Music Department Spring 2017 A Change in Ministry Father Kevin Waters, S.J. Retires After thirty four years as music pro- Fr. Waters also speaks passion- of Fine Arts and Dean of the fessor, administrator and resident ately about the importance of College of Arts & Sciences. hall chaplain, Fr. Kevin Waters, S.J. forming strong mentoring and In subsequent years, he has chosen to retire from Gonzaga teaching relationships with stu- served as Acting Academic activities. He will continue his sacra- dents. He takes great joy in see- Vice President and on the mental ministries as well as spiritu- ing their growth and develop- Board of Trustees. al direction in addition to devoting ment as both individual persons more time to composing new works. and as musicians. His curricu- Reflecting on his teaching career, lum centered on the fundamen- he highlights that good teaching tals of composition in order to grows from an equal love of the help students learn to read and material and for the students. Fr. write music in a variety of styles Waters sees his role as having been as well as find their own influ- to encourage students to be open ences among composers. to exploring and experiencing the Fr. Waters first came to Gonzaga fullness of the world while rigorous- as an undergraduate studying ly studying the fundamentals of philosophy as a young Jesuit. music. After he graduated in 1958, he He will be missed by faculty, Reflecting on his career at Gonzaga, began privately studying music staff and students. Senior he is most proud of the growth of composition, mostly in Los Ange- composition major Jacob the Music Department. It is the old- les. He studied with Roy Harris McLain said, “He taught me est undergraduate music program of UCLA while he completed to explore new ideas and in a Jesuit university in the United graduate degrees in theology at how to write music that in- States. Under his leadership, the Santa Clara University. In 1970, spires people. It’s thanks to department developed a full-time, he was awarded a Doctor of Mu- Fr. Waters always pushing tenure-track faculty position in or- sic Arts in Composition from the me that I have grown so chestra, first with Sister Xavier Mary University of Washington. From much as a composer.” 1969 until the early 1980s, Fr. Courvoisier and then current profes- There will be a reception to Waters taught music at Seattle sor of music, Dr. Kevin Hekmat- celebrate Fr. Waters’ retire- University. He was also a mem- panah. Additionally, the wind and ment on May 5th, 11:30am- ber of the summer music faculty band program grew with the hiring 1:30pm, in the Hemmingson at Creighton University, 1977- of Dr. Robert Spittal to compliment North Ballroom. The event 1980. the strong jazz and choral pro- will include student, faculty grams. Finally, Fr. Waters participat- Fr. Waters returned to Gonzaga and staff performances of ed in the hiring of Dr. Peter Hamlin University in 1983 as Professor some of his compositions. for the music education program. Photo courtesy of Gonzaga University and The Spokesman-Review Page 2 Music Department Congratulations Concerto Competition Winners Gonzaga University students Gonzaga, she plays with the The Gonzaga Symphony Bethany Beekly and Shelby Wind Symphony, the Gonzaga Orchestra, conducted by Damron were selected from Symphony Orchestra and a Kevin Hekmatpanah, hosts among the applicants as variety of chamber ensembles. the prestigious Young Artists’ the 2017 Gonzaga She will graduate in May with a Competition every other year. Symphony Orchestra BS in Biology, Research All Gonzaga students enrolled Concerto Competition Concentration, and a minor in in applied lessons are eligible Winners in January. Both Chemistry. She plans to begin to compete and encouraged Bethany Beekly students performed their doctoral studies in Neuroscience to apply. The competition winning concertos with the soon after. gives students the Gonzaga Symphony opportunity to perform as Shelby Damron, a freshman Orchestra on March 6, soloists with the orchestra. from Reno, Nevada, performed 2017. the Mozart Violin Concerto No. Bethany Beekly, a senior 5. At Gonzaga, she plays with from Seattle, Washington, the Gonzaga Symphony performed the Spohr Clari- Orchestra. She is studying net Concerto No. 1. At business with an eye on law Shelby Damron school. Achievement in Composition Opus 7, a professional has previously composed instru- Jimmy also considers the choral ensemble in Seattle, mental pieces. Snow is his first choral composers Eric recently selected Gonzaga choral composition. He was Whitacre and Morten music major Jimmy inspired by the C.K. Williams Lauridsen as influential. McGinley as the 2017 poem of the same name. Re- Opus 7 will perform Snow recipient of their Opus 7 flecting on his award, Jimmy during their 25th Anniversary Choral Award in the said, “I had never written a cho- Celebration Concert on Undergraduate category. ral piece before, but had lots of Saturday, May 13th at 8pm at experience both singing and His composition, Snow, is listening to choral works so I the University Congregational