Podcasts about american prize

“I think during my formative years, shying away from my true self – my authentic self – that's definitely shaped how I approach being in front of choirs, using choir as a platform to really encourage kids to be themselves. I think there's a vulnerability to singing where it really is an avenue to accessing the truest parts of ourselves, and so that's kind of my life mission now that I get to be in front of choirs.”Chris Maunu is a conductor, educator, and composer dedicated to inspiring young singers and shaping the future of choral music. Based in Portland, Oregon, he serves as Artistic Director of the acclaimed Pacific Youth Choir, Affiliate Faculty at Portland State University, and Artistic Director of the professional ensemble Choro in Schola. Previously, he spent 17 years as the Director of Choral Activities at Arvada West High School in Colorado and 7 years as Co-Artistic Director of the professional Anima Chamber Ensemble. A four-time GRAMMY® Music Educator of the Year Finalist and two-time CMA® Foundation National Music Teacher of Excellence honoree, Chris is a passionate advocate for music education. Choirs under his direction have received national and international acclaim, performing at over a dozen major conferences, including National and Regional ACDA events. His ensembles have earned prestigious honors such as the American Prize in Choral Performance and the Gold Diploma at the Rimini International Choral Competition.In high demand as a guest conductor and clinician, Chris recently conducted the 2025 National 11-12 HS Honor Choir at the National ACDA Conference in Dallas, TX to great acclaim. As a composer, his award-winning works have been performed worldwide. He also serves as editor of the Pacific Youth Choir Choral Series with Pavane Publishing. An active member of NAfME and ACDA, Chris is the NWACDA Chair for Community Youth Choirs and frequently presents at both the regional and national levels. His writings appear in the Choral Journal, and he is a contributing author to A Choral Conductor's Companion.Chris holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Bachelor of Music Education from Northern State University. Most importantly, Mr. Maunu shares his life with his beautiful wife Aleisha, and their children Bodhi and Astraea.To get in touch with Chris, you can find him on Facebook (@chris.maunu) or Instagram (@chrismaunu) or visit his website, chrismaunu.com.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

“You never know what anybody's potential is. I think about that now as a teacher, that we are expecting 17-, 18-year-olds to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It's so early in your life to make those decisions, and so much can change during those really formative years. I want to help them to be the best version of themselves in the field and achieve the goals that they would like to do.”Jennifer Sengin is the Raymond R. Neevel/Missouri Professor of Choral Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory (UMKC) where she leads the graduate choral conducting program and conducts the flagship ensemble, Conservatory Singers, and the Choral Union. In addition to ensembles, Dr. Sengin teaches graduate choral conducting and choral literature. In the summer of 2024, Dr. Sengin received the inaugural Newcomer Award from the Missouri Choral Directors Association.Prior to coming to UMKC, Dr. Sengin most recently served as the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Georgia State University. Under her direction, the GSU Treble Choir won first place in The American Prize and Dr. Sengin received 2nd place in conducting. The Treble Choir has been invited to perform at the National Collegiate Choral Organization Conference and twice at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference. While at GSU, Dr. Sengin received two university-wide awards – the 2022-23 Non-Tenure Track Faculty Achievement Award and the 2021-22 GSU Instructional Effectiveness Award.An active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and presenter, Dr. Sengin has conducted honor choirs throughout the country. Future engagements include guest conducting the Duruflé Requiem at Carnegie Hall with National Concerts.She recently participated as a Conducting Fellow with the American Choral Directors Association International Conductor Exchange Program to Germany where she led workshops in Hannover and Berlin. Dr. Sengin has presented sessions and served as a panelist at international, national, regional, and state conferences. In 2024, Dr. Sengin traveled to Helsinki, Finland to co-present at the International Society for Music Education World Conference. She currently serves on the National Board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and as the Repertoire and Resource Chair for Youth and Student Activities for the ACDA Southwestern Region. She also sings in the award-winning professional ensemble, mirabai.Dr. Sengin holds degrees from The College of New Jersey (BM Music Education), Ithaca College (MM Choral Conducting), and Michigan State University (DMA Choral Conducting).To get in touch with Jennifer, you can email her at jsengin@umkc.edu.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Peter Wilson shares some "behind the scenes" stories from the Obama White House as he joins the podcast. Peter served as concertmaster for "The President's Own" Marine Band during his illustrious service as a military musician. Peter  is a multifaceted violinist, conductor, arranger, and composer Peter currently serves as ⁠Music Director⁠ of the ⁠Richmond Philharmonic⁠ and ⁠The American Prize⁠-winning ⁠Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra⁠ in Virginia as well as Artistic Director and Conductor of the ⁠American Festival Pops Orchestra⁠ in the National Capital Region. He began his career as Concertmaster of the Walt Disney World Orchestra, has conducted the National Symphony and the National Gallery of Art Orchestras, and holds degrees from Northwestern and Catholic University, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts.Don't miss Peter and his great storytelling on this week's show.

Peter Wilson joins the podcast! Join Rick and Ron as they have talk about Peter's career as an artist entrepreneur.Peter Wilson is an engaging and multifaceted violinist, conductor, arranger, and composer whose artistry has been noted as “first-class” by The Washington Post. He is the former senior enlisted music advisor to The White House, where he led countless ensembles and performed as a Marine violinist for 30 years in direct support of five Presidents. Upon retiring as String Section Commander of the Marine Band, he was awarded the Legion of Merit. Peter currently serves as Music Director of the Richmond Philharmonic and The American Prize-winning Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra in Virginia as well as Artistic Director and Conductor of the American Festival Pops Orchestra in the National Capital Region. He began his career as Concertmaster of the Walt Disney World Orchestra, has conducted the National Symphony and the National Gallery of Art Orchestras, and holds degrees from Northwestern and Catholic University, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts.

I speak withTed Vives, who has written the score and book to a musical entitled Scientific Method. The show is unproduced, but did recently receive an honorable mention by the American Prize for Excellence in the Arts. We chat about the genesis of the musical, its plot and structure and hear a few songs from the show. For information about Scientific Method and to hear more songs from the score, go to: scientificmethod.godaddysites.com

Nan Avant|Composing the Wind: Composer and Musician Inspired by Tragedy in MauiToday, we're honored to welcome Nan Avant, an award-winning composer whose music beautifully bridges diverse cultures and genres. From symphonic and orchestral works to jazz, Latin, and Celtic influences, Nan's compositions captivate audiences with their rich storytelling and evocative themes.With a BFA from California Institute of the Arts and training under Emmy-winning composer Hummie Mann, Nan has built an impressive career. She is a four-time Hollywood Music in Media Awards nominee, a Winner of The American Prize, and has received multiple Silver Medal Awards from the Global Music Awards. Her music has been recorded by prestigious ensembles like the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and is featured on Navona Recordings.Beyond accolades, Nan's passion lies in the art of thematic and rhythmic storytelling, crafting music that resonates deeply with listeners. Whether she's composing for, orchestra, chamber ensembles, or indie film, her work is a masterful fusion of technique and emotion.We're excited to dive into her creative process, her inspirations, and the stories behind her stunning compositions. Nan Avant, welcome to the show!Support PEG by checking out our Sponsors:Download and use Newsly for free now from www.newsly.me or from the link in the description, and use promo code “GHOST” and receive a 1-month free premium subscription.The best tool for getting podcast guests:https://podmatch.com/signup/phantomelectricghostSubscribe to our Instagram for exclusive content:https://www.instagram.com/expansive_sound_experiments/Subscribe to our YouTube https://youtube.com/@phantomelectricghost?si=rEyT56WQvDsAoRprPEG uses StreamYard.com for our live podcastshttps://streamyard.com/pal/c/6290085463457792Get $10.00 Credit for using StreamYard.com when you sign up with our linkRSShttps://anchor.fm/s/3b31908/podcast/rssIntroduction

Nolan Stolz is a composer, scholar, drummer, and music professor living in Spartanburg, SC. Born in Milwaukee, WI, Stolz grew up in Las Vegas, NV, where he worked as a freelance jazz drummer for several years. Today, he is a Professor of Music at the University of South Carolina Upstate, where he teaches composition, music theory, and popular music studies. Although firmly rooted in the contemporary classical tradition, his compositions are influenced by his performance background in jazz and rock. Fanfare Magazine called his Lincoln Highway Suite for orchestra a “brilliant piece of Americana. . .a piece of inspiration and skill,” saying that the “orchestration is brilliantly managed” and “Stolz has a fine repository of [melodies] in his back pocket.” The Brno Philharmonic's recording of that work (on Orchestral Masters, Vol. 5) was awarded second place in the American Prize in 2020. Other studio recordings include Princess Ka‘iulani for flute on SCI's Modes album, Catharsis II for piano quartet on Millennial Masters Vol. 3, Lullaby for Sam for guitar on Aaron Larget-Caplan's New Lullaby, and several others. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/experimentalfilmpodcast/support

Chris Thomas is a composer for films, theme parks, and video games. He has won the Hollywood Music in Media Award, the American Prize in Composition, written music for several Emmy-nominated films, and Woman Rebel, shortlisted for an Academy Award. In television, he works as a composer, orchestrator, and conductor for studios such as Sony, ABC, FOX, CBS, and HBO. Chris's theme park music can be heard at Evermore Adventure Park, Knott's Berry Farm, Dreamland Theme Park (UK), Universal Studios, and many other locations worldwide. IG/TW Handle (if any): @chris.thomas.music Company/Personal URL: https://www.christhomasmusic.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/conversationswithdaron/support

Dr. David Fryling is director of choral activities at Hofstra University, where he conducts both the select Hofstra Chorale and Hofstra Chamber Choir and teaches beginning and advanced studies in choral conducting, as well as graduate-level studies in choral conducting and choral literature. In addition, he is an adjunct professor for the Hofstra School of Education, and has served as music director and conductor of the Hofstra Opera Theater. In fall 2014 David was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame as the “Educator of Note” in recognition of his years of leadership in the Long Island music education community, and in the spring of 2017 David was named the winner of the American Prize in Conducting in two categories: community chorus and college & university.In fall 2013 David founded the eVoco Voice Collective, a nonprofit organization of singers of the highest musical, technical, and expressive abilities, who together believe in the transformative and educational power of music. From 2007 to 2013, David served as coordinator of the Vocal Artists program at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, where he was conductor and music director of the World Youth Honors Choir and Festival Choir & Orchestra.Before his appointment at Hofstra, David served as music director and conductor of the University of Michigan Arts Chorale and assistant conductor of the Michigan Chamber Singers, University Choir, and the internationally acclaimed Michigan Men's Glee Club. While in Ann Arbor, he was also the music director and conductor of the Michigan Youth Women's Chorus, a year-round all-state honors choir composed of select high school sopranos and altos from across Michigan.In addition to his professional teaching and conducting responsibilities, David is the current President of the American Choral Directors Association. To get in touch with Dave, you can find him on Facebook (@david.fryling) or Instagram (@davidnfryling) or email him at david.n.fryling@hofstra.edu or Dfryling@acda.org.Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 3 episode from February 16, 2024, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Alex is joined by Dr. Nicholas Perna to talk about nasality. They discuss and unravel the mysteries of the nose's role in vocal production, from debunking myths about nasal resonance to exploring the benefits of nasal airflow, Dr. Perna's insights will challenge your assumptions and expand your understanding of vocal technique. Whether you're a singing teacher or a curious vocalist, this episode offers a fresh perspective on an often misunderstood aspect of voice production. KEY TAKEAWAYS Nasality in singing is often misperceived; what we think sounds nasal is usually twang or high spectral energy, not actual nasal airflow. The soft palate's movement in singing is more of a backward motion rather than an upward lift, contrary to common teaching cues. A mild amount of velopharyngeal opening can positively impact resonance stability, especially in the passaggio range for tenors. The term "nasal resonance" may be misleading, as the nose neither amplifies nor enriches sound in singing. Contemporary singing styles often rely on audio processing and EQ adjustments, which significantly affect the final sound beyond the singer's raw vocal output. Good scientific research seeks to disprove itself, challenging researchers to remain curious and open to new findings. Singers and teachers should focus on the journey of learning rather than believing they've reached a definitive destination in understanding vocal technique. Exploring velopharyngeal opening in musical theatre singers, particularly in mix and belt techniques, is an area ripe for future research.   BEST MOMENTS "What nasality is does not often coincide to its perceptual characteristics. And equally, studies have demonstrated that there isn't really this general consensus amongst singing teachers about perceived nasality." "Good science seeks to disprove itself. Staying curious means that you have an awareness that you are probably wrong." "The likelihood that that sound includes nasal airflow and that the soft palate is relaxed is very low because what the nasal passage does it has very thick mucous membranes. It's moist. There's other structures up there, typically hair, et cetera. And those things, dull sound, particularly high spectral energy." "I propose that we eliminate the term nasal resonance, nasal resonance altogether, because the nose neither, if we think of resonance as a definition of amplification and enrichment, it is neither amplifying sound, nor is it enriching sound." "The easiest observation you can obviously make, just to know whether there's anything happening or not, is to simply sustain a tone, pinch your nose shut, and see if any, you notice any difference.” EPISODE RESOURCES Voice Study Centre (Podcast) Singing Teachers Talk: Ep.151 How to Sing with Twang with Kerrie Obert (Podcast) Singing Teachers Talk: Ep. Dr Matt Edwards (Podcast) Singing Teachers Talk: Ep. Aaron Johnson Journal of Singing: https://www.nats.org/cgi/page.cgi/about_journal_singing.html (JoS) Nasality Deconstructed by Nicholas Perna: https://www.nats.org/_Library/JOS_On_Point/JOS-076-04-2020-429.pdf Heidi Moss:  Spectrum Effects of VPO in Singing by Gill, Lee, La, Sundberg: https://www.jvoice.org/article/S0892-1997(18)30446-6/abstract Effects of Nasalance on the Acoustics of the Tenor Passaggio and Head Voice by Nicholas Perna Celine Dion: An NBC News Special with Hoda Kotb (Full Interview): com/watch?v=ncwhU70I3T4 The work of Christian Herbst: https://www.christian-herbst.org/ University of Colorado Boulder: https://www.colorado.edu/ The work of Berton Coffin: https://www.nats.org/_Library/Named_Funds/Berton_Coffin_Endowment_-_web_ready.pdf   ABOUT THE GUEST Guest Website:  nicholasperna.com Contact Nicholas directly: nicholas.perna@colorado.edu Follow Nichola's Podcast ‘Vocal Fri' Here: https://www.vocalfri.com/ Social Media: Instagram: @vocalfriperna Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vocalfriperna Tenor Nicholas Perna's voice has been hailed by the Houston Chronicle as “an impressive sound,” and the South Florida Sun Sentinel praised his “emotionally driven performance.” Perna was a recent finalist for the American Prize for men in opera, and has appeared multiple times in recent seasons with Opera Mississippi. Perna was twice selected as a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist singer. Additional stage credits vary from opera roles such as Don José in Carmen and Rodolfo in La Bohème to Musical Theatre roles such as Ravenal in Show Boat, and Archie in the The Secret Garden. Symphonic appearances include Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and Beethoven's Symphony no. 9.   Dr. Perna is Associate Professor and Director of Vocal Pedagogy at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has publications in Journal of Singing, Journal of Voice, and VOICEPrints. A Presser Music Foundation awardee he has presented research on four continents at events such as the Voice Foundation's Symposium, ICVT, NATS National Conference, and Physiology and Acoustics of Singing (PAS). Perna is currently Vice President for Outreach for the National Association of Teachers of Singing and is the creator and co-host of the VocalFri Podcast, http://www.vocalfri.com. Perna holds graduate degrees from the University of Miami & the University of Houston. In 2024 Perna began his tenure as Executive Director of Opera Mississippi. Previous faculty positions include Mississippi College, West Virginia University, and he has been a voice research associate at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. ABOUT THE PODCAST BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events. basttraining.com Updates from BAST Training

