Oberlin Conservatory MAGAZINE

Inside Oberlin’s new Ethnomusicology steps Old instruments find PI: Where classical, subterranean hub out of the classroom new life with students jazz, and improv meet 2017 P. 14 P. 26 P. 32 P. 46 A BALL FOR ALL Cast members glammed it up and hammed it up for four delightfully decadent performances of Cendrillon, Jules Massenet’s retelling of the classic Cinderella story, at Hall Auditorium in March. Oberlin’s Opera Theater program will benefit from renovations to the Hall Auditorium complex that began in summer 2017. YEVHEN GULENKO

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Director of Conservatory Contributing Writers Email: [email protected] Communications JULIE CROOKSTON-GULENKO ’15 Web: www.oberlin.edu/con CATHY PARTLOW STRAUSS ’84 JENNIFER FRASER Facebook: oberlinconservatory Oberlin DONALD ROSENBERG Twitter: @oberlincon Conservatory Associate Director of Instagram: @oberlincon Conservatory Communications Director of Print and Publications Magazine ERICH BURNETT KELLY VIANCOURT POSTMASTER Art Director Vice President for Communications Send address changes to: Oberlin Conservatory Magazine EMILY CRAWFORD ‘92 BEN JONES ’96 Oberlin Conservatory is published by Oberlin’s Office Office of Communications of Communications. Designer Dean of the Conservatory 39 W. College St., RYAN SPROWL ANDREA KALYN Oberlin, OH 44074-1576

2 46 Departments

4 Of Note

54 Student Accolades

56 Class Notes

62 Faculty Notes

Features

14 Sounds from the Underground The striking new Birenbaum Space gives musicians—and audiences­—an experience like no other on campus.

18 Tinkerer in Chief There would be no TIMARA without engineer John Talbert, technically speaking anyway.

26 Act Now Oberlin musicians take their mission to the streets— around the world, and around the corner.

32 Keep on Giving Instrument gifts to the 42 50 conservatory support students in countless ways.

42 We Are All Teachers Today’s musicians must be more versatile than ever. Oberlin’s approach to music education evolves to keep pace.

46 Make Room for PI Performance and Improvisation emerges in the space between classical and jazz.

50 Deep in the Heart of Tex A distinguished alumna dishes 52 about her homeland and the campus she forever holds dear.

52 Unforgettable Fulkerson After a half-century of history with Oberlin, the esteemed violin professor bows out.

ON THE COVER: A PI group performs at the new Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space (see page 14). Photos by Ricky Rhodes (front) and Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97 (back).

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 3 Of Note The stories that shaped the year at Oberlin Conservatory

Student musicians perform at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse, home of weekly Jazz Forums throughout the academic year.

4 Hurricane Force Oberlin Chamber Orchestra teams up with jazz legend Terence Blanchard in an ode to Katrina’s victims.

The Oberlin Chamber Orchestra experienced an early highlight of the 2016-17 concert season in October when it shared the Finney Chapel stage with the Terence Blanchard Quintet, led by the prolific jazz trumpeter and composer. Together they performed Blanchard’s Grammy Award-winning 2007 composition A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina). By the time it was over, the esteemed guest sounded as moved by the experience as the students who took part. “It’s Oberlin, so it’s a huge honor to be there—that’s number one,” says Blanchard, who also led a master class. “I love teaching. I love relating to young people’s minds and their sense of creativity. And hopefully I got a chance to help inspire them in some way.” In his youth, Blanchard studied at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. By the time he entered college at Rutgers University, he also began performing in the Lionel Hampton Orchestra; soon after, he succeeded Wynton Marsalis in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. A five-time Grammy winner, he counts among his 50 film scores almost everything made by director Spike Lee. A Tale of God’s Will grew out of a 2006 project with Lee, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, a four-hour HBO documentary about the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Blanchard himself appeared in the film along with his mother, who had lost her home in the disaster. Chamber Orchestra conductor Raphael Jiménez hailed the opportunity for his students to replicate a professional experience like those they might encounter after Oberlin. “The performance of ‘non-classical’ concerts, such as pops and children’s concerts, is an essential part of the season for most professional orchestras in the country,” he says. “Often, the orchestra serves as support to a guest artist, and the concert is put together in a very limited amount of rehearsal time. So this is a great educational experience for us.” The performance opened with a set by the Ben Cruz Quintet, a student ensemble that played music by SCOTT SHAW Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, and Mulgrew Miller.

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 5 Of Note

Dusan Grubisic ’20 played the protagonist in Songs from Liquid Days, director Jonathon Field’s adaptation of the Philip Glass song cycle of the same name. The winter- term production was performed in Oberlin and at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum as part of the 2017 New Opera Works Festival.

Winter Term Opera pop cycle, called Songs from Liquid Museum in Cleveland, part of the Oberlin and Cleveland Opera Days, as a narrative tale that New Opera Works Festival. Theater: In January and February Transforms Philip chronicles a man’s efforts to Working hand-in-hand with 2016, Field directed the critically Glass’ Liquid Days understand his own death as he music director Daniel Michalak, acclaimed Harriet Tubman: When experiences a series of “purgatories.” Field envisioned the action of I Crossed that Line to Freedom, In the mid-1980s, composer For Field, the story emerged Liquid Days as a sort of mash-up an original opera written by Philip Glass developed a song when he reordered the songs in of Dante’s Divine Comedy and The Nkeiru Okoye ’93. Most of that cycle around original lyrics Glass’ original cycle. The Tibetan Book of the Dead. “What show’s run took place in churches penned by a handful of popular multimedia creation that resulted— drew me to the piece was the across northeast Ohio, as well as musicians he admired. The project complete with a minimalist set and combination of its unique words Finney Chapel. began with Talking Heads costuming, dramatic action, and sound,” he says. “It has a kind “I have been trying to rework frontman David Byrne, then grew projected images, and live music of depth and mystery. I have the opera experience ever since to include Paul Simon, Suzanne that connects Western art music always liked the minimalists. I the ’80s,” says Field, who has been Vega, and Laurie Anderson. It with rock music of the era—was think part of it is the pulse, part is hailed for his unconventional

ultimately became Glass’ most brought to the stage of Warner the idea of constructing music approaches to conventional and GULENKO YEVHEN popular and successful recording. Concert Hall in January for four through loops, and part of it is the not so conventional repertoire. Three decades later, Oberlin “artist concept” performances and a ‘shimmer’ that the music has.” “The Rock Hall has a kind of wow Opera Theater Director Jonathon single presentation at the Rock The production marks the factor that I think helps expand Field reenvisioned Glass’ classical- and Roll Hall of Fame and second collaboration between the idea of what opera can be.”

6 Ryota Yamazaki Captures 2016 Cooper Title

Ryota Yamazaki, a 17-year-old pianist from Koriyama, Japan, earned top honors in the 2016 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition. Performing with The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall, Yamazaki closed the Concerto Finals with Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. Fourteen-year-old In the spring of 2017, Oberlin-Como Fellow Allesandro Deljavan of Italy participated in an evening of Schubert that featured Nathan Lee of Sammamish, Oberlin voice majors in a lieder recital and the Fantasy for Violin and Piano, performed with violinist Jerry Xiong ’19. Washington, opened with the same Rachmaninoff concerto, Stars Align for the Central to the program are to intensive study of the lieder for which he earned third prize. Oberlin residencies held by of 19th-century Austrian poet Seventeen-year-old Evren Ozel Oberlin-Como legendary performers and Johann Mayrhofer and composer of Minneapolis earned second Piano Academy teachers. In the past year, Como Franz Schubert. They brought prize for his performance of residencies were held by Richard those works to the stage in a pair Beethoven’s Concerto No. 4 Oberlin completed its first full Goode, Hungarian legend Tamás of February performances in in G Major. year in association with the Vásáry, Como Academy founder Warner Concert Hall, where they Yamazaki’s title includes a International Piano Academy William Naboré, Chopin were joined by Oberlin-Como $20,000 prize—the largest prize Lake Como with a series of visits Competition champion Dang Fellow Allesandro Deljavan in Cooper Competition history. by guest masters and a roster of Thai Son, and Van Cliburn of Italy. Ozel earned $10,000 for second deeply talented fellows. Competition winner Stanislav Other fellows for 2016-17 place, and Lee took home Forged in 2016, the Oberlin- Ioudenitch, who joins the Oberlin included Aimi Kobayashi of Japan $5,000 for third. By advancing Como Piano Academy is a piano faculty this summer. and Chi Ho Han of South Korea. to the Concerto Finals, all partnership between the In addition to playing in All three will return in 2017-18, in three earned full-tuition conservatory and the classroom settings, each Oberlin- addition to three new fellows who scholarships to attend Oberlin International Piano Academy Como Fellow performs solo will live and study on campus. Conservatory, a prize valued at Lake Como, an exalted institution recitals and engages in “The Oberlin-Como Program is more than $200,000. dedicated to advancing the collaborative projects with rapidly changing the culture of Entering its eighth year education of elite student pianists. Oberlin students. One such piano at Oberlin, giving our in July 2017, the Cooper The pact makes Oberlin the collaboration involved a winter- students an unmatchable Competition alternates each exclusive U.S. home for the term project called Mostly opportunity to learn from a wide year between piano and violin. Italy-based program, enabling Mayrhofer, directed by Professor variety of masters of today and It is supported by 1978 Oberlin participating students to live and of Accompanying and Coaching tomorrow,” says Professor of College alumnus Thomas study at Oberlin as Oberlin- Philip Highfill. Five conservatory Piano Robert Shannon ’72. “And

YAMAZAKI: ROGER MASTROIANNI, COMO: DALE PRESTON ’83 Cooper and his wife Evon. Como Fellows. singers devoted their winter term we are just getting started.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 7 Of Note

Conductor Robert Spano ’84 Performs, Leads Discussion

Robert Spano, who has served on the Oberlin faculty since 1989 while cultivating one of the most robust conducting careers in America, returned to his alma mater for a lecture and concert in fall 2016. He performed his original composition for piano, Sonata: 4 Elements, which had been given its world premiere at the 2016 Aspen Music Festival, where Spano is music director. Renowned for his innovative programming and championing of contemporary music, Spano is in his 16th season as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, with which he has won six Grammy Awards. His new composition—a Conservatory singers devoted their winter term to studying character development with Joseph Mechavich (back left) and relative rarity, in light of his librettist Gene Scheer (back right). Their work culminated in the first performance held in the William and Helen Birenbaum frenetic schedule—is built

Innovation and Performance Space, on the lower level of the Hotel at Oberlin. around the theme of the four ’15 JULIE CROOKSTON-GULENKO GULENKO, SPANO: YEVHEN SOUND: INTO WORDS classical elements, one for each Oberlin Singers included Gene Scheer, a composer Words into Sound culminated movement of the sonata: earth, and prominent librettist best in a January 27 performance at air, water, and fire. He notes that Work with Joseph known for his collaborations with the Birenbaum Space, a new these elements have fascinated Mechavich ’92 and composer Jake Heggie. In their venue in the lower level of the great thinkers for thousands of Gene Scheer work with Oberlin students, Hotel at Oberlin (see page 14 to years and are woven into Mechavich and Scheer focused on learn more). countless Western traditions. Eleven Oberlin voice students the relationship between music “It’s not about the notes and the “I was inspired to capture devoted their winter term to and text in art songs and opera beautiful sounds—which are something of the unique and studying character development scenes from the repertoire of important, and that is a given,” complex qualities of each in opera and art song through a Heggie and Scheer. Oberlin vocal Mechavich says of the project’s element, yet also to connect program called Words into Sound. coach Tony Cho also played a key focus. “It’s about being true to the them, as they are dynamically Directed by conductor Joseph role, preparing the student words on the page. Most people in related to each other,” he says. Mechavich, who has led performers in advance of their the audience don’t remember the In April, Spano released his performances in major opera work with Mechavich and Scheer, notes, or if they were sharp or flat. sonata on a recording by ASO houses across America and and Jason Goldberg ’16, a former What they do remember is if they Media. It includes a song cycle he abroad, Words into Sound also student director, handled staging. were moved.” wrote for soprano Jessica Rivera.

8 TIMARA Studios Release New Music the Old Way

Oberlin’s TIMARA studios, which came into existence when vinyl records and eight-track tapes ruled the audio world, released a recording in February that showcases the work of current and former students and faculty. And of course, it was released on vinyl. TIMARA: Electroacoustic Music at Oberlin consists of nine disparate-sounding tracks that came together through various means, from traditional instruments to synthesizers to field recordings. It was pressed by Oberlin’s Hanson Records. “The combined student and faculty creative output is truly remarkable,” says TIMARA faculty member Tom Lopez ’89. “Every year I witness inspiring work by my colleagues and Acclaimed violinist Pamela Frank works with Asher Wulfman ’20 during a session in Stull Recital Hall. Frank’s spring visit students alike.” was presented by Conservatory Student Wellness, which is dedicated to fostering the overal mental and physical health of all conservatory students. Electroacoustic Music at Oberlin marks TIMARA’s first New Conservatory mental health in the student (oboe and English horn), who dalliance with vinyl, following a body, as well as integrate social- performs with The Cleveland run of five CDs and a DVD Initiative Promotes justice programming into the Orchestra. Created over a issued over a 10-year-span. Student Wellness community at large,” says nine-month period in 2015, Other recordings featuring Associate Dean for Academic Composed also includes the TIMARA musicians have Performance-related stress is as Support Chris Jenkins, who is insight of mental-health appeared in recent years on the old as music itself, but new also the conservatory’s liaison professionals including Noa Oberlin Music label. In 2014, initiatives led by the Conservatory to the Office of Equity, Diversity, Kageyama ’98, who specializes Associate Professor Peter Dean’s Office are intended to help and Inclusion. “This in performance psychology at Swendsen ’99 released Allusions students take charge of their programming focuses on the Juilliard School. In February, to Seasons and Weather. The mental and physical health. maintaining a healthy community Kageyama returned to his alma following year, pianist Thomas Conservatory Student environment—socially, mater for a series of workshops Rosenkranz ’99 released Toward Wellness sponsors programming emotionally, and physically.” on managing performance the Curve, featuring music throughout the academic year on In the fall, Con Wellness anxiety and related stress. composed by TIMARA alumni. a variety of topics. In 2016-17, sponsored an exclusive screening An April visit by violinist those programs included yoga of a new documentary called Pamela Frank included a classes, massages, and Composed, in which dozens of master class and discussion discussions—called Conservatory classical musicians—many of about movement analysis with Wellness Workshops—dedicated them from major American physiotherapist Howard Nelson. to healthy relationships, mindful orchestras—share their passion When Frank suffered a career- self-compassion, avoiding for music and their sometimes threatening injury, Nelson’s prejudice, disability issues, and crippling fears of performing and efforts—and Frank’s persistence— other topics. auditioning. Among those helped her return to the stage. “Conservatory Wellness interviewed in the film are She shares her insight on injury Workshops are intended to Oberlin faculty members Peter prevention in an exclusive Q&A at

FRANK: CROOKSTON-GULENKO JULIE ’15 promote robust physical and Slowik (viola) and Robert Walters oberlinconservatory.tumblr.com.

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 9 Of Note

In With a Bang The Contemporary Music Ensemble shines in New York’s Bang on a Can Marathon.

10 As students across campus counted collective Bang on a Can, featured member and co-artistic director of some students, including down the days to commencement, eight hours of innovative, rarely Bang on a Can. The concert trumpeter Wyeth Aleksei ’17, the Oberlin’s Contemporary Music performed music. CME played included Oberlin faculty Marathon performance marked Ensemble hit the road to New York Andriessen’s De Staat (“The performers Roy Poper on trumpet, an exhilarating conclusion to their in May to perform works by Louis Republic”)—a commentary on the Lee Allen on trombone, and ensemble experience at Oberlin. Andriessen and Michael Gordon at debate about the relationship Stephen Aron on guitar. “Being able to work with my own the 2017 Bang on a Can Marathon between music and politics—and The same ensemble—under the studio teacher—Roy Poper—in at the Brooklyn Museum. the New York premiere of No name Oberlin Sinfonietta— my last concert and last trip with The 30th annual marathon, Anthem, composed in 2015 by previewed the pieces in Oberlin on CME has been a life-changing presented by the performing arts Michael Gordon, a founding the evening prior to departure. For experience,” Aleksei says.

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 11 Of Note

Oberlin Opens Selch Center for the Study of American Culture

Throughout his life, New York City publisher Frederick Selch amassed with his wife Patricia an enormous collection of unique instruments and seminal books that document the history of American music. In 2008, the Selches donated their collection to Oberlin to enable study by scholars for generations to come. That collection will now be made readily accessible to researchers through the creation of the Frederick R. Selch Center for the Study of American Culture, the symbolic home of which is the Selch Classroom, a technologically superior learning space in Bibbins Hall. The Selch Center’s opening celebration in fall 2016 featured Jennifer Koh’s spring residency included a workshop performance of the Vijay Iyer concerto Trouble, which was written for Koh artifacts from the collection and and premiered at the Ojai Music Festival in June. a talk on late singer and activist Paul Robeson, presented by Jennifer Koh ’97 Other highlights of Koh’s week of the world, but you can create music historian Thomas Riis ’73. and Vijay Iyer on campus included a discussion your community, the kind of In addition, Oberlin has called Curating Encounters with artwork, and the kind of music convened a panel of faculty, Collaborate with the Unknown: A Literary and you believe in. You can build the staff, and students from both Students for Ojai Musical Conversation, which collaborators you work with in sides of campus to support World Premiere touched on questions of literary that world, so that’s what I do in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary and musical interpretation and my artistic life.” research. Fall 2016 also yielded featured Koh, Associate Professor Iyer’s career has intersected Violinist Jennifer Koh ’97 and the first class of Selch Fellows, of Hispanic Studies Claire with numerous Oberlin faculty composer/pianist Vijay Iyer four students from the College Solomon ’98, and Donald R. and alumni, from jazz professor devoted a week to discussions and of Arts & Sciences who Longman Professor of English Billy Hart to the International music-making with conservatory undertook various cultural Sandy Zagarell. Another Contemporary Ensemble, with students in April. research projects. The student conversation focused on diversity which he recently collaborated in The experience included a researchers were Julian in the arts and included insight Abu Dhabi and at Ojai. workshop performance of a new Cranberg, Nora Cooper, Isabelle from Koh and Iyer, both of whom “I’ve found that people who work by Iyer, which was given its GULENKO FADI PAGES: KHEIR, KOH: YEVHEN PREVIOUS Harari, and Sofia Pierson. also held master classes during come through Oberlin have a world premiere in June at the Ojai “What I love about the center the week. sense that the way to do it is to do Music Festival, where Iyer was is that it includes not only “You have the capability as an it together,” he told students. “And this year’s music director. The people from a broad category of artist to create the world that you so I see them banding together in piece, Trouble, is a violin concerto academic disciplines, but also want, and believe in and live in different ways and embarking on that was written for Koh. It was from all branches of Oberlin,” that world,” Koh told students in these ventures. Artists need to be performed in Oberlin and at the says James O’Leary, Oberlin’s one session. “I think that’s community organizers, and that’s Cleveland Museum of Art by Koh Frederick R. Selch Assistant something I probably learned what I’ve found to be the case and the Oberlin Contemporary Professor of Musicology. “What from coming to school here— with a number of folks who come Music Ensemble, members brings us together is our passion even in terms of imagining the through here. They see the value of which also took part in the for what we all study.” world that I wanted to be a part of. of strength in numbers, and premiere at Ojai. You can’t control all the elements they’re not in it for themselves.”

