Giving

Celebrate + aspire

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:59:06 +0000

Celebrate + aspire Mariefaith Lane Thu, 03/13/2025 - 09:59

John Davis

On March 2, the College of Music’s talented Opera Theater Singers once again delivered outstanding performances at our Eklund Opera Program gala at the Academy University Hill. We were honored to welcome Chancellor Schwartz for the first time at this annual fundraising event that aims to sustain and support the arts in our community. Pictured above (left to right): Andrew Todd, Assistant Dean for Advancement; Justin Schwartz, ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ Chancellor; Leigh Holman, Eklund Opera Program Director; Paul + Kristina Eklund, naming donors of the Eklund Opera Program; and John Davis, College of Music Dean.

At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy.

More broadly, in the words of Ukrainian-born writer Joseph Conrad, “All creative art is magic, is evocation of the unseen in forms persuasive, enlightening, familiar and surprising, for the edification of mankind.”

As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations.

For example, I encourage you to discover how Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education Margaret Berg is creating sustainability through music education, ensuring the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating human and environmental sustainability into music education, the College of Music is preparing students to make an impact on our interconnected society. Related, two graduate students—Nicholas Felder and Ian Gunnarschja—received grants to support innovative projects that promote equity in music and wellness among neurodiverse musicians.

Creative courage and unique expression at our college are further personified by Enion Pelta-Tiller—a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy—whose ambitious, experimental approach to music brings together a wealth of coexisting influences and helped shape our new cross-genre ensembles and curricula. And, in case you missed it, our Distinguished Professor of Piano David Korevaar recently shared a delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday—a labor of love and creative fortitude in the face of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing five years ago.

Additionally, more than 100 guest artists, ensembles and lecturers have energized our classrooms and graced our stages so far this academic year—most recently including Kennedy Center honoree and five-time Grammy Award-winner Renée Fleming, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné composer, musician and sound installation artist Raven Chacon; as well as visiting scholars in our Musicology + Music Theory Colloquium Series and local luminaries like alumnus Gregory Walker—son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—who presented a master class last week as part of our annual Persevering Legacy events showcasing works by women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Also inspiring to our community this month was a musicians’ workshop led by Blues icon (and Boulder resident) Otis Taylor, a Colorado Music Hall of Famer.

For all these reasons among many more, I remain steadfast in our resolve to inspire artistry and discovery, together.

With gratitude,

John Davis
Dean, College of Music

"At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy. As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations."

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Distinguished professor shares delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday

Mariefaith Lane — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:33:44 +0000

Distinguished professor shares delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday Mariefaith Lane Tue, 03/04/2025 - 11:33

Adam Goldstein

Photo credit: Manfred Fuß

The timing was unfortunate for Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday celebration.

Commemorations of the fêted composer came in 2020 (scholars’ best guess at his birthday is 1770), just as the world was shutting down in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—and opportunities to experience the great artist’s music and legacy in person disappeared.

So David Korevaar, distinguished professor of piano at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ’s College of Music, sought alternative ways to honor Beethoven’s oeuvre in the face of lockdowns and social distancing.

“I found myself, like many of us, at something of a loss—no concerts, no in-person teaching, isolated at home,” Korevaar recalls now. “I had been thinking of filling in the gaps in Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas—there were a few that I had never played—and that inspired me to begin the process of playing through all of them and sharing ‘quick and dirty’ video recordings from home on my YouTube channel.”

Those videos (which are still available on Korevaar’s channel) were only the beginning. Korevaar found himself intrigued by the prospect of recording the complete sonatas properly and—in his role at the College of Music—he realized that he had the resources to realize that vision. With support from the college's C.W. Bixler Family Foundation Faculty Initiatives Fund, Korevaar set about doing justice to Beethoven’s timeless music.

“I talked with Kevin Harbison—the College of Music’s fantastic recording engineer—with Kawai America and with the college’s scheduling guru Brooke Balbuena to set up sessions in our gorgeous new Chamber Hall,” Korevaar says, adding that Kawai came through with a loan to the college of a 9-foot Shigeru Kawai concert grand for a year. “We recorded in a series of sessions that ended in July 2024 with all 32 sonatas completed.”

