College of Humanities and Fine Arts

Department of Music and Dance presents

Celestial Graces: A Remembrance of Nadine Shank

Featuring performers:

Edward Arron, Hannah Berube, clarinet Jamie-Rose Guarrine, soprano Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, saxophonoe Lynn Klock, saxophone Estela Olevsky, piano Rémy Taghavi, bassoon Cynthia Tian, violin Gilles Vonsattel, piano Roxanne Welch, soprano

Virtual Presentation via YouTube January 31, 2021 3:00pm

This video celebrates the life and work of Nadine Shank, who passed away in October at age 65. All footage was recorded in Bezanson Recital Hall in July 2020 except tracks 1-3, which were taken from recent faculty concerts.

Link to Daily Hampshire Gazette obituary Link to Music & Dance Department remembrance

From the Chair:

I am writing this note some three months after Nadine’s untimely death, but the wound of her loss is as fresh, piercing, and painful as it was in the hours immediately after her passing. Despite this, I take some comfort and receive some balm from the fact that she was able, in the weeks before her death, to summon the strength, the will and the courage to make many of the recordings you are about to hear. It seems to me that this video is an exemplary example of both Nadine’s commitment to her art, and to her friends.

– Salvatore Macchia

Program

All performances with Nadine Shank, piano

Airs chantes Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) IV. “Air vif” Jamie-Rose Guarrine, soprano

Gradient Baljinder Singh Sekhon (b. 1980) Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, alto saxophone

Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 (1810-1856) Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with expression) Lebhaft, leicht (Lively, light) Rasch und mit Feuer (Quick and with fire) Rémy Taghavi, bassoon (continued)

Violin in G major, Hob. VIIa/4 Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Allegro moderato Cynthia Tian, violin

Clarinet Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 167 Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Allegretto Allegro animato Hannah Berube, clarinet

Tableaux de Provence Paule Maurice (1910-1967) III. “La Bohemienne” Sonata for E-flat Alto Saxophone Paul Creston (1906-1985) II. “With Tranquility” Lynn Klock, alto saxophone

Slavonic Dance, Op. 72, No. 8 in A-flat major Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904) Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 1 in C major

Estela Olevsky, piano

Spanish Dance, Op. 12 No. 2 for piano duet Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925) Moderato Spanish Dance, Op. 12 No. 5 for piano duet Bolero Gilles Vonsattel, piano

“Will He Like Me” from She Loves Me Lyrics: Jerry Bock (1928-2010) Music: Sheldon Harnick (b. 1924)

“I Remember” from Evening Primrose Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)

Roxanne Welch, soprano

Cello Sonata, Op. 143 Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) II. “Cavatine” Edward Arron, cello

Goyesca No. 4 “Quejas o la Maja y el Ruisenor” Enrique Granados (1867-1916)

Sonetto 123 del Petrarca from Années de pèlerinage Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Nadine Shank, solo piano

Performer Bios

Cellist Edward Arron made his New York recital debut in 2000 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and has since appeared in recital, as a soloist with major orchestras, and as a chamber musician throughout North America, Europe and Asia. The 2020-21 season marks Mr. Arron’s 12th season as the artistic director and host of the acclaimed Musical Masterworks concert series in Old Lyme, Connecticut. He is also the artistic director of the Festival Series in Beaufort, South Carolina, and is the co-artistic director of the Performing Artists in Residence series at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Mr. Arron tours as a member of the renowned Ehnes Quartet, and appears regularly at the Caramoor International Music Festival, where he has been a resident performer and curator of concerts for over a quarter of a century. Mr. Arron joined the faculty at University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2016, having previously served on the faculty of New York University.

Hannah Berube is a clarinetist and music educator based in Western Massachusetts. In addition to her work teaching K-2 general music in East Longmeadow Public Schools, she is the Wind Ensemble Director at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the clarinet instructor at Greenwood Music Camp. Hannah maintains a private studio and performs as a freelance clarinetist throughout the Northeast. She studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she was a student of Michael Sussman. It was during this time that she had the privilege of working with Nadine Shank, whom she continued to perform with and call a friend and mentor for many years. Through her work as a musician and educator, Hannah hopes to honor Nadine’s legacy of artistry, love of music, and commitment to her students and community.

Jamie-Rose Guarrine earned a DMA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and went on to participate in some of the country’s most prestigious young artist programs. She has performed on the stages of Los Angeles , Minnesota Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Chicago Opera Theater, Utah Opera, Austin Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, and the Santa Fe Symphony, among many others. Recent and future projects include the role of Fury in the world premiere performance of Julian Wachner’s Rev. 23 at the PROTOTYPE Festival in NYC and Boston, with the Beth Morrison Projects, with Trinity Wall Street as Iphis in Handel’s Jephtha, and a return to the Florentine Opera singing the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. She has presented masterclasses to young singers throughout the US, and proudly serves as Assistant Professor of Voice at UMass.

