directors Association’s Victor Goines (jazz studies) performed Trulio, including a December perfor- Voices United Festival for Delaware, the world premiere of his Crescent mance in Newport Beach, California. Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, City, commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln

fanfare SPRING 2014 21 faculty

Maud Hickey (music education) gave a Christopher Madsen (jazz Nally is chorus master for the Chicago keynote presentation last October at studies) performed last Bach Project, which performed Bach’s the National Urban Music Leadership September at the Hyde St. Matthew Passion in April. Conference in Little Park Jazz Festival and Rock, Arkansas. She also performed and Andrew Raciti (double was a visiting scholar was interviewed on bass) continues to serve at the University of WDCB-FM’s program as assistant principal Dayton in November, Chicago Jazz Revealed. In November he was bass in the Milwaukee spending two days a clinician-director for the Illinois Music Symphony Orchestra giving lectures to music Education Association’s District 3 Jazz and will become act- school undergraduate and graduate Festival in Bloomington. In December, ing principal bass next students as well as working with public with the Bob Lark Alumni , year. In April he appeared with the school students in various composition Madsen performed and recorded a Minnesota Orchestra. Working with and improvisation activities. Hickey CD (to be released on Jazzed Media members of the Vermeer Quartet, was named to the executive committee later this year) that included two of Raciti wrote the double-bass portion of of the Society for Research in Music his arrangements. The Libertyville a comprehensive string pedagogy and Education, which oversees the research (Illinois) High School Jazz Ensemble curriculum for the Batuta Foundation, activity of the National Association commissioned Madsen to write an which runs a 17,000-member social for Music Education. original composition and performed music program in Colombia. In March it in March. Madsen continues to serve he traveled to Bogota to debut the D. J. Hoek (musicology, head of music as jazz program director for Midwest finished method and lead a three-day library) gave an invited presentation Young Artists. seminar to train teachers from all over last October at the the country. Raciti has given master Ohio Library Council, Rex Martin ( and classes over the past year at Interlochen discussing how changes euphonium) traveled in Arts Academy, where he also adjudi- in copyright, licens- March to Switzerland, cated its annual concerto competition; ing, and technology are where he performed for Midwest Young Artists; and at challenging libraries’ with the Tonhalle Chicago Bass Fest, where he premiered abilities to purchase, Orchestra in Zurich the piano reduction of Zivojin Glisic’s preserve, and lend sound recordings. and taught master Concerto for . He also classes in Bern. served as a judge for the Milwaukee Keven Keys (general music) completed Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Concerto his doctorate in music at Northwestern Donald Nally (director of choral orga- Competition. with the dissertation nizations) continues to lead the pro- “The Effect of Signif­ fessional chamber choir The Crossing, Gerardo Ribeiro (strings) icant Weight Loss on whose recent per- adjudicated and guest the Classically Trained formances include conducted a week of Voice.” Recently Keys two shows with the master classes at the sang the role of Jesus Rolling Stones last July Seattle Young Artists in Bach’s St. Matthew in Philadelphia, the Music Festival last Passion with the Cantata Series at Grace American premiere of March. His additional Lutheran Church in River Forest, John Luther Adams’s master classes over the last year included Illinois, and was heard as soloist with concert-length Canticles of the Holy Wind last visits to DePaul University, Calgary’s Chicago’s Music of the Baroque in September, the group’s annual appear- Mount Royal University, and Minne­ Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Mozart’s ance at the Metropolitan Museum of sota’s Stringwood Chamber Music Coronation Mass. Art in December, a Carnegie Hall Festival as well as to Guimares and performance with the American Com­ Lisbon, Portugal. Earlier this year, posers Orchestra in February, and Ribeiro traveled to China, where he an appearance with the Los Angeles performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto Philharmonic at Disney Hall in April. with the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra.

22 W. Stephen Smith (voice one of eight master artist-teachers County (California) Honor Band, the and opera) was selected featured in the Yamaha Étude and Exercise Missouri All-State Band, and the Ball as a New Horizon Book for (Carl Fischer, 2013). State University Conducting Workshop. Faculty member with This March she traveled to Brazil to the Aspen Music Hans Thomalla (music composition and guest conduct the Banda Sinfônica do Festival and School. technology) has been commissioned to Estado de São Paulo at Sala São Paulo Last fall he was invited compose a new opera, Concert Hall. to join the voice faculty at Lyric Opera Kaspar Hauser, that will of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center. In premiere during John Thorne (flute) per- the summers he continues to direct the Freiburg Opera’s formed John Adams’s Northwestern’s Naked Voice Institute 2015–16 season. The Gospel of the Other for Singers and Teachers, an intensive Recently premiered Mary with the Chicago weeklong exploration of the concepts Thomalla works Philharmonic at in his book The Naked Voice: A Wholistic include Wonderblock at the Eclat Festival Ravinia last September. Approach to Singing (Oxford, 2007). In a in Stuttgart last February and Fracking Performances at recent New Yorker article by , for string trio and saxophone at the Northwestern this year have included mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato hailed Gare du Nord in Basel in January. Bach’s Suite in B Minor with the Smith as a “voice guru” who changed In March his two-piano work Noema Northwestern University Chamber the course of her career. was performed as part of the Toronto Orchestra, works by Fine and Reger Symphony Orchestra’s New Creations in the Winter Chamber Music Festival, Robert Sullivan (trum- Festival. Others of his compositions and an appearance in the Institute for pet) gave the North were recently performed at the Radio New Music’s Ned@90, a festival honor- American major France Festival and the Huddersfield ing Ned Rorem. In November he was a orchestra premiere Contemporary Music Festival. He guest artist for the Dana Flute Festival of William Perry’s has been invited to serve as 2014–15 at Ohio’s Youngstown State University, Trumpet Concerto composer in residence at Berlin’s where he performed a recital, gave a with the Cincinnati Wissenschaftskolleg. Over the last lecture, and taught a master class. Also Symphony Orchestra last October. year Thomalla has lectured at Cornell that month, Thorne played with the The work was written for and dedi- University, the University of Toronto, Dempster Street Pro Musica (founded cated to Sullivan’s teacher, Armando the University of Iowa, and Cologne’s by oboe faculty member Michael Henoch) Ghitalla. In December, Sullivan gave Musikhochschule. at Evanston’s SPACE. In April he gave the North American premiere of a master class for the Satoshi Yagisawa’s Trumpet Concerto Mallory Thompson (con- School at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory with Japan’s Kagoshima Joho Wind ducting and ensembles) of Music. Orchestra at Chicago’s Midwest Clinic. appeared as conductor In January he gave the world premiere and clinician in a vari- Peter Webster (pro- of Glen Cortese’s Trumpet Concerto ety of locations across fessor emeritus) was (“Gabriel’s Signal”) with the Greeley the country during the named the National (Colorado) Philharmonic under the summer of 2013. A Association for Music composer’s baton. In March, Sullivan featured guest clinician at conducting Education’s 2014 was guest artist, clinician, and judge at symposiums at the University of North Senior Researcher. the US National Trumpet Competition Texas and the University of Missouri– Considered the highest in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Kansas City, she also served as keynote honor in music education, the award He performed the Böhme Trumpet speaker for the Missouri Bandmasters recognizes Webster’s lifelong contri­ Concerto as featured soloist with the Association Summer Conference and butions to the field through research United States Air Force Band—his first gave a presentation at New Jersey’s and advocacy. appearance with the band since he was Bergen County Music Educators a member in the 1980s. Sullivan was Conference. During the academic year the subject of a featured interview in Thompson has served as guest conduc- the Brass Herald earlier this year and is tor and clinician for the Santa Clara