12 New on Oberlin Music The official recording label of Oberlin Conservatory, Oberlin Music showcases the artistry of the conservatory’s faculty, students, and alumni. Oberlin Music titles are distributed by Naxos of America and are available through digital music channels and select retailers worldwide. Learn more at oberlin.edu/oberlinmusic.

BILLY DREWES JAMEY HADDAD ROBERTO OCCHIPINTI ALI PARIS PETER DOMINGUEZ, SOLO BASS SALAR NADER LUISITO QUINTERO LEO BLANCO MICHAEL WARD BERGEMAN

MUSIC COMPOSED BY BILLY DREWES

Ginastera: One Hundred Mozart Among Friends Groove Dreams Myth & Tradition Under One Sun Yolanda Kondonassis, harp James Howsmon, piano Peter Dominguez, bass Darrett Adkins ’91, cello Under One Sun, featuring Gil Shaham, violin Marilyn McDonald, violin Oberlin Contemporary Jamey Haddad, percussion Late bassist Milt Hinton is Jason Vieaux, guitar Music Ensemble After performing the celebrated for a stage and Jamey Haddad met sax player Orli Shaham, piano Timothy Weiss, conductor complete set of Mozart studio career that intersected Billy Drewes when both were Oberlin Orchestra Sonatas for Pianoforte with countless legendary Associate Professor of music students in Boston. Raphael Jiménez, conductor and Violin together, James musicians for an incredible Cello Darrett Adkins and Nearly 45 years later, the Marking the centennial Howsmon and Marilyn seven decades. Groove the Oberlin Contemporary longtime friends have made anniversary of Alberto McDonald longed to relive Dreams honors Hinton’s Music Ensemble deliver a their first recording together: Ginastera’s birth, Ginastera: three lesser-known gems. legacy with solo bass tunes trio of cello concertos that a collection of tunes written One Hundred pays tribute to Perhaps smaller in scope but from artists as varied as are united by their exaltation by Drewes and performed the Argentine composer and not in creativity, the sonatas Duke Ellington, Stevie of the instrument’s voice by Under One Sun, eight serves as a musical thank- that make up Mozart Among Wonder, Bill Evans, and Chick and by their compositional musicians representing you from internationally Friends—G Major, K. 379; F Corea. Performed on the distinction. The recording’s five countries and five acclaimed harpist Yolanda Major, K. 377; and A Major, 18th-century Italian bass title is inspired in part by generations. “As my musical Kondonassis, whose K. 526—wonderfully reveal Hinton played throughout his Su Lian Tan’s Legends of journey led me from one career has been powerfully the full range of Mozart’s career, each song explores Kintamani, a sweeping and continent to another, and as influenced by Ginastera. genius. As the artists’ notes the nuances and deep colors cinematic concerto written I experienced a planet crying (By her own estimation, explain, the title is a sort of of the instrument—qualities for Adkins and based on out for understanding, this Kondonassis has performed double entendre: “Mozart not always discernible the mythic Balinese bird- team of players cosmically his Harp Concerto nearly Among Friends” refers to in ensemble playing. A warrior known as the Garuda. came forward,” says Haddad. 200 times.) Ginastera: One the custom during Mozart’s renowned bassist and Joining this world-premiere Joining Haddad and Drewes Hundred features the artistry time of hosting home educator in his own right, recording is Richard Wernick’s are Michael Ward-Bergman of Kondonassis—an Oberlin performances for loved ones; Dominguez met Hinton dramatic and intense (hyper accordion), Luisito Conservatory faculty member it also honors the friendship in 1981. More than three Concerto (written in 1979) Quintero (congas, timbale, of almost 20 years—and of the two longtime faculty decades later, he was and Philip Cashian’s Concerto and percussion), Roberto three esteemed colleagues, collaborators, as well as their instrumental in forging a for Cello and String Orchestra, Occhipinti (acoustic bass), each of them renowned late friend, painter Leslie relationship between the another work written for Leo Blanco (piano), Ali Paris for their charismatic Miller, whose artwork graces Hinton estate and Oberlin Adkins. “Like all of his music,” (qanun and voice), and Salar musicianship. the cover. Conservatory, where he is a the cellist says of Cashian’s Nader (tabla). Included are professor of jazz studies and piece, “it is vivid, fleeting, notes by legendary musician double bass. imaginative, and brilliant.” Paul Simon, with whom Haddad has performed for two decades.

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 13 14 SOUNDS FROM THE UNDERGROUND The striking new Birenbaum Space gives musicians— and audiences—an experience like no other on campus. By Erich Burnett

mid oberlin’s stately concert Benefiting from its location in the heart students and ensembles, the club was halls and intimate recital spaces, of downtown Oberlin, the Birenbaum is completely booked for the spring semester. there now resides a venue designed to intended to connect campus and community “The Birenbaum was conceived and designed offer a performance experience life through its programming and amenities— to be a place of intersection—a place of Aunlike any of them. most notably a sleek and stylish bar that connected learning,” says Dean of the Situated at the intersection of campus and extends along the north side of the room, Conservatory Andrea Kalyn. “In both modes, community life, the William and Helen which will be open to the public most nights this is a space designed to inspire our students Birenbaum Innovation and Performance from 7 to 11 p.m. The space boasts a to make connections across the curriculum Space is a club-like, subterranean venue in the contemporary vibe, with polished concrete and to imagine—and even more critically, to Hotel at Oberlin that promises to serve a walls and floor, exposed ceilings, and practice—the ways in which their education virtually unbounded variety of purposes—and flourishes of cork incorporated in the bar top can live beyond Oberlin in the community, the to host a similarly varied range of music. and the walls and floor of its Kulas Stage. profession, and the world.” Operated by the conservatory, the The Birenbaum is named for the parents of Birenbaum will serve as an entrepreneurial DESIGNED TO INSPIRE attorney Charles Birenbaum ’79 of San space for Oberlin College and Conservatory For student musicians, the Birenbaum offers a Francisco, chairman of the Northern students by day and an intimate, 100-plus- performance setting that is distinct from California offices of Greenberg Traurig and an capacity concert club by night, hosting campus venues and closely resembles Oberlin College trustee. Birenbaum’s daughter, everything from student recitals to nontraditional locales many musicians are Julia Birenbaum ’17, graduated in May. The conservatory ensembles to guest artists and now exploring in their professional lives. After venue was dedicated March 3 in a ceremony special events. only a few weeks of availability to conservatory attended by three generations of Birenbaums,

15 including Charles’ mother, Helen. Oberlin College President Marvin Krislov and Dean Kalyn spoke at the event. Hours later, the Birenbaum played host to a performance by the Oberlin Sinfonietta, conducted by Timothy Weiss. The eclectic program included works by Beethoven, 19th-century Danish composer Emil Hartmann, and Oberlin faculty composer Jesse Jones, and featured side-by-side performances of students with faculty flutist Alexa Still, oboist Mingjia Liu ’10, clarinetist Richard Hawkins, and French hornist Roland Pandolfi.

FLEXIBLE AND EVOLVING The first official performance in the Birenbaum was a winter-term project called Words into Sound, which took place January 27. Coordinated by voice professor Lorraine Manz and conductor Joseph Mechavich ’92, it featured conservatory singers performing works by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer, with Scheer in attendance. In late February, TIMARA major Joseph Misterovich ’18 performed the first student recital in the Birenbaum. He was thrilled to create music on what he calls a “blank slate,” compared to Oberlin’s other venerable venues, and he benefited from the room’s versatile sound system and video-projection capability. “The acoustics of the space complemented the music I composed,” says Misterovich, who has worked sound reinforcement for other Birenbaum events through jobs with the offices of Concert Sound and Conservatory Audio. “It’s exciting to work in a space that has yet to be settled into a specific identity and is still flexible and evolving.” The Birenbaum was designed by the Cleveland firm Westlake Reed Leskosky, which led recent renovations of the Apollo Theatre and Bibbins Hall, and designed the Bertram and Judith Kohl Building, home to Oberlin’s jazz program. Accessible from College Street or via the hotel lobby elevator, the Birenbaum welcomes guests in a vestibule gallery space adorned with artwork by Oberlin students. The Birenbaum represents the ninth performance space on campus used by conservatory musicians. It is the first new space since the creation of David H. Stull Recital Hall, part of a 2013 renovation of Bibbins Hall that also was designed by Westlake Reed Leskosky. Like the new Hotel at Oberlin, which opened in spring 2016, the Birenbaum is part of Oberlin’s Green Arts District, a plan for building and renovating a 13-acre city block at the corner of East College and North Main streets to be energy self-sufficient and carbon- neutral, providing a model for sustainable construction everywhere.

16 PREVIOUS SPREAD: TANYA ROSEN-JONES ’97, THIS SPREAD: RICKY RHODES, YEVHEN GULENKO, DALE PRESTON ’83 Housed on the lower level of the Hotel at Oberlin, the Birenbaum was dedicated in March 2017. The event was attended by numerous members of the Birenbaum family (pictured below, from left: Janet Birenbaum, Helen Birenbaum, Chuck Birenbaum, Marvin Krislov, and Julia Birenbaum). Guests to the club are welcomed by a vestibule gallery space that displays artwork by Oberlin students. The Birenbaum’s stylish bar will serve guests six nights a week.

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 17 THERE WOULD BE NO TIMARA WITHOUT ENGINEER JOHN TALBERT, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING ANYWAY. BY ERICH BURNETT

18 THERE WOULD BE NO TIMARA WITHOUT ENGINEER JOHN TALBERT, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING ANYWAY. BY ERICH BURNETT

john talbert was asked recently to In his own student days, Talbert found department’s footprint, including the addition serve up a résumé highlighting his career. It himself bouncing between classes in science of a third faculty studio and a new “maker didn’t happen. and music. He earned degrees from Indiana space” for students to construct equipment. The last résumé Talbert needed was created University and the University of Illinois, both To those Talbert leaves behind, TIMARA’s on a typewriter in the 1970s. If he were to have of which prepared him to be something along continued growth in itself is a tribute to him. one today, he’s not even sure what it would say. the lines of a theoretical physicist with a jones “Our longevity has a lot to do with our “I’m not a faculty person who goes around for bleeps and blips. “I was pretty much a lost adaptability,” says Associate Professor Peter and does concerts and performs pieces and soul,” he says now. Swendsen ’99. “And our adaptability over the gets awards,” he says in his typically Everything changed when he learned past 38 years has a lot to do with John. Even as understated manner. “I’m sort of the wizard that Oberlin’s fledgling electronic music he walks out the door, he remains a step ahead.” behind the curtain.” department needed help. In March, TIMARA hosted the Talbertronic Four decades into his Oberlin wizardry, In those days, TIMARA consisted of Festival, a weekend celebration attended Talbert retired in the spring from the only nothing more than the unfinished basement by students and faculty past and present, as job he ever craved: electronic music engineer of Bibbins Hall, outfitted with Buchla, Moog, well as Talbert’s family and members of the in the Technology in Music and Related Arts ARP, and Putney synthesizers; Scully tape community. There were Talbertronic stickers (TIMARA) department. In that capacity, decks; and speakers. There they toiled in and Talbertronic T-shirts and performances he has been a pioneer in marrying analog relative obscurity, sharing space with the that celebrated his genius, using instruments and digital technologies. He has created a conservatory’s stash of broken-down pianos that he created. multitude of unique electronic instruments, and harp cases. If outsiders knew what was “The sheer amount of original work that fixed what was broken, updated what was going on down there, they usually weren’t John has influenced and helped create during outdated, and taught generations of students happy about it. his time at Oberlin is staggering,” says who came through the program—and he “We always had problems with the professors Swendsen. “He has played an integral role in learned from those students too. Through it all, upstairs,” Talbert remembers. “They were the creation of thousands of pieces of music, Talbert has maintained a voracious appetite for constantly calling me up and saying, ‘Turn hundreds of concerts, and scores of completely new technology. it down!’” novel software and hardware tools. Every bit of “That’s what was so cool about the job,” he Talbert exits just as TIMARA prepares the teaching and learning that transpires each says through a grin: “Every year it was a new for the largest growth phase in its history: day in TIMARA is influenced by John—and job. Every year things changed.” a summer renovation that will expand the will continue to be for years to come.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 20172014 19 TINKERER IN CHIEF

After teaching TIMARA circuitry courses for years, John Talbert stepped away from the classroom to devote more time to creating instruments for students and faculty. The transition flipped the switch on an era of invention for Talbert, with numerous unique creations springing forth from his office in recent years. “I just went crazy,” he says. Sample Talbert’s instruments at timara.oberlin.edu/talbertronic.

THE ALLES MACHINE (C. 1980-83) week at Bell studying the machine In 1980, Talbert and TIMARA and its intricate schematic professor Gary Lee Nelson were diagrams. “This was state of the invited to the New Jersey art, so it was exciting and scary at headquarters of Bell Labs. There, the same time,” Talbert recalls. Max Matthews—a Bell employee They toiled for three years, Nelson widely regarded as the founding writing programs while Talbert father of computer music— painstakingly reconfigured the introduced them to the Alles machine’s innards. Around the Machine, a research device same time they finished, Yamaha designed by H.G. Alles that was released its DX7 synth, which used to experiment with could do the same things Alles did synthesized dial tones and human and more. “So we dropped it after voices. Bell was finished with that,” Talbert says matter-of- Alles, and it was up for grabs if factly. In 2016 Alles was revived Oberlin wanted it. Of course, they as a giant controller to generate did. Talbert and Nelson spent a sounds from a Mac mini computer.

20 THE MAJESTIC RADIO (2017) > When a thrift-store find by Associate Professsor Tom Lopez ’89 landed in the TIMARA studios, Talbert used it to marry 20th- and 21st-century technologies: He connected a vintage synthesizer chip from a 1980s-era Commodore computer to a modern Arduino microcontroller—a powerful, low- cost device that has helped fuel the burgeoning “maker” movement. “The idea behind it is that students need to program their interactions with the sounds the chip produces,” he says. The chip is connected to the Arduino, which is programmed via USB from a computer. In other words: “We’re putting old chips into old boxes controlled by new microprocessors.” And the result? “It’s like sculpting a new type of musical instrument. It’s kind of a fun process, and you get immediate feedback at each stage of creation.” Talbert also added a Eurorack “Radio Music” card to the Majestic Radio, after learning about it from Drew Smith, a high school student participating in the annual TIMARA summer program. Drew will be a first-year TIMARA student this fall.

> TALBERT TELETALK (2016) Talbert discovered an old Teletalk office intercom at a flea market 20 years ago and stashed it in a closet till inspiration struck. Last year, he installed a synth chip from an old arcade game into it and outfitted it with three slider controls and a series of knobs and buttons, all of which are wired to an Arduino, which can be programmed by a student. “The idea is that it becomes a musical instrument with a certain type of sound determined somewhat by the chip, but mostly by the program. So it’s like a musical instrument that can be changed to a completely different instrument with a different program. And I’m hoping that students will be intrigued with that idea.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 21 TINKERER IN CHIEF

THE EURO DELAY BOX (2016) > The computer music world’s enduring love of analog synthesizers has given rise to a generation of do-it-yourselfers who create analog synths using versatile, low-cost Eurorack modules. “I’ve always had this undercurrent of an idea to try to move everyone away from the analog synthesizer to something more interesting,” says Talbert, perplexed by those who want to use new machines to create the same sounds Moogs and Buchlas were emitting half a century ago. “When you have all of these great new modules available to you, you can create an instrument that does something special.” So he chose a theme that includes delay modules with delay times that are continually shifting. In much the same way, many modern computer musicians boast collections of such “suitcases,” each rig based on a different theme. The analog synth controller—the orange box—could be used with another analog or MIDI synth, or even by itself to explore the power of Arduino- controlled synthesis. “I just packed as many devices in there as I possibly could,” Talbert says.

> THEREMIN (C. 1990) Talbert made this one with a mail- order kit. “All I did was go to Jo-Ann Fabric and find this 1920s-looking chest, and lo and behold it was a perfect fit.” Played ’97 TANYA ROSEN-JONES SPREADS: PREVIOUS AND CURRENT by waving hands near the two antennae without actually touching them, the theremin has long been known for its eerie sounds in TV and movie scenes. “It’s a classic instrument. This one’s interesting in that, besides the theremin sound, it also puts out two voltages for controlling analog synthesizers.” Though this theremin is still used by beginning students, it has taken a backseat in recent years to the Theremini, a modern version manufactured by Moog.

22 THE MIDI HORN (C. 1984-87) Perhaps the most successful of Talbert’s creations, the MIDI Horn was crafted for Gary Lee Nelson, who used it in more than 200 performances worldwide. The device emits MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) signals generated from the various buttons and switches on the horn. There’s even a pressure-sensing tube that the player can blow into. The horn (played in the photo by Jackie Milestone ’17) was most often used to control various sound-producing programs created by Nelson on a laptop computer. “Probably the most boring thing to do with it is to just play notes,” Talbert says. “It was made to facilitate much more than that.” As for the MIDI Horn’s most striking feature, the yellow-green rubber handles on either side: They are simply repurposed grips that were commonly adhered to 1980s telephone receivers to enable hands-free use. “If we had had 3D printing at the time,” Talbert admits, “we would have built a more interesting and ergonomic shape than this box.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2014 23 TINKERER IN CHIEF

Friends of TIMARA past and present returned in March to celebrate the first Talbertronic Festival, three days of festivities in honor of the retiring engineer. “It was a bit overwhelming at first, but once we got started it was fun,” a grateful Talbert said afterward, then slyly added: “I still don’t know who all those people were!” > Students (including Julia Mills ’18, pictured) took part in a pair of synthesizer- building workshops led by designer Peter Blasser ’02. Over the weekend, they played an ensemble piece together on the newly created instruments. > TIMARA faculty member/ belly dancer Aurie Hsu ’96 performed with the Remote electroAcoustic Kinesthetic Sensing (RAKS) system, a wireless sensor interface for belly dance designed by Hsu and Steven Kemper.

