first chair A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Never has the value of making music been more apparent than amid the current pandemic, now that opportunities to do so have been so drastically curtailed. Until now, we’ve always taken for granted the privilege of sharing live music with our fellow human beings—whether informally or formally, whether as performers or audience members. The loss of those experiences has shown us just how vital they are and how crucial to our individual and societal well-being. And it vividly demon- strates the critical significance of the Bienen School of Music’s mission in further- ing this essential art form. In response to the crisis, the school’s faculty, staff, and students have displayed remarkable ingenuity and flexibility. This spring, faculty taught classes, gave lessons, and led rehearsals remotely; the Jazz Orchestra, Saxophone Ensemble, and other groups performed concerts via Zoom; the Dover Quartet offered remote chamber music coaching; and the spring opera was reimagined as an ambi- tious experimental film. Our students also recorded video performances that were featured in June’s online commencement and convocation ceremonies. I especially commend the adaptability of this year’s graduating class in adjusting to the radical reconfiguration of their final quarter of study. Although the prevailing challenges to musicians and per- forming arts organizations are immense, I remain confident that a Bienen School education prepares students not only to cope with current and future difficulties but also to take advantage of the many opportunities that will eventually await them. The Bienen School remains committed to offering the top-level instruction for which we are widely recognized. Although the school will present no public concerts this fall and will continue to offer most lessons and classes remotely, stringent safety precautions will allow a limited sequence of in-person rehearsals, lessons, and performance classes as well as opportunities for individual students to use our practice rooms. I am optimistic that our school community will rise above these difficult circumstances and approach the new academic year with renewed focus and resilience. By continuing to train our students as artist-scholars, the Bienen School prepares for the day when public music making can resume and our students, alumni, and faculty can again share their gifts with live audiences. For the world at large, the resumption of performances after this long drought will surely awaken a renewed appreciation for music’s vital role in our lives. Toni-Marie Montgomery Dean 2 6 14 10 fanfare Departments Feature FALL 2020 FIRST CHAIR OPUS 60 A Message from the Dean Northwestern University SPRINGING INTO REMOTE LEARNING NOTEWORTHY .............................2 Bienen School of Music Faculty and students demonstrate ON THE CONCERT STAGE ...............10 adaptability and ingenuity in navigating the challenges of spring quarter. ...............6 FACULTY ...................................12 STUDENTS ................................15 ALUMNI ......................................18 IN DEVELOPMENT .........................23 DONORS ...................................24 Dean Photo credits Fanfare is the official Other correspondence Toni-Marie Montgomery Marco Borggreve, Ash Dye, magazine of Northwestern Fanfare Editor, Bienen School Natalie Escobedo, Getty University’s Bienen School of Music, Northwestern Editors Images, Matt Huesmann, of Music. University, 70 Arts Circle Drive, Katelyn Balling Kansas State University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-2405, Kingsley Day Bruce Powell, Todd Rosenberg, Address changes [email protected] Alana Rothstein, Grace Song, Director of Development Designer Forestt Strong Lafave, Anna Bienen School of Music ©2020 Northwestern Grace Delcano Womack, Nick Zoulek Northwestern University University. All rights reserved. 1201 Davis Street Produced by Global Marketing Evanston, Illinois 60208 and Communications [email protected] 9-20/9.9M/KD-GD/3043 Winter Opera: Die Fledermaus As its winter quarter production, Northwestern Opera Theater particularly enjoyed Act II’s romantic waltz finale. “In addition to presented Die Fledermaus—a high-spirited tale of frivolity, the musical beauty of this song, there is a great deal of drama festivities, and a practical joke gone awry—in Cahn Auditorium unfolding among the characters,” she says. “Between mistaken for four performances, February 27 through March 1. Director identities, love triangles, and exacting revenge, it is an incredibly of opera Joachim Schamberger staged the operetta, with guest fun scene to perform and watch.” artist John Baril conducting the Northwestern University Eisenstein was played by Symphony Orchestra. Daniel Fleming, a master’s voice One