Finding Your Voice with Mary Beth OrrJoin Mary Beth and Katana as they discuss:How to live your purpose.Why there is no greater benefit to your creativity and fulfillment than being brave, vulnerable, and authentic.How to balance ambition while experiencing true joy.Mary Beth Orr is a classical hornist/folk vocalist who was recently a finalist for The American Prize. Currently 3rd Horn of the Grand Rapids Symphony, she has been first prize winner of the International Horn Competition of America, International Women's Brass Conference, Sound Espressivo Music Competition, Golden Classical Music Awards, and Charleston International Solo Competition. She made her European premiere at the Beethoven Haus in Bonn, Germany '21, and Carnegie Hall ‘22. As a featured performer for Vox Novus' Fifteen Minutes of Fame, she traveled to NYC to perform and record works commissioned specifically for her. Her current project is finishing her debut album with multi-Grammy-winning label PARMA Recordings.Learn more about Mary Beth at www.marybethorr.org.

In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes interviews internationally renowned pianist Quynh Nguyen (pronounced Quin Nwen), exploring her remarkable journey in music. Born in post-war Vietnam, Nguyen's path has been shaped by her family legacy, global influences, and dedication to her craft. From her early beginnings at the Hanoi Conservatory to her studies in Moscow, Paris, and the United States, Nguyen's story exemplifies perseverance and the power of music to transcend boundaries. The interview examines Nguyen's direct connections with French composer Olivier Messiaen and studying with his wife Yvonne Loriod, her respect for Germaine Tailleferre's resilience, and her collaboration with Paul Chihara on his Concerto Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra. Nguyen also explores music's capability to promote peace between nations in her touching final remarks.   Quynh Nguyen has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Vietnam, in venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Smithsonian's Freer Gallery, Berlin Konzerthause, and the Opera House in Hanoi, Vietnam. Broadcast appearances include Voice of America, WQXR, WGBH, NHK Television in Japan, Vietnamese national television, and “Grand Piano,” on cable TV channels across the United States. Her discography includes recordings on Arabesque, Naxos's American Classics Series, and Music and Arts labels.   Dr. Nguyen is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Mannes College of Music and received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Graduate Center of City University of New York. She is the recipient of several highly prestigious scholarships and awards, including the United States Presidential Academic Fitness Award, the American Prize, and the Fulbright Fellowship to France.   Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Quynh Nguyen for sharing her music and spirit. You can find more info at https://www.quynhpiano.com   All music selections feature Quynh Nguyen on Piano. The following albums were featured on One Symphony today: “Fleurs de France: No. 2, Coquelicot de Guyenne” and “Berceuse” composed by Germaine Tailleferre from the album The Flower of France available from Naxos.  From Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jesus I. No. 15. Le baiser de l'enfant-Jesus ("The kiss of the infant Jesus") composed by Olivier Messiaen from the album Quynh Nguyen: Live in Concert - New York available from Arabesque Records. Concerto Fantasy, composed by Paul Chihara and featuring Nguyen with the London Symphony Orchestra “Drinking Songs for Kittens,” “Like Rising Must,”  and “Kleine Toccata…” from the Twice Seven Haiku.  4 Reveries on Beethoven (2021 Version): No. 2, Pastorale.  All these selections are available on the album Chihara: Concerto-Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Bagetelles, Reveries & Ami on the Naxos label.   You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you'd like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!   https://www.quynhpiano.com https://www.priceattractions.com/devin-patrick-hughes-conductor  

In this episode: Listen to a conversation between your host Vivienne Aerts and Hayley Lam as they discuss life as a musician in New York, recording her original music and playing in multiple bands at the same time About Hayley Lam New York based pianist, Hayley Lam is an award-winning composer who specializes in both contemporary jazz and classical music. She began her studies in music at a very young age, earning her Associate Diploma, ATCL Recital Piano from the Trinity College of London when she was just eleven. She then proceeded to earn her Licentiate Diploma, LTCL Recital Piano and Associate Diploma, ATCL Recital Violin a couple of years later. Hayley is also a holder of the Yamaha Teacher's Grade specializing in Piano since the age of twelve. With a profound interest in contemporary and jazz music, she was awarded a scholarship to further her studies at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. With her exceptional musical abilities, she completed her Bachelor of Music with a Five-year Dual Major Degree Program in Performance and Jazz Composition in just one and a half years. With her musicianship compared to as "Stravinsky meets Brookmeyer", she was selected as the Finalist at the Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra (SWOJO) Annual Jazz Composition Contest for Women Composer in 2016. Hayley Lam is also a 2017 Global Music Awards (GMA) winner in the Composer and Jazz Big Band category. GMA is a top-tier international music competition that honors talented musicians around the world. In 2017, her solo piano work "Distant Structures" is selected to be the winner of the "Contemporary Piano 2017" international composition competition held at Athens. She is also selected as the composer showcase winner of the International Jazz Conference JEN at New Orleans. Her works were also commissioned for the London Women of the World equator festival in 2017. Her other accolades include winning the 2018 KMEA Composition Competition, 2018 American Prize in Composition - Light & Pop category, 2018 Semi-finalist of Maurice Ravel International Composition Competition.Hayley holds the 1st runner-up title for the International Songwriting Competition - Jazz Category. She emerged as one of the winners among some 16,000 entries from 140 countries around the world. ⁠ Instagram⁠ / ⁠Facebook⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ About ViviTalks - Interviews with the Women Behind Typuhthâng. Introducing ViviTalks, a podcast hosted by Dutch New York-based musician Vivienne Aerts. Join us as we celebrate 100 talented female musicians from Vivienne's latest album "Typuhthâng," with a mission to empower female cacao farmers in the Virunga State Park of Congo and contribute to rainforest restoration. We delve into the musical journeys, creative processes, and unique perspectives of these talented women, seeking to bring greater balance to the music industry. It's a safe space for honest and authentic conversations with artists and trailblazers. Let's amplify the voices of remarkable women in music and stay tuned for inspiring stories and meaningful dialogues on ViviTalks. ⁠⁠ Stream⁠⁠ the Album or ⁠⁠Buy it on Bandcamp⁠⁠ and get the chocolate! ⁠⁠More about Vivienne here. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/vivienne-aerts/message

Christian E. Ketter is an Adjunct Professor of Law at University of Illinois Chicago School of Law and a member of the American Association of University Professors. Prior to joining Peterson, Johnson & Murray, Christian practiced municipal law, civil rights defense, and appellate matters in Itasca, Illinois and was an Adjunct Professor of criminal procedure at Morton College. A former prosecutor, Christian also served as an Assistant State's Attorney in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Criminal Prosecution Bureau. He is a certified mediator and mediated in the Cook County Circuit Courts. He graduated cum laude from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 2018, as a Dean's Scholarship recipient, and received his undergraduate degree from DePaul University, graduating cum laude. He was the recipient of the DuPage County Bar Foundation's Judge William J. Bauer scholarship. While in law school, Christian served as President of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honors Society, received an award for the highest grade in Criminal Law, and was a national competitor in Moot Court—winning an award for best oralist in appellate advocacy. On a personal note, Christian had a previous career as an American operatic tenor, making his Carnegie Hall debut in 2014, covered by the Washington Post, his Chicago Symphony Center debut in 2015 and returning in 2023, and was the two-time national winner of the American Prize in Voice. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianketter/ Peterson, Johnson & Murray: https://www.pjmchicago.com/ Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Christian E. Ketter is an Adjunct Professor of Law at University of Illinois Chicago School of Law and a member of the American Association of University Professors. Prior to joining Peterson, Johnson & Murray, Christian practiced municipal law, civil rights defense, and appellate matters in Itasca, Illinois and was an Adjunct Professor of criminal procedure at Morton College. A former prosecutor, Christian also served as an Assistant State's Attorney in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Criminal Prosecution Bureau. He is a certified mediator and mediated in the Cook County Circuit Courts. He graduated cum laude from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 2018, as a Dean's Scholarship recipient, and received his undergraduate degree from DePaul University, graduating cum laude. He was the recipient of the DuPage County Bar Foundation's Judge William J. Bauer scholarship. While in law school, Christian served as President of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honors Society, received an award for the highest grade in Criminal Law, and was a national competitor in Moot Court—winning an award for best oralist in appellate advocacy. On a personal note, Christian had a previous career as an American operatic tenor, making his Carnegie Hall debut in 2014, covered by the Washington Post, his Chicago Symphony Center debut in 2015 and returning in 2023, and was the two-time national winner of the American Prize in Voice. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianketter/ Peterson, Johnson & Murray: https://www.pjmchicago.com/ Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

“So many people view conducting as a reflection of the music, and if that works for them, that's great. I view conducting as a reflection of the movement. Undergrads aren't always predisposed to musical language, but they are already predisposed to the language that Laban uses: time, space, weight, flow. Instead of saying 'that's not marcato enough,' you could instead say 'that's not heavy enough' or ‘direct enough.' That's language that we're already familiar with as people.”Dr. Eric Rubinstein is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Nazareth University, where he directs the Chamber Singers and Treble Choir and teaches additional coursework in conducting and music education. Prior to his appointment at Nazareth, Dr. Rubinstein served as Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College (CUNY).Ensembles under his direction have been recognized across New York and New England for performances of the highest artistic caliber. Program highlights with the Nazareth Chamber Singers include a performance tour of Poland, a year-long partnership with Nazareth's Department of Theatre and Dance, and an invited performance at the 2023 NYSSMA Winter Conference. Dr. Rubinstein led the Queens College Treble Choir to invited performances at the 2022 ACDA Eastern Division Conference in Boston, MA and as the demonstration choir for the 2019 NYSSMA Winter Conference conducting masterclass. The Treble Choir was also honored in 2022 by The American Prize.As a secondary school choral director, Dr. Rubinstein amassed a decade of high school teaching in Monticello and Westhampton Beach, NY, where he concurrently served on the music education faculty at CUNY Brooklyn College. Under his direction, the choirs were honored to perform at Carnegie Hall, Chautauqua Institute, and abroad, and were featured at the 2015 NY-ACDA Conference at the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Rubinstein has also served on the artistic faculty for the New York State Summer School of the Arts, and remains active as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for various choral festivals and conferences.Dr. Rubinstein is a member of NAfME and ACDA, where he also serves as a New York- ACDA Repertoire & Resources co-chair for LGBTQIA+ Choral Music. He holds Choral Conducting and Music Education degrees from Louisiana State University (D.M.A), Michigan State University (M.M.), and SUNY Fredonia (B.M.).To get in touch with Eric, you can email him at erubins6@naz.edu or find him on Facebook: https://facebook.com/erubinstein .Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Composer and educator Dr. Joseph Sowa writes music that revels in vivid colors and rich textures. His music has been performed by a wide spectrum of groups, from prestigious ensembles like the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Dal Niente, and the PRISM Quartet, to schools and churches across North America. His talent has earned him accolades from ASCAP, the American Prize, and the Barlow Endowment.   Joseph is also the founder of the Wizarding School for Composers, where he teaches both amateur and college-trained musicians how to compose memorable, goosebump-inducing music — and do it in a healthy, happy, and effective way.  Joseph is brilliant. In this conversation he demystifies and de-stuffifies the art of composition, ALMOST making me believe that I too could do it. He's an INSPIRATION, and I know you will love this conversation!  You'll hear him talking about an oboe project during the Fall 2023 cohort of the Wizarding School - that's a collaboration with my Invincible Oboist FLOW program!  WE will have oboe pieces written for US! If you are an adult oboist, and looking for a community of support and world-class mentorship that will INCLUDE a personalized composition? You might be very interested in my nine-month program and I encourage you to reach out to me now!  But of course, I want to promote Joseph's Wizarding School here, and he's hosting events throughout August 2023 and you should absoutely check it out.  Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical!  Theme music and audio editing by DreamVance. You can join my email list HERE, so you never miss an episode! Or you could hop on a short call with me to brainstorm your next plan.  I'm your host, Jennet Ingle. I love you all. Stay safe out there!  