The next step was finding a way to share roughly 11 hours of music with the world. Enter Prospero Classical, a Swiss orchestral music label that offered Korevaar and his crew a thoroughly modern and multifaceted way to distribute the music. On March 7, the label will release a two-CD physical release of highlights from the sonatas followed by a series of digital-only albums of the sonatas issued chronologically.

“The two CDs will feature three sonatas from Beethoven’s ‘heroic’ period—so called because of the composition of the Eroica Symphony during this time: The Sonata Op. 53 (‘Waldstein’), Sonata Op. 54, Sonata Op. 57 (‘Appassionata’) as well as the ‘Andante favori,’ a movement originally intended to be part of the ‘Waldstein’ sonata,” Korevaar explains. “The second CD has two more sonatas, both of which Beethoven suggested be published as written for the ‘Hammerklavier,’ a German word for piano.”

All of the recorded sonatas (with the exception of Op. 106) are also up on Spotify as EPs; those are accessible here.

This approach offers a perfect way to share Beethoven’s music in the era of streaming and Spotify; it also offers a way to fulfill a musical mission that first came to Korevaar during the pandemic.

“I really wanted and, in a way, needed to do these properly,” he adds. “To record professionally, in a beautiful space, on a beautiful piano, with a first-rate engineer.”

Distinguished Professor of Piano David Korevaar found an alternative to celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday in the face of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing five years ago.

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“Art is possibility, expression is potential.”

Mariefaith Lane — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:12:27 +0000

“Art is possibility, expression is potential.” Mariefaith Lane Tue, 02/18/2025 - 12:12

Adam Goldstein

“Art is possibility, expression is potential.”

That’s according to Raven Chacon, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné composer, musician and sound installation artist slated to deliver the ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ College of Music’s annual Genevieve McVey Wisner lecture on Feb. 26. In his wide-ranging and ambitious oeuvre, Chacon—a member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico—has tackled themes ranging from colonization to displacement to questions of environmental stewardship and conservation.

The myriad media he’s chosen to explore these themes reflect a spirit of creative exploration. His Pulitzer Prize-winning work, “Voiceless Mass,” is an ensemble work composed specifically to be performed in any space of worship with high ceilings and pipe organ. “Sound Ladder” is a sound installation—debuted in 2024—that features a sequence of 16 pine planks hung from ceiling to floor; for this work, Chacon collaborated with members of the Bål Nango family, a Sámi family of reindeer herders and land guardians.

Chacon has built instruments and explored new ways to present sound. He’s paired his compositions with visual cues and physical components, and drawn upon the very land surrounding his compositions to convey his messages.

“I think art is there to show that we can all think in different ways, we can all dream in ways we didn’t know we could,” Chacon explains. “We’re in danger when we become narrow and exclude possibilities.” That philosophy is part of the lure of Chacon’s upcoming visit to Boulder. Working firsthand with students and offering novel perspectives about the possibilities of self-expression reconnects the artist to his own commitment to learning and growth; the chance to explore his work and style with developing musicians and artists holds its own unique appeal.

“Part of my interest in giving lectures and visiting universities is to share my work and offer music students insights into ways that music doesn’t have to be on the stage,” Chacon says, also reflecting the College of Music’s universal musician approach to achieving our mission. “It can be presented in different media—performance art, sound sculpture, as film or video. I am really interested in sharing my different tactics with students.”

The concept of place plays a large role in Chacon’s work and one of the pieces he’ll detail in his lecture is located in the United Arab Emirates in a “ghost village” that was originally assigned to a tribe of nomads by the government. “Being that they’re nomadic people, they did not move in. These houses are being taken by the desert,” Chacon explains.

“I’ve collaborated with these individuals and musicians to record their songs,” he adds, noting that the ultimate effect of the installation is that “it sounds like their music is moving through these houses and into the desert.”

It’s an immediacy that Chacon stresses in his approach to music. While he’s a classically trained composer and musician, he’s careful not to undervalue the importance of the indefinable elements of the art form—the aspects of music that can’t necessarily be conveyed in a classroom, studio or textbook.