of Johann Strauss’s most beloved works, Die Fledermaus student of W. Stephen Smith. premiered in Vienna in 1874. All the operetta’s characters are Fleming finds the operetta’s going to Prince Orlofsky’s ball but don’t want their nearest and themes still relevant today. “This dearest to know. Gabriel von Eisenstein evades jail for a night to is a show about infidelity and attend, and his wife follows him in disguise to find out whether revenge and the consequences he will misbehave. Adele, their maid, claims to be visiting her of those actions. I think these aunt, but she too goes to the ball. As the characters conceal their are, unfortunately, characteristics identities and get caught up in romantic escapades, a search for of the human experience.” the truth ensues. The sparkling production served as a stark contrast to fall “What I love about Adele is how ridiculous and stubborn quarter’s dramatic and powerful Chicago-area premiere of David T. she is. She is a woman who gets what she wants one way or Little’s Dog Days. The diverse opera season was set to conclude with another,” says undergraduate Megan Fleishmann, who played Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in May, but that production became an online the role. “She spends a great deal of time pretending she’s some- opera project as a result of the pandemic (see next page). one she isn’t, and with that come a few uncomfortable moments Schamberger shared his excitement about offering such and social situations that seem impossible to work through.” dissimilar operas to students and audiences. “It’s remarkable that A voice student of Theresa Brancaccio, Fleishmann says all of these different shows we are doing fall under the umbrella she relished the piece’s comic and musical craftsmanship and of opera.” ] Stephen Alltop, Joachim Schamberger Orfeo Goes Remote When the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the coached students on character and interpretation but also on deter- Bienen School’s spring opera production, director of opera Joachim mining shot types, framing, timing, and screen direction. Each Schamberger reconceived Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo as an online project student filmed independently, which required great attention to —an experimental opera film, Orfeo Remote. detail in pinpointing each performer’s position within the scene; Often considered the first great opera, L’Orfeo tells the mythic students might appear “together” when in reality they were shot story of Orpheus’s journey to the underworld to rescue his love, separately and as far as thousands of miles apart. “While this is Eurydice. Schamberger set his modernized production in 1960s all very complicated, it also provides a wonderful learning oppor- America, juxtaposing the hippie movement’s ideals of free love tunity,” adds Schamberger. “Acquiring basic fluency in video and and connection with the current reality of pandemic-induced audio production will be increasingly essential for musicians.” isolation. “Orfeo is a story about loss, fear, and taking initiative,” A virtual panel discussion on May 22 gave audiences a glimpse says Schamberger. “In this regard it reflects our current experience of the exciting production as well as historical background on in society, and for artists in particular.” Monteverdi’s opera. Moderated by Drew Davies, chair of the Depart- Orfeo Remote is told from the perspective of La Musica, an ment of Music Studies, the panel featured special guest Jeffrey unemployed musician who takes initiative during a pandemic. Kurtzman, professor of musicology at Washington University in “She reaches out to colleagues to create an online Orfeo project,” St. Louis, as well as Schamberger, Alltop, associate professor of Schamberger explains. “In this way we explore our own experience musicology Linda Austern, doctoral candidate Jason Rosenholtz- through the power of myth, story, and music.” Witt, and voice student Nicholas Lin, who plays Orfeo. To prepare students, music director Stephen Alltop recorded “Orfeo Remote has become a project that excites me creatively every note of the opera at home on his harpsichord and chamber and makes me feel connected to my Northwestern peers in a new organ. These recordings provided accompaniments for Zoom coach- way,” says Lin. “During Zoom rehearsals, I am inspired by my cast- ings and reference tracks that performers used in recording their mates’ ingenuity, determination, sense of humor, and emotional music. Alltop and vocal coach Alan Darling prepared everyone sensitivity. Since almost all of the singers-turned-filmmakers are in the cast via Zoom. Students then recorded their individual out of their element, there is a real sense of vulnerability among us. performances from locations across the country. In total, the We are creating art