PETER SEIVEWRIGHT has received a Special Judges' Citation in The American Prize Ernst Bacon Award for the Performance of American Music competition, in the professional solo artist division. Peter Seivewright, honored for “Championing American Piano Music,” was selected from applications reviewed recently from all across the United States and the United Kingdom, and the citation awarded for his Divine Art album ‘American Piano Sonatas‘. Peter Seivewright has performed extensively as a recitalist and as Piano Concerto soloist with leading professional Orchestras throughout Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Austria, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Denmark (eight recital tours), Latvia, Estonia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Australia (four recital tours), China, India, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America, Russia, and the Donetsk People's Republic. Peter Seivewright's CD discography is extensive and includes: The Complete Piano Music of Carl Nielsen (2CDs – Naxos), Contemporary Scottish Piano Music, (Merlin), the major piano works by the Danish Romantic composer Victor Bendix (1851-1926) (Rondo Records, Copenhagen), and several CDs issued by The Divine Art Recordings Group, for whom he now records exclusively. Peter is working through a series of CDs for Divine Art featuring the complete Piano Sonatas of Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785), the last great composer of the independent Venetian Republic. In 2007 Divine Art released a double CD comprising the major piano works of the Danish composer Louis Glass (1864-1936).Other Divine Art recordings include a disc of J.S.Bach Piano Concertos and a CD featuring American Piano Sonatas, which was exceptionally critically well-received, and which is currently a finalist for the Ernst Bacon Award in THE AMERICAN PRIZE 2018. Future recording plans include several more sets of American Piano Sonatas, more J.S.Bach and music by Reger, Cyril Scott, and Olivier Messiaen.

Kenneth Thompkins was appointed Principal Trombone of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra by Neeme Jarvi. Prior to this appointment he held positions in the Buffalo Philharmonic and The Florida Orchestra and New World Symphony Orchestra.  He has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Thompkins enjoys working with young musicians and has performed masterclasses and recitals at many universities including the Curtis Institute of Music, University of Michigan, and the Eastman School of Music. In 2017 Thompkins recorded Sonatas, Songs and Spirituals featuring the music of Alec Wilder, William Grant Still and Philip Wharton. Sonatas, Songs and Spirituals was the winner of The American Prize in Instrumental Performance for 2018-2019. He has performed as a soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra and New World Symphony.  He also premiered “Troubled Water” trombone concerto by Carlos Simon with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2023.  

"My goal as an artist, conductor, and thought leader is to make sure that we always start with 'why are we singing? Are we picking these pieces because people are telling us that we should, because they've been prescribed by lists? Are we picking these pieces because these are culturally relevant topics for the people who are part of our communities of singing? Why are we doing it?' Sometimes we should ask, 'Why are we still doing it?'" Adrian Dunn is a critically acclaimed singer, composer, and conductor. Mr. Dunn holds a Bachelor of  Music and Master of Music degree in Voice from The Music Conservatory at Roosevelt University with additional musical studies in opera at The Sibelius Academy of Music in Finland.His most recent composition and concert work Emancipation recently aired on PBS as a 1 hour special featuring The Adrian Dunn Singers & Dunn's Rize Orchestra. In 2022 he made his Ravinia Festival Chicago Symphony Orchestra composer debut with a choral commission of Going Home from the Dvorak New World Symphony. He and The Adrian Dunn Singers performed the film score for the  2022 major motion picture, Honk for Jesus. In 2022 Mr. Dunn won The American Prize in Composition for Requiem from The Mass for  the  Unarmed  Child and was  named  in  the Top  10  Classical music &  Jazz  performances  of  2021  by  Chicago Tribune.  He made his composer and conducting debut with The Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra in June  2021. Mr. Dunn is a MacArthur grant recipient for his original work Hopera: A Hip Hop Opera. Mr. Dunn is writing his first full length opera: The 42 Project on the life of Black Major League  Baseball star Jackie Robinson. Mr. Dunn has sung with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Grant Park Symphony Chorus, and Blossom  Festival Chorus. He sung the lead role in the 2017 Chicago premiere of the Paul  Laurence Dunbar opera The Poet and in 2016. He has opened for international Hip Hop Recording Artist The Roots at Indiana University. He was awarded the 2015 Album Producer of  the Year for AME Live featuring  the AME International Mass Choir from the Rhythm of Gospel Awards.He is currently the Director of Choral Programs & voice faculty member  at The Colburn School.To get in touch with Adrian, you can find him on Instagram and YouTube (@theadriandunn). You can check out his website https://www.adriandunn.com to learn more about his music, see tour schedules, and learn more about the advocacy organization Black Music Matters.Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro episode from September 16, 2022, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels

Cultural Icon, Opera Singer and Actress Kendra Wilkerson recently won the American Prize in Voice Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Award for Art SongOpera Singer and Actress Kendra Wilkerson has become an award winning opera singer recognized for music recordings. Traditionally, opera is a European art form, but with the new, innovative conventions of modern day film and performance, American opera has forged a new path, redefining what American opera is and can become. Kendra is a cultural icon and a professional opera singer for America and International Opera. She recently released an EP, Opera Competition: The Mixtape, Vol 1-EP, which includes award winning songs from composers such as Mozart, Wolf, Hageman and Schubert. She has also participated in beauty pageants and won the American Prize in Voice Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Award for Art Song. Her Latin American flare with African American roots has allowed her to turn her career from rags to riches. kendrasingsopera.comAbout Kendra Wilkerson Kendra Wilkerson is an expressly energizing coloratura soprano that currently lives in San Antonio, the south-central region is Texas. While she was a student, she was an active member of The Grammy Recording Academy as a student. Some of her recent opera roles included Olga in the operetta A dream is a dream is a dream, which premiered at the McNay Museum of Art for their Picasso to Hockney : Treasures for the Tobin Collection of Theater Arts. Kendra is a graduate of Texas A&M University where she studied Communications and Vocal Performance. While a student at University of the Incarnate Word, She was awarded 5rd place for The National Association of Teachers of Singing South Texas Region competition in the college division. Kendra is a sexual assault survivor, friend and advocate of the LGBTQ communities and believes in raising awareness of the need for economic opportunity and stability with the classical music community. Among judge comments: “Nice preparation! Scads of potential, keep up the good work! Look forward to hearing more of you!” “You are a lovely and talented young lady. Continue to work hard.kendrasingsopera.com

"I try to be flexible with the way I write for people. For me it's a service when I get commissions, so I want to be able to serve the community that I'm working with in the same way that I would tailor a lesson to my classes depending on what the students need. I would do the same for what an organization needs with composition." Conductor/Composer/Producer Anthony J. Maglione is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, East Carolina University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the Director of Choral Studies and holds the Robert H. McKee Chair of Music at William Jewell College. Under his direction, the Concert Choir was twice named Runner Up (2nd Place) for the American Prize in Choral Performance, College/University Division. In addition to his responsibilities at William Jewell College, he serves as Director of Music and Choir Master at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Conductor Emeritus of the Freelance Ensemble Artists of NJ Symphony Orchestra, and has served on the summer faculty of Westminster Choir College since 2011. Anthony also serves as the conducting teacher for Artefact Institute.An active composer, Anthony's choral works are growing in popularity and are published on GIA's “Evoking Sound” choral series. In the last several years his music has appeared at state and national-level conventions, on TV, in video games, and has been recorded on Gothic Records, Albany Records, and Centaur Records. Anthony's cantata "The Wedding of Solomon" premiered at the 2018 American Guild of Organists National Convention. In 2019, his work "On Life" was premiered by the Miami University Men's Glee Club at the National ACDA Conference. In early 2020, Verdigris Ensemble premiered his extended dramatic work "Dust Bowl" as part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project in Dallas, TX. He is currently slated for several more premieres throughout the United States during the remainder of 2023.As a producer, Anthony lends his ears to recording projects around the country and recently received national attention through his production work with Sam Brukhman and Veridigris Ensemble on "Betty's Notebook" by Nicholas Reeves.As a tenor, Anthony has appeared with many ensembles and currently performs and records with The Same Stream, the GRAMMY-nominated St. Tikhon Choir, and made his debut with Portland-based Capella Romana on the 2021-2022 season.A sought after clinician, Anthony teaches workshops regularly and has conducted All-State and honor choirs throughout the US.You can learn more about Anthony at his website: https://anthonymaglione.com/ .Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro episode from September 16, 2022, to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels

Dr. Judith Lynn Stillman has a distinguished international career as a pianist, composer, director, filmmaker, and artistic visionary. She serves as the Artist-in-Residence and a Professor of Music at Rhode Island College. Dr. Stillman received Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees from Juilliard, and was named Honored Artist of The American Prize. Director of Stillman & Friends from the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Artists & Activists Productions and Masterworks Concerts, Dr. Stillman won First Prize in the OperaVision International Competition and has a Billboard Top Ten album with Grammy winner Wynton Marsalis. Judith Lynn Stillman will discuss her commitment to using the arts as a voice for social justice. She has achieved a significant reputation as the creator and designer of numerous projects on topics of global significance - including films, compositions and multidisciplinary events focusing on human rights, women's rights, genocide awareness and climate change. She will also discuss the power that music has on the mind and body and how it can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.

Dr. Judith Lynn Stillman has a distinguished international career as a pianist, composer, director, filmmaker, and artistic visionary. She serves as the Artist-in-Residence and a Professor of Music at Rhode Island College. Dr. Stillman received Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees from Juilliard, and was named Honored Artist of The American Prize. Director of Stillman & Friends from the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Artists & Activists Productions and Masterworks Concerts, Dr. Stillman won First Prize in the OperaVision International Competition and has a Billboard Top Ten album with Grammy winner Wynton Marsalis. Judith Lynn Stillman will discuss her commitment to using the arts as a voice for social justice. She has achieved a significant reputation as the creator and designer of numerous projects on topics of global significance - including films, compositions and multidisciplinary events focusing on human rights, women's rights, genocide awareness and climate change. She will also discuss the power that music has on the mind and body and how it can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.

"A lot of my choral works get inspiration from Philippine indigenous chants. We have 7000+ islands with different cultures and soundscapes, and that is itself is a very rich jump-off point for a new composition. I contact a tribe, interview them, ask permission to use a folk chant, and recompose it in a manner that is respectful of the original form of the chant but with something new added to it."Trailblazing composer and artist Nilo Alcala is carving a legacy for Philippine Arts internationally. He is the first Philippine-born composer to receive the COPLAND HOUSE Residency Award (2017), as well as to be commissioned by Grammy-winner Los Angeles Master Chorale. He is also the first Filipino-American artist to be featured as Musical America Worldwide's Artist of the Month, and be awarded The American Prize in the Professional Division, Major Choral Works Category. He has received two Ani Ng Dangal (Harvest of Honor) awards from two Philippine Presidents.His commissions include San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, Asia-Europe Foundation; Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival; Korean Ministry of Culture; National Music Competition for Young Artists, Manila Symphony Orchestra, the Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra, and many other ensembles. Other notable performances include the World Youth Choir, Asia Pacific Youth Choir, San Francisco Girls Chorus, the U.P. Symphony Orchestra, the Metro Manila Community Orchestra, and the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.Alcala's virtuosic choral works have been performed by numerous winning ensembles in prestigious competitions and festivals in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. He was member and composer-in-residence of the Philippine Madrigal Singers (UNESCO Artist for Peace). An Asian Cultural Council grantee, Alcala was a Billy Joel Fellow at Syracuse University where he received the Irene L. Crooker Music Award.Alcala was composer-mentor from 2016 to 2019 of Pasadena Master Chorale's “Listening to the Future” program for promising high school composers. In 2022, in cooperation with the Rotary Club University District (Quezon City, Philippines) Alcala has established the Rotary Club University District-Nilo Alcala Arts Scholarships or RCUD-NAAS for student artists. To get in touch with Nilo, you can visit his website, www.niloalcala.com, or you can find him on Instagram or Twitter: @alcalanilo.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels

Opera is one of the greatest and the most classic art forms. It combines the ingenuity of a great storyline and the elegance of music in one captivating show. As this classic art form continue to become a favorite among enthusiasts, new operas are giving audiences a fresh perspective to shows that feature newly-composed music and storylines that haven't been heard yet. In this episode, Kanma Gupta discusses the process of developing new operas and more! Kamna Gupta is an American Prize-winning conductor experienced in operatic, orchestral, and choral repertoires. In the 2022-23 season, Ms. Gupta will make her Canadian debut with Vancouver Opera conducting Les Pêcheurs de Perles, and will conduct the East Coast premiere of In Our Daughter's Eyes (Du Yun / McQuilken and featuring Nathan Gunn) at Prototype Festival, which received its world premiere under her baton at LA Opera Redcat. In 2022, she made her debut with the International Contemporary Ensemble, and she returned to The Glimmerglass Festival to conduct the world premiere of Jungle Book (Sankaram / O'Rourke). She will also conduct the highly interdisciplinary work The Ritual of Breath is the Right to Resist (Berger / Reily / Francis), premiering at the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth. She is also excited to return to Mannes Opera in Fall 2022 to conduct La Calisto, Cavalli's Baroque masterpiece.