“I do feel like I’m continually learning,” says Chacon . I’m always seeking out the best media that an artwork should take. I’m constantly researching new technologies—experiencing exhibitions, artists and concerts.

“I’m still a big fan of being able to see musicians play, even more so than listening to recordings. I think live music is not only an obligation or responsibility, but it’s something that is wonderful to do, as a member of an audience.”

Even as he tackles weighty questions in his work, Chacon also finds power and joy in the ability to create—a boon he looks forward to sharing during his residency. “No matter what our occupation or how we spend our daily lives, we should be conscious of the work we can do to improve upon justice and the way we treat each other.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Join us for the College of Music’s annual Genevieve McVey Wisner Lectureship* featuring Raven Chacon on Feb. 26 at 11:30 a.m., Chamber Hall (S102), Imig Music Building. On Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m., Room NB185, Imig Music Building, Chacon will be part of a panel discussion, “Situating your soul’s work in a hegemonic sphere.” Both events are free and open to the public.

Raven Chacon’s residency is made possible by the ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ American Music Research Center, the College of Music’s composition department and the college’s Diverse Musicians’ Alliance.

*Having graduated from Western University in Kansas—an historically Black college—with her first bachelor’s degree in 1922, Genevieve McVey Wisner became the first Black graduate of the College of Music in 1940 with a bachelor’s degree in music education, followed by a master’s degree in 1944 at age 42.

On Feb. 26 and 27, the College of Music’s annual Genevieve McVey Wisner Lectureship will feature trailblazing composer, musician and sound installation artist Raven Chacon. Even as he tackles weighty questions in his work, Chacon also finds power and joy in the ability to create—a boon he looks forward to sharing during his residency. “No matter what our occupation or how we spend our daily lives, we should be conscious of the work we can do to improve upon justice and the way we treat each other,” says Chacon, the first Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.

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Flourishing in times of flux

Mariefaith Lane — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Flourishing in times of flux Mariefaith Lane Fri, 12/06/2024 - 01:00

John Davis

NASM celebrates 100 years
Last month, Dean John Davis attended the annual meeting—and centennial celebration—of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) in Chicago, Illinois. This organization of schools, conservatories, colleges and universities establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as other credentials for music and music-related disciplines. Our college has been a member since 1941.

Dear friends,

As we approach our much-anticipated annual Holiday Festival performances this weekend, I’m filled with awe and gratitude as I reflect on a busy, successful fall semester at the ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ College of Music—including continued progress in developing multiskilled, multifaceted universal musicians.

Our commitment to both refining and expanding our offerings has never felt more relevant—and more urgent; our faculty members, advisors and other staff are highly motivated to ensure that our students not only master their chosen craft, but also emerge as well-rounded, adaptable professionals prepared to take on the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Having represented our College of Music at several conferences this fall—including, among others, the annual conferences of the College Music Society and National Association of Music Executives at State Universities, the National Association of Schools of Music annual meeting, and the annual conference of the International Council for Arts Deans in Montreal, Canada—I was heartened to observe that our work at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ reflects real-world trends and mandates in music education. Colleges and schools like ours are similarly focused on widening students’ horizons, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and emphasizing broadly-based skills. I’m proud that our approach amplifies current best practices at comparable institutions, nationally and internationally.

We’re also aware that the landscape of higher education is shifting and that we must be vigilant, agile and proactive. In the new year, changes to federal policies may impact how we accomplish—and communicate—our work; what isn’t changing, however, is our commitment to support our students with the resources, knowledge, experiences and inspirations they need to succeed and thrive in their chosen ventures—and in life. To that end, we continue to deepen our relationships with campus partners including Chancellor Justin Schwartz, who champions our efforts. The new ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ chancellor has encouraged our campus community to embody courage, curiosity, care and consistency as we engage with one another, prioritize free expression and pursue creative ideas. His vision aligns with our values and I’m optimistic that the College of Music—along with all arts and humanities units on campus—will prosper under his leadership, and sustain our current momentum in student recruitment and retention.