for SSAATBB and piano and United Church of Christ in think my heart definitely knew features chord clusters and Seattle, Washington. what it wanted.” Jimmy McGinley held suspensions. Jimmy Choral Soloists Named Eight Gonzaga students from our choral program have been selected by competitive audition to perform solos in Ralph Vaugh William’s Serenade to Music with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra on May 6th at 8pm and May 7th at 3pm. Congratulations to sopranos Madeline Dellinger, Makenna Sellers and Teresa Halsey; altos Amanda Rood and Katie Kenkel; tenor Nicholas Ferguson Fritschler and basses David Barnes and Andrew Kelley. Of these students, Teresa, Amanda and Andrew are music majors with performance concentrations and Katie is a music education major. All photos courtesy of Gonzaga University Page 3 Music Department Piano Successes Piano students from the studios of Margee Webster and Greg Presley participated in the recent Washington State Music Teachers Adjudications. Peter Gray was selected to play in the Collegiate Honors recital and Derek Dunkin received an honorable mention. Peter Gray Derek Dunkin Music Department Colloquiums The Music Department mation and discussion about presents a monthly colloquium internships with speakers Renée for students on a variety of Massicotte-Vezeau, GU Foley topics relevant to their degree Library Digital Collections, and progression and future Lenny Bart, Artistic Director of employment. This semester we the Spokane Civic Theatre. welcomed Dr. William Conable The next colloquium, April 19, Renée Massicotte-Vezeau to speak on the Alexander will focus on updates from Technique. Dr. Conable is the the Woldson Performing Arts founder and president of Dr. William Conable Center construction schedule as Alexander Workshops, cellist, well as a discussion of graduate conductor and professor schools with input from Gonzaga emeritus of music at Ohio State music alumni. University. In March, the colloquium featured infor- Lenny Bart Faculty News Dr. Kevin Hekmatpanah gave a string clinic for the Pasco School District on March 18 and will perform two cello recitals in April with pianist Darin Manica featuring Russian composers Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Prokofiev, at Harrington Opera House, Harrington, Washington on April 7th and at Gonzaga University on April 8. Margee Webster will travel to Hamilton, Montana at the end of April to adjudicate for the American College of Musicians/ National Guild of Piano Teachers. Dr. Peter Hamlin published “Assessing Musical Performance” in January on the SmartMusic blog for music educators. Dr. Paul Grove performed a concert in February at Gonzaga University featuring classical guitar music composed by himself, Brouwer, Young, Tippett and Ginastera. Dr. Timothy Westerhaus will perform as tenor soloist for the Palouse Choral Society’s presentation of Mozart Requiem (Robert Levin completion) on April 7 and 9 in Uniontown, Washington. He has also been invited by audition to perform as tenor in the professional 24-voice Berwick Chorus of the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene, Oregon from June 28 to July 16, performing Bach’s St. John Passion and St. Matthew Passion; Howell’s Requiem and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. Photos courtesy of Gonzaga University and the artists Page 4 Music Department Special Guests We welcomed several acclaimed soloist performers to campus this semester to perform in concert as well as to work with students through master classes and performance. Piano Soloist Classical Guitar Virtuoso Darin Manica Marc Teicholz Mezzo Soprano Soloist Traditional Tanpura & Tabla Instrumentalist Dawn Padula Ravi Albright Acclaimed Piano Virtuoso Alon Goldstein Award Winning Flamenco Guitarist Joaquin Gallegos Photos courtesy of the artists Alumni Update Stacia Cammarano ‘16 (Music Ed) directs the choral program at Shadle Park High School, Spokane, Washington. Luke Batty ‘16 (Music, Performance) studies law at Santa Clara University School of Law in Santa Clara, California. Sean Lally ‘15 (Music Ed) teaches arts education at Village Theatre Kidstage in Issaquah, Washington. Catherine Hildebrand ‘14 (Music, Composition) graduated from Seattle Film Institute in 2016 and is a freelance composer and sound designer in Seattle, Washington. Spring 2017 Page 5 Students On the Go! In January, Gonzaga music Gonzaga music and music education education majors Megan The Gonzaga Bulldog Band majors Jacob McLain, Joseph Shultz, Annie Stanger, Katie supported the Men’s and Panchesson, Megan Shultz, Annie Kenkel and Jordan Martinez Women’s basketball teams this Stanger, Aiden Brown, Emily Barville, met with legislators in winning season at both home and Jordan Martinez and Haley Charlton Olympia, Washington to away games. The Bulldog Band is joined Dr. Peter Hamlin, assistant discuss music advocacy as known by arena staffers for their professor of music, at the February part of Hill Day organized by polite, professional behavior and NAfME conference in Bellevue, WMEA/Collegiate Members.