Creston Herron is the current Director of Fine Arts for the Klein Independent School District and the Conductor of Rice University's Campanile Orchestra. He is the former Director of Orchestras at Klein High School and the former Director of Strings for the Yes Prep Public Schools. Mr. Herron's many engagements as a guest conductor include work with Regional and All State ensembles in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee and throughout Texas. He has also served on the summer faculty of the AFA Summer Music Festival, Stephen F. Austin University Summer Music Camp and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Summer Music Clinic. As a dedicated pedagogue, Mr. Herron enjoys working with current and future educators and young performers. He has presented masterclasses and guest lectures at The Midwest Clinic, Rice University, Shepherd School of Music, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, University of Houston, Moores School of Music, Sam Houston State University, Texas Tech University, The American String Teachers Association, The League of American Orchestras, and the NAMM Believe in Music Webinar Series, American. He also gives professional development workshops to educators locally and nationally and is involved in judging UIL competitions and solo and ensemble contests. Mr. Herron enjoyed national recognition both as an educator and musician in tenure with the Klein High School orchestra who earned multiple national titles under his direction, including being named national winner of The American Prize, Grand Champions of the ASTA National Orchestra Festival, Texas Music Educators Association State Honor Orchestra, Grand Champions of the New York Orchestra Cup and invited group at the 75th Midwest Clinic held in Chicago, Illinois. Individually he has been recognized for his work in music education as Teacher of the Year at Klein High School, awarded the Marjorie Keller Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award by the state board of the Texas Chapter of ASTA and the Spec's Charitable Award for Excellence in Music Education awarded by the Houston Symphony. Alongside his work as an educator, Mr. Herron continues to hone his performing skills as a violinist, having collaborated with artists such as Renee Fleming, Mark O'Connor, and Rachel Barton-Pine. He has performed with Da Camera of Houston, CCM Spoleto Festival in Italy, Galveston Symphony, Trans-Siberian Orchestra Pasadena Philharmonic, Eutiner Festspiele Opera in Eutin, Germany and the Houston Latin Philharmonic. Creston Herron is a graduate of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where he received his B.M. in music performance, Rice University, Shepherd School of Music in Houston, TX, where he received his M.M. on scholarship as a Provost Fellow and a Brown Scholar, and recently received a M.Ed in school leadership from Sam Houston State University. Creston Herron lives in Houston with his wife, orchestra director Dawn Herron and two children. Mr. Herron can be reached at cherron1@kleinisd.net or on Twitter: @CrestonHerron --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/orchestrateacher/support

This is a quick one, just some tidbits about the Pulitzer Prize before we begin our series on works that won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

“Sparkling” mezzo-soprano Madison Marie McIntosh has been praised for her “wondrouslyflexible voice,” “prodigious vocal skills,” and “richly textured and strong lower register” (Vocedi Meche). OperaWire has praised her “vocal power,” “enchanting voice,” “velvety mezzosoprano,”and “abundant vocal and dramatic technique, with no shortage of soaring high notesand flexible roulades.” She won The American Prize in Vocal Performance in 2020 and thenperformed a benefit concert for The American Prize that featured world premieres of works by eight composers. Madison has performed Ernesta (Un avvertimento ai gelosi) at Caramoor, Delia (Il viaggio a Reims) with the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, and Alto Soloist (Messiah) with New Amsterdam Opera. In 2022, she performed in concerts with Gulfshore Opera and will sing the title role in La Cenerentola with Fargo Moorhead Opera, the title role in Giulio Cesare with Connecticut Lyric Opera, and Francesca Da Ponte in the premiere of Da Ponte, by composer Roger Neill and librettist Neil Cohen. In 2021, she sang Beppe in Teatro Grattacielo's production of L'amico Fritz at the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, the Domme in Three Way with Fargo Moorhead Opera, Melissa in La liberazione di Ruggiero with Connecticut Lyric Opera, Ruggiero in Alter Ego Chamber Opera's production of Alcina REVAMPED at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and Lola Lowell in the virtual premiere of Theodore Christman's opera The Impresario and the Dueling Divas with Mo. Eve Queler. Madison has also performed Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), the title role in Carmen, Isabella (L'Italiana in Algeri), Angelina (La Cenerentola), Cesare (Giulio Cesare in Egitto), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Sara (Roberto Devereux), Giovanna Seymour (Anna Bolena), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and lead roles in the world premieres of six operas. She has premiered song cycles and other works by composers such as Peter Breiner, Paula Kimper, Roger Neill, Amy Scurria, Jeff Shankley, Myron Silberstein, Webster Young, and Paul Ayres. In 2019, she joined Eve Queler as a soloist in her 25th annual Bel Canto Opera Concert. She has been featured as a soloist in venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, the DiMenna Center, and the Teatro Rossini. She covered the title role in Tancredi and sang the Eco in the inaugural season of Will Crutchfield's Teatro Nuovo. In 2019, she performed the role of Prinz Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) at the Wiener Kammeroper as a result of winning First Prize in the Vienna Summer Music Festival Competition. She worked with the late Mo. Alberto Zedda as a young artist of the Accademia Rossiniana in 2014 and was an Apprentice Artist of Sarasota Opera in 2018. Last season, she was presented in a solo virtual concert in the Kravis Center's series Kravis @ Home. “Sparkling” mezzo-soprano Madison Marie McIntosh has been praised for her “wondrously flexible voice,” “prodigious vocal skills,” and “richly textured and strong lower register” (Voce di Meche). OperaWire has praised her “vocal power,” “enchanting voice,” “velvety mezzosoprano,”and “abundant vocal and dramatic technique, with no shortage of soaring high notesand flexible roulades.” She won The American Prize in Vocal Performance in 2020 and thenperformed a benefit concert for The American Prize that featured world premieres of works by eight composers. Madison has performed Ernesta (Un avvertimento ai gelosi) at Caramoor, Delia (Il viaggio a Reims) with the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, and Alto Soloist (Messiah) with New Amsterdam Opera. In 2022, she performed in concerts with Gulfshore Opera and will sing the title role in La Cenerentola with Fargo Moorhead Opera, the title role in Giulio Cesare with Connecticut Lyric Opera, and Francesca Da Ponte in the premiere of Da Ponte, by composer Roger Neill and librettist Neil Cohen. In 2021, she sang Beppe in Teatro Grattacielo's production of L'amico Fritz at the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, the Domme in Three Way with Fargo Moorhead Opera, Melissa in La liberazione di Ruggiero with Connecticut Lyric Opera, Ruggiero in Alter Ego Chamber Opera's production of Alcina REVAMPED at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, anLola Lowell in the virtual premiere of Theodore Christman's opera The Impresario and theDueling Divas with Mo. Eve Queler. Madison has also performed Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), the title role in Carmen, Isabella (L'Italiana in Algeri), Angelina (La Cenerentola), Cesare (Giulio Cesare in Egitto), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Sara (Roberto Devereux), Giovanna Seymour (Anna Bolena), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and lead roles in the world premieres of six operas. S has premiered song cycles and other works by composers such as Peter Breiner, Paula Kimper, Roger Neill, Amy Scurria, Jeff Shankley, Myron Silberstein, Webster Young, and Paul Ayres. In 2019, she joined Eve Queler as a soloist in her 25th annual Bel Canto Opera Concert. She has been featured as a soloist in venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, the DiMenna Center, and the Teatro Rossini. She covered the title role in Tancredi and sang the Eco in the inaugural season of Will Crutchfield's Teatro Nuovo. In 2019, she performed the role of Prinz Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) at the Wiener Kammeroper as a result of winning First Prize in the Vienna Summer Music Festival Competition. She worked with the late Mo. Alberto Zedda as a young artist of the Accademia Rossiniana in 2014 and was an Apprentice Artist of Sarasota Opera in 2018. Last season, she was presented in a solo virtual concert in the Kravis Center's series Kravis @ Home. She also sang in virtual events presented by Fort Worth Opera, Maryland Opera, and the Art Song Preservation Society of New York. She performed one of the 22 ariette by Vaccai in Will Crutchfield's video “Bel Canto in Thirty Minutes,” which also includes singers such as Lawrence Brownlee, Jennifer Rowley, Lisette Oropesa, Angela Meade, and Tamara Mumford. She later collaborated with Mo. Crutchfield on a recording for Teatro Nuovo's Bel Canto Collection. She performed one of the 22 ariette by Vaccai in Will Crutchfield's video “Bel Canto in Thirty Minutes,” which also includes singers such as Lawrence Brownlee, Jennifer Rowley, Lisette Oropesa, Angela Meade, and Tamara Mumford. She later collaborated with Mo. Crutchfield on a recording for Teatro Nuovo's Bel Canto Collection.

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE CONTEXT ON MY GUESTS: https://www.instagram.com/crownunfiltered/   VIDEO VERSION OF THIS: https://youtu.be/_fUwWSfeeBM   CHRIS BANGLE NFT FOR UKRAINE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND: https://www.chrisbangle.com/   FIND CHRIS HERE: https://www.chrisbangleassociates.com/ https://www.instagram.com/inanimatti/   ABOUT CHRIS: Chris Bangle was born in Ravenna (Ohio) in 1956. After attending the University of Wisconsin and graduating from the Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, California), Bangle began his career at Opel in 1981, and then 4 years later moved on to Fiat, where he designed the brazen Coupe Fiat.   In 1992, he was named the first American Chief of Design at BMW. His mandate to "strategize emotion" through design has energized the typically conservative brand, updating BMW's classic design with bold, sculptural lines, a far cry from homogenous car design. As a result, his daring designs have helped BMW become the global leader in premium car sales and brought in legions of new fans, spurring rivals to follow suit in emulating this distinctive style.   After leaving BMW in February 2009, he founded Chris Bangle Associates s.r.l. (CBA) at a centuries old Borgata in the hills above Clavesana - a famed center for wine in the Piemonte Region of Italy. Today, as the managing Director of CBA, Chris Bangle leads a team of designers and engineers, who, together with the Associates from the CBA clients, use the Borgata as a hybrid Studio/Design Residency. The open spaces and beautiful vineyards around the Borgata encourage the imagination.   One of his most recent projects - REDS – is a new kind of EV developed for CHTC (China Hi-Tech Group Corporation), and it introduces a new visual language for cars. After the launch at Los Angeles Motors show in November 2017, REDS is now being developed for production. With REDS Chris Bangle has taken a revolutionary approach to car design by beginning the process from the inside so that the interior of the car is a wonderful place to live, work and play. As Chris says, he has “designed a space that decided to become a car".   In addition to the studio's activities devoted to product and car design, workshops and strategic consultancy, CBA has developed in the last five years a branch dedicated to animation and cartoons.   The experiences in design and innovation and the advice Bangle has to offer after over 25 years as a manager make him a speaker in demand; he travels frequently around the world to lecture, teach design, and consult with his Client Associates. He is married and has a son.   Chris Bangle is the winner of the Lifetime Design Achievement Award EyesOn Design 2012, the Compasso d'Oro Career Award 2018 and of the American Prize for Design 2020-21.   ====================================================   ABOUT ME: I am a South African Designer, Digital Modeller and the host of Crown Unfiltered. I will be talking to a cross section of people that work in the Car Design Industry. These will include designers, digital and clay modellers, vis artists and colour & material designers. The focus of our conversations will be centered around personal processes and experiences within the business. My aim is to demystify some of the preconceptions about this industry and give people an unadulterated glimpse into the business. I also wish to give the younger generation the opportunity to see that the people that these professionals come in different shapes and sizes and some of them will be unknown. The intention is to see that you should always be yourself and not let your job define or change who you are. Please get in contact if there is something specific you would like me to cover. I would also be really grateful if you could subscribe and share the podcast with anyone that has an affinity for cars, design or both. Thank you! Sam   FIND ME HERE!!! : https://www.instagram.com/crownunfiltered/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-ofsowitz-8b7a531a/ https://twitter.com/SOfsowitz  https://www.facebook.com/crown.unfiltered.7   

Classical Trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden has built a rapidly ascendant career as a soloist, praised for her “splendid, brilliant” playing (Gramophone Magazine) and the clarity, purity, and power of her sound. A Gold Medal Global Music Award Winner, Opus Klassik Nominee, and Yamaha Performing Artist, Mary has also worked to establish a new repertoire for the trumpet through creative, collaborative commissioning projects and award-winning albums. Her upcoming season includes additional performances of the Fung concerto with the Santa Fe Symphony, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Shenandoah Conservatory Orchestra, and San Diego State University Orchestra. Mexican composer Gina Enríquez Morán has been engaged to write a concerto for Mary to be premiered by the World and European Brass Association. Bowden is slated to perform Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's American Concerto with the Las Vegas Philharmonic in 2022. She will also make her debut in Turkey with a performance of Lowell Lieberman's concerto alongside the Izmir State Symphonic Orchestra. Bowden will also embark on a five-week tour with the Kassia Ensemble, performing a program of trumpet and string quartet arrangements featuring both core classical and contemporary works. Mary has released two recordings on Summit Records: her debut album, Radiance (featuring new American works), and her second solo album, Rêverie with the Kassia Ensemble. Rêverie was featured as one of the Top Albums of the Year for the Global Music Awards and on Textura Magazine's Top Ten Classical Albums of the Year. In addition to her acclaimed performances of core classical repertoire, Mary has worked to build a new repertoire for her instrument through performances of contemporary works, as well as commissioning projects with composers such as James Stephenson, Rene Orth, Catherine McMichael, Joseph Hallman, and an upcoming recording featuring works by Reena Esmail, Tyson Davis, Vivian Fung, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Clarice Assad. Among her many creative projects, Mary is a founding member and artistic leader of Seraph Brass, an ensemble of America's top female brass players that was awarded the 2019 American Prize in Chamber Music and has performed around the world. The group's debut album, Asteria, released on Summit Records, won the Silver Medal Global Music Award, and they performed on part of Adele's 2016 North American tour.  Mary earned her Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, and her Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music. Learn more about Mary Bowden: www.maryelizabethbowden.com Learn more about Bob Reeves Brass: www.bobreeves.com   

had a wonderful talk with GRAMMY®-nominee Danaë Xanthe Vlasse is a French-born composer living in Los Angeles since 2005. She is presently associated with 11 albums. She holds honors from the Producer's Choice Awards, Clouzine International Music Awards, Radio Music Awards, Gold Medal of the Global Music Awards, and the Peace Song Awards, as well as a multiple-winner of the MTAC “Composers Today” Advanced Division, multiple-winner (including Album of The Year) at the Indie Music Channel Awards, nominated at the Independent Music Awards, and multi-nominated at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, as well as a semi-finalist at The American Prize. Furthermore, she is active in collaborations with other composers from all over the world; she has worked with composers and musicians living all over Europe, the Middle-East and India. A select group of Mrs. Vlasse's compositions are published by bpr music, and she is an artist on the MSR Classics and Cezanne labels.