By reimagining our offerings to include more diverse disciplines and perspectives, we’re implementing a richer, more holistic educational experience for our students that ignites their explorations across wide-ranging fields of interest—while nurturing their capacity to engage meaningfully, compassionately and confidently with the summons of our time.

From our dedicated community of supporters to our versatile students to our forward-looking faculty and staff, I’m immensely proud of what we’ve already achieved together. In the new year, stay tuned for announcements of our most recent programmatic and curricular developments that meet the moment—including a new BA degree emphasis.

Meanwhile, I wish you peaceful, joyful holidays!

John Davis
Dean, College of Music

In his year-end message, Dean John Davis reflects on the college's commitment to both refining and expanding our offerings: "Our faculty members, advisors and other staff are highly motivated to ensure that our students not only master their chosen craft, but also emerge as well-rounded, adaptable professionals prepared to take on the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly changing world."

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2024-25 Ekstrand Graduate Student Competition winners announced

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 19:00:00 +0000

2024-25 Ekstrand Graduate Student Competition winners announced Mariefaith Lane Wed, 11/20/2024 - 12:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

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We are thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024-25 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition: The Koa String Quartet!

The College of Music’s current graduate string quartet in residence—comprising violinists Kisa Uradomo and Leah Pernick, violist Thomas Chafe and cellist Heewon Lee—studies with the Takács Quartet. On Nov. 19, the Koa Quartet performed selections from works by Joseph Haydn and Kevin Lau, and was awarded $2,000 for their Ekstrand win.

“We are so happy to have started our residency at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ on such a positive note! It was an incredible opportunity to perform onstage alongside so many of our talented peers,” Pernick says. “Thank you so much to the Takács Quartet and string faculty for their mentorship, and to the Ekstrand family for their generous support of students.”

Lee shares, “Our main goal of the performance was to have fun and keep up the good energy. I think us dancing backstage helped with that. But in all seriousness, we’re super thankful for the win!”

Second prize ($1,000) went to saxophonist Joel Ferst, who also won the audience favorite prize ($250). This year’s other Ekstrand finalists ($500 each) include pianist John-Austin King, baritone Andrew Konopak and violinist Laura Pérez Rangel.

This year’s esteemed panel of judges were Jason Bergman—Associate Professor of Trumpet, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; Courtney Hershey Bress—Principal Harpist, Colorado Symphony; Adjunct Professor of Harp, University of Denver Lamont School of Music; and Lecturer of Harp, University of Wyoming; and Cameron Stowe—Chair, Collaborative Piano, New England Conservatory; Director, Collaborative Piano, Aspen Music Festival and School.

The Ekstrand Competition was launched by previous College of Music dean Robert Fink, and later renamed to honor the late Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and psychology professor Bruce Ekstrand. The competition invites top graduate students to compete for cash prizes for professional development. This year’s faculty judges for the  semi-final competition were Renee Gilliland, Jeremy Reger and Branden Steinmetz.

Semi-finalists included:

Voice: Sidney Grimm, soprano; Andrew Konopak, baritone; James Robinson, baritone
Piano: John-Austin King, Luca Pompilio
Strings: Julian Bennett, cello; Koa String Quartet; Laura Pérez Rangel, violin
Woodwinds: Joel Ferst, saxophone; Dylan King, saxophone; Harold Gomez-Montoya, clarinet
Brass + percussion: Mark Bennett, trombone; Sydney Hoehl, trumpet; Connor Johnson, trumpet

Congratulations to the Koa String Quartet and all participants in this year’s competition, as well as their teachers—the Takács Quartet, Andrew Cooperstock, Andrew Garland and Nathan Mertens in the final round. Our special thanks also to collaborative pianists Runze Li, Hsiao-Ling Lin, Matthew Sebald—and all other pianists, mentors and teachers involved in the previous rounds of this competition.

Partially funded by the Ekstrand Competition Endowment Fund, this annual event is the premier performance competition for the College of Music’s most outstanding graduate students.

We are thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024-25 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition: The Koa String Quartet!

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Meet Willem Rohwer—2024 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipient

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Meet Willem Rohwer—2024 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipient Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/18/2024 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

We’re pleased to announce freshman Willem Rohwer as our 2024 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipient!