fanfare SPRING 2014 23 on the concert stage

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES by Richard Van Kleeck Director of Concert Activities

An exciting and enlightening diversity of music, com- bined with an increasingly democratic mixing of music styles, made 2013–14 a concert season to remember. Nothing exemplifies this more than the brilliant solo con- From top left: Habib Koité, Chris Thile, Yehuda Hanani, Eliot Fisk, cert by mandolin virtuoso and 2012 MacArthur Foundation Dover Quartet fellow Chris Thile, who seamlessly melded breathtaking per- formances of music ranging from Bach partitas to bluegrass. A four-day residency by Pulitzer Prize–winning composer The future of the string quartet could not be in better and Northwestern alumnus Joseph Schwantner involved five hands than those of the wonderfully fresh and talented Dover different Bienen ensembles performing eight of his composi- Quartet. The newly crowned winner of the 2013 Banff tions, including the world premiere of Chapel Music: Five Diverse International String Quartet Competition was the highlight Songs for Chorus and Orchestra. of a 2014 Winter Chamber Music Festival that also featured New light was shed on Boccherini, Schubert, Britten, and the outstanding young Parker and Miro String Quartets. Fauré when celebrated guitarist Eliot Fisk was joined by Israeli Malian guitar virtuoso, singer, and griot Habib Koité, cellist Yehuda Hanani in a program offering an intriguing and with a superb ensemble, shared West African music seasoned beautiful combination of timbre and texture. with influences of blues, flamenco, and R&B. Spectacularly complex rhythms underpinned the sounds of the djembe, kamala n’goni, calabash, banjo, keyboard, guitar, and voice in a glorious gumbo of styles. These were only a few of the many wonderful events presented this season at the Bienen School of Music, but they represent the diversity of music that makes attending live performances such a rewarding experience. ❚

24 alumni

1930s BENEDETTI RECEIVES ALUMNI MERIT AWARD including a stint with the NBC Symphony. The American Liszt Margaret Mauer At the 2014 Northwestern Alumni Society honored her with its highest honor, the Silver Medal. Ferguson (33) is Association awards ceremony on 103 years old. Mach has written nine books, April 12 at Chicago’s Union League She lives at regularly contributed reviews and Norwood Club, Victor Benedetti (90, G92) articles to the Chicago Sun-Times, Crossing, a long- received an Alumni Merit Award. and still writes regularly as a con- term care retire- A baritone who has performed sulting editor for Clavier Companion ment community in opera houses around the world, magazine. on Chicago’s northwest side. Benedetti (with Dean Montgomery Ferguson recalls visiting the at left) continues to value his time Century of Progress International 1960s Exposition in 1933 and the at Northwestern and to treasure the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1949, relationships he formed with teachers and fellow students. In particular, Stephen J. Platko (60, G62) dancing at the Aragon Ballroom, he was influenced by his voice teacher, Elizabeth Fischer Monastero; composed Panikhida, based on and watching the building of the his acting teacher, Bud Beyer; his choral director, Robert Harris; and the Eastern Orthodox service, for the Lewis University Chicago expressway system. She other teachers, including Frederick Ockwell, Bruce Hall, and Dominic and her late husband, Burton, Choir in Romeoville, Illinois, Missimi. Outside class, Benedetti participated in the Dolphin Show, the had two children, James and at the request of its director, Nancy. Waa-Mu Show, and independent productions on campus; off campus, Lawrence Sisk (G86). Sisk con- he explored opportunities in professional theater around Chicago. ducted the choir in the work’s Benedetti’s professional career has spanned the country and the April 2013 premiere. Panikhida 1940s globe. While still at Northwestern, he was invited to join the training is scored for a cappella choir in four to eight parts and consists program at Lyric Opera of Chicago, where he first sang roles that he Donald Thompson (46) enjoyed of contemporary settings of would go on to play internationally. Benedetti spent many seasons a 43-year career with North hymns, psalms, and litanies in American Aviation, where he with , where he received the Debut Artist of the the Orthodox choral tradition. worked on the Apollo, Space Year Award for the title role in . His many other roles Shuttle, and International include Escamillo in , the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro, John Sorel Otis Kitchen (G64) is conductor Space Station programs. His in The Consul, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and the title role and Ford emeritus of the Lancaster County (Pennsylvania) Youth Symphony Northwestern education was in . interrupted by World War II, Orchestra, musical director during which he served in the emeritus of the All American US Navy. At Northwestern, Youth Honors Musicians, and Thompson wrote articles for the 1950s teach piano at Regis College in organist emeritus at St. Paul’s Purple Parrot and played lead alto Weston, Massachusetts. A former United Methodist Church in saxophone, which he continued Martha J. Bradley (52), an president of the New England Lancaster. After 60 years as a to do after graduating. Episcopal deacon, was elected Piano Teachers’ Association,­ she musical director, conductor, honorary canon of the cathedral remains active in that organiza- clinician, and teacher, he retired Sheldon Harnick (49) is spotlighted at the Cathedral Church of tion and serves on the board of in 1996, though he remains active in Harbinger Records’ two-CD St. Paul in Springfield, Illinois, the Concord Area Music School as an adjudicator, consultant, Sheldon Harnick: Hidden in November 2012. Association. conductor, organist, and free- Treasures, a collection of 53 of his lance musician. musical theater songs. Issued Wanda Yi Paik Elyse Mach (G59, G65) was in honor of his 90th birthday, (55, G57) was named professor emerita at John P. Boyd (67, G68) conducted the set includes selections from guest soloist in Northeastern Illinois University the Taiwan Wind Ensemble on the 15 Harnick shows, including Rachmaninoff’s after teaching there for 50 years. CD Armenian Dances (Naxos, 2013). the acclaimed musicals Fiddler on Piano Concerto The university also established the Boyd previously conducted the the Roof and She Loves Me and the No. 2 at a Elyse J. Mach Music Scholarship Indiana State University Faculty Pulitzer Prize–winning Fiorello! November in her honor. An award-winning Winds, ISU Wind Orchestra, The album features a 60-page concert by the pianist, teacher, and author, and Kent State University Wind booklet with extensive notes by Sounds of Stow (Massachusetts) Mach performed throughout Ensemble on the CD Fanfare, Harnick himself. Orchestra. Paik continues to Europe and the United States, Capriccio and Rhapsody (Naxos, 2011).