This week we are joined by Danielle (or DJ) Bees. Danielle Bees is an Alba Festival 2021 Composition Fellow, an ICon Arts Transylvania Academy 2020 Composer in Residence, and a two-time American Prize semi-finalist. Her music for the concert hall, film, and theatre has been performed throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. And most importantly she is one of our friends! Join us as we discuss our experiences with Purity Culture!Find her at: https://www.daniellebees.com/IG: @theholyship.podcastEmail: theholyship.podcast@gmail.com

American pianist https://www.brianwoodspianist.com/ (Brian Woods) has emerged as a compelling artist of international acclaim. Woods' 2021-2022 season highlights include his solo debuts at the World Chess Hall of Fame and as a featured soloist for the https://www.chambermusicstl.org/ (Chamber Music Society of St. Louis). A native of St. Louis, Woods has enjoyed success in numerous distinguished competitions, including the Verona International Piano Competition, The American Prize, the Music Teachers' National Association Young Artist Competition, and the Artist Presentation Society Auditions. A trove of insights from this bright young pianist. BTW, he begins his debut as Music Director for Classical Programming at the https://worldchesshof.org/program/12105/Music%20Series:%20Brian%20Woods?fbclid=IwAR0v5LzmnBV5ZP5XJiievW5uels_vryAb4T9kUKssFMAXXEBF15CiH-9LX8 (World Chess Hall of Fame) with a solo recital on January 20, 2022, at 7 pm! Don't miss this opportunity to not only hear me perform a short program live in the New Year but get your first look at the 2022 Season! Capacity is low, get your tickets now! [01:07] Background Music, piano, university John O'Conor Playing by ear and moving to read music Playing in church [10:18] Mishaps on stage and the enjoyment of the musical performance [12:52] Chamber Music Society Performance [14:05] Beethoven Sonata in F minor Opus 57 [17:18] Memorizing music [22:19] Piano Masterclass [24:00] Technicality vs Musicality [28:07] Importance of Mentors and Teachers [39:12] Words to budding musicians and pianists This is Season 4! For more episodes, go to https://stlintune.com/ (stlintune.com) #music #piano #pianist #Toronto #stlouis #chambermusic #chambermusicstl #stlouischess #chesshalloffame #Beethoven #Chopin

Jocelyn Hagen joins us for episode 13 of the Composer Happy Hour. Jocelyn is a prolific composer with many fabulous works, but what I think I admire most about her are her passion and enthusiasm for poetry, and her strong interest in collaboration. Her collaborations with hip-hop artist Dessa and electronic musician Spearfisher bring unexpected voices to choral music, and she performs together with her husband (choral composer Tim Takach) as Nation, an a cappella duo that often performs "pop" music. Her love of poetry is readily apparent just by seeing the poets she has illuminated in her choral music, but hearing her talk about the poems (or even read them aloud) reveals sincere admiration for the work of these other artists. On this episode, we discuss poetry, pop music, and whether or not Frasier is suitable binging material. Jocelyn Hagen composes music that has been described as “simply magical” (Fanfare Magazine) and “dramatic and deeply moving” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis/St. Paul). She is a pioneer in the field of composition, pushing the expectations of musicians and audiences with large-scale multimedia works, electro-acoustic music, dance, opera, and publishing. Her first forays into composition were via songwriting, still very evident in her work. The majority of her compositions are for the voice: solo, chamber and choral. Her melodic music is rhythmically driven and texturally complex, rich in color and deeply heartfelt. In 2019 and 2020, choirs and orchestras across the country premiered her multimedia symphony The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci that includes video projections created by a team of visual artists, highlighting da Vinci's spectacular drawings, inventions, and texts. Hagen describes her process of composing for choir, orchestra and film simultaneously in a Tedx Talk given at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, now available on YouTube. Her dance opera collaboration with choreographer Penelope Freeh,Test Pilot, received the 2017 American Prize in the musical theater/opera division as well as a Sage Award for “Outstanding Design.” The panel declared the work “a tour de force of originality.” In 2013 Hagen released an EP entitled MASHUP, in which she performs Debussy's “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum” while singing Ed Sheeran's “The A Team.” She is also one half of the band Nation, an a cappella duo with composer/performer Timothy C. Takach, and together they perform and serve as clinicians for choirs from all over the world. Hagen's commissions include Conspirare, the Minnesota Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra, the International Federation of Choral Music, the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota, Georgia, Connecticut and Texas, the North Dakota Music Teachers Association, Cantus, the Boston Brass, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the St. Olaf Band, among many others. Her work is independently published through JH Music, as well as through Graphite Publishing, G. Schirmer, ECS Publishing, Fred Bock Music Publishing, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, and Boosey and Hawkes. www.jocelynhagen.com All Recordings Used by Permission of the Composer: "I Started Out Singing" University of Toledo Rocket Choristers "Look Out Above" Macalester College "Load Poems Like Guns" Conspirare

We are ecstatic to welcome Chris Thomas to Marketing Tip Tea Time! Chris Thomas is a composer for film, television, theme parks, and a TEDx speaker. He's won a Hollywood Music in Media Award, the American Prize in Composition (2nd place), a Global Music Award, the Gold Medal Prize at the Park City Film Music Festival, Best Film & TV Music award at eWorld Music Awards, and has been nominated for a Film & TV Music Award, and a Palm Beach International Music Award. Chris has written music for several Emmy-nominated films, and for Woman Rebel, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award. In television, he works as a composer, orchestrator, and conductor for studios such as Sony, ABC, FOX, CBS, and HBO. Chris's work can be heard in theme parks all over the world. He has written music for the Evermore Adventure Park, Knott's Berry Farm, Queen Mary Chill, Dreamland Theme Park (UK), Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, and many more. Chris's works for the concert hall have been performed from Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, to the Hollywood Bowl. He recently premiered a series of concert works in France, Belgium, and Germany. His Symphony #1 (the Malheur Symphony) was the subject of a TED Talk in 2019. His works are published with The FJH Music Company, Walton Choral, Wingert-Jones Publications, and Carl Fischer Music.

This was a fun one! On this weeks episode I spoke with David Vickerman, 2015 winner of The American Prize in Conducting, and Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Bands at San José State University. We had a great discussion about why we do what we do, and finding the "Why" in your performances.

In the final episode of our series on the Akron Symphony Chorus, we sit down with Chorus Director Chris Albanese and special guests Chuck Myricks Jr. and Jesse Ayers about There's a Stirrin' in the Water, which they co-composed in 2016. The episode includes selections of There's a Stirrin' in the Water from the November 2016 performance by the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Akron Symphony Chorus, as well as a performance by the Akron Symphony Chorus in May 2021 from the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church in Akron. As a pioneering participant in Akron's Gospel Meets Symphony concerts, Chuck Myricks has had several of his compositions performed by the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Tuscarawas Philharmonic. In 2000, he was commissioned by Akron's First Night to write the new Millennium Theme Song for the city-wide celebration. His 2004 collaboration with the Ohio Ballet led to the premier of Transformation, a ballet featuring music composed by Chuck and performed by Divine Hope. He also has written a musical, The Miracle of Love, and an opera, Paul: A Musical Journey. Jesse Ayers was the winner of the inaugural American Prize for Orchestral Composition in 2011, and winner of the first Opera Kansas Zepick Modern Opera Composition Competition in 2016. Recent honors include the 2020 Governor's Award for Ohio's Outstanding Individual Artist, the 2019 Ohio Music Teachers Association Composer of the Year Commission, two Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Excellence Awards, the 2011 Dayton Ballet “New Music for New Dance” award, a 2010 MacDowell Fellowship, and seven “Finalist” awards from the American Prize. His music has twice been selected to represent the United States at the prestigious World Music Days festival. Learn more at his website.

Elias and I talk about a few of the great performing pianists. Part 2 we discuss modern and currently performing pianists. https://www.eapettersson.com/ Here is a list of pianists we discuss and think you should listen to: Alfred Brendel (b. 1931) Vladimir Ashkenazy (b. 1937) Martha Argerich (b. 1941) Maurizio Pollini (b. 1942) Nelson Freire (b. 1944) Ursula Oppens (b. 1944) Maria João Pires (b. 1944) Radu Lupu (b. 1945) Murray Perahia (b. 1947) Mitsuko Uchida (b. 1948) *Håkon Austbø (b. 1948) Grigory Sokolov (b. 1950) Santiago Rodriguez (b. 1952) András Schiff (b. 1953) Krystian Zimerman (b. 1956) *Dang Thai Son (b. 1958) Yefim Bronfman (b. 1958) *Sara Davis Beuchner (b. 1959) *Stephen Prutsman (b. 1960) *Paul Stewart (b. 1960) *Sergei Babayan (b. 1961) Casadesus (1st), Hamamatsu (1st), Scottish (1st), Busoni (3rd), Honens (4th) Stephen Hough (b. 1961) Jean-Yves Thibaudet (b. 1961) *Frederic Chiu (b. 1964) *Pavel Nersessian (b. 1964) *Alexander Korsantia (b. 1965) Sydney (1st) Rubinstein (1st) Leif Ove Andsnes (b. 1970) *Stanislav Ioudenitch (b. 1971) Evgeny Kissin (b. 1971) Arcadi Volodos (b. 1972) Nikolai Lugansky (b. 1972) Simone Dinnerstein (b. 1972) Valentina Lisitsa (b. 1973) *Antonio Pompa-Baldi (b. 1974) Long-Thibaud (3rd), Cleveland (1st), Cliburn (2nd) Ning An (b. 1976) *Roberto Plano (b. 1978) American Prize, Cleveland (1st), Cliburn (finalist) *Andrius Žlabys (b. 1978) “There is no better time to do the best work of your life than right now” Spencer Myer (b. 1978/9) Sa Chen (b. 1979) Alexander Kobrin (b. 1980) Alexandre Moutouzkine (b. 1980) Yundi Li (b. 1982) Lang Lang (b. 1982) *Boris Giltburg (b. 1984) (Beethoven Sonatas) Santander (2nd=1st), Queen Elisabeth (1st), Rubinstein (2nd) Evgheny Bozhanov (b. 1984) Cliburn (finalist), Queen Elisabeth (2nd), Chopin (4th-refused) Ingolf Wunder (b. 1985) *Rafał Blechacz (b. 1985) Chopin (1st) *Yeol Eum Son (b. 1986) Tchaikovsky (2nd) Vadym Kholodenko (b. 1986) *Vitaly Pisarenko (b. 1987) Liszt (1st), Leeds (3rd) Adam Golka (b. 1987) Yuja Wang (b. 1987) *Sean Chen (b. 1988) American Prize, Cliburn (3rd) *Yekwon Sunwoo (b. 1989) Sendai (1st), Cliburn (1st) *Charles-Richard Hamelin (b. 1989) Seoul (3rd), Montréal (2nd), Chopin (2nd) *Haochen Zhang (b. 1990) China Piano Competition (1st) Avery Fisher Grant, Cliburn (1st) *Claire Huangci (b. 1990) ARD Munich (2nd), Geza Anda (1st) *Lukas Geniušas (b. 1990) Bachauer (1st), Scottish (2nd), Chopin (2nd), Tchaikovsky (2nd) *Daniil Trifonov (b. 1991) Chopin (3rd), Rubinstein (1st), Tchaikovsky (1st) (also composer) *Kenny Broberg (b. 1993) Cliburn (2nd), Tchaikovsky (3rd), American Prize *Beatrice Rana (b. 1993) Montréal (1st), Cliburn (2nd) *Seong-Jin Cho (b. 1994) Hamamatsu (1st), Tchaikovsky (3rd), Rubinstein (3rd), Chopin (1st), DAEWON Music Awards *Kate Liu (b. 1994) NY International (1st), Hilton Head (6th), Montréal (finalist), Chopin (3rd) *Do-Hyun Kim (b. 1994) Gilmore Fellow, Vendome (2nd), Young Concert Artist Auditions (1st) Drew Peterson (b. 1994) American Prize, Avery Fisher Grant,  *Syzmon Nehring (b. 1995) Rubinstein (1st) *Eric Lu (b. 1997) Minnesota E-Comp. (1st), Chopin (4th), German Piano Award (1st), Leeds (1st) Tony Yike Yang (b. 1998) Chopin (5th-age of 16!) *Alexander Malofeev (b. 2001) China (1st), winner of youth competitions…career exploded (a la Kissin)

On any given day, you can find Zaq Latino reading in French, binging all the anime Hulu has to offer, geeking out to Indian-Hindustani percussion, crafting a mean eggplant parmigiana, and 'doing art'. Described as "an outstanding musician, composer, and sound artist", Zaq is equal parts composer, theater director, educator, and arts administrator—they are the founder of validBodies arts project, an arts production company dedicated to the mobilization of LGBTQIA+ and other underrepresented voices. As composer, Zaq has worked with JACK quartet, Arditti quartet, and Divertimento Ensemble among others. Most recently, Zaq was named a finalist for The American Prize in Orchestral Composition for hidden lakes. A proud non-binary artist, Zaq uses both they/them/their and he/him/his pronouns.   @zaqlatino zaqlatino.com Sound Cloud   JOIN THE YOU BOOKED IT COMMUNITY Chat and Connect with Broadway Performers, Past Podcasts Guests, and People just like you navigating the entertainment industry!  