24 > TIMARA student Judy Jackson ’18 proudly wears the official Talbertronic 2017 T-shirt.

> The Talbertronic Open House resulted in a photo opportunity with TIMARA students and faculty past and present. Among those in attendance were former professor Gary Lee Nelson (standing, far left) and Peter Blasser (standing, far right).

< Open house guests interact with an installation made by Travis Johns ’04 and Paulina Velázquez Solís. Called The Temporal Sounds of the VauxFlores Sound System, it involved light- activated furballs suspended from the ceiling. > A modified skull was used to perform The Wishing Goat, composed by former TIMARA faculty member Lyn Goeringer.

PETER SWENDSEN, DALE PRESTON ’83, WALTER NOVAK, TANYA ROSEN-JONES ’97 25 OBERLIN MUSICIANS TAKE THEIR MISSION TO THE STREETS—AROUND THE WORLD, AND AROUND THE CORNER. By Jennifer Fraser, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and Anthropology Illustrations by Rob Blackard

26 Many people become ethnomusicologists because they want to make a difference— to bring attention to diverse musical practices and the ways in which music is embedded in culture.

Our training inevitably makes us alert to idea of teaching a class that bridges their perspectives and alternative knowledges. power differentials and inequities, from the ethnomusicology and activism. Many of my A panel on music and activism, co-hosted by social and racial to the political and economic. students already had an interest in connecting my colleague Fredara Hadley and Associate As advocates for social justice, we think about research and practice to social action. So Dean for Academic Support Chris Jenkins, rose creating avenues for dialogue and about often, ethnomusicology is viewed as this thing out of the widespread discontent on campus building bridges. Increasingly, we are turning that takes place somewhere far away. But in and elsewhere following the 2016 U.S. our attention to helping communities address reality, it offers a set of tools to work with presidential election. While many of us were their issues in musical ways. communities everywhere. reeling, some students were truly at a loss to Ethnomusicologists bring our life So what if we did that work in our own find meaning in their lives; they wondered why experiences to bear on our teaching. Ever backyard? I combined that notion with a they were studying music when there was so since I first lived with a devout Islamic family growing interest in applied ethnomusicology. much other urgent business in the world. And in West Sumatra, Indonesia, in 1998, I’ve It took me some time and many conversations they were asking what they could do. made it my mission to educate people about before I launched a new course in 2015: In response, we created this panel on music Islamic sonic and cultural practices there. By Ethnomusicology as Activism. In it, students activism, which encouraged students to talk deliberately making space in my courses, I see are challenged to discover active ways they through their experiences and devise a list of it as a sort of intervention—an act of can use music to make the world a better actions—musical and non-musical—in which pedagogical activism, especially in this era of place. Their projects have ranged from they could take part. The one thing we wanted increasingly rampant Islamophobia. If I can working on arts accessibility to helping to emphasize is that there is no one right way to open my students’ eyes to the nuanced nursing home residents unlock memories. engage in musical activism—no better or worse multidimensionality of people’s engagements Both of these things are activism. acts, but rather a range of opportunities. with Islam, then I have done something. There are many ways we can use the music Protesting in the streets is not necessarily But there is more than this ongoing mission. we know and love—and I mean any kind of better than educating, for example. In the 10 years that I’ve been at Oberlin, there music—to find that connection. The course After the election, I was prompted to think have been many moments that have encouraged students to think about the skills about where I had the time and energy to make challenged me to use my training to do more. ethnomusicology offers them to do this work: a difference. The students in my two Indonesian It was in the spring of 2013, during a series Through the act of listening carefully, we gong ensembles and I decided we would turn of bias incidents and subsequent student develop empathy for others and learn to our end-of-semester concert into a fundraiser. unrest on campus, that I first conceived the decenter ourselves in these equations, to value Playing music from a Muslim-majority

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 27 country—and coincidentally, the country with the largest population of Muslims in the DIFFERENCE MAKERS world—we wanted to help counter Oberlin students and alumni everywhere are creating cultural connections with their Islamophobia. We sought the support of the music. The stories that follow span the spectrum of social justice in places near and far. Muslim Students Association and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, and we donated the money raised to the Cleveland chapter of program. One of our main the Council on American Islamic Relations. focuses has been on trans Inspired by the work of my colleague Jody allyship and making the Kerchner, who had started a choir in a nearby conservatory a safer place for prison, I also wanted to think more inten- transgender and gender-non- tionally about what I could do for the local conforming students. With help community. I am in the process of setting up a from Oberlin’s Multicultural musical program using gamelan for under- Resource Center, we hosted a served middle-schoolers. I also built a project trans-allyship forum aimed at into my Introduction to the Musics of the giving allies language and tools World class in which teams of students pair to advocate for their trans peers, with local partners—including music teacher as well as providing a space for Bronwen Fox ’08, MMT ’09 at Oberlin’s discussion of the challenges they elementary and middle schools, along with the face. We also hosted a follow- retirement community Kendal at Oberlin—to up event, Trans Voices in the teach a session on a topic related to class. But Con, in which a panel of trans rather than producing an assignment that conservatory students shared would reflect their acquired knowledge, with their experiences. These events me as the primary audience member, what if made a big impact, with they took that same knowledge and shared it in students telling us how much the schools? My students would learn as much they learned and how they as the children would. A MILLION WAYS TO and it was a huge inspiration to were moved to become more These experiences describe my personal IMMERSE YOURSELF me in terms of musical projects active allies. journey, but there are so many stories of the EMILY EDELSTEIN ’18 I want to develop in the future. There’s a long way to go, but ways in which ethnomusicologists, I’ve always As part of this class, I started a it’s encouraging to see small performers, composers, and others have series of informal concerts at a changes being made in the thought about how they can use music to believed it is extremely community center near conservatory—I’m excited to say effect change in the world. There are a Oberlin that also provides we now have gender pronouns growing number of courses in the important that we transitional housing for women next to names on the internal conservatory that emphasize music as a form and children. I brought Oberlin orchestra roster, and plans are in of community engagement and deepen the remember we are human beings first and students to the center, and they the works for additional conversations around this work. The new played music from Western gender-neutral bathrooms in program Pedagogy, Advocacy, and musicians second. Being musicians doesn’t give us a classical, folk, and pop genres, conservatory buildings. Community Engagement, or PACE, lies at the and talked about the content of There are many ways to be heart of this mission (see page 42). pass on being politically engaged and aware of social the music and what it meant to active and engaged, whether by This journey is about learning to recognize them. I wanted community using a concert to raise money the choices we might make and the places injustices, nor does it make us immune to injustice or members to feel comfortable for a cause, increasing access to where we might offer musical interventions. coming to Oberlin concerts, musical spaces, or even As musicians, we have all experienced struggle ourselves. I’ve tried throughout my so we also spread awareness of making conscious program- firsthand what music does for us. When we the multitude of free concerts matic choices that highlight experience the same sonic phenomenon with time at Oberlin to remain involved with activist efforts in on campus. different voices. (In my junior others—especially when we are actively This year I’ve been involved recital, I included music made engaged in creating those sounds—we create the college and to engage conservatory students by in community engagement exclusively by female compos- a powerful bond, whether it involves listening through my position as ers and arrangers.) I want to to the same awesome concert or playing and planning outreach and educational events that make secretary of the Conservatory continue planning events that chanting during a march on Washington. Council of Students, which acts will strengthen communities In the fall of 2015, I thought it important our community proactive and more aware. Last year, I took as a liaison between the and to continue using music as to talk about the racially charged events administration and student a tool to connect with others. happening in Ferguson, Missouri. While my Ethnomusicology as Activism, body and plans events for the Emily Edelstein studies viola and class was meeting, a related student protest conservatory community. Led musicology in the conservatory. was taking place outside. I gave students the by our vice president Jude Park, choice of which action to participate in: we hosted a children’s Hallow- learning and discussion in the class or boots een concert that brought the on the ground. Only one student opted for conservatory and community the protest. Each of us must find our own together and raised money for way to contribute. the Oberlin schools’ music

28 PROCEED WITH AN week to receive love, support, OPEN, CRITICAL MIND jokes, and kindness from the IAN COPELAND ’11 men, who enthusiastically Long before diving into appreciate my presence. It ethnomusicology, my first trip to reminds me every time of why Malawi came as a volunteer I specifically love singing in a teacher in an effort to satiate the choir, and it inspires me to world-changing impulse felt by many incoming Oberlin students. continue doing this work. The experience was life-changing I have also worked as a for me, but returning to campus and reflecting choir teaching assistant in the critically on my time spent halfway around the world Lorain City Schools Arts helped me reframe my approach to service in ways I Academy, which since its hadn’t previously considered. founding in January has been We often read and speak of music as having ineffable, autonomous power all its own. While tremendously successful in enticingly familiar to those of us with training in the THE POWER IS people connect and be moved bringing children together to Western canon, this view downplays the intentional IN THE GROUP beyond words through the participate in choir, string decisions of individual actors to instrumentalize music KHALID TAYLOR ’17 sound we create together. I was ensembles, visual art, and in particular ways and to uneven ends. My experience accepted into the conservatory drama programs in a district witnessing Malawian songs and dances in the Learning for vocal performance, but I where arts programming is classroom reinforced for me the sense of music’s about and ability to heal, galvanize, and communicate, thereby growing into recognized that I enjoyed otherwise scarce. I have seen so validating my own sense of service with little regard to my identity singing with others more than I much growth in each student: the actual efficacy of the music on the ground. as a Black did as a solo performer. In Many kids who struggled to In my recent research, I’ve spent time observing and Latinx thinking about the skills I bring hold a pitch now confidently how a music school in Lilongwe trains its students to the table, I considered my sing multiple songs from with a largely illegible curriculum of classical music man in Brooklyn, New York, memory. I have also had kids theory. While the explicit message may equate was both empowering and love of neuroscience and how musical know-how with subsequent fame and fortune, scary. From early childhood, I the mind works. By combining share the struggles they go the implicit message connects with a long history in can remember my father my passions, I came to realize I through at home and school, Malawi, beginning with 19th-century missionaries, of actively and continuously could facilitate mental health and express how much they Western musical standards presaging (though never affirming my Blackness. Over and wellness through music. enjoy coming to the program. I quite delivering) modernization, development, and This year I have been a choir got many hugs and affection inclusion in the global order. time, those conversations that warmed my heart and Of course, none of this is to say that musical started including the injustices teaching assistant through the strategies in international contexts are necessarily and oppression enacted by Oberlin Music at Grafton made the difficult moments flawed or myopic. I simply advocate that the critical different institutional bodies, program under Professor Jody worth it. We grew as a choir, impulses we develop at places like Oberlin not be including the people that Kerchner. We have rehearsal and I have no doubt that their promptly abandoned as soon as we hum a tune or tap a looked like me. As I grew older, every Friday, and in those 90 growth has positively affected foot. We generally act most responsibly—and our minutes, we work on music other parts of their lives. activism is most effective—when we take our cues from I started to experience and I know that I want to be a those we encounter and befriend, rather than relying on recognize discrimination and literacy, musical phrasing, preconceived notions. Listening, as it turns out, is as prejudice in my daily life. I harmonization, vocal healer in some way, and I hope crucial a skill for activists as it is for musicians. grew to fear police officers, production, and performance to continue using my voice, musical knowledge, Ian Copeland earned degrees in Third World studies and who are the people apparently practices. In that time, we also clarinet performance at Oberlin. He is a PhD student in meant to serve and protect me. laugh, share stories, and reflect and warm spirit to spread ethnomusicology at Harvard University. I was scared, confused, angry, on what the music means, as positivity, facilitate healing, and resentful. I also became well as what it means to create raise awareness of important aware of the political nature of art and why it is important to issues, and create beautiful art my Blackness. I’ve always had a create art. While there are with others. desire to learn about how difficult moments in trying to Khalid Taylor earned a degree in systems worked, but that navigate the penitentiary neuroscience from the College of system, or coming to grips with Arts & Sciences in May. His thesis turned into activism when I focused on the disconnect between started to share what I learned, the harsh realities of the institutional music therapy and lived, and experienced. inmates’ past and current lived communities of color, and how experiences, I leave various informal forms of music Being a part of dozens of therapy thrive in comparison. choirs and singing groups, I reinvigorated, humbled, and have seen hundreds of my grateful for the opportunity to create something so positive and constructive. I look forward to that time every

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 29 BANG YOUR OWN DRUM ZOE C. SHERINIAN ’84 My activism began My activism found its medium in at age 10, when I Appavoo’s approach to the creation of first chose to play a Dalit (anti-caste) theology, which he percussion. As a grounded in the flexible Tamil folk girl in the 1970s, music style. He advocated that, unlike playing the drums the classical Christian kirttanai, this was a gender allowed oppressed villagers (primarily transgression. But my desire to express Dalits) to re-create the lyrics and myself as a percussionist outweighed musical elements of Appavoo’s songs in my fear of gender policing. My journey order to express their sociopolitical found its home at Oberlin in needs at the moment of worship or as ethnomusicology courses with Rod protest. This study resulted in my book Knight, playing with Oberlin Steel, and Tamil Folk Music as Dalit Liberation in queer-feminist activism. Through a Theology (2014) and, in the process of two-year Oberlin Shansi fellowship to my fieldwork, introduced me to the Madurai, in the southern Indian state parai drum of the Dalits. Studying the of Tamil Nadu, my musical activism parai allowed me to get back to playing developed a context. a drum. My next two projects were the At Lady Doak College in Madurai, I documentary filmsThis is a Music: nurtured my love of Indian percussion Reclaiming an Untouchable Drum in a milieu that engaged me with (2011) and Sakthi Vibrations (2017), (Hindu) karnatak music study, which explored the changing status of conducting an English choir, and this “polluted outcaste” instrument, its teaching women’s studies. The college use in the Dalit Liberation Movement also had a choir that sang Tamil of Tamil Nadu, and its use at the Sakthi Christian hymns using the classical Folk Cultural Centre to build self- indigenous kirttanai form, raga modes, esteem in young Dalit women. Tamil and tala rhythmic cycles. My desire to activists declare, “Dalit arts are understand the 300-year history of this weapons of liberation.” Drumming music and its social meaning as an and film are my social justice weapons SING IT TOGETHER musical forms while working for indigenous hymnody informed my of choice. CHRISTIAN JAMES ’14 the Jagori Rural Charitable Trust dissertation topic in ethnomusicology. Zoe Sherinian is associate professor of during my 2014-16 Shansi The Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary I first learned ethnomusicology at the University of fellowship. in Madurai became the site for my Oklahoma. Her next film project focuses about the social ethnographic study of the production on the Oklahoma City Girls Rock and meaning and The organization is wide- of indigenized Tamil Christian music. Roll Camp. function ranging in its activism; in its own However, soon after I arrived to do inherent in words, it seeks to “protect the fieldwork, I was struck by the expressive individual and collective dignity polyrhythmic grooves and liberation of the most marginalized,” which theology texts of the Tamil Christian cultural practices through folk compositions of Reverend Thomas Turino’s Music as Social includes those subject to “all Theophilus Appavoo. Life, the central text to Oberlin’s forms of discrimination based on introductory ethnomusicology gender, class, caste, religion, course. Turino explains that disability, and all other forms of participatory music in social exclusion.” In practice, its particular—that which does not regular work falls into four broad sharply distinguish artist from categories: legal consultation and audience—provides special advocacy for survivors of resources for individuals to domestic violence, health integrate with a social whole and education programming, express shared values. By community leadership training contrast, presentational music is with emphasis on gender equity, useful for organized articulation and an agriculture program that of more nuanced messages by educates and incentivizes local smaller groups and individuals. farmers toward adopting organic The music I studied and made as methods. I soon learned through a composition student at Oberlin exposure to all of the Trust’s did not directly serve any social activities that singing together or political cause, but my plays a crucial role in integrating training in ethnomusicology the participants in each of its gave me a strong theoretical base programs, serving as a kind of for understanding such connective fiber through which applications of participatory its feminist ideology can be adequately expressed. Most often, these songs consisted of popular melodies

30 MAKE TIME FOR YOUR CAUSE South Korean democratization struggles. DONNA KWON ’93 In the aftermath of 9/11, our activity intensified when we organized an event Activism has been to mourn the victims of the tragedy. Our an important part goal was to cultivate solidarity during a of my life since my time when Muslims and many other time as a double- immigrant groups were feeling degree student at that were rewritten to include contributed to a more especially vulnerable. Oberlin. Just as In the ensuing years, many of us in lyrics describing the plight of collaborative and productive the conservatory the KYCC became active in a series women and girls in the face of learning environment. Our challenged me to be a better musician, of large marches in opposition to the the college challenged me to be more patriarchy and systemic violence. surveys had not accounted for Iraq War. Because we were already socially and politically engaged. In In 2011, the Trust’s parent the use of music, and any attempt accustomed to drumming in the the best of times, these worlds organization published a small to evaluate the songs as an streets—during Korean Lunar New came together. book that included many of these integral component of the Year, in the San Francisco Chinatown I remember the moment when parade, and even once in a Samba songs. I learned to bring my copy workshop was ultimately Professor Randolph Coleman told us in Carnaval event—drumming during a to workshops, and within a few excluded from the project report. a contemporary music class that we protest felt like a natural extension of needed to actively work against the kind months I was able to accompany But I am inspired to search for these activities. of training that was making us into mere some of them on my guitar. At methods of measuring these Since then, I have pursued an “executors of the music... [long pause] around that time, many of my effects and for a fuller academic career path and have only and I mean that in senses of the colleagues began to request that understanding of the potential both recently become galvanized again to word.” He wanted us to take an activist become more politically active since the I bring my guitar to events. contribution that music makes to approach to musical interpretation in our election of President Trump. Soon after Despite my having little formal social activism initiatives. performances. While I struggled with his inauguration, I was moved to protest this in my piano practice, I did break out training on the guitar, I was If I learned anything about with a fledgling group of Korean at times and collaborate with other quickly becoming “the music guy.” non-governmental organizations drummers in the Lexington Women’s women and people of color to create As my familiarity with local during my Shansi fellowship, it is March, and I was surprised by how much works that addressed the challenges of language and culture grew, I that ways of measuring the effects attention we got for such a small group. building multicultural solidarity and Since that time, I have become more began to sense the effects that of a given project are the most reckoning with and overcoming colonial organized in terms of regularly participatory singing could have essential element to establishing oppression and systemic racism. contacting my senators and After college, music and activism on our events. An example that financial sustainability for representatives. There are so many came together most intensely for me in sticks out in my memory involves internationally funded groups causes under threat in this my work in the Asian American arts a week-long workshop on male like the Trust. These strategies administration (the climate, arts, community in San Francisco, and dominance aimed at sensitizing need to demonstrate how music humanities, immigrant rights, refugees, specifically with the Korean Youth women, peace on the Korean peninsula, a group of 25 rural youths to and other forms of cultural Cultural Center. Established in Oakland etc.) that I feel it is important to speak patriarchal systems of governance expression, when engaged in a in 1989, the KYCC is a progressive up often. From here, I hope to bring my Korean cultural organization. With them, in order to catalyze their culturally sensitive and socially activism more into my work in the I learned various types of Korean involvement in the democratic responsible manner, can show the academy by organizing workshops, expressive traditions such as Korean process. I witnessed these impact of social transformation roundtables, and perhaps a course on drumming or , mask dance, p’ungmul the subject. Marching is not really young people grow willing to and create a more equitable and movement songs. We often enough right now, although it feels good communicate their views and global community. performed these traditions in annual to do it. experiences simply as a result Christian James is a fellow in the Indiana events that highlighted political causes of participating in songs University Department of Folklore and relating to the Korean or Korean Donna Kwon is an associate professor of Ethnomusicology, which offers a public American community, such as the North ethnomusicology at the University of that articulate the need for Kentucky. She earned Oberlin degrees in practice concentration that emphasizes Korean famine, Korean reunification, or gender equity. the successful application of research ethnomusicology and women’s studies. When it came to writing the outcomes to community initiatives outside report for that project, I found it of academia. difficult to substantiate the claim that the songs we had sung throughout the week had

Marching is not really enough right now, although it feels good to do it.