fanfare SPRING 2014 25 alumni

1970s served as guest conductor with the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Robert Franzblau (G85) has served as director Belva Prather (G70), a music Wind Symphony in the world of bands and professor of music at Rhode Island professor at Missouri State premiere of his Homage to the College since 1997 and is also the music director for University, was inducted into Dream at the Texas Bandmasters the 45-member Rhode Island Wind Ensemble. His the Missouri Bandmasters Hall Association Convention in San first book, So You Want to Be a Music Major: A Guide for High Antonio. The work commem- of Fame last June and into School Students, Their Parents, Guidance Counselors, and Teachers, the Missouri Music Educators orates the 50th anniversary of Association Hall of Fame in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have has been issued by Meredith Music Publications. February. Prather came to a Dream” speech. Camphouse is Missouri State in 1986 after coauthoring and editing a new teaching for 20 years at every book for GIA Publications about Ann Glazer Niren recently toured Italy, performing grade level in Arkansas and the life and career of longtime (G87) received in venues such as St. Peter’s Illinois public schools. Northwestern director of bands her doctorate in Basilica at the Vatican and John P. Paynter. musicology from the Basilica of San Marco in Brenda Born the University of Florence. The program included Conklin (71, Phillip Skerrett (76) was named Kentucky last the specially commissioned choral G72) covered organist in residence for the June. She has work Attende Domine by Michael 2,180 miles Newton County (Georgia) Arts taught music at Nealon (G97). Flynn recently of the Appa­ Association in January 2013. A Southeast for the last 25 years. toured the Bay Area presenting lachian Trail resident of Covington, he is also a lecture series on Offenbach’s over the hik- organist and staff accompanist Les comtes d’Hoffmann. ing seasons of for Clark Atlanta University. 2010 through David William 2012. In her 153 days on the trail, David Landis (78) Brubeck (89, she camped 50 nights. became the first G90) has been gay president of named the chief the Public educational offi- Relations Global cer for Tromba, Network, one of billed as “the the world’s lead- ultimate plastic ing international .” The Tromba provides Thomas Bryant (G88) has been an an affordable, lightweight, high- networks of independent public associate professor of music at quality instrument for five- to relations agencies, in 2013. He Rhodes College in Memphis, nine-year-olds interested in is president and CEO of Landis Tennessee, since 1987. He also learning trombone. Brubeck Communications. serves its teaching mentorship (www.davidbrubeck.com) has also program for beginning tenure- designed a new teaching curricu- Steve Colson (73) plays jazz track faculty. Bryant recently lum appropriate for the Tromba around Montclair, New Jersey, 1980s received the college’s Clarence and its young players. with his wife, Iqua, whom he met Day Award for Outstanding at Northwestern. He teaches at Kimberly Powell Teaching. He is also a solo and the John J. Cali School of Music (81, G82) was collaborative pianist. at Montclair State University, at honored by the 1990s Oklahoma Arts Bloomfield College, and in art- Tim S. Flynn Matthew Mailman ist residencies at the New Jersey Council with a (G88, G97) is an (90, G91) of Performing Arts Center. 2013 Governor’s associate profes- Oklahoma City Arts Award in sor of music and is in his 19th year Mark Camphouse (75, G76) the “Media in chair of the per- of teaching in served as guest conductor with the Arts” category. Powell, a mid- forming arts the Bass School the Military Band of the People’s day radio host on KCSC and the department at of Music at Liberation Army of China in station’s director of production Michigan’s Olivet Oklahoma City Beijing last year. While in China and syndication, was recognized College. He recently signed a University. He conducted Kurt he presented a lecture at Nanjing for her work as host and producer contract for his third monograph, Weill’s Street Scene last November Normal University. A professor of of its Performance Oklahoma, a weekly César Franck: Teacher, Organist, Composer, and Ned Rorem’s Our Town last music at George Mason University broadcast showcasing concerts to be published in 2015. Flynn February. Last fall he collaborated in Fairfax, Virginia, Camphouse and recitals across the state. is also music director for the with fellow alumnus Jerod Tate St. Mary Cathedral Choir, which