Welcome to the Composer Happy Hour episode nine. Thank you so much for listening. If you haven't already, consider giving us a follow on Instagram. We'd love to have you as a part of our online community. Our guest for this episode is Saunder Choi. Saunder is based in Los Angeles, and he writes beautiful, challenging, and timely music. He also knows how to make a mean cocktail. I was very much looking forward to this conversation as Saunder and I had only previously chatted via email. He is a very kind and gracious guest, and I am sure that - if you haven't already - you are going to fall in love with his music. In today's episode we discuss taco trucks, growing up in the Philippines, and getting a flat tire in the desert. As always, if you like what you hear - buy us a beer! Your contributions will help to fund future projects by whateverandeveramen. Saunder Choi is a Los Angeles-based Filipino composer and choral artist. His works have also been performed by the Philippine Madrigal Singers, the Crossing Choir, the LA Master Chorale Chamber Singers, Sacra Profana, Tonality, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, World Youth Choir, Asia Pacific Youth Choir and many others. He has been commissioned by the L.A. Choral Lab, Andrea Veneracion International Choral Festival, SYC Ensemble Singers (Singapore), Choral Arts Initiative, the Earth Choir (Taiwan), Taipei Philharmonic Choir and Women's Choir, Archipelago Singers (Indonesia), Los Angeles Master Chorale, and many others. As an arranger and orchestrator, Saunder has written for Tony-Award winner Lea Salonga, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa, ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, the New York Gay Men's Chorus, Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, the Tim Janis Christmas Shows at Carnegie Hall, Ballet Philippines, etc. He won the 2017 Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Carol Commission competition and awarded the 1st prize in the 2014 American Prize for Choral Composition (student division). He was also a finalist for the 2012 and 2015 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award and was one of the five composition fellows at the 2016 Big Sky Choral Initiative, where he worked with the Grammy-award winning choir, The Crossing. More recently, he was one of three composers chosen to participate in Pacific Chorale's Choral Sketches Workshop, with renowned composer Tarik O'Regan. Born in Manila, Philippines, Saunder holds degrees from De La Salle University – Manila, Berklee College of Music, and the USC Thornton School of Music. His works are published with See-A-Dot Music Publishing, Santa Barbara Music Publishingand Earthsongs. Select works are also distributed by MusicSpoke and MuzikSea. www.saunderchoi.com All Recordings Used by Permission of the Composer: "Ang Tren" UA&P Chorale "The New Colossus" LA Choral Lab "Invitation to Love" UUSM Voices "American Breakfast" C3LA

In today's episode, Destiny interviews Dr. Artina McCain, Assistant Professor of Piano and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis and Co-Founder/Director of the Memphis International Piano Festival and Competition, for an engaging conversation discussing her journey in music education and developing resilience. Dr. Artina McCain is a Yamaha Artist.Get to know more about Dr. McCain below!Described as a pianist with “power and finesse” (Dallas Arts Society), “beautiful and fiery” (KMFA Austin) and having a “sense of color, balance and texture” (Austin Chamber Music Center) Artina McCain, has a built a three-fold career as a performer, educator and speaker. Recent performance highlights include guest appearances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra,Oregon East Symphony, and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. As a recitalist, her credits include performances at the Mahidol University in Bangkok, Hatch Recital Hall in Rochester and in 2022 her debut at Wigmore Hall in London. Dedicated to promoting the works of Black and other underrepresented composers, McCain curates Black Composers Concerts for multiple arts organizations and is an American Prize winner for her solo piano recordings of these works. Recently, she won a Gold Global Music Award for her recentsolo album project Heritage. Currently, she is Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at the University of Memphis. Artina McCain is a Yamaha Artist.

Shaun and Hunter talk to DMA Pianist, Multi-Competition Winner, and all-around lovely human Junwen Liang. Check out now! Chinese-born pianist Junwen Liang began his piano studies at nine and made his solo debut at the age of thirteen. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Ithaca College, where he received a full scholarship. And a Master of Music at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with appointed as an Associate Instructor in Piano. Junwen has performed in major cities from China, Canada, and the United States. His achievements include the most recent two-time concert appearances at Carnegie Hall and Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. And a public broadcast performance of Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto with Ithaca College Orchestra on WSKG radio in New York State. He was also invited to participate in music festivals such as Lunigiana International Music Festival, Baltimore International Piano Festival, Philadelphia Young Pianists' Academy, Orford Musique, Art of the Piano, and Aspen Music Festival; and won major prizes in multiple competitions such as The American Prize, Nouvelles Etoiles International Music Competition (France), Juliusz Zarębski International Piano Competition (Poland), New York International Piano Competition, Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford and Crescendo International Music Competition. Junwen is currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree at Penn State, where he serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Piano and studies with Christopher Guzman. His other mentors include Charis Dimaras, Edward Auer, and Roberto Plano; and additional summer studies with Gabriel Chodos and Gary Graffman. Junwen's next concert engagement features a concerto performance with “Bright Bows” String Ensemble Orchestra from Russia. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/musicspeaks-podcast/support

If you've driven a consumer automobile in the last 20 years, or argued about the aesthetics of modern cars with friends, you've been engaging with the world of our guest this week, automotive designer Chris Bangle. Having started his career at Opel and Fiat, in 1992 Chris was named the first American chief of design at BMW. Over the next 17 years he went on to carve a legacy of distinctive, sculptural designs which set out a new paradigm for the premium car segment. Today Chris is managing director of Chris Bangle Associates, a design studio in the Piemonte Region of Italy which turns its skills to everything from luxury yachts to drinks bottles, and earlier this year, Chris was awarded the 2021 American Prize for Design, recognising his immense contribution to transportation design. He spoke to us about his experiences at BMW, the pitfalls of modern car development and his radical suggestions for the future of transportation. Read the interview here: https://apex.privatecollectorsclub.com/chris-bangle/ Learn about Custodian here: https://custodian.club

In this episode, Flora Loughridge and Ulrich Gehmann welcome San Francisco architect John Marx onto the Ideal Spaces Podcast to explore the importance of emotional meaning in built and natural environments. We discuss the role that architects play in bringing poetry and beauty to our daily interactions with buildings and urban spaces - to giving form to ideas and emotions, rather than falling into the trap of creating banal and purely functional, soulless Modernist buildings. John shares with us how architects might achieve architecture that is sustainable, aesthetically appealing and function, and which fundamentally, stands the test of time - just like the great Doric Columns in Agrigento's ancient Greek temples. Along the way, we discuss the Brutalist Barbican complex in London, the difference between beautiful, pretty and cute and The Temptation's 1966 hit single 'Beauty is only Skin Deep'. John Marx, AIA, is a co-founding principal and chief artistic officer of Form4 Architecture in San Francisco, California. He is responsible for developing Form4 Architecture's design vision and philosophical language. Form4 Architecture has received over 174 design awards and in 2017, John became a Laureate of the American Prize for Architecture - one of the highest public tributes for architecture in the United States. In order to return a sense of humanity back into architecture, John advocates for the inclusion of Philosophy, Art, and Poetry in the thoughtful making of place by creating emotionally resonant architecture and urban spaces. John's design work and writing have been published in over 100 national and international publications. In 2018, the Architectural Review published his monograph "The Absurdity of Beauty - Rebalancing the Modernist Narrative". He has widely lectured on the topics of Design, Placemaking, Emotional Meaning and Cultural Vibrancy in Silicon Valley and places as diverse as Korea, Italy, Austria, Australia, Canada and the Technion in Israel.

Judith Lang Zaimont is internationally recognized for her music's distinctive style, characterized by expressive strength and dynamism. She's the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2015 The American Prize in Chamber Music Composition and a 2003 Aaron Copland Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, composer grant from the National Endowment for the arts, and much more; and her music is widely performed throughout the United States and Europe. Zaimont is in virtual residency at the University of South Florida this coming week, hosted by the USF New-Music Consortium. This residency includes a composer talk, which will be held on February 15th at 7:00pm EST. Additionally, the NMC will be presenting a concert of Zaimont's music on February 19th at 7:00pm EST, featuring three world premieres. All events are virtually streamed, and free to attend.

THE CEILING FLOATS AWAY, a groundbreaking new collaboration between sound artist Matthew Burtner, former US poet laureate Rita Dove, and ecoacoustic ensemble EcoSono. A National Endowment for the Arts commission, The Ceiling Floats Away was awarded a Special Jury Award in the 2016 American Prize in Chamber Music Composition for "Unique Nexus of Acoustics, Electronics, and Audience Interaction." Since its composition, it has been selected for performance at various festivals and venues, including the Smithsonian Natural History Museum’s Accelerate Festival. Purchase the music (without talk) at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p834/The_Ceiling_Floats_Away.html Your purchase helps to support our show! Classical Music Discoveries is sponsored by La Musica International Chamber Music Festival and Uber. @khedgecock #ClassicalMusicDiscoveries #KeepClassicalMusicAlive #LaMusicaFestival #CMDGrandOperaCompanyofVenice #CMDParisPhilharmonicinOrléans #CMDGermanOperaCompanyofBerlin #CMDGrandOperaCompanyofBarcelonaSpain #ClassicalMusicLivesOn #Uber Please consider supporting our show, thank you! http://www.classicalsavings.com/donate.html staff@classicalmusicdiscoveries.com

Soprano Kirsten C. Kunkle has been hailed as an outstanding singing actress with a voice that has been described as beautiful, ethereal, powerful, fiery, and bewitching. Among her favorite roles are Agathe in Der Freischütz, the title role in Suor Angelica, Magda and the Foreign Woman in The Consul,” Mimì in La bohème, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Iolanta and Brigitta in Iolanta, Zemfira in Aleko, Lisa in Pique Dame, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief, and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel. With the Philadelphia Opera Collective, she has created leading roles in numerous world premieres, including Edith Standen in Shadow House, Annie Jump Cannon in Jump the Moon, Edgar Allan Poe in Opera Macabre: Edgar Allan Poe, and Dr. Frankenstein in By You That Made Me, Frankenstein. In 2016, she made her professional straight play debut in Machinal with EgoPo Classic Theater and her professional musical theatre debut as Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with the Scranton Shakespeare Festival. She has an Honorable Mention for The American Prize in Voice – Professional Art Song and Oratorio Division (Women), as well as being a two-time semi-finalist for The American Prize in Opera (Women). She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2014, as well as being the Pennsylvania District National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award winner that year. She won second place in the Roschel Vocal Competition in 2015. She attended Bowling Green State University and the University of Salzburg for her undergraduate studies, majoring in voice performance with minors in Italian and German. Her graduate degrees are in voice performance from the University of Michigan. A voting member of the Muscogee Nation, Dr. Kunkle commissioned and premiered sixteen original compositions, including one of her own, based upon the poetry of her ancestor and highly-acclaimed poet of the Native American Muscogee Nation, Alex Posey. She has recorded extensively through the Comic Opera Guild, specializing in the works of Victor Herbert. Her recordings are collected at the Library of Congress, the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution, and the Merkel Area Museum in Merkel, Texas. Ms. Kunkle is included on the list of Classical Native American Artists and Musicians at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian and on the Molto Native Music list of performers. She has been published in peer-reviewed journals and is a successful voice educator. She is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Wilmington Concert Opera, a grassroots women and minority led opera company in Wilmington, Delaware. Most recently, she had her solo European debut with the Sofia Philharmonic in the role of Arabella in Johann Strauss II's “Blindekuh.” She is also a NAXOS recording artist for “Blindekuh,” which was released in March of 2020 to extraordinary reviews. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/musicast-podcast/support

This episode features my dear friend, Nicolas Bizub. Over the course of the episode, we cover a lot of ground, including what it means to be a 21st century composer, the possible future of CD's, and issues of equity in the orchestra. Read below for his bio; resources mentioned in the podcast are listed below as well. Award-winning composer Nicolas Bizub writes music which is dark, striving, and yearning, which also points towards radiance and light. Inspired by both the natural world and the human interaction with it, Nicolas often uses nature within his music as metaphors for more human topics, including emotion, politics, creation, and destruction. His musical language blends bittersweet melodic sensibilities with a richly dark harmonic language and volatile driving rhythms to forge a visceral, audible connection with these light and dark sides of humanity.His music has received prizes and awards from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The American Prize, the McKnight Foundation, New York Youth Symphony First Music, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, the Wisconsin Cello Society, Lawrence University, and the College-Conservatory of Music. He has been praised for his “ability to weave musical textures, sonorities, and skillfully change pacing” within his works as an element which “truly shines” (Helena Michelson, American Prize). Nicolas’ music has been written for and performed by numerous leading new music ensembles and artists, including, British violinist Madeleine Mitchell, American violist Michael Hall, loadbang, NOW Ensemble, Hypercube, Zodiac Trio, F-PLUS, Unheard-of//Ensemble, and American violist Bailey Poesnecker, among others. His music has been performed throughout the United States and Europe and may be heard on Ablaze Records and Centaur Records.Article: https://theconversation.com/music-education-has-a-race-problem-and-universities-must-address-it-143719?fbclid=IwAR3W8xUbP0vMmxqZXu_AURcB2K03KGxymamxqNdTVIB8lrzaCTIjDeL2Xv8DeCoda ensemble: https://decodamusic.org/ Lutoslwaski: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Witold-Lutoslawski Pauline Oliveros: https://paulineoliveros.us/ IGLU (Improvisation Group of Lawrence University): https://www.lawrence.edu/conservatory/areas_of_study/iglu Kenji Bunch, the piece mentioned is entitled “The 3 G’s,” not “The 3 C’s”: https://www.kenjibunch.net/ Rushad Eggleston: http://facebook.com/rushad.eggleston Casey Driessen and the Chop Notation Project: https://caseydriessen.com, https://www.caseydriessen.com/chop-notation-project

At Canada’s National Academy of Dance Education we know that it is likely your own dance training lacked the inclusion and incorporation of the creative process, which would have allowed you you to create, explore and express movement that was your own. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Elements of creative movement were not often a part of commercial studio dance training. However things are changing, the more dance teacher education is becoming prevalent, the better understanding dance educators have of the creative process and the importance of incorporating it into their own dance classes. But who do we learn best from? Fellow dance educators, professors, researchers and dance scholars? What if instead we look to our artistic community? What if to gain an enriched understanding of the creative process we looked beyond the dance community and explore the creative process of other artists? Today we will do just that… today we have the honour of speaking with Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music and world-renown conductor Ms. Genvieve Leclair. GUEST: Geneviève holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from Boston University, with a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in flute performance from the Université de Montréal. She was appointed Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music in 2016. Equally at home in the symphony, ballet and opera worlds, she was a recurring guest conductor with The National Ballet of Canada and Northern Ballet in the UK, as well as Assistant Conductor and Guest Conductor for Boston Ballet. Geneviève was awarded the 2017 American Prize in Conducting, college/university division and in 2010, received the Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation Award in Orchestral Conducting. In addition to her expertise and experience as a conductor, Geneviève has published several music literature and theory exercise books.