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 31 KEEP ON GIVING

INSTRUMENT GIFTS TO THE CONSERVATORY SUPPORT STUDENTS IN COUNTLESS WAYS. BY ERICH BURNETT

here is no shortage of reasons instruments that may be out of students find themselves in need commission. of instruments. Fortunately, On the pages that follow, we profile T there are also generous donors a series of unique instruments—all of them near and far who keep Oberlin in mind donated to Oberlin in recent years, and all when making plans for those pianos of them changing the lives of the students and horns and cellos they finally can who use them. In many cases, they are live without. part of more comprehensive gifts; in every Every year, Oberlin receives numerous case, they are an unmistakably vital facet donated and loaned instruments. They of support to the campus community. become valued members of a collection If you have an instrument you would that ranges considerably in scope, from like to have considered for use at Oberlin, precious relics that yield impeccable please contact us at 440-775-8545 or sound, to reliable stand-ins for student [email protected].

32 musician, so he graciously BIG HORN donated it to Oberlin early in 2017. ON In the horn’s first semester on campus, it came to the aid of CAMPUS numerous musicians: It helped Richard Williams ’17 through a period when his SELMER TENOR SAX own sax needed repair. And it helped alto saxman David As a New Jersey high school Diongue ’17 (pictured) when student back in 1972, a friend craved tenor sax for classical clarinetist David his senior recital. Ballon ’80 decided to dabble “I’m going to try to in saxophone, and so he get one,” Diongue says paid $350 to take home a of the experience. “I Selmer Mark VI tenor model. probably wouldn’t be able Though he rarely played it, to get a Mark VI, because Ballon toted it with him to its reputation is so crazy Oberlin, where from time to that it’s just so expensive. time it aided jazz pals But playing this concert whose own horns were in made me realize that I like the shop. playing tenor a lot. It’s so One successful career in much fun, and that horn finance later, Ballon keeps sounds so nice. It’s like the his alma mater in his holy grail.” thoughts and in his And Ballon, for his part, philanthropy. Together with is happy to know his sax is classmate Béla Schwartz in the hands of creative ’79, he established the young artists. Lawrence McDonald “To be perfectly honest, as Scholarship Fund—named much as I was absolutely for their former teacher at born and raised listening to Oberlin—to support an classical music, if I had it to outstanding clarinetist. do all over again, I would Ballon still owned that give it all up to be a jazz Selmer sax­, which over the player,” he says. “I have years has come to be a monumental respect for highly prized model, its the skill set of jazz players. value skyrocketing in I can’t do what they do. But comparison to what he had I like the feeling of knowing paid for it. But he came to that this gets me maybe the conclusion it could one inch closer to the jazz better serve a student world I never really explored.”

“THAT HORN SOUNDS SO NICE. IT’S LIKE THE HOLY GRAIL.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2014 33 delivered by Trackman during RAISED a visit in May 2017. Two more will be passed along as part THE of her estate; all four will be used by student and faculty musicians. RIGHT WAY “It pleases me so much to be in the lucky position that TONONI AND I can get involved in stuff like this,” she says with a FURBER CELLOS glance at the instruments. “These cellos are going to Susan Trackman’s love of thrive here, and I’m sick of Oberlin found its roots in having them gather dust her own upbringing. She at home!” was raised in a musical Cellos, however, represent family in North Carolina by a only a fraction of Trackman’s father who dedicated his giving to Oberlin. In recent orthopedic surgery practice years, she has also emerged to serving the local black as a key supporter of community and by a mother first-generation students who led the charge to enroll through the establishment black children in newly of an endowment for desegregated schools. Student Academic Services Grounded in a life of and a scholarship fund social justice, Trackman earmarked for first-in-the- made her way to Oberlin, family students. A highlight where she earned a degree of Trackman’s May visit was in music in 1969. For nearly a meeting with a group of 50 years afterward, no first-year, first-gen students opportunities arose to visit and their peer mentors. campus, but she remained For Oberlin, Trackman’s close to Oberlin through generosity has inspired many years of giving to the similar giving from others. annual fund. For Trackman, the support It was in 2011 that carries forward a legacy Trackman penned a letter she inherited from Mom explaining that she had four and Dad. cellos she would like to “My parents walked the donate to the conservatory. walk,” she says. “My mom The first of them, an was working with first- outstanding example of a generation black kids Carlo Tononi instrument enrolled in white schools in (pictured right, held by the South. I’m just following Trackman) that dates to in that path.” the early 18th century, arrived on campus late in 2016. The second one (below), crafted in 1841 by John Furber, was hand-

“THESE CELLOS ARE GOING TO THRIVE HERE, AND I’M SICK OF HAVING THEM GATHER DUST AT HOME!”

34 IN THE PAST TWO YEARS ALONE, THREE SYNTHESIZERS HAVE BEEN DONATED TO TIMARA’S ALREADY ROBUST COLLECTION.

“It’s an opportunity for “MY NAME IS PLUMBUTTER. MY FACE IS A PSYCHO- Brown performed with PLUG & students to have a literal Plumbutter in his senior hands-on experience with GEOGRAPHICAL MAP OF THE CITIES OF BALTIMORE AND recital and in a concert in PLAY the history of electronic CLEVELAND. I AM A DRUM MACHINE, BUT LET ME TELL honor of retiring TIMARA music instruments,” says engineer John Talbert—a (& REPEAT) Hunter Brown ’17 (pictured), YOU I AM MORE THAN THAT, FOR I ALSO AM A ‘DRAMA performance attended by a classical percussionist MACHINE.’ THUS THERE EXISTS IN ME A DIALECTIC Blasser himself. who also minored in “It’s cool knowing that TIMARA. BETWEEN DRUM AND DRAMA, LIKE COPS AND this synth was crafted by PLUMBUTTER Among the newcomers is someone who was trained GANGSTERS, MALE VERSUS FEMALE, OR RURAL VERSUS an original design by master in synthesizer design by John The TIMARA department’s instrument maker Peter URBAN. YOU CAN SEE MY WILD SPACES ARE Talbert,” Brown says. “The collection of vintage and Blasser ’02. Technically opportunity to meet Peter modern analog synthesizers referred to as a “Plumbrolzer” REPRESENTED BY A DEER HORN AND MY DOWNTOWN and discuss with him the is an amazing resource— —a hybrid beat generator BY A FACTORY, AND IN BETWEEN, A VAST SWATH OF details of his instrument- and it’s growing all the time. and drum machine—it was building process—while In the past two years, three handed over to TIMARA SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENTS. IT IS A GRADIENT OF THESE simultaneously preparing a synthesizers have been complete with a fanciful THREE AREAS—URBAN, SUBURBAN, AND RURAL—THAT performance on the donated to TIMARA’s already backstory, submitted by instrument—was truly

SAXOPHONE, CELLOS, PLUMBUTTER: RSOEN-JONES TANYA ’97 robust collection. its creator: INFORMS MY ELECTRONIC SYNTHESIS.” invaluable.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 35 “THE SOUND WAS SO VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY HEARD— SO DEEP AND RICH.”

“I GET IT NOW!”

THIR VIOL A

Secondary viola study is required of all violin majors, and Dana Johnson ’17 (pictured) waited till the last possible moment: spring semester of her senior year. After struggling with an inferior viola, she was offered one by her chamber music coach, Kirsten Docter: a Viennese instrument crafted by Johannes Georgius Thir in 1778, on loan from Elizabeth Patterson Fleeter ’77. “I was basically just tuning it, and I pulled the first note and the sound was so vastly different from what I had previously heard—so deep and rich,” Johnson says. “I was like ‘OK, I get it now!’ And I was just playing Bach on it all night. “As a student, you already have to buy strings and get rehairs, and then to have to rent a secondary instrument is just another way that things add up. It’s so nice to not have to deal with that. It’s been a really wonderful opportunity to be able to play it.”

36 “When I first laid my hands A WELCOME on it, the first thing that was obvious to me is that this COMPANION instrument is critical for chamber music,” says David Breitman, a professor in ZIERER FORTEPIANO Oberlin’s historical performance department. Oberlin boasts an extensive For her senior recital in collection of fortepianos, May, cellist Heewon Lee ’17 though all but one are (pictured, with Breitman) modern reproductions of leaped at the opportunity vintage models. In 2014 the to be accompanied by conservatory acquired an Breitman on the Zierer in a original Anton Zierer performance of Beethoven’s fortepiano dating to 1829. Sonata in C Major. She even Initially owned by an Italian performed the piece on noble family, the Viennese a borrowed gut-stringed instrument sat, virtually cello tuned to A427, in unplayed, in the family’s order to accommodate the summer home for an Zierer’s tuning. incredible 170 years. In 2012 “The sound of the piano it was purchased by was so warm, and the blend Marcella Calabi of New York. was incredible,” says Lee. “As She had it painstakingly we were playing, I was very restored and then shipped close to tearing up. Realizing to the U.S….where she found I had the opportunity to it would not fit in her home. do this, while being so in the When an offer arose to moment of the music—all “AS WE WERE PLAYING, I WAS take it off Calabi’s hands, of it combined was just

VIOLA AND FORTEPIANO: TANYA RSOEN-JONES ’97 RSOEN-JONES TANYA FORTEPIANO: VIOLA AND Oberlin gratefully accepted. so beautiful.” VERY CLOSE TO TEARING UP.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 37 GLORIOUS PIPES

BROMBAUGH “BOE” ORGAN

A legend among Oberlin faculty and administrators, David Boe taught organ for an incredible 46 years and served for 15 years as dean of the conservatory. In 1975, he commissioned an instrument to be crafted by organ builder John Brombaugh. Two years later, the Opus 23b was installed in Boe’s Oberlin home. In December 2015, the organ was reassembled in Fairchild Chapel, where it resides today as a companion piece to the hall’s gallery organ, also built by Brombaugh. It was celebrated with a dedication event in February 2016. “David Boe’s house organ was a wonderful gift to Oberlin,” says organist Albert Bellefeuille ’17 (pictured), who has used it numerous times for chapel services and accompanying Baroque ensembles. “The organ is very versatile and musical, and plays wonderfully, fostering the kind of playing Professor Boe himself supported,” he says. “It stands as an excellent monument to the man who did so much as professor of organ and dean.”

“IT STANDS AS AN EXCELLENT MONUMENT TO THE MAN WHO DID SO MUCH AS PROFESSOR OF ORGAN AND DEAN.”

38 “I HAD NOT THOUGHT ABOUT PLAYING IN THIS WAY BEFORE, AND IT OPENED UP A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT SOUND.”

classes with Christian was fortunate to play the opened up a new way of BRUSH Tetzlaff and Punch Brothers instrument for a year and a thinking about sound.” to a Kennedy Center half, and felt myself grow As Davis’ sound grew, so WITH engagement in which she with the violin as I became did her correspondence with played Saint-Saëns’ Sonata more familiar with it. Gale. “Getting to know No. 1 in D Minor. “I remember one Marian throughout the past GREATNESS “Playing on Marian’s particularly impacting lesson two years was a true joy,” Gagliano was an incredible with my teacher, David she says. “She is extraordi- GAGLIANO VIOLIN and humbling experience,” Bowlin, when he told me to narily kind, generous, and says Davis (pictured with the really play the violin—to try warm-hearted—always Gagliano, as concertmaster to coax out all of its nuances a supportive presence and Violinist Sophie Davis ’16 of the Oberlin Chamber and colors in a way that reminder of how much I played many memorable Orchestra), who graduated highlights the sounds it is have to be grateful for. I performances on a Gagliano in December 2016 and capable of producing. I had can’t thank her or Oberlin loaned to Oberlin by Marian earned a Fulbright not thought about playing in enough for giving me this

BELLEFEUILLE: CROOKSTON-GULENKO JULIE ORGAN ’15, AND VIOLIN: YEVHEN GULENKO Gale ’73: from master Fellowship this spring. “I this way before, and it opportunity.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 39 IN THE HANDS OF OBERLIN STUDENTS, THE HARP GIVES BRACY AN ENTIRELY NEW SENSE OF JOY.

Style 23, which she THE ROAD purchased in 1976. After 13 concert tours of Europe and countless other WARRIOR ’97 ’15, TANYA ROSEN-JONES FLUTE: JULIE CROOKSTON-GULENKO HARP: engagements, Bracy’s beloved “23” was donated Robertson Hall, where it is Bracy an entirely new LYON & HEALY HARP to Oberlin in 2016. She used by harp students and sense of joy. credits the idea to her late is available for ensemble “I am absolutely delighted,” Kathie Bracy ’59 enjoyed friend, fellow harpist Jane performances. It’s also she says. “From what I’ve a rich career as a harpist, Cauffiel Thomson ’56, who invaluable for students seen and heard of Oberlin having performed with the had given her own concert whose own harps are in harp students on the Henry Mancini Orchestra harps to Oberlin. need of repair. conservatory’s live and the symphonies of “I suddenly realized Oberlin “With an instrument this webcasts, they deserve the Houston, Austin, Columbus, was the perfect place to large and this rare, it’s not very best instruments to and the bucolic resort town donate one of the harps, like we can just pick up a play on, and I just hope I’ve of Lakeside, Ohio, where especially since I felt second harp whenever we been able to help in that she was a member of the strongly that I owed Oberlin,” need it—and especially way. Those students are orchestra for more than Bracy says. “I knew the one of this quality,” says amazing—I hope they play 50 years. conservatory would take Ina McCormack ’18 (pictured), it to death! And I’m glad I Now retired, Bracy very good care of it and that who recently lost her harp did it while I’m still around. collected three harps over it would get played on a lot.” to repairs for two months. Who knows, I may get to the course of her career, Bracy’s harp now resides In the hands of Oberlin hear it played again one of including a Lyon & Healy in practice room 124 of students, the harp gives these days.”

40 GAME CHANGER

ARMSTRONG HERITAGE FLUTE

A standout student from nearby Cleveland, Karisma Palmore ’20 arrived for her BOLGER: first year at Oberlin in 2015 with no shortage of nascent talent…but no decent instrument to call her own. “If I took a table leg and EXTEND PHOTO poked some holes in it, that would be better than my flute,” she jokes. A year later, Brian Hedges BACKGROUND ’67 of Virginia stopped by campus to donate a sterling silver Armstrong Heritage flute that had been built for TO RIGHT FOR him by noted maker Mark Thomas. To flute professor Alexa Still, it seemed an ideal match for Palmore. The conservatory offered it BLEED to her not just for the year, but throughout her Oberlin career—an arrangement that delighted student and donor alike. Palmore has used the flute since January, the pressure of needing her own instrument finally taking a backseat to her artistry. The gift has also led to a continuing correspondence between Palmore and Hedges, who have bonded “I’M JUST SO over their shared love of Romance languages, which Palmore intends to study as GRATEFUL. one half of her double degree. “I am thrilled because IT’S THE NICEST Karisma is a richly deserving kid,” says Still. “All of her THING ANYBODY teachers love her, and she works so hard.” “I’m just so grateful,” HAS EVER Palmore says. “It’s the nicest thing anybody has DONE FOR ME.” ever done for me.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2014 41 42 WE ARE ALL TEACHERS

TODAY’S PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS MUST BE MORE VERSATILE THAN EVER. OBERLIN’S APPROACH TO MUSIC EDUCATION EVOLVES TO KEEP PACE. BY ANDREA KALYN, DEAN OF THE CONSERVATORY

t the heart of the conservatory both part of the formal curriculum and is a fundamental belief in the alongside it, PACE programming presents importance of music and a conviction students with newly focused and rigorous A that all children should have access opportunities to imagine, research, and to it. These tenets are reflected in myriad practice how their musical work will live in ways throughout our curricula. And while the world beyond Oberlin. specific courses and degree offerings PACE coalesces current course offerings in necessarily change over time, our essential music education, performance studies, and commitment remains true: to prepare our professional development that until now have graduates at the highest level for professional lived scattered across the conservatory. The lives of impact. This fall, the conservatory PACE framework offers new clarity around launches a division that adds new dimension the purpose, profile, and coherence of these to that commitment: Pedagogy, Advocacy, courses within a professional musical and Community Engagement, or PACE. education, underscoring their relevance and As we prepare our students for the making them more easily identified and broadening opportunities and expectations of accessed by interested students. PACE also professional musical life in the 21st century— encourages discussion around these and foster in them the artistry, vision, and important topics, as well as collaboration passion they will need to influence the future across departments and divisions. Even in of the field—teaching, community recent weeks, for example, a group has engagement, and advocacy are relevant skills gathered to design new community worthy of our serious attention. Our students engagement and educational outreach keenly pursue opportunities to combine their programming by the Oberlin Orchestra for artistic development and aspirations with the coming academic year, building on their deep sense of social responsibility and outreach experiences central to the justice. They volunteer in Oberlin’s public conservatory’s 150th-anniversary Chicago schools, teach in the Community Music tour in January 2016. While such initiatives School, intern with the Northern Ohio Youth have long been part of Oberlin’s ethos, PACE Orchestra and other local arts organizations, brings new intentionality to these efforts, and and initiate winter-term performance lends a broader degree of faculty expertise and projects that incorporate audience and participation to ensure that students are educational outreach. The new division of prepared to take on these initiatives and to An Oberlin music education PACE is conceived to facilitate these pursuits, execute them well. student teacher leads a class in a local elementary school. The but even more to prepare students to apply to Teaching is the foundation of PACE, which original photo appeared in course those pursuits the same standard of adopts the range of pedagogy coursework catalogs beginning in 1940. excellence they bring to their core work. As already taught in the conservatory as the