26 (90) when he conducted the at the University of Louisville. Sistema–based music education Oklahoma Youth Orchestra Hoops has played summer camp for disadvantaged in a production of that com­ with the Dallas Symphony youth. She and partner Tom poser’s Spider Brings Fire at the Orchestra since 1999. Majeda have launched another 2013 State of Creativity Forum El Sistema–inspired program, in Oklahoma City. Eun-Joo Kwak the Chicago Metamorphosis (G96) gave a Orchestra Project, which provides Garth Simmons lecture-recital multifaceted music education (90) is the prin- last summer for programs to Chicago children Ryan Eikmeier (G01) performed cipal trombonist the World Piano at no charge. the oratorio Theodora at the 2013 with the Toledo Conference at Handel Week Festival in Oak Park, Symphony and Serbia’s Isidor Katie Condon (99) received a grant Illinois, and appeared in the adjunct associate Bajic Music from the Distinguished Fulbright cabaret ensemble Treble in a Red professor of School, discussing and perform- Awards in Dress. Eikmeier is assistant dean trombone at ing three by James Teaching of curriculum for the schools of Bowling Green State University Crowley (G93). She also gave two Program to business and information tech- (www.garthsimmons.com). master classes for piano majors research music nology at Kaplan University. American Visions, his debut CD with and faculty of the school. In May programs in pianist Michael Boyd, includes 2013 she presented a master class Finland schools Juliet Petrus sonatas by Robert L. Sanders, as part of the University of this spring. A (G01), a George Frederick McKay, and Chicago’s master class series. piano instructor, soprano, made Richard Monaco as well as Kwak is associate professor of Condon is director of the her Lincoln Stereogram No. 12: Spain by David W. piano and chair of the music MacPhail Center for Music’s Center and Brubeck (89, G90). department at Milwaukee’s community partnerships program Carnegie Hall Cardinal Stritch University. and the orchestral narrator for solo debuts in Ingrid Gordon the Minnesota Orchestra’s Kinder 2013. A frequent (G93) is artistic Orbert Davis Konzert series. She also com- traveler to China, where she has director of (G97) per- poses, performs, and directs performed at the Beijing National Percussia, a formed the children’s musical theater for Center for the Performing group that per- world premiere the Summer Youth Orchestra. Arts, Petrus has been awarded a forms an eclectic of The Chicago River prestigious Confucius Institute mash-up of clas- with the Chicago Scholarship and is studying sical, modern, Jazz Philhar- 2000s Mandarin at Tongji University. and world music styles. Last June, monic at the Percussia gave its first major New Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Melissa Simmons (00, G09) York City performance at the Rivers Festival in May 2013. The has been appointed professor DiMenna Center. piece was commissioned to cele- of clarinet at the University of brate the river. A jazz trumpeter, North Florida. Diane Yi (G95) was promoted to Davis recently recorded that senior systems operations analyst work—along with Havana Blue Eric Budzynski at Fifth Third Bancorp, head- (another piece commissioned for (G01) is organist quartered in Cincinnati. She the group) and sections of Miles and music asso- joined the bank in 2010. Davis’s Sketches of Spain—with ciate at North- CJP for an upcoming release. western’s Alice Haley Hoops (G96) won first prize Millar Chapel in the professional division of the Sylvia Carlson (99) is one of and Religious Beau Davidson (03) was selected International Horn Competition the founding members of Center. He as one of the Ten Outstanding of America, held last summer the YOURS Project, an El received the University’s 2013 Young Americans by the US Innovation Award for his “This Junior Chamber, a leadership We Believe” initiative, in which training and civic organization. small groups of students, staff, is associate music director for The award recognizes those Dan Lipton (97) and faculty craft essays to demon- between the ages of 18 and Sting’s stage musical The Last Ship, which premieres strate their belief statement. 40 who demonstrate the in Chicago in June before moving to Broadway. best attributes of the nation’s Lipton married Rachael Shapiro in May 2013. young people.