Saxophonist Jonathan Hulting-Cohen made his concerto debut with the Philadelphia Classical Symphony in 2011, since appearing with the Adrian Symphony and Sequoia Symphony Orchestras. He traveled and performed extensively with pianist Nadine Shank from 2017-2020, notably at the Virtuosi Concert Series in Winnipeg and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Co-founder of The Moanin’ Frogs and Admiral Launch Duo, he has also performed at Chamber Music Northwest and in ’s 21st Century Ensemble. He has premiered 60 works for saxophone. His recordings appear on Teal Creek, Albany, and innova Recordings. Jonathan studied under Donald Sinta, and is Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He endorses Conn- Selmer, D’Addario Woodwinds, and Silverstein.

Lynn Klock was Professor of Saxophone at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for 34 years and in 2014, he received the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award. A frequent performer in the United States and abroad, his solo recordings can be heard on the Albany, CRI, Open Loop, Gasparo, Mark, and Orion labels. Graduates of Professor Klock’s program hold college and university teaching positions in the United States and Great Britain, teaching and administrative positions at every level of public and private schools, and playing positions in the premiere United States Military Bands. Professor Klock feels fortunate to have worked so closely with Nadine Shank, including countless recitals and the recording of three CDs with her on Open Loop Records, and he expressed his firm belief that Nadine’s legacy will live on through all of the students with whom she so generously collaborated.

Professor Emerita of Music Estela Kersenbaum Olevsky has appeared internationally as a soloist and as a chamber music partner with many distinguished instrumental and vocal soloists and chamber music groups, such as the Berlin Philharmonic Festival Players, the Lark Quartet, and the Bach Festival in Buenos Aires. In 1969, she joined the Piano faculty at the University of Massachusetts, where she taught until 2009. She presented masterclasses in the USA, Brazil, Argentina and Beijing Central Conservatory in China. Many of her former students are now teachers in colleges and conservatories, such as New York University, Ithaca College, Beijing Central Conservatory, and the University of Newcastle in Australia. In the USA, she has performed in recitals at the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, and Weill Hall. Her discography covers repertoire ranging from Mozart’s complete works for violin and piano, to piano solos of Latin America. Ms. Olevsky, who was instrumental in bringing Nadine to UMass, always admired Nadine for “her beautiful playing and her phenomenal ability to collaborate with all of her partners in music.”

Noted for his “bubbling, charming” playing, Rémy Taghavi has performed, toured and recorded with numerous groups across North America, South America, and Asia. Rémy has held the position of principal bassoon with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra since 2018. Mr. Taghavi has performed as a soloist with the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble at Fukuoka Symphony Hall and the United Nations. As a chamber musician, Rémy has given performances at the Banff Centre, Domaine Forget, Bravo! Vail, the Atlantic Music Festival, Montréal/New Musics Festival, and the Annapolis Chamber Music Festival, of which he is co-director and founder. He is a member of the chamber ensembles Frisson and SoundMind, and he is an alumnus of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect.

Cynthia Tian began studying the violin at age 5. Now 12, she is a 7th grade student at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School and a member of the Springfield Symphony Youth Sinfonia. Her violin teacher is Romina Kostare, a UMass Amherst alumna who received her Master of Music degree in 2001. Cynthia was accompanied by Nadine in the Sinfonia’s Concerto Competition in both 2019 and 2020. She won the Competition in January 2020, playing the same Haydn Concerto with Nadine that is heard on this video.

Swiss-born American pianist Gilles Vonsattel is the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award, and winner of the Naumburg and Geneva competitions. He has appeared with the Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Boston Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony. Recent performances include appearances with the Chicago Symphony, Gothenburg Symphony, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Vancouver Symphony, Florida Orchestra, as well as multiple appearances in New York and on tour with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. A deeply committed chamber musician, he appears regularly at festivals such as Santa Fe Chamber, Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Northwest, Spoleto USA, and has performed with the Emerson, Escher, Miró, Ebène, Calidore, Pacifica, St. Lawrence, Doric, and Borromeo Quartets. Mr. Vonsattel received his bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Columbia University and his master’s degree from The Juilliard School. He joined the faculty of UMass Amherst in 2010.

Roxanne Welch has studied classical voice for six years. She is now a sophomore at Northeastern University studying Communications and Business but continues to love music and performing. Roxanne was privileged to have Nadine accompany her at both her Junior and Senior recitals, as well as have the chance to perform at two of the concerts that Nadine hosted for the community. The collaboration was facilitated by Roxanne’s voice teacher, Jane Hanson, who is an alumna and former faculty member at UMass, and also collaborated with Nadine over the last twenty years. Roxanne is proud to have considered Nadine a friend and mentor.

Your tax-deductible gift can provide support for the Department of Music & Dance through the Friends of Music or Friends of Dance, scholarship support through Music Scholarships, or targeted toward programs listed at UMass.edu/music/give-music. Click to give online to the Nadine E. Shank Piano Endowment Fund. Donations by check can be made out to UMass Amherst, and mailed (with fund name on memo line) to: UMass Amherst, Memorial Hall, 134 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003-9270

For a full listing of Music & Dance Dept. events, visit UMass.edu/music/events