43 Oberlin’s 2016 Chicago tour included extensive outreach in area schools.

starting point for new classes and programming. Pedagogy courses will continue to be offered in piano, strings, and voice, as will courses in the PREVIOUS PAGE: COURTESY OBERLIN COLLEGE ARCHIVES, THIS PAGE: YEVHEN GULENKO YEVHEN PAGE: THIS ARCHIVES, COLLEGE OBERLIN COURTESY PAGE: PREVIOUS principles of classroom instruction. Indeed, much of our current music education coursework provides a pedagogical anchor for PACE, but the new division adopts a broad charge, specifically to invite participation by students of every major. We are deeply proud of the generations of teachers our music education faculty have mentored and of the profound global impact they continue to have. Yet as a conservatory develop and practice vital teaching skills, responsibility of musicians to share their made up almost entirely of performers and whether in the private studio or community work. The capacity to connect—not just with composers (over the past decade, they account music school, in school-based music teaching, immediate audiences, but also with those in for 99 percent of our conservatory student in arts-inspired teaching of academic subjects, the community beyond the concert hall—is body), we must bring the art of teaching into or in presentations to audiences. an area of increasing professional relevance greater prominence and distinction for all of Community engagement has been core to for our student performers. The traditional our students—as both a professional skill and a Oberlin’s music education program from its manifestations of audience outreach and social responsibility. With the creation of PACE, inception, and it represents a vibrant area of community arts programming that are we extend to all students in the conservatory commitment across our entire faculty, who becoming a standard part of the work of not just the opportunity, but the mandate to model in countless ways the fundamental professional musicians clearly demand solid

THE EVOLUTION OF MUSIC EDUCATION AT OBERLIN CONSERVATORY

1837 child for music,” which 1918 1922 1929 1959 Oberlin’s Department became the official The first program for Two new A master’s degree in Music education of Music Education is slogan of the Music teachers of high undergraduate school music is added. options include a launched by George N. Educators National school music begins, programs are minor, major, double Allen and maintained Conference, now the aimed at conservatory launched: a double 1931 major with applied National Association until the formation of graduates and leading major combining A bachelor’s degree in studies, and double for Music Education. Oberlin Conservatory to a teacher’s school music and school music defines degree. in 1865. certificate. Initially applied music, and a three emphases of 1914 two years, it expands five-year program study: general, vocal, 1964 1902 Gehrkens publishes to four years by 1921. combining college and and instrumental. Shinichi Suzuki visits The conservatory’s his first book, Music conservatory work. Oberlin to instruct first music education Notation & Terminology. 1919 1942 music teachers in his course is taught by Gehrkens publishes 1923 A double-degree groundbreaking Professor of Singing 1916 the seminal textbook Oberlin College’s program leading to a method. William Horner. Gehrkens establishes An Introduction to Department of School bachelor of arts and a two-year program School Music Teaching. Music awards the first bachelor of music 1966 1907 leading to certification U.S. bachelor’s degree education is added. A five-year, combined- Karl Wilson Gehrkens in public school music. 1921 in school music. Three degree program is (1905, AM 1912) It expands to three Gehrkens establishes courses of study in 1958 introduced, leading to years in 1917. becomes the first a four-year program school music are String professor bachelor’s and teacher of “public leading to the first- offered, including a Clifford Cook is master’s degrees in school music” while 1917 known bachelor’s double major with introduced to Suzuki music education. still working in Oberlin A reference to degree in school applied study. string pedagogy. local schools. A the importance of music; 100 students Soon after, Oberlin 1968 member of the preparing students for are enrolled in the 1926 becomes one of the The Music Education conservatory faculty roles in “community program in its A minor in school first U.S. advocates Association of Oberlin until 1942, he coined music” appears in the inaugural year. music is added, then of the method. student charter the phrase “Music for conservatory course dropped in 1961 and organization is every child—every catalog. readded in 1990. founded.

44 WE MUST BRING THE ART OF TEACHING DISTINGUISHED MUSIC INTO GREATER PROMINENCE FOR ALL EDUCATOR AWARD WINNERS

OF OUR STUDENTS—AS A PROFESSIONAL 2002 | HERBERT HENKE ’53 Former Oberlin Conservatory professor of music education and leading exponent SKILL AND A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. of Dalcroze eurhythmics.

2003 | MARY GOETZE ’65 pedagogical skill. Equally critical to and chamber music, for example—creates Former professor of music at Indiana successful community engagement, however, new points of entry into this work for University and choral conductor. are the entrepreneurial, organizational, students, provides clear faculty resources for 2004 | CAROLYNN LINDEMAN ’62 and financial skills fostered in coursework their guidance, and allows for new creative Former professor of music at San Francisco and programming offered through the partnerships with community arts State University and past president of the conservatory’s Office of Professional organizations. Professional development National Association for Music Education. Development and Oberlin’s Creativity & courses newly offered through PACE will Leadership program, as well as the social, serve as a pipeline of arts-administration 2007 | TIMOTHY GERBER ’69 cultural, and ethical sensitivities that are interns for numerous organizations here in Professor of music education at the Ohio State University School of Music. developed in ethnomusicology seminars and northeast Ohio and throughout the country. community-based learning courses, which Advocacy lives at the intersection between 2008 | SHARON DAVIS GRATTO ’66 are offered in conjunction with the Bonner pedagogy and community engagement. In Professor of music at the University of Center for Service and Learning. In bringing the 21st century, the capacity for artists and Dayton and former director of music these areas together, PACE advances the teachers to articulate a compelling value education at Gettysburg University. conservatory’s capacity to prepare students proposition for their work is a professional 2009 | MARSHA KINDALL-SMITH ’66 for effective outreach while underscoring expectation. Our students will be called Former co-chair of music education at the for them the full scope of professional and upon throughout their lives to advocate for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. social responsibility inherent in developing music and for the broader place of the arts in their own community engagement projects. society, and it is important that we create 2010 | RICHARD ’65 & GEORGIA BASSETT ’63 Furthermore, bolstering support for faculty opportunities for them to practice this, Founders of the Association for Music in seeking to develop community engagement alongside their artistry, even while at Oberlin. International Schools. programming—relevant to large ensembles Arts-advocacy programming currently lives 2011 | LYNNELLE EDIGER KORDZAIA ’94 in co-curricular spaces in the conservatory: Founder and director of the Academy of panel discussions and professional Music and American Youth Harp Ensemble. development talks given by guest artists, arts advocates, and other leaders and policy 2012 | JONATHAN HANDMAN ’96 makers; internships at arts organizations; and Co-founder and artistic director for Stringendo Inc., orchestra director at student-initiated projects funded through Arlington High School in N.Y., and conductor Oberlin’s entrepreneurship program. of Woodstock Chamber Orchestra. 1971 2002 Aligning advocacy with pedagogy and A five-year combined The textbook Prelude 2013 | ELIZABETH HANKINS ’89 degree—bachelor of to Music Education community engagement underscores for our Director of orchestras at Lakewood High music in performance is published by students the social responsibility of the School in Ohio; 2017 Grammy Award finalist and master of music professors Joanne artist-teacher, and facilitates collaborative for Music Educator of the Year. teaching—is offered Erwin, Jody Kerchner, programming around advocacy across until 2008. Also and John Knight, with faculty, departments, and student-support 2014 | CONSTANCE MCKOY ’78 offered is the bachelor Kay Edwards. Faculty member at the University of North plus master of music offices. Opportunities, experiences, and Carolina at Greensboro, public school music in music education, courses made available through PACE help 2008-2017 teacher, and past president of the North double major in students formulate their own responses to the The 14-month master Carolina Music Educators Association. performance and of music teaching central question of why musical engagement music education, the degree is offered. is essential to education broadly in the 21st 2015 | NITA VAN PELT ’79 Double Degree Program, and the century, and provides a rigorous curricular Former string teacher at Lakeridge and 2011 framework in which to consider the place of Lake Oswego schools in Oregon and bachelor of music in Music in America— music education. music in full dimension—composition and principal clarinet for Oregon Pro Arte dedicated to Chamber Orchestra. improving academic performance, social justice and impact, 1980 outcomes through community engagement, advocacy, and 2016 | PENELOPE CRUZ ’91 The bachelor of music music—is introduced public policy. Primary and secondary music teacher and in music education with a summer choral conductor for White Plains High adds a piano teaching As we prepare our students to create the conference. School in N.Y. concentration. future of music, the principles of teaching, advocacy, and community engagement are 2017 2017 | PETER LUTKOSKI ’99, MME ’99 1999 core elements of our work as a conservatory. Oberlin launches Principal at the American School in London A music education Pedagogy, Advocacy, And it is through these applications of and past president of the Association for minor in community and Community artistry that our students will have broadest Music in International Schools. music is added. Engagement (PACE). impact—at Oberlin and beyond.

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 45 Make

jay ashby’s first taste of the world’s eclectic soundtrack came at an early age, growing up the son of a high school music teacher with a soft spot for bossa nova. As an adult, Ashby—now an associate Room professor of jazz arranging at Oberlin— cultivated his own passion for Brazilian beats by touring with legendary singer Astrud Gilberto. For years, he immersed himself in the sounds of an endless procession of musicians steeped in tribal for PI and folk traditions from around the globe. And at Oberlin, he found that he had a kindred spirit in fellow faculty member Performance & Improvisation emerges Jamey Haddad, a professor of advanced improvisation and percussion who has in the space between classical and jazz. collaborated with artists ranging from Yo-Yo Ma to iconic singer-songwriter Paul By Erich Burnett Simon. Together, Haddad and Ashby

46 A PI ensemble performs in the William and Helen Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space.

devised an innovative program that calls upon “Students are truly hungry for experiences hours developing a relationship with their their appreciation of the music of disparate that allow them to explore new aspects of instrument. We’re just offering guidance and cultures and their exaltation of improv. music that wouldn’t ordinarily be taught enabling a somewhat different way to apply Performance & Improvisation—PI, for within the repertoire for their instrument,” that technical facility and develop their short—can be thought of as a sort of bridge says Haddad. “The goal of PI is to expand a overall musical voice.” between the conservatory’s classically trained culture on campus where committed students In this way, the program is leaving a lasting students and its jazz students, a forum for who want to explore composition and impression with the first generation of PI helping both to intensively develop their improvisation in an ensemble situation can students sent forth to turn their passions listening skills and internal rhythmic do so, in addition to the focus of their jazz into careers. awareness, and explore paths toward more and classical majors.” As a result, Haddad innovative artistic expression. Through PI, and Ashby are witnesses to what Haddad calls The World (Music) Comes to Oberlin students are invited to deepen their “a new level of social interaction” between the Ashby and Haddad have been friends in music understanding of their own playing through two sides of the conservatory. since 1985, when Haddad recommended immersive experiences with accomplished “The truth is that so many of these students Ashby as an arranger for his gigging partner, guest musicians who represent an exhaustive have so much technical facility on their Paul Simon. range of world music styles. Like instrument that it’s astounding,” says Ashby, “We’ve gotten into lots of trouble over the improvisation itself, the program is ever who trained in classical trombone as an years in a lot of places, and we’ve made lots of evolving to explore new musical directions undergraduate. “In their young lives, they’ve great music,” Ashby says with a smile. “What as students are exposed to them. already spent hundreds upon hundreds of we’ve found is that while our jazz background

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 47 informs our approach to these other forms of SLICES OF PI music, it ends up giving rise to a new, eclectic approach to improvisation. It’s important to Jamey and me—and thankfully to many of our colleagues—that our students are exposed to many different forms of music and the ways that they can take advantage of it. “PI forces you to relate to the music in different ways and on different levels,” Ashby says. “It’s a reflection of the way you’ve experienced music. If you’ve only experienced ANA NELSON ’16 BEN ROIDL-WARD ’15 CHELSEA DESOUZA ’16 it where it’s written for an ensemble on the CLARINET AND JAZZ SAX BASSOON PIANO page, then you need some other experiences.” “PI got me thinking about “As a master’s student at “As a classical musician, Likewise, PI encourages musicians to listen to music outside the realm of Rice University, I have been getting to collaborate with the music in ways they may never have before. what I was studying in intensely engaged in the our incredibly talented “It’s that balance—that’s what we’re going for.” school and encouraged me orchestral repertoire and peers in the jazz To be considered for ensemble placement in to get involved with many with contemporary department was fun and projects. I’m pursuing a classical music, but I have enriching, and it pushed the PI program, students must first take master’s degree at Indiana also performed fairly and challenged me in ways prerequisite courses: Internalizing Rhythms I University, and I have extensively in the that have been very useful and II (APST 140 and APST 141) and projects in many different improvised music scene in to my classical music too: Beginning Improvisation for non-jazz genres of music at Indiana Houston, including work as learning to trust my musicians (APST 142), which are taught by and around the Midwest, a founding member of the musical instincts and including recording an Transitory Sound and listen to other people I’m Haddad, Ashby, and Professor of Jazz Studies album with Liberation Movement Collective, playing with, trusting them and Double Bass Peter Dominguez. Students Music Collective, touring which presents immersive to be there for you when are then eligible to audition for one of three with the popular girl group multimedia performances. you make a mistake, and small ensembles that receive coaching, the Vallures, and starting I would not have had the being there for them in the participate in master classes, and collaborate a recording project of my tools, the skills, or the same way. There is also an own compositions. PI has confidence to put myself element of creativity with in performances on and off campus. encouraged me to not out there in projects like writing your own music as The unique structure of Oberlin’s PI put myself in a box as that had it not been for my a band that really helped program is based on its continual cycle of a musician.” experiences with PI.” broaden my horizons.” guest residencies. Throughout the year, musicians reflecting a broad spectrum of styles give students direct connection to sound worlds not commonly found in conservatories. PI students prepare for guest residencies by studying each artist’s repertoire in advance, then they interact in master classes, coaching sessions, and performances. In 2016-17 alone, PI residencies have included flamenco pianist Alex Conde, bassist Petros Klampanis, jazz trumpeter Dominick CAITLIN MEHRTENS ’16 ASHLEY HALE ’16 CHRIS BERRY HARP TRUMPET WORLD MUSIC Farinacci, and jazz clarinetist and PERCUSSIONIST saxophonist Anat Cohen, each of whom “I was so heavily inspired “We were all a little out of (PI GUEST ARTIST 2011-12) by my work in PI that I our comfort zones, which worked with students in master classes and created my own created an accepting “What I feel is the most then collaborated with them onstage. The independent major called environment for everyone potent wisdom behind academic year began with an August ‘communication through to make mistakes instead music is often times performance by Under One Sun, a world multicultural music and of freaking out under the ‘unconventional’ and hard music collective that features musicians movement,’ which allowed pressure. I was able to weave into the various me to stay for another full to develop improvisational academic scenarios I find hailing from five countries and five year. I came to Oberlin as a skills through practice. myself in. Being able to generations, many of whom led master harp major with little While I still don’t feel as share in the PI format classes the following day. The ensemble knowledge of music aside comfortable as some of was truly revolutionary was assembled by Haddad and saxophonist

from the traditional my colleagues who and inspiring. The PI Billy Drewes. RHODES RICKY SPREAD: PREVIOUS European music I had improvise for a living, experience created a studied in high school and being able to hold my own format in which imperative In recent years, Oberlin’s American Roots before. This program on a song with changes musical knowledge could Residency has brought the virtuosic bluegrass opened my mind to see written out will help to set be shared in real time. ensemble Punch Brothers to campus in and begin to understand me apart from other For me, it was a perfect conjunction with PI. Other visiting ensembles so much music I had never trumpet players who meeting place for have included Harmonia, Hot Club of Detroit, experienced before—a lot might not have the academia and the mystical of which has become confidence to get up and world behind the music and Trio Globo, in addition to dozens of music I deeply care about.” take a solo at all.” I play.” individual artists.

48 At the heart of PI are the artist residencies coordinated by Jamey Haddad (right) and Jay Ashby (below right). In February, jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen collaborated with students in a master class and in concert at the Cat in the Cream (below).

Creating Connections Palestinian, Mexican, Israeli, and Venezuelan “When I moved to New York City, I Through their experiences in PI, classical guest artists. Studying their composition and reconnected with Petros and was able to jump students emerge with confident playing styles has made me a more versatile in with his ensemble, largely because I already improvisational skills, and jazz students boast player and listener.” knew some of the music and had the solid a greater musical vocabulary. Musicians from Carrie Frey ’14, a violist in New York City, rhythm I learned from Jamey, Jay, and my fellow both backgrounds take away an increased was among the first students to take part in PI. PI-mates,” she says. flexibility and adaptability, along with an “The PI program had a very deep influence Associate Professor of Conducting Raphael emboldened approach to their study and on my playing and on many of the choices Jiménez sees the growth in Oberlin’s orchestral music-making. I’ve made since then,” says Frey, who counts musicians firsthand from his perch in Finney Fourth-year jazz piano and economics among her numerous ensemble projects a toy Chapel. major Michael Orenstein has participated in piano/toy viola duo that incorporates “Performance & Improvisation has an PI since his sophomore year. In the fall of improvisation and original compositions enormous impact on our students’ training,” 2016, he became part of an ensemble that alongside works written for their unusual he says. “By exposing them to other genres of included a classically trained percussionist; a instrumentation. “PI gave me the opportunity music, by moving them away from notated music, cellist who also sings and majors in to view myself as a composer of sorts, the and by giving them opportunities to improvise, composition; jazz sax, bass, piano, and drum confidence to fit into any ensemble musically our students are given a chance to reconnect with majors; and a violinist who studies classical and rhythmically, a foundation for later humanity’s primordial relationship with music— and jazz forms. improvisational study, and many important that sense of spontaneity, freedom, and creativity. “The PI program is making a big difference connections that have stayed with me.” PI students bring this experience into everything in the way I think about—and hopefully Some of those Oberlin connections they perform. play—music,” says Orenstein, who hails from continue to bear fruit: As a student, Frey “The highly technical and rigorous academic Berkeley, California. “We have artists coming performed music by guest artist Petros training that our conservatory provides is in from all over the world, so we are exposed Klampanis and shared the stage with the perfectly balanced by a program like to different styles of music we probably would acclaimed bassist. Now she is a member of Performance & Improvisation, which reminds not play otherwise. Since I have been in the Klampanis’ band, and she performed on his them that performing all kinds of music should

WALTER NOVAK,WALTER CROOKSTON-GULENKO JULIE ’15 program, we have had Cuban, Brazilian, latest CD. always be a creative experience.”