fanfare SPRING 2014 27 alumni

2000s continued Germany. He was also the final- round conductor for the 17th We want to hear from you! Annual Sphinx Competition for Please email your news to [email protected] Cory Hills (03) leads Percussive Black and Latino String players or submit your news online at Storytelling, a communication in Detroit last February. In the music.northwestern.edu/alumninews. method blending contemporary- past year he has made his con- classic percussion with elements ducting debuts with the Chicago of vocal storytelling. Hills tells Civic Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Amanda Majeski Brian Hecht (G09) joined the original stories using melodic and Orchestra, and Germany’s Neue (06) gave her Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as nonpitched percussion instru- Philharmonie-Westfalen. New York debut bass trombonist last September. ments. Percussive Storytelling has recital at Previously he held the bass trom- been presented nearly 250 times Colin Lynch (04) has released his Carnegie Hall’s bone position with the US Navy to more than 13,000 people debut solo album, The Organ of Weill Recital Hall Band in Washington, DC. around the world. His first CD of Stambaugh Auditorium, on the Raven in February. percussive stories, The Lost Bicycle, label. He plays works by Whitlock, Beforehand she Geraldine Ong (G09) was recently was released in 2010. Recognized Parry, Roger-Ducasse, and Vierne gave a warm-up recital at Lutkin appointed assistant professor of as a 2009 Emerging Artist by the on the acclaimed and recently Hall—her first performance on piano and collaborative piano Kansas Art Commission, Hills restored 1926 E. M. Skinner the Northwestern campus since (tenure track) at North Dakota’s has served as artist in residence organ at Stambaugh Auditorium her graduation. Majeski has Valley City State University. She at Rocky Mountain National Park. in Youngstown, Ohio. Lynch recently appeared with Lyric Opera teaches applied and class piano in (www.colinlynchorgan.com) of Chicago, the Metropolitan addition to accompanying faculty Daniel is associate director of music Opera, and Opernhaus Zurich. and student recitals. Ong previ- Black (04) and organist at Boston’s Trinity ously served as adjunct faculty at advanced to Church, Copley Square. Adam B. Brown (G07) is the the University of Houston and the finals of conductor of the Fox Valley Houston Community College. the American Daniel Beckley (G05) was named Symphony Youth Orchestra’s Choral Directors vice president and general Philharmonia in Appleton, Miki Sawada (09) is an artist- Association’s manager of the Indianapolis Wisconsin. The orchestra is made diploma candidate in piano at Graduate Symphony Orchestra last June. up of more than 150 middle the Yale School of Music. She Choral Conducting Competi­ He was previously executive school and high school musicians. recently joined the nonprofit tion after being selected as one director of the Charleston music program Music Haven of eight semifinalists. Symphony Orchestra. Mike Lebrun (07) plays saxo- as a resident musician fellow. phone in the Moshier-Lebrun As part of a collaborative effort Devin DeSantis Collective, which he coleads between the program and Yale, (05) starred as with jazz pianist Josh Moshier she is starting a piano program Dwayne in 9 to 5: (08). Lebrun was a semifinalist at Music Haven and will also The Musical at the in the 2013 Thelonious Monk perform with members of the Marriott Theatre International Jazz Competition. Haven String Quartet. in Lincolnshire, He works at Morningstar and is Illinois, last a part-time MBA student at the August. This past Kellogg School of Management. 2010s winter he played the title role in the Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace Philip Boulanger (G10) recently production of Young Frankenstein. moved from Chicago to New Brandon Keith Brown (04) was Haven, Connecticut, to take appointed director of orches- the position of resident cellist with Music Haven, a nonprofit tral studies, assistant professor and of music, and music director of Xiaomin Liang (G05, G13) Jue He (05, G13) music program centered around the University Orchestra at the perform together as the Liang-He Piano Duo. Last the Haven String Quartet. The University of Massachusetts at October the duo won the grand prize in the 18th quartet provides free lessons and Amherst. In 2011 Brown received Tokyo International Piano Duo Competition. The group classes to students in some an Ansbacher Fellowship from two spent the summers of 2012 and 2013 touring of New Haven’s most challenging the , and China, performing in major cities such as Beijing, neighborhoods and schools. The in 2012 he won third prize in Shanghai, and Guangzhou and in major venues such Presidential Committee on the the Conducting as Beijing’s Grand National Theater. Last February Arts and Humanities has ranked Competition in Frankfurt, they returned to China for a 21-city tour. Music Haven one of the country’s

28 RESOUNDING

Conducted by 2014 Nemmers Prize winner Esa-Pekka Salonen (see page 2), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performances of Janácek’s Sinfonietta in concerts on April 10–14 featured trumpet faculty mem- ber Robert Sullivan and alumni Neal Berntsen (G83) of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Kari Lee (G88) of Elmhurst College, Matt Lee (G84) of DePaul University, Larry Black (G66) of the Atlanta Symphony (retired) and Brevard College, and Brandon Eubank (08) of “The President’s Mary Rose Norell (G12) was Own” US Marine Band. appointed an instructor in the Rachel Waxman (11) is an oboist, piano program at Indiana’s author, and entrepreneur. Her Goshen College Community neogothic novel The Crickhowell School of the Arts. Top 50 After-School Arts Pro­ Jonathan H. Katz (G11) cofounded School for the Muses was published grams for three years in a row. the New York City–based Periapsis last year by Fithian Press. Evan Bravos (G13) While in Chicago, Boulanger Music and Dance in 2012. The played Figaro in worked as a teaching artist with nonprofit performing arts orga- Zachary Elmassian Lyric Opera of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. nization creates and produces dance works with live music, (G12) performed Chicago’s Opera the lead role of in the Neighbor- Kelley E. Hollis (10, G12) was fostering collaborations between Jeronimus in hoods touring accepted into ’s emerging composers and cho- Carl Nielsen’s production of Opera Institute, an intensive reographers. Its first season Maskarade for . two-year performance-based presented three of Katz’s own Chicago’s Vox 3 training program for emerging compositions and music by eight Collective. The artists. other living composers. Last February, Katz conducted the cast also featured mezzo-soprano Kathryn Wills (G12). Kristen Predl (10) was appointed company in the world premiere of education director for the his chamber ballet Laid upon the chil- Gillian Hollis Symphony of Northwest Arkansas dren (with choreography by Leigh (G12) was named last July. Also the orchestra’s Schanfein) for the Music of Now a studio artist associate principal flute, she Marathon at Symphony Space for the Madison is an adjunct flute professor at and in a second performance at Opera’s 2013–14 John Brown University in Siloam Kumble Theater. season. Springs, Arkansas. Corey Stallings (G11) has been Parker Gaims (G13) won a clari- selected as a 2014 festival artist net position in “The President’s with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Katherine McGookey (G12) was a Own” United States Marine Band, She was previously the company’s member of the 2013 Apprentice which he joined last fall. 2013 Gerdine Young Artist. Singers Program at the , where she covered the title Danny Lai (13, role in La grande-duchesse de Gérolstein, Julie Tabash (11, WCAS13) won G13) was named performed as an ensemble mem- a viola position a studio artist ber in four other operas, and with the Chicago for the 2013–14 participated in the apprentice Symphony season of scenes program. Orchestra. Milwaukee’s He previously Florentine Nicole Negrete (12) was hired as played with the program director of a new El Rachel Saul (10) joined the Hawaii Opera Company. Colorado Symphony. In January, Sistema–inspired, Evanston- Symphony Orchestra’s first violin Her recent roles include Despina Lai won the 2014 Jefferson based music program that will section for the 2013–14 season in Così fan tutte and Anne Egerman Symphony International Young provide free orchestral education last fall. Saul also started a new in A Little Night Music. Artists Competition’s top prize, to the community. after-school string program at which included $7,000 and an the Mid-Pacific Institute. She is opportunity to perform in March a teaching artist at Kalikolehua, with the Jefferson Symphony Hawaii’s El Sistema program. Orchestra in Golden, Colorado.