Conductor, Composer and Educator Dominick DiOrio joins Arts and Culture expert St. John Flynn in our latest episode of Behind the Music. DiOrio has received both The American Prize for Choral Composition (2014) and Choral Performance (2019). He is a member of the choral conducting faculty at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Director of new music chamber chorus NOTUS. Watch or listen to the episode and enjoy his special Spotify Playlist!

"Music gives the human spirit a place to expand…a place to grow." – Guido Lamell In this very special conversation, Dr. Bob has the pleasure of talking with professional violinist Guido Lamell. They discuss many topics including Guido's incredible musical career and how important music is for children. There is a very special treat at the end of the episode that you absolutely will not want to miss. Enjoy! Violinist GUIDO LAMELL joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1979 under Carlo Maria Giulini, after having served for two years as associate concertmaster of the Louisville Orchestra and for one year as concertmaster of the Mexico City Philharmonic. Lamell has performed frequently on the Philharmonic's Chamber Music Society and Green Umbrella series, and has appeared widely as a recitalist and orchestral soloist. He particularly loves playing in small ensembles and has enjoyed playing chamber music in his home with some of the Philharmonic's guest soloists, including Gustavo Dudamel, Emanuel Ax, Lynn Harrell, Joshua Bell, Sir Simon Rattle, and others. In addition, Lamell has been very active as a conductor. Having conducted various local ensembles for many years, he traveled to Kiev in 2000 with celebrated American violin soloist Eugene Fodor to record six concertos with the National Symphony of Ukraine. These recordings received critical acclaim and ultimately proved to be Fodor's last recordings. In recent years, Lamell has been coaching orchestras and conductors throughout Los Angeles through the Philharmonic's Youth Orchestra Partnership Program. This continued on the Philharmonic's tour to Caracas, when he coached two of the El Sistema youth orchestras and gave a conducting masterclass (in Spanish) to a group of El Sistema conducting students. In 2011, he produced and conducted Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall as a benefit concert for Japan earthquake relief. This concert was honored with a reward of the American Prize. In 2012, Lamell was appointed Music Director of the Santa Monica Symphony and is active in his third season with them. He is excited about bringing Philharmonic-level ideals and enthusiasm to this orchestra in its 70th anniversary season. Visit smsymphony.org. How to contact Guido Lamell: https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/2981/guido-lamell https://www.smsymphony.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santamonicasymphony/ How to contact Dr. Bob: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChztMVtPCLJkiXvv7H5tpDQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drroberthamilton/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bob.hamilton.1656 Seven Secrets Of The Newborn website: https://7secretsofthenewborn.com/ Website: https://roberthamiltonmd.com/ Pacific Ocean Pediatrics: http://www.pacificoceanpediatrics.com/

Andrew David Perkins is a band director and composer. He joins the show and offers a very clear-eyed view of our profession and offers some wisdom and advice earned from his own career. Topics: Andy’s background, his early high school teaching experiences and how being in Phantom Regiment and the Michigan State Marching Band helped to shape his success teaching a marching band. The balance between over programming and under programming and how it can set students up for success or failure. Moving from teaching high school to middle school and the experience of having your 18th year as a teacher be your first to teach beginners. Andy’s growing composition career, how he got his start writing music, and music publishing models. Links: Andrew David Perkins Grainger: Children’s March Respighi: Pines of Rome Williams: ET Bicycle Race Biography: Composer, conductor, three-time ASCAP+ Award recipient, and GRAMMY® nominated music educator Andrew David Perkins (b.1978) holds a specialist certificate in Orchestration from the Berklee College of Music, a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University. Finalist for The National Band Association Revelli Award & Merrill Jones Award, The American Prize, and the Ravel International Composition Prize, Perkins' music is regularly performed at national and state contests, conferences, and at the Midwest International Band Clinic. A celebrated guest clinician nationally and abroad, he enjoys working with musicians of all ages, and is the winner of the 2018 National Band Association/Alfred Publishing Young Band Composition Contest. ​Mr. Perkins is a member of the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and his music is exclusively published through APOLLO STUDIOS Music Publishing. He resides in Michigan with the love of his life and their daughters.

Take a step into nature, into the love of a wife and mother, and the strength of a young woman. Be inpsired by the tenacity of young trees. Award winning composer Jenni Brandon's optimistic music explores the small things–often the things that really matter. Jenni's music appears on over 20 albums, and has been awarded the Sorel Medallion, American Prize, Paderewski Cycle, Women Composers Festival of Hartford International Composition Competition, and Bassoon Chamber Music Composition Competition among others.

Susan Medley joins Tim to talk about new research that revealed that singing is good for you, mentally and physically, and America's participation in choirs is on the rise. Susan is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Washington & Jefferson College and is the music director of the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale. Today, one in six Americans sing in community choirs. https://traffic.libsyn.com/shapingopinion/Singing_Its_Good_for_You_auphonic.mp3 According to an organization called Chorus America, singing is good for you. It's good for your health, both mentally and physically. That's right. When you find yourself singing in the shower or in your car at that red light (as the person in the car to your right watches), you're doing something good for yourself. It may not come as a surprise to you that participation in church choirs is on the decline. But overall, more people are participating in community choirs. More than 17 percent of American adults participate in some sort of choir, which is an increase from 14 percent in 2008. That means one in six American adults not only like to sing, but they've done something about it. They joined a choir. Links Chorus America Pittsburgh Concert Chorale Washington & Jefferson College - Music 1 in 6 Americans Sing in a Choir - and their healthier for it, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette About this Episode's Guest Susan Medley Susan Medley is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Washington & Jefferson College. She joined the W&J faculty in 2004 and conducts the W&J Choir and Camerata Singers, and teaches conducting and music theory. She also serves as the advisor for W&J's Epsilon Zeta chapter of Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity. In addition to her duties at W&J, Medley serves as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale. She was Associate Conductor of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh from 2008 to 2012 and Music Director and Conductor of the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh from 2009 to 2013. Prior to coming to W&J, she was Associate Director of Education at Carnegie Hall in New York City and founding conductor/clinician of the Carnegie Hall High School Choral Festivals. She also held the position of Music Director of The Central City Chorus, a 60-voice community chorus that performed three annual concerts in midtown Manhattan. Under Medley's direction, the W&J Camerata Singers have appeared by invitation at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in New York City, on the Great Artists concert series at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City, at the 2009 MENC Eastern Division Conference, and at the 2010 State Conference of the Pennsylvania Music Education Association. In June 2010, the W&J Camerata Singers became the first winners of The American Prize in Choral Performance, College/University Division. The Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh followed suit in 2011, winning The American Prize in Choral Performance, High School Division. Medley's choral work has taken her to Malaysia, where she served as guest conductor of the 2006 Kuala Lumpur Young Singers Choral Festival and led workshops for choirs and conductors throughout the country. The recipient of the 2011 PMEA District 1 Citation of Excellence Award, Medley holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting with a cognate in music theory from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She holds an M.M. in Accompanying from the University of Akron and a B.M. in Music Education summa cum laude from Kent State University, where she studied piano with Naumburg Award-winning pianist Margaret Baxtresser.

Susan Medley joins Tim to talk about new research that revealed that singing is good for you, mentally and physically, and America’s participation in choirs is on the rise. Susan is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Washington & Jefferson College and is the music director of the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale. Today, one in six Americans sing in community choirs. https://traffic.libsyn.com/shapingopinion/Singing_Its_Good_for_You_auphonic.mp3 According to an organization called Chorus America, singing is good for you. It’s good for your health, both mentally and physically. That’s right. When you find yourself singing in the shower or in your car at that red light (as the person in the car to your right watches), you’re doing something good for yourself. It may not come as a surprise to you that participation in church choirs is on the decline. But overall, more people are participating in community choirs. More than 17 percent of American adults participate in some sort of choir, which is an increase from 14 percent in 2008. That means one in six American adults not only like to sing, but they’ve done something about it. They joined a choir. Links Chorus America Pittsburgh Concert Chorale Washington & Jefferson College - Music 1 in 6 Americans Sing in a Choir - and their healthier for it, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette About this Episode’s Guest Susan Medley Susan Medley is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Washington & Jefferson College. She joined the W&J faculty in 2004 and conducts the W&J Choir and Camerata Singers, and teaches conducting and music theory. She also serves as the advisor for W&J’s Epsilon Zeta chapter of Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity. In addition to her duties at W&J, Medley serves as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale. She was Associate Conductor of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh from 2008 to 2012 and Music Director and Conductor of the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh from 2009 to 2013. Prior to coming to W&J, she was Associate Director of Education at Carnegie Hall in New York City and founding conductor/clinician of the Carnegie Hall High School Choral Festivals. She also held the position of Music Director of The Central City Chorus, a 60-voice community chorus that performed three annual concerts in midtown Manhattan. Under Medley’s direction, the W&J Camerata Singers have appeared by invitation at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City, on the Great Artists concert series at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City, at the 2009 MENC Eastern Division Conference, and at the 2010 State Conference of the Pennsylvania Music Education Association. In June 2010, the W&J Camerata Singers became the first winners of The American Prize in Choral Performance, College/University Division. The Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh followed suit in 2011, winning The American Prize in Choral Performance, High School Division. Medley’s choral work has taken her to Malaysia, where she served as guest conductor of the 2006 Kuala Lumpur Young Singers Choral Festival and led workshops for choirs and conductors throughout the country. The recipient of the 2011 PMEA District 1 Citation of Excellence Award, Medley holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting with a cognate in music theory from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She holds an M.M. in Accompanying from the University of Akron and a B.M. in Music Education summa cum laude from Kent State University, where she studied piano with Naumburg Award-winning pianist Margaret Baxtresser.

Composer Jennifer Jolley is on the faculty at Texas Tech University and Interlochen and is a member of ADJ*ective New Music and the Blue Dot Collective. In this episode she discusses her career, including how she got into writing for band. Topics: Jennifer’s background and her current gig as a composition professor at Texas Tech University. Combining electronic music with band and how composers can best help teachers bring these types of works to life. How Jennifer got involved in writing music for band and the story of “And The Eyes of the World are Upon You” commissioned by Jerry Junkin and Kappa Kappa Psi. The Fail Blog. Jennifer’s thoughts about self-publishing and distributors and why that’s important for composers. The story of how Jennifer has recognized that her anxiety was in getting in the way of her happiness and the story of her decision to seek help. Links: Jennifer Jolley Why I Compose, aka "The Fail Blog" Blue Dot Collective ADJective New Music Murphy Music Press Jolley: The Eyes of the World are Upon You Jolley: Ash Bach: Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 Reich: Music for 18 Musicians Norman: Play: Level 1 Biography: Composer Jennifer Jolley’s diverse catalog includes choral, orchestral, wind ensemble, chamber, and electronic works. She has been commissioned by ensembles and institutions across the United States, including the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, University of Texas at Austin, Bowling Green State University, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, The Canales Project, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, among others. She is Assistant Professor of Composition at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, is the co-founder of North American New Opera Workshop, and has written articles for the e-zine NewMusicBox. In recent years, Jennifer has been increasingly drawn toward subjects that are political and even provocative. Her 2015 collaboration with librettist Kendall A, Prisoner of Conscience, sets to music statements made by the Russian punk-rock band Pussy Riot as they stood trial in Moscow for “hooliganism” and “religious hatred.” Quince Ensemble has performed the piece widely and has released a recording on their album Motherland with New Focus Recordings. Jennifer’s 2017 piece The Eyes of the World Are Upon You, commissioned by the University of Texas at Austin Wind Ensemble, reflects on the first-ever campus shooting in America, which took place at UT-Austin in 1966. Jennifer’s blog—on which she has catalogued more than 100 rejection letters from competitions, festivals, and prizes—is widely read and admired by professional musicians. She is particularly passionate about this project as a composition teacher, and enjoys removing the taboo around “failure” for her students. In addition to her professorship at Texas Tech, she is a member of the composition faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp. Jennifer deeply values the relationship that is created between composers and the communities with whom they collaborate. She has been composer-in-residence at Brevard College, University of Toledo, and the Vermont Symphony, and was in-residence at the Central Michigan University School of Music and the Alba Music Festival in Italy in 2018. She will be the Composer-in-Residence of the Women Composers Festival of Hartford in 2019. Jennifer Jolley took 2nd Place for the 2017–18 American Prize in Composition (Band/Wind Ensemble Division) and was a finalist for the the Symphony Number One Call for Scores. She holds degrees from the University of Southern California and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where her principal teachers included Stephen Hartke, Frank Ticheli, Michael Fiday, Joel Hoffman, and Douglas Knehans.