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 49 50 DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEX

A distinguished alumna dishes about her homeland and the campus she forever holds dear. by erich burnett | photo by shawn roach

“you have to be an optimist to be born unforgiving heart of oil country, nearly But the concerts are merely one way among out here,” says Elaine Bridges ’59, doing her bereft of phone service and 120 miles away many that Bridges fuels new generations of best to explain why no sensible human being from her own mailbox in San Angelo. The musicians and educators. For decades she has should ever want to visit her ranch in desolate family ranch she inhabits has been designated supported initiatives throughout Oberlin, from west Texas. a nature conservancy, where deer, turkey, funding conservatory scholarships, to supporting “First off: If you’re born out here, everything and other indigenous creatures roam the Oberlin’s entrepreneurship program, to the recent else looks better.” bone-dry terrain. restoration of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Sixty or so years ago, Oberlin looked A longtime battle with laryngeal dystonia In addition, she has designated a generous gift pretty good to a young Bridges, who goes by prevents Bridges from saying much to most to Oberlin in her estate plans, ensuring that her “Tex” among those who know her well. Born people, but the topic of her homeland—and influence will reverberate across campus—and and raised on a vast plot of oil-rich land on her alma mater—gets her talking more than wherever Oberlin musicians go—for countless the Permian Basin, she came north to earn she probably should. years to come. degrees in voice and music education. Then “It’s hard for people to understand,” she “Oberlin was a wonderful experience for me,” she led a life that showcased both disciplines, says. “This is like America 100 years ago. It is says Bridges, who was awarded the Alumni teaching music everywhere from an Oklahoma really kind of wild out here. That’s why I go Medal in 1999 in recognition of her life of migrant farm to a Venezuelan oil camp and up to Michigan every six months—to keep my service. “I’m very grateful, and I’d like to see singing with church groups, community veneer of civilization.” more and more people go there—particularly choirs, and even an all-female rock band. In Traverse City, Bridges owns a palatial people from places like Texas, because it just “The thing about Oberlin that is so amazing home that she opens each June for a garden opened up a different world for me. is that when you’re there, you’re so sure that party featuring Oberlin student musicians and “I love Oberlin,” she continues, adding a rare everywhere you go from there is also going young alumni. The concerts are a tradition pause for emphasis. “It is, to me, one of the to be great for music and that there will be that started in the 1990s, when Bridges greatest things in my life.” classical music everywhere.” She has long since would welcome conservatory delegations— discovered that’s not the case—and certainly including a young Mirò Quartet—to perform not in her corner of the world, where marching at her ranch and in the community, providing To learn about including Oberlin in bands rule the musical landscape. invaluable opportunities for students to your estate plans, please contact the Approaching her 80th birthday this summer, engage with audiences outside of their usual Office of Gift Planning at 440-775-8599 Bridges still resides for half the year in the concert-hall settings. or [email protected].

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 51

UNFORGETTABLE FULKERSON After a half-century of history with Oberlin, the esteemed violin professor bows out.

BY DONALD ROSENBERG | PHOTO BY YEVHEN GULENKO

52 the John Becker Violin Concerto with the Chattanooga Symphony and the Roy Harris Violin Concerto with the North Carolina Symphony. Through the years, accolades for Fulkerson have come in abundance: The New York Times praised his “transparent, lucid readings” and “countless interpretive shadings,” and Musical America called his playing “insightful, heartfelt, meticulous, virtuosic, beauteous, and above all, convincing.” In a pair of Oberlin performances during music, orchestral playing (he served as his final year, he played Beethoven’s Violin concertmaster of the Honolulu Symphony), Concerto with the Oberlin Chamber solo appearances, and teaching. Orchestra in December (pictured), followed Oberlin remains an important influence by a March recital in Warner Concert Hall on Fulkerson’s life: It was at the conservatory that included sonatas by Schubert, Ives, and that he studied violin with David Cerone. “I Enesco. The March program featured faculty was a dreadful student,” Fulkerson says. “He pianists Peter Takács, Robert Shannon ’72, was a genius teacher. He put deadlines in and Monique Duphil; together, the four front of me.” Cerone taught Fulkerson how professors boast almost 150 years of teaching to solve problems and devise convincing experience at Oberlin. concepts—methods Fulkerson has employed Fulkerson is grateful to the conservatory with his own students, though he can for allowing him to pursue his playing visitor to room 308 in be whimsically self-effacing about his career while serving on the faculty. He has Bibbins Hall wouldn’t have pedagogical skills compared to Cerone’s. performed more than 50 concertos with to look hard to get an idea of “I’m not as good at it as he was,” he says. orchestras and made recordings ranging the occupant’s achievements. Fulkerson was good enough, however, to from the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for The walls are adorned guide nearly 125 violin students during his Unaccompanied Violin to the solo violin with remembrances of performances past: 35 years at Oberlin. Along with wisdom part in Philip Glass’ Einstein on the one-sheetsA promoting the Barber Violin he absorbed from Cerone, he applied Beach. The 1993 Nonesuch recording of Concerto at Carnegie Hall, the world techniques gleaned from other legendary the Glass opera followed a four-continent, premiere of Richard Wernick’s Violin teachers, including Ivan Galamian and 48-performance tour the previous year, Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School. “You when Fulkerson’s absence was felt back at under Riccardo Muti, and another world were very dirty,” Galamian told Fulkerson Oberlin. (“It was the worst for my students,” premiere, Meyer Kupferman’s Concerto No. in an early lesson. “You must play very clean. he says.) His Complete Violin Sonatas of 2, in Prague, as well as a poster for the 1989 Can you do that for me?” Galamian taught Charles Ives on Bridge Records has become Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Fulkerson how to teach himself. “I learned the standard for that repertoire. One curious item sitting near the so much more than I thought I was going to. Fulkerson’s devotion to passing on computer also draws attention: a call bell, I learned about bowings and fingerings. We artistic knowledge and experience won’t like those once used in hotels to summon the covered a tremendous amount of repertoire.” end once he leaves Oberlin. He will move bellboy. Gregory Fulkerson impishly taps The repertoire Fulkerson embraces has to New York, where his wife is in law the bell during lessons to inform students never been restricted to Mozart, Beethoven, school and where he has been teaching they’ve committed a musical infraction. He’s Brahms, and friends. His musical curiosity violin at New York University for 10 been tapping away throughout his 35 years also led him to explore works by 20th- and years. In his new life, as at Oberlin, he will as professor of violin at Oberlin, a tenure 21st-century composers, and in 1980 he won continue following a philosophy he shares that ended with his retirement this spring. first prize at the Kennedy Center-Rockefeller with his friend, violinist James Buswell: Fulkerson, 67, actually has been associated Foundation International Competition “Educating the whole person is something with Oberlin for 50 years. He enrolled for Excellence in the Performance of we agree on.” as an undergraduate in 1967 and earned American Music. The triumph led to his degrees in violin performance and math. Carnegie Hall performance of the Barber Upon graduation, he spent two years at the concerto with the American Symphony DONALD ROSENBERG IS THE AUTHOR OF THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA STORY: SECOND TO NONE back of the second violin section of The Orchestra in January 1982. In addition to AND EDITOR OF EMAG, THE MAGAZINE OF EARLY Cleveland Orchestra before embarking on the Wernick and Kupferman premieres, he MUSIC AMERICA. HE HAS TEAM-TAUGHT MUSIC a diverse career that has included chamber presented the inaugural performance of CRITICISM AT OBERLIN SINCE 2011.

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 53 StudentOf Note Accolades 2017 Conservatory of Music Honors & Awards

The Walter E. Aschaffenburg Prize The Piano Faculty Prize The Theodore Presser Awarded to a graduating senior in Accompanying Undergraduate Scholarship for outstanding music composition. Awarded to a graduating senior Awarded to an outstanding who has demonstrated excellence returning double-degree student Justin Weiss ’17 (Composition) in accompanying singers and for excellence in musicianship and instrumentalists. liberal arts study. The Louis and Marguerite Zi Xiao Li ’17 (Piano) Matthew Bickett ’19 (Organ & Bloomberg Greenwood Prize Davis Religion) Awarded to graduating students excelling in cello, piano, violin, or voice. The Louis and Annette Kaufman Juliana Zara ’16 (Voice) Prize in Violin Awarded to an outstanding student of violin. The Margaret Bos Stambler ’84 Sophie Davis ’16 (Violin) Professional Development Award Gregory Gennaro ’17 (Violin) Awarded to outstanding voice majors of great promise to enhance career opportunities. The Avedis Zildjian Conservatory Diongue Amber Monroe ’17 (Voice) Percussion Award Awarded to a continuing percussion Talbot major in recognition of outstanding The Arthur Dann Senior Flint Initiative Grants (FIG) performance skills. Piano Competition Awarded to innovative and The Earl L. Russell Award in Rachel Gibson ’20 (Percussion) Awarded to the winner of this motivated conservatory and Historical Performance juried competition for excellence in double-degree students to develop Awarded to a worthy student piano performance. imaginative artistic projects. The Carol Nott Piano majoring in Historical Performance to assist with the purchase of a Zheyu Jiang ’19 (Piano) Jeanette Chen ’17 (Harp & Politics) Pedagogy Prize David Diongue ’17 (Jazz Saxophone) Awarded to an outstanding musical instrument. Sage Jenson ’17 (TIMARA & graduating senior for continued Natalie Talbot MM ’17 (Baroque Computer Science) study in piano pedagogy. Flute) William Johnson ’17 (TIMARA) Jun Hee Shin ’17 (Piano) Kirk Pearson ’17 (Composition, The Selby Harlan Houston Prize Cinema Studies, & Geology) Awarded to a graduating Christiana Rose ’17 (TIMARA) senior whose performance in organ and music theory is of distinguished quality. Lee Matthew Buller ’17, MM ’17 (Organ and Historical Performance)

The Rudolf Serkin Scholarship Cohn Awarded to a student demonstrating excellence in piano performance. ’15 GULENKO, TALBOT: JULIE CROOKSTON-GULENKO LOW: YEVHEN COHN, The Pi Kappa Lambda Prize for Stephen Lee ’18 (Piano) Musicianship Awarded to students judged to be the most outstanding of those The John Elvin Piano Prize Pearson elected to Pi Kappa Lambda. Awarded to a student judged by the Piano Department to be the most Maurice Cohn ’17 (Cello & History) talented in the junior class. The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Christa Cole ’17 (Violin) Awarded to a graduating student Sophie Davis ’16 (Violin) Low Stephen Lee ’18 (Piano) nominated by one of 40 partner colleges to support one year of The Wendell and Bettye Logan The Faustina Hurlbutt Prize independent exploration outside Prize in Jazz Studies The James Stamp Award Awarded to an outstanding the United States. Awarded to a graduating student Awarded for outstanding graduating student in cello, Kirk Pearson ’17 (Composition, who has demonstrated excellence acheivement by a trumpet player. piano, violin, or voice. Cinema Studies, & Geology) in performance or composition. Wyeth Aleksei ’17 (Trumpet) Paulus Van Horne ’17 (TIMARA & Morgen Low ’17 (Trumpet) Aaron Wolff ’17 (Cello & Daniel Spearman ’16 (Jazz Piano & Environmental Studies) Olivia Pidi ’17 (Trumpet) Comparative Literature) Africana Studies)

54 2016-17 Concerto Competition Awarded annually to senior and artist diploma instrumental students.

Aaron Wolff ’17 (Cello & Comparative Literature) Amber Monroe ’17 (Voice) Shiyu Yang ’17 (Piano) Christa Cole ’17 (Violin)

The Marilyn Horne Rubin Scholar The Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Awarded to an outstanding student Agnes Fowler Collegiate Scholarship of voice to support professional Awarded to sophomores or juniors development. majoring in music and strong in instrumental or voice performance. Amber Monroe ’17 (Voice) Jessica Mashburn ’18 (Voice) Aaron Wolff ’17 (Cello & Comparative Literature)

The James H. Hall Prize in Musicology Miller The Piano Faculty Prize in Awarded to a graduating senior Accompanying Awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in work in musicology. Fabas The Fulbright Scholar Program who has demonstrated excellence Olivia Pidi ’17 (Trumpet) Awarded to students for their in accompanying singers and academic merit and leadership instrumentalists. The Ruth Cogan Memorial The Ernest Hatch Wilkins potential with the opportunity to Felisien Felisien ’17 (Piano) Scholarship in Vocal Performance Memorial Prize study internationally. Shiyu Yang ’17 (Piano) Awarded to an outstanding Awarded to a returning student Sophie Davis ’16 (Violin) voice major who has dedicated who has demonstrated academic Mitchell Miller ’17 (Organ & significant time to the Otto B. excellence in the three preceding German Studies) Schoepfle Vocal Arts Center. years. Dylan Fabas ’17 (Voice) Silvio Guitian ’18 (Clarinet) CONCERTO ROSEN-JONES MILLER: JENNIFER WINNERS: MANNA, TANYA FABAS: ’97, YEVHEN GULENKO

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 55 Class Notes

Dett Harvey Isserlis

Éditions of Paris in 2016. Laurent Indiana University-Purdue Composer, musician, and author 1900s performs regularly with her husband, University Indianapolis. His 2015 James McBride ’79 was awarded violinist Gerard Rosa, as the textbook Music Listening Today, the 2015 National Medal of In 1937, Cincinnati’s May Festival Rosa-Laurent Duo, and as the co-authored with Charles Hoffer, is Humanities in September 2016 for gave the world premiere of the pianist of the Connecticut Trio. widely used in U.S. colleges and humanizing the complexities of oratorio The Ordering of Moses, universities. Bailey has served as discussing race in America. “Through composed in 1932 by R. Nathaniel choral director and organist for writings about his own uniquely Dett 1908. The event was broadcast congregations in Indiana, Virginia, American story, and his works of live to the nation by NBC radio. In 1970s Ohio, West Virginia, and his home fiction informed by our shared 2016, Bridge Records released a live Works by composer Christopher state of Alaska. His international history, his moving stories of love recording of Dett’s magnum opus. It Rouse ’71 are featured on the travels have taken him to more than display the character of the was made in 2014 at Carnegie Hall, Grammy-nominated 2016 CD by 25 countries—most recently to play American family,” read a White where it was performed by the the New York Philharmonic. The historic organs in the Lutheran House citation in praise of McBride. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and recording was included in NPR’s churches of Norway. the May Festival Chorus, conducted year-end list of the top 50 albums. by James Conlon. Julia Bogorad-Kogan ’76, principal Raymond Harvey ’73, MM ’75 gave flutist of the Saint Paul Chamber 1980s his last performance as music Orchestra, was featured on the In spring 2017, Steven Isserlis ’80 1960s director of the Kalamazoo cover of the December 2016 issue became the first cellist to be Symphony Orchestra in May after of Flute Talk. The interview, awarded the Wigmore Medal, which Sharon Davis Gratto ’66 has been 18 years in the post. He celebrated conducted by one of Bogorad- recognizes major artists with deep appointed to the Graul Chair in Arts by opening the season with pianist Kogan’s doctoral students at the ties to London’s Wigmore Hall. and Languages at the University of GAZETTE KALAMAZOO COURTESY HARVEY: ARCHIVES, COLLEGE OBERLIN COURTESY DETT: Yefim Bronfman in Tchaikovsky’s University of Minnesota, discusses Isserlis was also presented with the Dayton. A champion of world Piano Concerto No. 1 and closing her philosophy on sound Glashütte Original Music Festival choral music and the Dayton arts with Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. production, the orchestral audition Award during the 40th Dresden community, Gratto joined the He will shift his focus to the process, and the importance of Music Festival, in recognition of his faculty in 2008 as chair of the University of Houston, where he is teaching musical language. work in music education and music department. an associate professor and music support of emerging talent. In director of the Moores Opera Center. Pianist Terry Eder ’79, creator of the addition to performing, Isserlis Pianist Linda Boring Laurent ’69 is a Key Pianists recital series at devotes much of his time to professor at Central Connecticut In spring 2017, flutist Wendy Rolfe Carnegie Hall, took the stage of Weill composing and performing for State University, where she has ’74 performed as soloist with the Recital Hall during the series’ second children. He has published three taught piano and chamber music as Tri-County Symphonic Band for a season in March 2017 for a children’s books, most recently well as music history and analysis program celebrating female performance featuring Schubert, Robert Schumann’s Advice to Young for 25 years. Since writing her composers. Rolfe, a professor at Schumann, and Bartók—one of Musicians: Revisited by Steven doctoral thesis on singer Jane the Berklee College of Music, played Eder’s most salient interests. Isserlis (2016). He was also recently Bathori, Laurent has published Cécile Chaminade’s Flute “Bartók was first and last, and for appointed visiting cello professor at several works devoted to the singer’s Concertino and Anne McGinty’s anyone interested in the composer, the Royal Academy of Music. In early career; her latest, a compilation Variations and Theme. it was rewarding to hear Eder’s deep September 2016, Isserlis teamed up of the 30-year correspondence knowledge and musical thinking,” with pianist Jeremy Denk ’90 and between Bathori and actress Andrée Darrell Bailey ’75 is a professor of wrote New York Concert Review. violinist Joshua Bell on the CD For Tainsy, was released by Riveneuve music and arts technology at the Love of Brahms (Sony Classical).