fanfare SPRING 2014 29 in memoriam

Ann Barron (37), in Audubon, Ann-Marie Sorenson (44), in Salt Ruth A. Fetler (48), in Colorado Doris K. Schieber (G50), in Elyria, Pennsylvania, on December 23 Lake City on November 26 Springs on November 27 Ohio, on February 6

Virginia J. Faber (39), in Santa Janice M. Gustafson (G45), in Evelyn Leikin (48), in Northbrook, Lee T. Schneider Jr. (50, G50), Barbara, California, on Minneapolis on December 21 Illinois, on October 2 in Maryville, Missouri, on November 15 November 27 Donald P. Hustad (G45, G63), John Banman (G49), in North Lawrence H. Moe (39, G40), in Western Springs, Illinois, Newton, Kansas, on November 29 Gladys C. Christesen (G51), in Oakland, California, on on June 22 in Wheaton, Illinois, on September 14 Mary Lee Rodda (49), in Memphis November 8, 2011 Marion L. Hanson (47), in Prairie on February 12 Frederick C. Elbel (41), in South Village, Kansas, on December 14 Raymond E. Ellison (51), in Skokie, Bend, Indiana, on August 7 Armin W. Gossfeld (50, G53), Illinois, on July 16 A. Oscar Haugland (47, G48), in in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on Allen Eugene Ellsworth (G42), DeKalb, Illinois, on December 16 October 3 Ernest J. Gysbers (51), in Fond du in Dallas on July 14 Lac, Wisconsin, on January 9 Vern C. Miller (G47), in Urban­ Donald E. Hassler (50), in Tempe, Margaret Simpson (43), in dale, Iowa, on January 17 Arizona, on August 20 Janet Hulse Pfundheller (51), in Wilmette, Illinois, on January 19 Glenview, Illinois, on October 8, Charles H. Clarke (48), in Hes­ Robert W. Krueger (50, G51), in 2010 Jane Litowich Katz (44), in Swan­ peria, California, on January 7 Tampa, Florida, on September 9 sea, Illinois, on January 28, 2013 Kenwyn G. Boldt (52), in Wisconsin on September 23

BENNETT REIMER, 1932–2013 A passionate advocate for music education as central to every child’s development, Reimer is remembered for his Bennett Reimer, professor of seminal contribution to advancing the philosophy of music music education at Northwestern education. His more than 20 books include music textbooks for 19 years and one of the most for elementary-aged students as well as his most famous work, respected and important voices in A Philosophy of Music Education (Prentice Hall), first released in the field, died on November 18, 1970 and revised in 1989. Read by countless music educators, 2013, at his home in Wilmette, the book has been translated into French, Japanese, Chinese, Illinois. He was 81 years old. Korean, and Greek. Peter Webster, another Bienen School Born in New York City, professor emeritus, considers it “probably one of the most Reimer began his musical life influential books in music education teaching.” playing clarinet and oboe. He A celebration of Reimer’s life was held in Scott Hall’s graduated from the State Uni­ Guild Lounge on January 9. Speakers included Dean Toni- versity of New York at Fredonia Marie Montgomery, former dean Bernard Dobroski, associate in 1954 and continued his studies at the University of Illinois professor of music education Maud Hickey, professor emeritus at Urbana-Champaign, earning a master’s degree in 1955 Peter Webster, former faculty members Don Casey and Janet and a doctor of education degree in 1963. After teaching at Barrett, and former doctoral student Ramona Wis. “Bennett the College of William and Mary, , was the consummate professional, mentor, teacher, professor,” and UIUC, he held the Kulas Endowed Chair in Music at remembers Hickey, a student of Reimer and later a colleague Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University. after she joined the faculty in 1997. “He cared deeply about In 1978 Reimer came to Northwestern, where he was each of his students and worked with all of us as individuals. named the John W. Beattie Professor of Music. He served as He modeled great mentorship as well. Most of his students director of the PhD program in music education and in 1985 are now music education professors at universities around the founded a new Northwestern research group, the Center for world, and all of us remember how much he helped shape us the Study of Education and the Musical Experience. Reimer not only as professors but as people.” remained at the school until his retirement in 1997, when he Bennett Reimer is survived by his partner, Elizabeth was named the John W. Beattie Professor of Music Emeritus. Hebert, and his daughters Terry Reimer and Jan Ellen Reimer.

30 John H. Cacavas (52), in Beverly Patricia McFadden Ori (53), in Barbara Plate (G57), in Robert D. Klein (G60), in Hills, California, on January 28 Dillon, Montana, on April 22, Lincolnshire, Illinois, on Mobridge, South Dakota, 2013 November 4 on December 11 Frederic L. Fisher (52), in Denton, Texas, on September 20 Alice C. Prescott (53), in Billings, Loren W. Binford (58, G59), in Kenneth A. Bartosz (61, G64), in Montana, on January 5 Evanston, on April 8, 2013 Glenview, Illinois, on December 5 Elayne N. Tootelian (52), in Lincolnshire, Illinois, on Harold A. Soloff (53), in Norwich, Douglas D. Ashley (59, G60, Sandra L. Seefeld (G71), in February 18 Connecticut, on September 23 G73), in St. Louis on June 5 Somerville, Ohio, on February 17