Rohwer comes to the College of Music from Edwards, Colorado, to pursue an undergraduate degree in double bass performance studying with Associate Professor of Double Bass Susan Cahill. “She’s absolutely wonderful,” Rohwer says. “I had the opportunity to take a couple lessons with her over the summer and her approach to teaching is through a fresh lens.”

At ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ, Rohwer hopes to explore different musical ensembles, genres and styles to find his own niche. “Developing my own musical opinions and character are really something that I want to find here,” he says.

Rohwer first learned about the scholarship through an email inviting him to an additional audition. He had just a few weeks to prepare and utilized an unusual tactic: “I had figured out that one of the most helpful things for me was to play in different locations throughout my house and throughout my town instead of just in my room,” he says.

“You can hear different things. I practiced in my living room and then I practiced in a closet and then I practiced outside.”

The traveling practice paid off and Rohwer was offered the four-year, full-ride scholarship funded by John and Anna Sie.

“You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for a week, I was really happy to hear that I would be able to go here and that I was so wanted.”

Rohwer is also part of the Music Buffs Living Learning Community—a program that brings together music loving students to collaborate and create. “It’s so exciting to be a part of this community because everyone I meet is eager to do exactly what I want to do, which is jam out with people my age who have different ideas about music,” he says.

Additionally, Rohwer wants to develop another passion of his: Space.

“I’ve always been fascinated with astrophysics and space,” he says. “I think music and astrophysics relate because they both have to do with exploring—with music, there’s such an infinite space ahead of you where you can explore how everything sounds.”

He adds, “When you’re playing music, it brings you to a space that’s so separate from time, stress or any of the other happenings of daily life. The same feeling that I get in that musical space is what I experience when I think about exploring deep space because it’s so far out and separate from everything else … and always brand new.”

Rohwer joins these current Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipients:
2023: Nate Bonin (horn) and Danny Kaminski (jazz bass);
2022: Jude Dow-Hygelund (piano) and Cian Kreuger (jazz sax); and
2021: Anna Kallinikos (trumpet) and Raven Dow-Hygelund (classical guitar).

Our gratitude to the 2024 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship selection committee comprising faculty members Gary Lewis, Matthew Roeder and Elizabeth Swanson. “I’m excited that we’ve added another very talented musician as part of our incoming class of first-year Music Buffs!” says Roeder.

Willem Rohwer comes to the College of Music from Edwards, Colorado, to pursue an undergraduate degree in double bass performance. “Developing my own musical opinions and character are really something that I want to find here,” he says. Discover Rohwer’s unique approach to a successful audition and his other interests.

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Alternative keyboard offers College of Music students greater reach

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Alternative keyboard offers College of Music students greater reach Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/10/2024 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

When Abigail Terrill (MM ’24) learned about alternative piano keyboards, it seemed she’d found an obvious solution to a complicated problem. Terrill spent the last year of her master’s experience researching narrower keyboards to accommodate pianists with smaller hands, and how quickly pianists can transition to and from them.

“The length of alternative keyboards is the same as standard keyboards, only the width of each key is very slightly smaller,” Terrill says. The ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ College of Music has had such a keyboard on loan from the DS Standard Foundation since April 2023, featuring a six-inch octave instead of the standard six-and-a-half-inch octave.

“The reason I got interested was because I have tendonitis and I noticed a bunch of my female pianist friends were also getting tendonitis. I’ve had friends who have had to quit because they got some kind of severe playing-related injury,” Terrill says.

Alternatively sized keyboards can help pianists avoid injuries sustained from over-reaching and enable individuals with smaller hands to play some repertoire that is physically impossible for them to perform on standard-size pianos.

“Keyboards are made to a standard size and the human hand is not a standard size,” says Jennifer Hayghe, associate professor of piano and chair of the Roser Piano + Keyboard Program at the College of Music. “In my 25 years as a professor, I have seen the number of students with injuries rise exponentially. I spend a lot of my time working with students trying to reduce their stress and tension and work through the injuries they’ve accrued. I do believe that if we had smaller keyboards as a standard thing, that would not be an issue.”