56 Mossman Kuznetsova

Michael Kraft ’81 became member of the Historic Organ Tina Chancey, and Lynn big band jazz as well and has been president of C.B. Fisk organbuilders Restoration Committee at Tetenbaum AD ’84, as well as directing, composing, and performing in September 2016. He studied Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.; longtime Associate Professor of weekly with the Electric Squeezebox organ at Oberlin with Garth and he was the lead donor of the Viola da Gamba Catharina Meints. Orchestra at Doc’s Lab in San Peacock and harpsichord with Lisa Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ—the Francisco’s North Beach. Jekabson’s Goode Crawford, and has worked largest mechanical pipe organ in any sextet includes fellow Oberlin alum for Fisk since 1986 as a pipe maker, U.S. concert venue—in Verizon Hall Matt Clark ’94 on piano. reed voicer, and later as VP of at the Kimmel Center for the 1990s special projects. Performing Arts in his hometown. Organist Andrés Mojica ’92 toured Past Tuesday Musical Association Haas also co-chaired the 2016 throughout summer 2016, scholarship winner soprano Dina Jazz trumpeter and composer Organ Historical Society’s national beginning with a recital at Methuen Kuznetsova ’94 performed on the Michael Mossman ’82 returned to convention in Philadelphia. There, he Memorial Music Hall in association’s Akron recital series in Oberlin for a residency and was honored in part for his leading Massaschusetts and contining with November 2016. Kuznetsova shared performance with the Oberlin Jazz role in the donation of his family’s a duo recital at St. Patrick’s the E.J. Thomas Hall stage with Ensemble in March 2017. Trained in 36-room Pennsylvania estate to Cathedral in New York City with fellow awardee and Oberlin violin both classical and jazz, Mossman the Trust. flutist Ana María Hernández. An teacher Jinjoo Cho. was nominated for a 2013 Grammy organ professor and organist at the Award for Best Instrumental Jonathan Sturm ’83 celebrated his University of Puerto Rico, Rio Sibbi Bernhardsson ’95, a violinist Arrangement for his Afro-Latin 25th anniversary as concertmaster Piedras campus, Mojica concluded well known for his role in the Ellington Suite. He also composed of the Des Moines Symphony with the tour with Hernández in a duo award-winning Pacifica Quartet, is and arranged music for the films a solo performance of Saint-Saëns’ recital at Union Church of San Juan. set to join the Oberlin Conservatory Bossa Nova and Chico and Rita, Havanaise. He also performs as string faculty this fall. which was nominated for an violist with the Amara Piano Quartet, Jonathan Handman ’96 directed the Academy Award in 2012. He is the resident chamber music Arlington High School String Eighth Blackbird was named 2017 director of jazz studies at the ensemble at Iowa State University. Orchestra to first place at the 2017 Ensemble of the Year by Musical Aaron Copland School of Music at In August 2016, the quartet released American String Teachers America Worldwide, which praised Queens College. a CD of American piano quartets Association’s National Orchestra the group for its “non-doctrinal that included the world premiere Festival in Pittsburgh. The school, openness to all currents of Frederick Haas ’83 was presented of George Tsontakis’ Piano Quartet from Lagrangeville, N.Y., was one of contemporary style, as well as its with the President’s Award by the No. 3. Sturm serves as president 20 selected from across the country embrace of all things theatrical, American Guild of Organists at the of the Iowa State University to participate. Handman was also from lighting design to group’s annual meeting in Houston Faculty Senate. recently named conductor of the choreography in its performances.” in July 2016. The award honors Haas’ Woodstock Chamber Orchestra. Oberlin alumni and current artistry, as well as his support of the More than two dozen alumni of members of the ensemble include AGO. Haas has lived and performed Oberlin Conservatory and the New compositions by Erik Jekabson clarinetist Michael J. Maccaferri ’95, in the Philadelphia area his entire Oberlin Baroque Performance ’95 and his arrangements of percussionist Matthew Duvall ’95, life, and he serves as assistant Institute attended the annual standards appear on A Brand New cellist Nicholas Photinos ’96, and event of the Viola da Gamba grand court organist at Macy’s Take (OA2 Records). In demand as an pianist Lisa Kaplan ’96. Society of America in Forest Grove, Center City, where he performs arranger and sideman, Jekabson Ore., in summer 2016. Participants weekly on the store’s Wanamaker also writes jazz arrangements for Violinist and violist Matt Albert ’96 included Emily Walhout ’83, John organ. He is the founder of the the San Francisco Symphony and has been named chair of the newly Moran ’85, Elizabeth Reed ’91, Historic Organ Trust; a board composes for film. He is devoted to formed Department of Chamber MOSSMAN: WALTER NOVAK WALTER MOSSMAN:

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 57 Class Notes

Chase Yun

Music at the University of Michigan Edgard Varèse’s groundbreaking for 14 silent films including The piccolo trumpet. Times writer School of Music, Theatre & Dance. 1936 flute solo Density 21.5. Golem, Nosferatu, Gold Rush, The Nate Chinen was as moved by Albert is a founding member of General, and Fritz Lang’s Evans’ virtuosic sounds, but also Eighth Blackbird and previously Mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin ‘01 Metropolis. In July 2017, Les by the sight of his unusually sized served as director of chamber music and her wife Jenny Taira are Sorciers Perdus will perform instrument: “Standing on the at the Meadows School of the Arts co-founders of the new youth Tipton’s new score to F.W. concrete floor in semidarkness, at Southern Methodist University. performing arts festival Ohana Arts Murnau’s 1927 lyrical silent he played one long, unbroken in Hawaii. Together they composed film masterpiece Sunrise at the improvisation that defied the Elizabeth Askren ’97 was one of six and produced a new musical for the 20th annual Maine International conventional limitations of conductors selected to participate in inaugural season titled Peace on Film Festival. the instrument, if not the laws the second annual session of the Your Wings, which tells the story of of physics.” Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for a 12-year-old girl who battled Soprano Alyson Cambridge ’02 Women Conductors at the Dallas leukemia after the Allied bombing of kicked off Sun Valley Opera’s 2017 Elizabeth Weisser Helgeson ’03 Opera. This two-week residency Hiroshima. The show had its New Winter Festival with a program has been named director of artistic culminated in two public concerts York debut in the Gerald W. Lynch featuring classical and jazz—a first planning and administration for with the Dallas Opera Orchestra and Theater at John Jay College in for the festival. Cambridge the Lincoln Center Chamber Music singers in December 2016. September 2016. performed songs from her new Society. She previously served album, Until Now. as president and violist for the Composer Du Yun ’01 was awarded Talea Ensemble. the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Music for Metropolitan Opera Stage Director 2000s her operatic work Angel’s Bone, Eric Einhorn ’02 opened the Composer and pianist Courtney Claire Chase ’01 became the first which premiered on January 6, 2016, 2016-17 season of the Indianapolis Bryan ’04, recently named flutist to receive the $100,000 Avery at the Prototype Festival in New Opera with the world premiere of assistant professor of music at Fisher Prize in spring 2017. “As York City. With libretto by Royce Happy Birthday, Wanda June, Tulane University, wrote an original someone who has committed my Vavrek, the opera integrates a wide composed by Richard Auldon Clark score for The Bremen Town Band, life’s work to the cause of new and range of styles into a harrowing with libretto by Kurt Vonnegut. an innovative puppet theater experimental music and to allegory for human trafficking in the Einhorn was praised for his creation by artist Lake Simons that advocating for composers, modern world. sure-handed direction and insights premiered in May 2017. The Miller performers, and artist collectives, I by Upstage critic Jay Harvey, who Theatre at Columbia University embrace this award as recognition Les Sorciers Perdus (the Lost noted that the director made the commissioned the piece, described of that cause as a whole and the Wizards), the ensemble of Mark characters “much more than as an inspired spin on the classic tremendous work of the new music Tipton ’02, released its debut album, representations of aspects of Grimm fairy tale. Bryan led two community at large,” said Chase, Alchemist’s Dream, in March 2017. It American life circa 1970.” performances featuring an all-star founder of the International features original jazz compositions quintet of jazz musicians, including Contemporary Ensemble. Flute Talk by Tipton and guitarist Don Pride. Trumpet player Peter Evans ’03 Kassa Overall ’05 on drums. Her interviewed Chase for its January Les Sorciers Perdus is a earned praised from The New York vocal/orchestral work Yet Unheard, 2017 cover story, which highlighted contemporary chamber ensemble Times for a captivating solo recital with text by poet Sharan Strange, Density 2036, a 22-year project that blends jazz, classical, world folk, he gave at Pioneer Works in was performed at the 2017 Ojai begun by Chase in 2014 to rock, and popular music. It also Brooklyn in December 2016. The Music Festival. The piece conjures commission an entirely new body specializes in the live performance concert celebrated the release of the spirit of Sandra Bland, the of repertory for solo flute each year of Tipton’s silent film scores. Since his solo album Lifeblood and Texas woman who died in police until the 100th anniversary of 2008, he has written original music opened with an improvisation on custody in 2015.

58 Bryan Fortner Khudyev

Ashley Fure ’04 was recognized as a Together they wrote and performed public that, like him, is open to Gwen Krosnick ’08 returned to Pulitzer finalist for her work Bound a piece based on the book The Real astonishment,” according to The Oberlin as a visiting instructor of to the Bow. The piece was called Story of the Three Little Pigs. Los Angeles Times. The final concert cello for the spring semester 2017. “the most arresting of the world Leibowitz and the quartet— of the season was devoted to the A sabbatical replacement for her premieres” at the 2016 New York featuring Oberlin graduates violinist music of Greek composer Georges former teacher, Darrett Adkins ’91, Philharmonic Biennial by New J. Freivogel ’06, violist Sam Quintal Aperghis; Hepfer performed the Krosnick coordinated a master Yorker critic Alex Ross. It appeared ’06, and cellist Rachel Henderson solo percussion piece Le Corps à class by her father, renowned cellist on a program by the Interlochen Arts Freivogel ’05—were funded by Corps—a performance deemed “a Joel Krosnick. Academy Orchestra at Geffen Hall, a Picasso Project Grant through schizophrenic tour de force.” Hepfer later earning a spot on Ross’ list of Public Citizens for Children is on the faculty of CalArts; serves Award-winning jazz pianist Sullivan top 10 performances of 2016. and Youth. as artistic director of Echoi, a Fortner ’08 returned to campus for flexible chamber ensemble he concerts twice during the 2016-17 Zhiyi Wang ’04 earned first prize Colette Boudreaux ’06 recently co-founded in 2006 with Alice academic year. He was joined in at the 2016 Alfred Schnittke started the American Monarch Teyssier ’06; and is a member of September by bassist Ameen International Composition Theatre Company, a nonprofit the percussion ensemble red fish Saleem and drummer Jeremy “Bean” Competition for Maple in Twilight, professional theater in Easton, Pa., blue fish. Clemons; in April, he performed on a piece scored for flute, clarinet, that is focused on early education the Oberlin Assemblies series with violin, cello, percussion, and piano. and community involvement. Violinist and composer Jeffrey Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Young ’07 counts among his Cécile McLorin Salvant. Songs of Struggle and Redemption, a Multigenre violinist Edwin Huizinga ventures the experimental music collection of 22 songs and spirituals ’06 returned from a tour of New collective thingNY. They recently Pianist Anna Vasilyeva ’08 was the featuring bass-baritone Dashon Zealand with duo partner and toured Mexico and Arizona and featured guest in a faculty chamber Burton ’05 and pianist Nate Gumbs, guitarist William Coulter in time to premiered their fourth music recital at the Manhattan was a top pick for the best classical perform with Apollo’s Fire for its collaboratively composed School of Music in October 2016. recordings of 2016 by New York 25th anniversary in spring 2017. experimental opera, This Takes Vasilyeva collaborated with Times critic James R. Oestreich. He’ll bring pop-star energy to the Place Close By, which ran for four bassoonist Roger Nye, flutist Robert Carmel Bach Festival this summer. shows at the Knockdown Center in Langevin, oboist Liang Wang of the Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis Queens, N.Y. Young is also part of New York Philharmonic Orchestra, ’05 will join the faculty of Temple Conductor Farkhad Khudyev ’07 the trio Valerie Kuehne & the and renowned saxophonist Paul University’s Boyer College of Music won third prize at the 8th annual Wasps Nests, with which he Cohen in a program of works by and Dance in fall 2017. Leemhuis Georg Solti International released an album in 2015. In Saint-Saëns, Richard Strauss, has performed roles with the Dallas Competition. In the final round, spring 2016, he spent two weeks in Cohen, Roesgen-Champion, and Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Khudyev conducted the Frankfurt Stamsund, Norway, workshopping Loeffler. Vasilyeva leads a private Theatre of St. Louis, and Florentine Radio Symphony in performance at music for a puppet show by the studio in Manhattan and is a staff Opera, among others. the Alte Oper Frankfurt Grand Hall. Brooklyn-based group the Unitards. pianist at Mason Gross School for He also gave three performances in the Arts at Rutgers University. Composer and elementary school In the two seasons that Zurich of music he had written for music teacher Michael Leibowitz percussionist Jonathan Hepfer ’07 the theater ensemble Cellist Steuart Pincombe ’09, MM ’05 teamed up with the Jasper String has headed Los Angeles’ Monday stringsaTTached. This summer, he ’10 and his wife Michelle Micciche Quartet for a project with his fourth Evening Concerts, the events “have will perform with the World/Inferno Pincombe ’09 founded Music in grade students at the John H. become a revelatory experiment in Friendship Society on its 18-date Familiar Spaces, bringing classical Taggart School in Philadelphia. not underestimating his public—a U.S. tour. music experiences to breweries, BRYAN: ELIZABETHBRYAN: LEITZELL

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 59 Class Notes

Torrence Chenette

cafes, bookstores, and homes The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Rossini’s La pietra del paragone, as Petersburg, where he played across North America and Europe featured principal oboist Claire well as leading characters in The Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 2 in since 2015. The Pincombes spent Chenette ’10 in a performance of Juniper Tree by Philip Glass and December 2016. Chen recently was an entire year traveling the country the Mozart Oboe Concerto on its Robert Moran and Bastianello by named a Kawai Artist and is in a trailer, sharing programs such April Chamber Classics series. John Musto. pursuing a doctorate at the as Bach and Beer, an evening of J.S. Chenette also enjoys an active University of Illinois at Urbana- Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied freelance career in Southern In spring 2016, Aaron Klaus ‘11 Champaign. Cello, accompanied by beverages. California, performing as a presented a series of lecture- member of wild Up modern music recitals throughout Baltimore and Cellist Yin Xiong AD ’12 was Percussionist Jennifer Torrence ’09 collective, playing with her folk Washington, D.C., entitled Evolving appointed to the cello section of of Oslo, Norway, returned to band Three Thirds, recording at Identities: Jewish Art Music for the St. Louis Symphony at the campus in fall 2016 for a pair of Capitol Records and Warner Bros., Trumpet. The program, which start of the 2016-17 season. Xiong performances. She premiered What and regularly appearing with the included music by Ernest Bloch, is enrolled in the accelerated BM/ Noises Remain, her latest San Diego, Pacific, Long Beach, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (a MM program at the Juilliard School, collaboration with TIMARA faculty New West symphonies and the premiere), and Paul Ben-Haim, where she studies with Darrett member Peter Swendsen ’99, a Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. explored how these composers Adkins ’91 and Joel Krosnick. The concert-length piece that combines and their contemporaries chamber music advocate percussion, electroacoustic sound, Soprano Stafford Hartman ’10 expressed a tangled web of performed in the American debut text, and video. She also presented performed as featured soloist in Jewish and secular identities in of Toshio Hosokawa’s Piano Trio. a recital featuring modern solo Poulenc’s Stabat Mater with the their music. works, including Homework by Oberlin College Choir, Musical In April, Elaine Daiber ’13 gave the François Sarhan. Union, the Oberlin Chamber Violist Amy Hess ’12 joined the premiere of Sky Macklay’s Orchestra, and conductor Gregory Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra for Glossolalia for voice and piano at Ristow ’01. The program also the 2016-17 season and was the Longy School of Music and at featured Hartman in sacred text awarded a section position with the Morgan Library in New York 2010s settings by Jean Langlais and the Grant Park Orchestra in early City. She also performed with internationally renowned soprano In February, Lafayette Carthon ’10 Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur. 2017. She was formerly principal was named a hometown hero by viola of the Civic Orchestra of Dawn Upshaw and pianist Kayo the City of Cleveland for his work Soprano Summer Hassan ’11 can Chicago and a member of the Iwama ’83 on the program First as a pastor, music educator, and be heard on the Los Angeles Northwest Indiana Symphony Songs, with the Bard College award-winning keyboardist. Opera’s Grammy-winning 2016 Orchestra. Conservatory Graduate Vocal Arts Honored at a Black History Month recording of John Corigliano’s The Program. Daiber was named a gospel concert at the Second Ghosts of Versailles. She was Pianist Moye Chen ’12, a former 2017 Vocal Fellow for the awarded first place at the 2016 student of Angela Cheng, will make Tanglewood Music Center. Ebenezer Baptist Church, Carthon ’97 TANYATORRENCE: ROSEN-JONES is program director of Carthon Metropolitan Opera National his Decca Classics recording debut Conservatory and Senior Pastor of Competition Western Region Final. in 2018. The forthcoming CD Juliana Soltis MM ’14 performed Faith Church of Glenville in On stage, she performed as soloist couples a pair of composer- the Bach cello suites during a tour Cleveland. In September 2016, in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 pianists, Percy Grainger and Sergei of Japan, recorded her first album Carthon released his Musicians with the Pasadena Symphony in Rachmaninoff. “As part of his prize, on the Acis Productions label, and Handbook, in which he shares his April. This summer she is a Filene he was awarded the opportunity to moved to Seattle. She was selected 25 years of experience with sacred Young Artist with the Wolf Trap perform with Valery Gergiev and to open the Fringe series for and secular music. Opera, portraying Donna Fulvia in the Mariinsky Orchestra in St. emerging artists at the 2016 BRQ