Helen L. White (52), in Sheboygan, Ronald B. Clonts (55, KSM62), Rev. Camilius Matthias Wurtz, Nadja K. Keown (G73), in Wisconsin, on July 2 in Glenview, Illinois, on O.S.B. (G59), in Kansas City, Escondido, California, in December 29 Kansas, on August 16 November 2012 James W. Biggers Jr. (53, G54), in Clearwater, Florida, on July 30 James W. Ewing (55, G58), in John R. Baird (60, G61), in Sister Claudia Nelson (G75), in Aberdeen, South Dakota, on Montpelier, Vermont, on Fargo, North Dakota, on July 9 Carol G. Beccue Gordon (G53), October 12 December 30 in Columbia, South Carolina, Richard Menaul (G79), in Med­ on February 22 Miles G. Soumar (56), in Brook­ Gail B. Cheetham (G60), in field, Massachusetts, on July 23 field, Illinois, on October 13 California on October 8 Gary L. Knowles (53), in Ann Stokes (G90), in Bloomsburg, Farmington, Missouri, on Pennsylvania, on November 1 December 11

RAY STILL, 1920–2014 Still was considered one of the greatest oboists of the 20th century. Current Bienen School oboe professor Michael Ray Still, professor of oboe at Henoch, one of Still’s CSO colleagues for more than two the Bienen School and a cele- decades, told the that Still was “acclaimed brated symphonic and chamber throughout the world for his extraordinary musicianship musician for more than 40 and his command of the instrument.” years until his retirement in Still’s first teaching job was with the Peabody Institute 2003, died on March 12, his while he was playing in Baltimore. After coming to Chicago, he 94th birthday, at his home taught at Roosevelt University before joining the Northwestern in Woodstock, Vermont. faculty in 1960. He remained a vital part of the school’s wood- He was surrounded by his wind faculty until his retirement. family and the sounds of “Even with all the accolades he received as a performer, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. he told me he considered his most important contribution to As a young teenager Still began seriously studying clarinet, music was his teaching,” said Henoch. “He was a most dedi­ but by the age of 16 he switched to oboe. A mere three years cated teacher. Studying with him could be scary, but always later he won his first professional position, second oboe with enlightening. He held his students to the high standards to the Kansas City Philharmonic. World War II interrupted his which he held himself, and that is why the Ray Still legacy career, but upon his discharge from the US Army in 1946 he thrives to this day.” immediately entered the Juilliard School. After the equivalent Still is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Mimi and of two years of study at Juilliard, he landed first-oboe positions Kent Dixon, of Springfield, Ohio; a son and daughter-in- with the Buffalo Philharmonic and then, in 1949, with the law, Thomas and Sally Still, of Big Timber, Montana; another Baltimore Symphony. In 1954 Still was named principal oboe daughter and son-in-law, Susan Still and Peter Bergstrom, of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under , and of Saxtons River, Vermont; six grandchildren; and three there he stayed for 40 years, making many recordings and great-grandchildren. solo appearances and reaching near-legendary status. He per- formed under the baton of almost all the major conductors of the second half of the 20th century.

fanfare SPRING 2014 31 donors

John Evans Circle Members We are grateful to all who have made contributions to ($5,000–$9,999) ($1,000–$2,499) the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music. The following Leigh B. and Henry S. Bienen Holly Aaronson (BSM89) donors have given $1,000 or more from January 1, 2013, Michelle Miller Burns (BSM90)* Janet and Paul Aliapoulios through April 15, 2014. We also thank our many valued Franklin A. Cole (L50) Association of American donors and friends who have given gifts of less than Michelle M. Gerhard (McC82) Railroads $1,000 during this period. Marshall K. Grossman Ayco Charitable Foundation (WCAS70) Carol E. Beatty (BSM56)* Rose Ann Grundman (WCAS47, Jean and John C. (WCAS63, G48) L66) Berghoff Founders Circle President’s Circle Sherry (GBSM85, KSM90) William Blair & Company ($50,000 or more) ($25,000–$49,999) and Walfrid Kujala Foundation Anonymous Glenn H. Anderson† Eric A. Lutkin Melanie L. Bostwick (WCAS04) Neil G. Bluhm (L62)/Bluhm Jane Ann (C69) and Richard H. Northern Trust Donna S. Brody Family Charitable Foundation (EB69) Dean* Frank H. Philbrick Foundation John (BSM52)† and Bonnie Mary Gray Brooks (BSM40, Margee and Scott H. (McC65, Price Water House Coopers Cacavas GBSM42)† KSM67) Filstrup* Helen J. (BSM86, KSM90) Lisa and E. Michael* (WCAS59) John A. and Rita Meiers Canning/ Frederick L. and Junita Hemke and Guy J. Raymaker Carney III Canning Foundation Susan Stoner (WCAS63) and Rice Family Foundation Linda (BSM68, GBSM69) and Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation Daniel S. (EB61) Jones Charlene (WCAS70) and Peter (BSM68, GBSM70) Chicago Community Trust Art Pancoe (G51) Robert E. (McC70, KSM81) Crisafulli Davee Foundation Elizabeth S. and Alexander I. Shaw/Shaw Family Supporting Joanne Kriege (BSM57, Selme and Shaun (KSM95) (C74, G75) Rorke* Organization GBSM58) Cruickshank Finnie* Marcia Lynn Friedl and Gail (SESP70) and William C. Robert E. (EB56) and Mrs. Cynthia Bardes (WCAS78) and Todd A. (KSM73)* Smith/ (KSM74)* Steinmetz Robert E. Curley Christopher B. (WCAS73, Smith Family Foundation Mae Sisler Stemple† Charitable Sandra (BSM62) and Russell KSM77) Galvin Trust (BSM61, GBSM62) Dagon Jr. Robert W. Galvin Foundation Dean’s Circle Laurence D. Davis Margaret A. Gerber (WCAS39, Elizabeth K. Dean ($10,000–$24,999) FSM44) Fellows Sally S. and Bernard J. Ellen and Allan R. Drebin* ($2,500–$4,999) Ellen J. (WCAS70) and (GBSM81) Dobroski Byron L. Gregory (WCAS66, Ryan S. Amos (GBSM06, Howard C. Katz Thomas Doran Jr. (BSM57, L69) GBSM07) Sara and Kip (WCAS94, GBSM59, GBSM68) Sara and John Hendrickson Kenneth Cahn/Winning Ways KSM97) Kirkpatrick Anne W. Eagleton (BSM58) Carol (GBSM85) and Joel D. Foundation Carol and David McClintock Barbara Seablom Edwards Honigberg*/Joel & Carol Phyllis W. Ellis* Trust (BSM55) Honigberg Fund Fidelity Investment Charitable Dawn G. Meiners Rebecca and Julius E. (GBSM68, Trine Sorensen-Jacobson* Gift Fund National Christian Foundation GBSM72) Erlenbach and Michael Jacobson Kay Griffel (BSM60) William A. (WCAS69, KSM73) Evanston Community Bonnie Helen Pick (BSM46, Sally Hagan/Bertha Lebus and Cathleen McCurdy Foundation SESP52)† Charitable Trust (WCAS72) Osborn Joseph J. Frantik (BSM59, Rosemary J. Schnell (WCAS54) James M. Hall (WCAS83) Cari B. and Michael (KSM88, GBSM60) Securitas Foundation Donald E. Hassler (BSM50)† L88) Sacks/Sacks Family David M. Frim and Tamara M. Carole (WCAS62) and Nancy Witte Jacobs (BSM52) Foundation Claman Gordon I. (EB60) Segal/ Mary L. (BSM73) and Michael S. Kimberly Querrey and Louis A. Wayne Gibson (GBSM62, Segal Family Foundation (BSM72, GBSM73) Mark (WCAS58) Simpson/Querrey GBSM72) Bill Muster Foundation Simpson Charitable Foundation Jerry W. Glennie (BSM53) Presser Foundation Jane A. and Lawrence R. Scott G. Golinkin (BSM74, Janet M. and Kenneth R. Talle Solomon GBSM75) Andrea (GBSM95) and Mark Betty Alexander Van Gorkom Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GBSM95) Amdahl Taylor (BSM42)* Philip H. Hagemann (BSM54) Jack Nelson Young (WCAS48) Cynthia and Jonathan Hann Connie and David E. (KSM00)* Sheldon M. Harnick (BSM49) Zyer/George and Arlene Rusch Memorial Foundation