The piece loaned to the College of Music is a piano action—that is, the keyboard and the mechanism that causes hammers to strike the strings when keys are pressed. This action can technically fit onto any piano, though some fittings are more difficult than others. Mark Mikkelson and Phil Taylor, both piano technicians at the College of Music, say they put in 50 to 60 hours of work fitting the alternative keyboard into a Steinway piano.

“The problem in making these keyboards for Steinway instruments is that Steinways are entirely handmade, which means they’re not all exactly the same,” Hayghe explains. “So when alternative keyboards are made as close as possible to a ‘standard’ Steinway size, all these little adjustments are necessary. It took a long time and a lot of adjusting to get that keyboard used to that piano.”

Abigail Terrill (MM ’24) and duo partner James Morris (DMA ’25) rehearse his first piano duo composition that premiered last year. Terrill is playing an alternatively sized keyboard on loan at the ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ College of Music.

As part of her master’s thesis, Terrill discovered that attitudes around alternative keyboards are often of disdain. “I was really frustrated when I first started this research because I was telling people how unfair it was to not have smaller keyboards available to students—and the reaction I heard most was people saying ‘you don’t need that, you just need to fix your technique.’ So my response was, if I can show numbers to people who don’t want to bother with having to switch sizes, that may be more convincing.”

Terrill’s thesis project involved 15 pianists playing a musical excerpt on a standard piano, and then on a narrow keyboard. She measured their errors when initially playing on the alternative keyboard and after 10 minutes of practice.

“We found that everyone by the end—transitioning from the standard size to the second try on the narrow keyboard—had fewer errors than on the first try,” Terrill says. “Most of them said ‘I wish I could practice more on it.’”

Since graduating this spring, Terrill has been teaching piano lessons—another instance when narrow keyboards would be helpful. “Most instruments have smaller versions for when you’re learning as a kid, but not the piano,” she notes.

“I really see this as an equality issue. I’m looking for movement from people. I want to push for more research and for people to have conversations about it—I think even arguments will help.”

The College of Music has had an alternatively-sized keyboard on loan since April 2023. Recent graduate Abigail Terrill shares how the narrower keyboard is helpful, why it’s needed and what her thesis research found about the process of transitioning between pianos.

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The (musical) kids are back in town

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The (musical) kids are back in town Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/28/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

SPA participants reap the benefits of the College of Music’s Musicians’ Wellness Program.

Last summer, the College of Music and Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA) kicked off a new partnership to welcome 22 talented string students—ages 11-17—to our campus for an intensive scholarship program emphasizing cultural diversity.

Associate Professor of Double Bass Susan Cahill coaches an SPA participant.

This month, June 20-30, it’s déjâ vu as auditioned youths engage in lessons, master classes and performances with their instructors and guest teachers—all under the auspices of the Sphinx Organization and thanks to a DEI Impact Grant from the ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Associate Professor of Cello David Requiro (left) with other SPA participants.

That’s a lot to plan and implement. Yet for Alex Gonzalez—returning SPA faculty member and College of Music assistant professor of violin—it’s all a joy. “It’s wonderful to see how the SPA gives the kids space to grow, presenting them options as they pursue music,” he says.

In between, Gonzalez explains, the students do more than improve their skills on violin, viola, cello and bass: “For example, Jim Brody, who runs the College of Music’s wellness program, instructed them in healthy playing habits. It’s so important for them to learn how to prevent injury and avoid poor practice positions.” Gonzalez also notes a master class by violinist Andrea Segar who’ll join the College of Music faculty as assistant professor of violin this fall.

Success stories are many. Among the 22 students who’ve flown in from around the country, a few are returning from last summer’s inaugural SPA on our campus; and, according to Gonzalez, three students from the first cohort have applied for admission to ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ and were accepted—including SPA alum Ryannah Blackman who will join Gonzalez’s violin studio as a freshman performance major this fall. “She told me, ‘The SPA made me want to settle here,’” he says.

A member of the Sphinx Virtuosi where he’s concertmaster, touring extensively with the group across the country and abroad, Gonzalez understands first-hand that the road to success in music isn’t without its challenges. But programs like the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, established in 1997 to focus on “increasing representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music,” have done much to ease and advance that journey.