60 Roidl-Ward and Overcash Orenstein

Vantaa Festival in Finland. Joining served as acting executive director Soprano Olivia Boen ’17 was Soprano Victoria Ellington ’18 won her for three performances— for the 2016 summer season. one of 12 students invited to first prize at the George Shirley including a special concert at the perform in the annual scholarship Vocal Competition, hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki—was Bassoonist Benjamin Roidl-Ward competition of the Tuesday University of Michigan in spring fellow Obie Justin Murphy-Mancini ’15 earned a master’s degree at Musical Association, an Akron, 2017. The double-degree student ’13, MM ’14 on harpsichord. Rice University, where he organized Ohio-based arts organization. majoring in vocal performance and the Shepherd School’s Boen won the overall grand prize religious studies presented an Violinist William Overcash ’15 contemporary music ensemble of $2,000, in addition to taking first excerpt from Harriet Tubman: returned to Oberlin this spring for a Hear and Now, was a founding prize among singers. Other Oberlin When I Crossed that Line to performance and workshop with member of the new music students honored included Freedom, an opera by Nkeiru Benjamin Roidl-Ward as the new collective Loop38, and taught in the Prudence Poon ’18 (first prize Okoye ’93. Baritone DeRon music duo Wolftone. They gave preparatory program. Roidl-Ward in piano), Yixuan Han ’19 (third McDaniel ’16 won the same award additional concerts throughout was one of six students selected prize in piano), Mitchell Miller ’17 in 2016; McDaniel is now in the Texas, New York, Illinois, and through competitive auditions to (first prize in organ), and Vanessa graduate program at the University northeast Ohio. Overcash participate in the 2017 New York Croome ’17 (third prize in voice). of Cincinnati College-Conservatory completed his master’s degree this Philharmonic Global Academy of Music. spring at Rice University, where he Fellowship Program. Violist Marlea Simpson ‘17 won an performed in the Rice Piano Trio. audition for a permanent spot in Jazz piano and economics major He will study at the International Tenor Joshua Blue ’16 was Chicago’s Grant Park Music Michael Orenstein ’18 won Ensemble Modern Academy in awarded first prize at the 2017 Festival and spent the summer of Outstanding Composition for Small Frankfurt, Germany, this fall. Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo 2016 performing at Millennium Ensemble in Downbeat Magazine’s Competition, hosted annually by Park. The Dallas native’s first taste 40th Annual Student Music Awards Jeremy Reynolds ’15 is press and the Oratorio Society of New York at of life in Chicago came in the in spring 2017. The winning piece publications manager at the Fort Carnegie Hall. Blue is pursuing a summer of 2014, when she played was Slow Coffee, which Orenstein Worth Symphony Orchestra, where master’s degree in vocal in Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project performed with his ensemble on he works as a writer, musician, and performance at the Juilliard School. Inclusion. While at Oberlin, the 2016 Danenberg Honors radio host. Reynolds finished a Simpson earned an appointment Recital and again as part of master’s degree in arts journalism Matt DiBiase ’17 and his band as principal violist for the Chicago Oberlin’s performance on the in 2016 at Syracuse University. A Frisson released a debut album Sinfonietta, a professional Kennedy Center’s Conservatory former arts editor and staff writer early in 2017. “The major reason I orchestra dedicated to modeling Project in Washington, D.C. at The Oberlin Review, he writes for do this is just because I’m inspired and promoting diversity, inclusion, ClevelandClassical and has by the musicians around me,” and racial and cultural equity in the Harpist Anya Garipoli ’19 was published articles in Charleston’s DiBiase says. He brought together arts. She managed her role there awarded first prize at the 2016 Post and Courier, Syracuse New fellow Oberlin jazz majors and while completing her last two National Anne Adams Competition. Times, and Symphony Magazine, alums for the project: Ashley Hale years in school. The Jersey Shore native was one of among other publications. ’16 on trumpet, Nathan Rice ’18 13 harpists to compete in the live on tenor sax, Russell Gelman- Tenor Tayte Mitchell ’18 and competition round at DePauw Daniel Nitsch ’15 has been named Sheehan ’16 on guitar, Michael baritone Daewon Seo AD ’18 were University and was subsequently executive director of the Bowdoin Orenstein ’18 on piano, Eli Heath awarded top prizes at the 2016 S. invited to perform on a recital International Music Festival. Nitsch ’19 on bass, Chase Kuesel ’16 on Livingston Mather Scholarship featuring the prize winners at the joined the staff in 2015 as director drums, and Patrick Graney ’17 Competition, hosted by the Singers’ 2016 American Harp Society of admissions and operations, and on percussion. Club of Cleveland. Conference at Emory University. ROIDL-WARD & OVERCASH: ORENSTEIN: LIN, ROIDL-WARD YEVHEN NATALIE GULENKO

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 61 Faculty Notes

Professor of Music Theory Arnie exertions that are involved in Association, which convened at Basic Manual Series. Abromeit is Cox published his book Music and producing music. Cox’s work Syracuse University in August an author and editor of the Embodied Cognition: Listening, stands to expand the range of 2016. Musicology professors forthcoming volume in the Basic Moving, Feeling, and Thinking in phenomena that can be explained Steven Plank and Charles McGuire Manual Series Music Information September 2016. Taking a by the role of sensory, motor, and ’91 presented papers, as did Literacy: Ideas, Strategies, and cognitive approach to musical affective aspects of human Oberlin alumna Stacey Jocoy ’92, Scenarios. The Basic Manual meaning, Cox explores embodied experience and cognition. who is a member of the Series is a comprehensive set of experiences of hearing music as musicology faculty at Texas Tech manuals designed to assist those that move us both Professor of Violin and Baroque University. McGuire presented librarians in dealing with various consciously and unconsciously. In Violin Marilyn McDonald “Angelica Catalani and the aspects of music libraries. this pioneering study, which performed with the Axelrod String Speculative British Musical draws on neuroscience and music Quartet on the Smithsonian Festival in 1824.” Plank’s paper Associate Professor of theory, phenomenology and Chamber Music Society’s 40th was “’See, even Night herself is Ethnomusicology and cognitive science, Cox advances season concert series on three here’: Night, Purcell, and Anthropology Jennifer Fraser also his theory of the “mimetic occasions between November evocations of James II.” serves as president of the hypothesis,” the notion that a 2016 and March 2017. Midwest Chapter of the Society large part of our experience and Kathy Abromeit, the for Ethnomusicology. She understanding of music involves Oberlin was well represented at conservatory’s public services organized the group’s annual an embodied imitation in the the conference of the North librarian, was appointed editor of conference at Oberlin in March. listener of bodily motions and American British Musical Studies the Music Library Association’s Sessions covered themes of community engagement, music activism, and social justice.

young daughter. “I asked myself Winner of the 2014 International at that time, ‘Is there a job in a Violin Competition of Indianapolis, small town with good music?’” violin teacher Jinjoo Cho made her Erwin remembers thinking. Carnegie Hall debut in June 2016, And soon she discovered there performing Joan Tower’s String was. As a professor of music Force and works by Robert and education, she developed a Clara Schumann, Franz Waxman, generation of teachers. She also John Corigliano, and Ellen Taaffe instilled in many a desire to use Zwilich. New York Concert Review music to build bridges to other offered high praise: “Cho has it cultures; for many years, she all—brilliant technique, musicality, was the driving force behind passion, intelligence, flair, and an Oberlin’s annual program in engaging stage presence.” Panama, in which conservatory students would teach music to Professor of Baroque Flute and Joanne Erwin Retires After 25 Years young people, who often went Recorder Michael Lynn gave on to become members of that several presentations and The moment Joanne Erwin took conservatory students completed country’s youth orchestras. performances on historical flutes up teaching music education at the course, they could become Now, after 25 years in Oberlin, during the academic year. He Oberlin in 1992, she also dove paid teachers of string prep. Erwin plans to relocate with traveled to Portugal for the headfirst into a community As for the youngsters bowing her husband to the East Coast, National Association for Musical outreach project. their first instruments? Many gleefully fulfilling a promise Instruments, curating flute A former student of legendary have gone on to perform in youth she made long ago to reunite presentations for its 2016 pedagogue Paul Roland at orchestras over the years, and 9 with her daughter—and young Organological Congress. In the University of Illinois, out of 10 continue to make music grandchildren—upon retiring. November he went to Bucharest Erwin fashioned her nascent through high school or beyond. She leaves her string prep for a performance with Il preparatory string program after Erwin herself directed the program in the capable hands Gardalino on the Bucharest Early the pioneering model her mentor Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra of Oberlin’s Community Music Music Festival and was had developed two decades for 22 years. Prior to that, she led School, and she takes with her interviewed on ClasicRadio about earlier: Oberlin string students the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra fond memories of accomplished the history of the flute. In winter,

who took Erwin’s pedagogy for 17 years while playing cello in students young and not quite he lectured at Florida ’83 PRESTON DALE ERWIN: course would also assist in the Fort Worth Symphony. so young. International University on the teaching the second- and Oberlin appeared on her radar “This,” Erwin says of her life history of the flute, accompanied third-graders who populated her when she sought relief from the in Oberlin, “has been absolute by a live performance and a string prep program. Once the big-city bustle for the sake of her utopia to me.” —Erich Burnett display of his private collection. He had articles published in the

62 Robert Willoughby Endowed Scholarship Fund Established Perhaps Willoughby’s greatest legacy is in the careers of his students, many of whom occupy positions in major orchestras throughout the country. Others have gone on to distinguished teaching careers in major conservatories and universities. Without a doubt, the world of flute playing would There is hardly anyone alive be significantly diminished who has done more to educate without his contributions. and inspire flutists than Robert Willoughby recently Willoughby. Now an endowed celebrated his 95th birthday. flute scholarship has been To his delight, a large group created in his honor at Oberlin, of friends, colleagues, family where Willoughby taught for 36 members, and former students years in addition to serving as came together to establish the assistant principal flute with Robert Willoughby Endowed Prizes in four international competitions—including the Chopin Competition The Cleveland Orchestra for nine Scholarship Fund. The in Warsaw—launched the career of a young Monique Duphil, who went on years. After leaving Ohio in 1986, committee leading this effort to perform in more than 50 countries throughout five continents. Still a formidable presence at the keyboard, Duphil stepped away from Oberlin in he taught for another decade includes Oberlin alumna Wendy spring 2017 after 25 years on the piano faculty. at Peabody Conservatory and Rolfe ’74, faculty members currently teaches at the Longy Michael Lynn and Alexa Still, and summer 2016 issue of The Flutist Hartke, Ogonek, and Assistant School of Music. Ohio State University professor Quarterly and the October 2016 Professor Jesse Jones; a November As a teacher, performer, Katherine Borst Jones. This issue of Flute Talk. recital by guest pianist Xak mentor, and colleague, permanent endowment will Bjerken included works by Hartke Willoughby is unsurpassed. He provide financial aid for flute The world premiere of a piece by and Jones; and Hartke’s 1996 championed new music and students at Oberlin. Through Professor of Composition Stephen piece Sons of Noah appeared on the Baroque flute, and had a it, Willoughby’s incomparable Hartke was performed by Oberlin an April 2017 CME program. Also distinguished recording career. legacy will live on in the artistry Sinfonietta in October 2016, one this year, the Boston Modern Even into his 90s, he remained of future generations of flutists of numerous works by Oberlin Orchestra Project’s independent active as a solo performer and for many years to come. composition faculty to be music label released Hartke’s The chamber musician. —Cathy Strauss ’84 performed on campus in the past Ascent of the Equestrian in a year. Hartke’s Willow Run takes Balloon, which features the pieces its title from a dilapidated Alvorada, A Brandenburg Autumn, Trends in Schenkerian Research Lonnie Smith. Also included were Michigan factory by the same Muse of the Missouri, and the (1990). His articles have appeared performances by trumpeter Theo name. At one time the largest title composition. in Music Theory Spectrum, Croker ’07 and percussionist single building in the world, it was Music Analysis, Intégral, Theory Kassa Overall ’05. The following used for the manufacture of B-24 Allen Cadwallader, an American and Practice, and Journal of month, Eubanks was honored Liberator aircraft during World music theorist noted for his Music Theory. Cadwallader retired with Philadelphia’s University of War II and later became a crucial writings on tonal analysis, joined in spring 2017. the Arts Silver Star Outstanding cog in the Detroit automotive the Oberlin faculty in 1988. He Alumni Award at its 139th industry. The premiere featured earned a bachelor of arts from In April, Associate Professor of commencement ceremony. saxophonist Noah Getz ’97; it was Western Maryland College and Jazz Trombone and Jazz preceded by the 2016 composition advanced degrees from the Composition Robin Eubanks The Marilyn Horne Museum Lightenings, by fellow faculty Eastman School of Music. His performed at the 2017 NEA Jazz and Exhibit Center opened at member Elizabeth Ogonek. The most influential theoretical work Masters celebration at the the University of Pittsburgh at program was repeated the centers on the teaching of Kennedy Center in Washington, Bradford in May. Located in following week at the Cleveland Schenkerian analysis. Cadwallader D.C. The concert, which can be Horne’s hometown, the Museum of Art. In September is the editor of Essays from the viewed online, honored Dee Dee 3,400-square-foot museum 2016, the Contemporary Music Fourth International Schenker Bridgewater, Ira Gitler, Dave honors the famed mezzo- Ensemble performed works by Symposium, Volume 1 (2008) and Holland, Dick Hyman, and Dr. soprano’s life and career. The WILLOUGHBY: COURTESYWILLOUGHBY: OF WENDY ROLFE, DUPHIL: SCOTT SHAW

OBERLIN CONSERVATORY MAGAZINE 2017 63 Faculty Notes

space is a renovated Art Deco scheduled for the 2017-2018 Palace in Eisenstadt. The master companion release of seven building located in downtown concert season. classes were conducted as part of soprano arias. Bradford’s historic district. It the Classical Music Festival held houses a touchscreen jukebox of Professor of Singing Lorraine at the Haydn Conservatory. Lisa Goode Crawford’s Horne’s recordings, a short Manz started and sponsors scholarship has resulted in the biographical film, and a theater Oberlin’s first student chapter of Soprano and Oberlin voice faculty publication of an annotated covered in murals to appear like a the National Association of Kendra Colton ’83 has been critical edition of the opera miniature version of the Baroque Teachers of Singing. Ten student singing Bach cantatas in Boston Pirrhus, written by Joseph- opera house Teatro La Fenice in members joined in fall 2016. on a weekly basis for more than Nicolas-Pancrace Royer in 1730. Venice, where Horne sang the title 20 years with oboist Peggy The bilingual French and English role of Rossini’s Tancredi in 1981. Piano professor Alvin Chow Pearson and Emmanuel Music. edition was published by the Many features in the museum are performed and gave master Colton has now released two Centre de musique baroque de interactive: One station teaches classes in Austria in August 2016. self-produced CDs, available on Versailles. Early Music magazine visitors about vocal music and He presented a recital with his CD Baby. They are part of a wrote: “With exceptional opera; another allows them to twin brother and piano duo long-term project to record thoroughness and clarity, she stage an opera and email their partner Alan Chow at the soprano and double reed arias discusses the work’s history and creation to themselves or a friend. Mozarthaus in Vienna and and duets from Bach’s 200 sacred reception, the state of the Horne, Oberlin’s distinguished appeared as soloist with him in cantatas. The first CD, released in sources, matters of performance, visiting professor of singing, has Mozart’s Double Piano Concerto spring 2016, featured cantatas and editorial procedure.” bequeathed her archives and with the Classical Music Festival BWV 202, 84, and 32. She Crawford is an emerita professor memorabilia to the museum. Orchestra at the Esterhazy followed with a fall 2016 of harpsichord.

Deborah Campana, head of the conservatory library, presented the paper “Free in the Ether: Digital IN MEMORIAM Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki, support and her guidance in Scores for Music Research” at the grew out of the principle that learning Oberlin’s background national meeting of the American music can be learned in much the with Suzuki.” Musicological Society, held in same way that native language Born in Arkansas, Stacy earned Vancouver in November 2016. is learned. The method was bachelor of music education and introduced to Oberlin in 1958; master of music degrees from Timothy Weiss, director of soon after, the conservatory Louisiana State University. She Oberlin’s Division of became a pioneer in teaching taught piano in Dallas schools Contemporary Music, has recently Suzuki method for violin. before transitioning to college been appointed music director of Stacy devoted a 1978 teaching with stints at Berea the Arctic Philharmonic sabbatical to studying with College in Kentucky, the University Sinfonietta, an ensemble that Suzuki and Haruko Kataoka in of Kansas, and Kent State plays repertoire from the early Matsumoto, Japan. She became a University. From an early age, “I 20th century to the present day. Martha Stacy consultant and teacher-trainer for knew I was a teacher, He will conduct the ensemble in 1929-2017 the Suzuki Association of the not a performer,” she told The five concert cycles each year in Martha Stacy, a longtime Americas, and for many years she Oberlin Observer upon her Bodø, Norway. associate professor of piano presented on the topic at retirement in 1993. At Oberlin, she pedagogy at Oberlin Conservatory, conferences of the Music also held various leadership roles September 2016 saw the U.S. played a leading role in the Teachers National Association in the honorary music society Pi premiere of a concert-length work introduction of Suzuki method and other groups. Kappa Lambda. for percussion, electroacoustic training to campus over a career Joanne Erwin joined the music A longtime member of First sound, and video by TIMARA that spanned from 1971 to 1993. education faculty at Oberlin in Church of Oberlin, Stacy professor Peter Swendsen ’99. Stacy died February 16, 2017, 1992—one year before Stacy’s volunteered for Meals on Wheels What Noises Remain, co-created at age 87. retirement. She moved into the and the Oberlin Public Library, and with Jennifer Torrence ’09, is the In 1972—Stacy’s first full year same neighborhood, and the two she enjoyed walking, reading, and ARCHIVES COLLEGE OBERLIN OF STACY: COURTESY result of Swendsen’s research- at Oberlin—she established a became close friends. travel. Since 2002, she was a leave work and was a major children’s Suzuki program for “She was so caring and so resident of Kendal at Oberlin, undertaking over three years. The piano that was the only one of its gracious, and she welcomed me where she counted among her hour-long staged work, inspired kind in northeast Ohio, making as a new female faculty member, friends Howard Hatton, a former by Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Stacy and her colleagues and that meant a lot to me,” says voice professor at the was supported by grants from a destination teachers among Erwin, who retired from Oberlin conservatory. Hatton, who turns variety of entities in Norway and parents throughout the region. this spring after a 25-year career. 100 this year, sang The Lord’s received its European premiere in The Suzuki method, developed “Our areas of teaching were very Prayer at Stacy’s memorial service Oslo in January 2016. Additional in the mid-20th century by similar, so I appreciated her at First Church. —Erich Burnett performances are being

64 OBERLIN COLLEGE & CONSERVATORY ARTIST RECITAL SERIES 2017-18 A CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS AT OBERLIN SINCE 1878.

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3 BENJAMIN GROSVENOR, PIANO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12 LAWRENCE POWER, VIOLA SIMON CRAWFORD-PHILLIPS, PIANO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19 ROOMFUL OF TEETH FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 MASTER CLASSES WITH MARILYN HORNE FRIDAY & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23 & 25 BRENTANO STRING QUARTET FRIDAY, MARCH 30

GERALD FINLEY, BASS-BARITONE & JULIUS DRAKE, PIANO TUESDAY, APRIL 17

Artists and dates are subject to change. Subscriptions and partial-season packages are available. For ticket information, visit oberlin.edu/artsguide.

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