32 Craig R. Hassler (WCAS63) and Patricia J. Cunningham Margaret (G75) and Robert Hastings Sally Madden (SESP61) and Thomas Z. (WCAS62, L65) Hayward Jr.* Marilyn Riggs Heath Emilee G. (BSM76, GBSM77) and Richard L. (WCAS74) Hervey Arthur J. Hill Richard T. Holmberg (BSM61) and Gene Austin Fort Dr. A. John Holstad (GBSM62, GBSM73) Karen L. (GBSM76) and Jeffrey F. (WCAS73) Johnson Phillip and Janelle Johnson Nea D. Johnston (BSM78, KSM87) Kalamazoo Community Foundation Gail J. (SESP58) and Thomas R. (BSM56) Kasdorf Kip Kelley* Robert D. Klein (GBSM60)† Elizabeth (BSM58) and William C. (McC61) Knodel Kevin T. Lee (McC04) Sharon Lenz Nix (BSM68, Marjorie F. Shansky (BSM70) For information on donating to the Bienen Katherine Levy (BSM82) GBSM70) Louise K. Smith* School of Music or to report errors, please David Loebel (C72, GBSM74) Elizabeth R. and William I. Stephen M. Stahl (FSM73, call 847/491-4509. Sheryl D. (BSM81) and Robert A. (McC79) Nowicki FSM75) (McC81) Long NTI Americas Jennifer M. and James R. (L77) *Member of the Bienen School Priscilla Williams Magee Nancy Pritchard Orbison Stevens Jr. of Music Advisory Board (WCAS45) (BSM75, GBSM81) Jacalyn and William Thompson †Deceased Nancy T. (GBSM86) and Patricia (BSM49) and Henri B. Vanguard Charitable Endowment R. Hugh Magill (BSM50, GBSM51) Pensis Program Marjorie (BSM56) and Stephen T. Kay L. Pick* Adair Waldenberg (WCAS72) (WCAS56) Martin Evelyn Ransdell Richer (SESP54) and Jon K. Peck Marilyn McCoy and Charles R. William E. (McC75, KSM76) Avonelle S. Walker (GBSM62) Thomas and Linda Rosner Michael B. Wallace (BSM91, Amy and John McHugh Jeanne and Carl Rudiger WCAS91) Nancy L. (BSM57) and Fred C. Mary Ann (BSM61, GBSM62) Jon D. Wenberg (BSM90, Meendsen and Dennis (WCAS52) Sadilek GBSM92) Anna E. (WCAS64) and Patricia Schaefer (BSM51) Dorte and Lewis J. (WCAS52) Mark Mergen Horst P. and Sara L. Schastok West Thomas W. Miller Brian Lloyd (McC85, GBSM88) Mary A. (BSM61) and Cecil B. Alice S. Mills and Emily Muly (McC91) (BSM60, GBSM61) Wilson Thomas E. Mintner (BSM72) Schmidt Luann M. H. Wolf Harriet M. Mogge (BSM49, Jeannette J. (BSM70) and Janice G. Yingst BSM59) Harold Segel Ling Zhao-Markovitz (GBSM89)* and Michael C. Markovitz

fanfare SPRING 2014 33 Bienen School of Music Nonprofit organization Northwestern University U.S. Postage 711 Elgin Road PAID Permit No. 205 Evanston, Illinois 60208-1200 Evanston, IL music.northwestern.edu

MILLENNIUM PARK CONCERT Symphonic Wind Ensemble Sunday, May 25, 6:30 p.m. Jay Pritzker Pavilion 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago

Mallory Thompson, conductor; Robert Sullivan, trumpet J. S. Bach (arr. Gustav Holst), Fugue à la Gigue (arr. Alfred Reed), “Nimrod” fromEnigma Variations Oskar Böhme, Trumpet Concerto Giancarlo Castro D’Addona, Grand Fanfare , Symphonic Dances fromWest Side Story