Intense teaching and motivation are valuable, of course, but the SPA provides something else, Gonzales discovered: “There’s a sense of community here, friendships have developed,” he says. “These kids are sharing their love of music, of being together. I think it lifts them up.

“They’ve worked hard but they got Sundays off, so they went on field trips. They went to the Pearl Street Mall and they took hikes. They got to see Boulder.”

See you next year, SPA!

SPA faculty and students will perform free, public concerts in Grusin Music Hall tonight and this weekend.

Photos: Kathryn Bistodeau, Sphinx Organization

Last summer, the College of Music and Sphinx Performance Academy kicked off a new partnership to welcome talented string students—ages 11-17—to our campus for an intensive scholarship program emphasizing cultural diversity. This month, it’s déjâ vu as auditioned youths engage in lessons, master classes and more, culminating in public performances tonight and this weekend.

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Fortepiano refurb a labor of love

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Fortepiano refurb a labor of love Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/26/2024 - 00:00

Sabine Kortals Stein

Avlona Yarbrough Taylor, daughters Karen (Patrice Walsh) and Kathryn (Paul Barchilon), as well as Evelyn Taylor—sister of the late Douglas Taylor.

It was a long time coming.

Piano Technician Mark Mikkelsen—who, for more than eight years, has supported the care and maintenance of the College of Music’s fleet of 160 pianos, two harpsichords and an organ—was thrilled when the opportunity arose to rebuild, refurbish and restore one of two fortepianos donated to our college by the late Douglas Taylor and his wife, Avlona, as an in-kind gift in 2019.

The two fortepianos—one is a replica after Conrad Graf 1828 by Robert Smith, ca. 1982; the other is a replica after J. A. Stein by Richard Kingston, ca. 1982—are a tremendous boon for our college. Five years following their donation, the refurbished Smith fortepiano was performed on for the first time on April 8 by Wes Leffingwell, a doctoral student of Professor of Harpsichord Robert Hill.

Since the instrument’s donation, Mikkelsen—whose overall responsibilities include tuning, voicing, regulation, rebuilding and repair—researched the Smith fortepiano and embarked on a years-long restoration project in service to our students and faculty.

“The more I learned about the fortepiano from various sources—its history, how it was made, how it was shipped—the more I understood the instrument which inspired my problem solving,” says Mikkelsen, who was trained in piano technology at the nationally renowned North Bennet Street School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Avlona Taylor enjoying Wes Leffingwell’s performance on the refurbished fortepiano up close.

Adds Operations Manager and Head Piano Technician Ted Mulcahey, “When the Smith fortepiano arrived, it was not in playable condition. After about 120 hours of creative work—including inventing or sourcing missing parts, strings, tools and more—Mark turned it into a beautiful working instrument.”

“It was like working on a ship in a bottle,” continues Mikkelsen, who grew up playing piano. “I really enjoyed the historical and problem-solving aspects of this project … and the positive reactions of the Taylor family, Wes and our faculty really made the effort worthwhile.”

Mikkelsen’s connection to the Taylor family extends beyond this project and our College of Music. Over the years, he’s worked on Avlona Taylor’s harpsichord and he’s started tutoring her daughter, Karen, in the art of tuning.

“Mark is very generous with his time and attention,” concludes Mulcahey. “He knew this project meant a great deal to our donors, faculty and students … and he gave it his all. He cares an awful lot.”

Our tremendous gratitude to the Taylor family; to Robert Hill for his guidance throughout this project; and to the College of Music’s entire Operations team—also including Piano Technician Phil Taylor—for their tireless, behind-the-scenes commitment to keeping our college running smoothly.

Photos below: Members of the Taylor family with Leffingwell, Mulcahey, Mikkelsen, Piano Technician Phil Taylor, Professor of Piano Andrew Cooperstock—with whom Leffingwell studied as a master’s student—and friends. A new plaque adorns the newly playable fortepiano, a replica after Conrad Graf 1828 by Robert Smith, ca. 1982: “This fortepiano was generously donated by Douglas and Avlona Taylor.”

Photos: Shih-Han Chiu

It was a long time coming. Piano Technician Mark Mikkelsen—who, for more than eight years, has supported the care and maintenance of the College of Music’s fleet of 160 pianos, two harpsichords and an organ—was thrilled when the opportunity arose to rebuild, refurbish and restore one of two fortepianos donated to our college by the late Douglas Taylor and his wife, Avlona, as an in-kind gift in 2019.

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Nurturing young singers with new opera

Anonymous — Fri, 31 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Nurturing young singers with new opera Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/31/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

Photos: Table Read of “Polly Peachum” with the full cast, composer Gene Scheer and librettist Bill Van Horn.

It’s an old cliché, but the image of great oaks-from-little acorns really does apply to CU NOW, the ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ College of Music’s successful summer opera workshop that launched its 14th season on our campus this week running through June 16.

First, we should spell out its full title: New Opera Workshop. It’s a unique program that began with a modest, acorn-like suggestion in 2009, recalls founder/artistic director Leigh Holman.

“I was at an opera conference here [Boulder] and was visiting with composer Hershel Garfein,” says Holman, who also directs the college’s Eklund Opera Program. “He suggested the idea of young artists working on new works with their composers. It turns out young singers just loved sampling new music. I knew it would also be a wonderful experience for the composers since they could be here to work on their music.”

CU NOW debuted in 2010, becoming the nation’s first such program based at an academic institution, designed to bring together student singers and renowned composers in rehearsing and performing a new opera—all in three weeks. Since then, the likes of composers Mark Adamo, Jake Heggie, Gene Scheer, Libby Larsen, Mark Campbell, Garfein and Tom Cipullo have participated.

This year’s workshop brings together Gene Scheer—returning to CU NOW as guest composer, alongside collaborating librettist Bill Van Horn—and 14 auditioned ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ graduate student singers, plus a trio of grad and undergrad composers as well as Eklund Opera Program staff. Emmy Award winner Gary Fry—arranger for “Polly Peachum”—will be in residence during the final week of the workshop as a resource for both our voice and composition students.

Participants are rehearsing six days a week on “Polly Peachum," a rollicking romantic musical comedy set in the early 1700s that depicts the intertwining worlds of government intrigue, London criminal life and the world of theatre. If the name in the title rings a bell, she’s a character in English composer John Gay’s 1728 hit “The Beggar’s Opera.”

“Gene wrote it with Bill about a decade ago and they recently reworked it,” explains Holman. The story concerns the creation of that old tale of London street life and lists characters such as Mr. Gay and historical figures Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, Robert Walpole—and Ms. Peachum herself.

“Our work is underway,” says CU NOW Music Director Nicholas Carthy of the new opera with old characters, staged in less than a month. The British-born conductor—music director of the Eklund Opera Program—joined CU NOW in 2023. He notes that he anticipates only “a few tiny adjustments” will be made to the score once Scheer and Van Horn observe rehearsals.

For the student singers, this marks their first true professional operatic experience. And for Carthy? “I’m prepared for whatever.”

But wait, there’s more to CU NOW: Running simultaneously with “Polly Peachum” is the Composers’ Fellow Initiative (CFI) which occurs every other year alongside CU NOW. Three student composers who had expressed interest in writing opera were chosen to participate in the program, directed by Bud Coleman. The trio—Alan Mackwell, Holly McMahon and Joshua Maynard—have been working with New York-based composer Tom Cipullo, creating music and librettos for 10-minute opera scenes that are being rehearsed, staged and costumed for a performance on June 15.

Holman said plans have already been made for CU NOW 2025: Mark Adamo will return with “Sarah,” a new work about famed Boston-based opera conductor Sarah Caldwell.

“Polly Peachum” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 14 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. Scenes by the Composer Fellows’ Initiative will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. Free and open to the public, all performances will be held in our Music Theatre. More info at CU Presents.

The College of Music’s 2024 New Opera Workshop (CU NOW) is underway, leading up to performances of Gene Scheer’s “Polly Peachum”—as well as performances of opera scenes presented by our Composer Fellows’ Initiative—in June.

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