Jason Nam is the Associate Director of Bands at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In this episode Everything Band went "on the road" to Bloomington and had a chance to chat with Jason in the IU band offices. Topics: The importance of doing your best in every stop and how opportunity can come from those around seeing you value and not wanting to let you get away. Thoughts about building relationships and connections and how awareness of these relationships can help guide your interactions with fellow professionals as well as your band parents. Advice for creating a multi-year plan for your band program, including a conversation about band music and the perception that music for education is of lesser value than more advanced works. Jason’s background growing up in Southern California, attending the University of Redlands, his subsequent teaching and his move to the University of Indiana where he is an Assistant Professor of Music and Associate Director of Bands in the Jacobs School of Music. Collaboration and commissions in the band community and particularly at Indiana University. Links: Jason Nam Indiana University University of Redlands SCSBOA Indiana University Summer Music Clinic Dahl: Sinfonietta Biography: Jason H. Nam is assistant professor of music and associate director of bands at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he directs the Concert Band and teaches undergraduate courses in instrumental conducting and administration of school bands. Nam earned a Doctor of Music in Wind Conducting degree from the Jacobs School, where he studied with Stephen W. Pratt. He also earned an M.M. in Conducting and a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Redlands, where he studied with Eddie R. Smith. Prior to his graduate degree work, he served as a lecturer in the Department of Music at California State University San Bernardino and as director of bands at La Colina Junior High School and San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California. More recently, he has served as a faculty member, ensemble conductor, and assistant director of the Indiana University Summer Music Clinic. In addition, Nam currently serves as resident music director of the Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble. Nam keeps a very busy schedule as a conductor, adjudicator, and clinician across the United States and North America. As a trumpet player, he has freelanced and performed with numerous orchestras, chamber ensembles, and jazz ensembles in the southern and central coast regions of California, including with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor, he was honored to be named a national finalist for The American Prize in Conducting (Band/Wind Ensemble division) in 2017. He has been published in the Journal of the National Band Association and the American Bandmasters Association’s Journal of Band Research. His research interests include the music of William Bolcom, the wind chamber music of Igor Stravinsky, the historical development of the wind band repertoire in the twentieth century, as well as effective rehearsal methodologies for conductors. He completed a new band transcription of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom’s Inventing Flight: A Suite for Orchestra of Thumbnail Portraits. The transcription was completed with the permission of Bolcom and his publisher, Edward B. Marks Music Company. In March 2016, the band version of Inventing Flight was officially published by E. B. Marks Music Company and made available as a rental to bands worldwide. Nam holds professional memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, National Band Association, Conductor's Guild, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, Indiana Music Education Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society, and is a proud member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity of America. He currently lives in Bloomington, Ind., with his wife, Melissa and son, Davis.

Conductor David Vickerman of San Jose State University joins me to talk about his career and share his wisdom. Notably, this includes an extended discussion about our responsibility as leaders to help promote diversity. Topics: David’s job at San Jose State and his background growing up in Northern California through his first job at the College of New Jersey and his return back home to the Bay Area of California. Choosing music and some thoughts about finding quality literature regardless of aesthetic tastes. The importance of actively trying to make changes in our system and helping to promote diversity in the band community. The music program at San Jose State University. Trying to be better at asking and answering the "Why? as conductors and teachers, and using comprehensive musicianship through performance. Links: San Jose State University David Vickerman Armando Bayolo Tina Tallon CASMEC Bill Walsh: The Score Takes Care of Itself John David Mann Mozart: Serenade in C minor, K. 388 Bryant: Ecstatic Waters Biography: Dr. David Vickerman, 2015 winner of The American Prize in Conducting, is the new Director of Bands at San José State University.  In addition to conducting the wind ensemble and symphonic band, he teaches undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting.  Prior to his appointment at San José State University, he was the Director of Bands at The College of New Jersey where he established the Wind Ensemble as a regional model for performance excellence through invitations to the College Band Directors National Association and National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conferences. Before joining The College of New Jersey, he held the position of Director of Bands on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus where he conducted the Wind Ensemble and directed the Pep Band. In addition to his duties at SJSU, he has served as the Associate Conductor of Great Noise Ensemble, in Washington D.C. and he is a highly sought-after guest conductor having conducted numerous honor bands over the past five years. A fervent advocate for contemporary music, Dr. Vickerman has commissioned works by eminent composers and conducted numerous world premieres with The College of New Jersey Wind Ensemble and Great Noise Ensemble. He has also arranged several pieces for winds including Ára Batur by the Icelandic rock band, Sigur Rós, Observer in the Magellanic Cloud by Mason Bates and Craigslistlieder by Gabriel Kahane. In the fall of 2013, Dr. Vickerman conducted the premiere of the “Sgt. Pepper Project” with Great Noise Ensemble. This concert consisted of thirteen premieres, each based off of a track from the famous Beatles album. For a concert event entitled “Digital Embrace” at the Peabody Institute, he conducted a concert of wind band music that focused on the use of integrated live electronics.  His primary conducting instructors include Dr. Edward C. Harris (Professor Emeritus from San José State University), Dr. Stuart Sims, Robert Ponto and Harlan Parker. Dr. Vickerman regularly presents at regional, national and international conferences on topics ranging from teaching social justice issues in band, to the development of a computer-based conducting analysis system to assist beginning conducting students.  His co-authored paper with Dr. Andrea Salgian, “Computer-Based Tutoring for Conducting Students,” was presented at the International Computer Music Conference in Utrecht, Netherlands in September 2016. He also accepted an invitation to present “Improve Band Performance with Socially-Conscious Repertoire” along with Dr. Colleen Sears, at the National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conference in 2017.  Along with Dr. Sears, Dr. Vickerman is a founder of the Institute for Social Justice in the Arts and Humanities at TCNJ, which presents concerts, workshops and cross-departmental projects for the community. Dr. Vickerman graduated from the Peabody Institute with a DMA in Wind Conducting in 2014 and a Master’s Degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Oregon in 2010. Prior to his work at the University of Oregon, he taught high school in California for 6 years after receiving a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and teaching credential from California State University Stanislaus in 2002.

An interview with conductor Andy Pease of Hartwick college and author of the Wind Band Literature blog and Wind Band Symphony Archive. Topics: Andy's background through his time at Columbia University as well as lessons learned while studying with Gary Hill at Arizona State. His current position at Hartwick College, commissioning composers, and the value of "putting a face" to the music. Learning to take risks and to let go of inhibitions as a conductor and finding balance in your programming. Links: Andrew Pease Hartwick College Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble Wind Band Literature Wind Band Symphony Archive Steven Bryant: Concerto for Wind Ensemble Julie Giroux: Riften Wed Biography: Andrew D. Pease serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Music at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, where he directs the Wind Ensemble and Brass Ensemble and teaches conducting, orchestration, and brass methods.  In the early part of his career, he helped to put the wind band back on the map in New York City. While music director of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble from 2002-2013, he began a student guest conductor program with Columbia’s Teachers College and helped to start the Columbia Festival of Winds. Concurrently, he conducted the community band Columbia Summer Winds, which inaugurated its Outdoor Composition Contest under his watch.   He completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting at Arizona State University, where his teachers included Gary Hill, Wayne Bailey, and William Reber.  While there, he conducted large ensembles and various chamber groups, including the professional Sun Valley Chamber Winds, which he founded in 2015. His work with these groups earned him the 2016-2017 American Prize in Wind Band Conducting at the collegiate level. His other past teaching positions include South Mountain Community College (Phoenix, AZ), Ironwood High School (Glendale, AZ), and Lakewood Elementary School (Congers, NY). He has degrees from Dartmouth College, Teachers College at Columbia University, and Hofstra University. His past conducting teachers include Max Culpepper, Melinda O’Neal, Dino Anagnost, and Peter Boonshaft, as well as clinics with other leading figures in the conducting world. Dr. Pease runs two websites dedicated to the music of the wind band.  Wind Band Literature has grown immensely from its beginnings as Andy Pease's Wind Band Blog and has been used as a resource for bands around the world. The Wind Band Symphony Archive is a living, dynamic record of all known symphonies written for wind band.

Dr. Amanda Quist takes us through a typical warm-up for the Westminster Choir College freshman choir. You’ll learn how, in just 5-7 minutes, she addresses the building blocks of great sound. Plus, you’ll take some fun detours into topics like cell phone policy and how to classify voices. Listen: Highlight to Tweet: “You need to have 3 ways to solve any problem” - Amanda Quist Show Notes: Amanda directs the (compulsory) freshman choir at WCC, so she is first director students meet. Her goal is to take a group of unfamiliar singers with widely-varying levels of experience and make a unison sound. Day 1: sing and build community (students see how they are connected); talk about music they love, their major, who they are; start with voice building - 5-7 minute warm up; next do something physical Low energy? Have them move...step-touches, or something fast-paced like a call and response. Buy in is tougher for the students without choir experience. Knowing the reason behind the exercises helps them buy in. No cell phone use in rehearsal, no tolerance. Breath - long exhalations on different sounds; must warm up breath, it’s connected to mindfulness Tone - balance between light and dark (chiaroscuro) Intonation - clear and resonant, with clear overtones; begin building triads; build their ears with solfege scales, scales in different modes Sight-reading is the most crucial skill for incoming freshmen to have. 3 Key Takeaways: Go into rehearsal with a plan, but be willing to change it when you assess the energy level of the students. The fundamentals are crucial and should be practiced every rehearsal: voice-building, breath, tone, intonation. The most valuable skill a high school director can give their students is the ability to sight-read. Resources/links Mentioned: Episode 7: Your Students are Worth the Investment, with Dr. Amanda Quist Bio: Dr. Amanda Quist is Associate Professor of Conducting at Westminster Choir College, where she conducts the Chapel Choir, Westminster Kantorei, and teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting. Kantorei was selected to perform at the Eastern Division ACDA Conference in February 2014 for her “Building Sound” workshop, was invited to sing at the American Handel Festival the previous year, and was selected as a National Finalist for the American Prize. During her work with the Westminster Symphonic Choir she collaborated with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, and composers Ola Gjeilo and Tarik O’Regan. Dr. Quist recently served as Chorus Master for the North American premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s Matsukaze for Spoleto Festival USA and the Lincoln Center Festival. The New York Times and Charleston Post and Courier reviews described the chorus’ performance as “beautifully prepared,” “gripping,” with a “gossamer web of voices,” and “bridging the vocal and instrumental textures with perfect intonation.” Dr. Quist is Director of the Westminster Vocal Institute, and she was previously Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. She was selected to be the 2014 recipient of Westminster of Rider University’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and other honors include the prestigious James Mulholland National Choral Fellowship and the Audrey Davidson Early Music Award. Her research focus is voice science and pedagogy in the choral setting, and she recently presented an Interest Session for the National ACDA Conference in Salt Lake City. An active adjudicator and clinician, recent and upcoming appearances include the California All-State, Texas All-State, Delaware All-State, Tennessee All-State, and Vermont All-State honor choirs. She has also conducted honor choirs and served as an adjudicator in Arizona, Michigan, New York, Arkansas, Georgia, and New Jersey. She recently served as the Pennsylvania ACDA Summer Conference headliner, and as summer conducting faculty for Connecticut State University. An active mezzo-soprano, recent solo engagements include performances with the Monmouth Civic Chorus and Orchestra, Symphony Silicon Valley, Fuma Sacra, Princeton Pro Musica, and Princeton University. Dr. Quist serves as the National ACDA R&S Chair for Youth and Student Activities and ACDA Mentorship Co-Chair. Sponsored by: Sight Reading Factory (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for 10 free student accounts!) My Music Folders (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for best pricing - usually reserved for bulk purchases only!)

Here's the latest in the world of the double bass!  Visit contrabassconversations.com/news for all episodes, and submit your news at feedback@contrabassconversations.com.  Ben Allison Crowdsourcing New Album Ben on Contrabass Conversations this week http://contrabassconversations.com/benallison  Ben’s website: http://benallison.com  pre-order new album at http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/benallison pledge ends December 28th, so pledge now! Adam Booker Gear Reviews University of Minnesota Duluth has started to review gear on YouTube, and the reaction has been tremendous he got hundreds of views on his review for his first review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYxqgRMtTAM http://adambookeronbass.com  Lauren Pierce New Thumb Position Course course is on Geoff Chalmers’ newly revamped discoverdoublebass.com site New course: http://www.doublebasscourses.com/p/double-bass-thumb-position Lauren has been a guest on Entrepreneur Week I had Lauren and Geoff on the podcast almost a year ago Alex Ritter hosts Double Bass Festival at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul he’s doing great things for the double bass in Brazil check out these photos and hear a bit of his performance of Sconcerto by Trovajoli link to Trovajoli: TROVAJOLI – I TEMPO DI BLUES – ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI – II ALLEGRETTO – ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI – III PAVANE – ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) TROVAJOLI – IV SCHERZO – ALEXANDRE RITTER 2016 (YouTube) http://contrabassconversations.com/alexritter  P. Kellach Waddle’s 5th String Quartet (including bass) “A Vonnegut Quintet” nominated as a semifinalist for the American Prize in Chamber Music https://www.facebook.com/pkwaddle http://contrabassconversations.com/pkellachwaddle  University of Michigan School of Music Bass Faculty Position Faculty position for teacher of double bass link for more information http://contrabassconversations.com/dianagannett http://contrabassconversations.com/maxdimoff Congratulations to the Forth Worth Symphony Bassists the strike is over! congrats to: William Clay, Principal Paul Unger, Assistant Principal Jeffrey Hall Julie Vinsant Thanks to Mitch Moehring for the idea Feedback Derek Jones Jerry Ramos Michael Gam Valentina Ciardelli Bob Nieske Win Hinkle Recent Podcast Guests Dave Swift - http://contrabassconversations.com/daveswift  Scott Devine - http://contrabassconversations.com/scottdevine  Upcoming all-music show another “radio hour” Ben Allison Bill Merchant Caleb Quillen Get the App! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox! Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings! Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos.  Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

Tony Maglione of William Jewell College stops in to share his thoughts on building a culture of trust with your choir. Listen   Bio Conductor/Composer Anthony J. Maglione is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, East Carolina University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the Director of Choral Studies at William Jewell College where, under his direction, the Concert Choir was Runner Up (2nd Place) for the 2015 American Prize in Choral Performance, College/University Division. In addition to his responsibilities at William Jewell College, he serves as Director of the Greater Kansas City AGO Schola Cantorum, Conductor Emeritus of the Freelance Ensemble Artists of NJ, a symphony orchestra based in Central NJ and recently was appointed the Michael and Ginger Frost “Artist-in-Residence” at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City. An active composer, Anthony’s choral works are growing in popularity and are published on GIA’s “Evoking Sound” choral series. In the last several years his music has appeared at state and national-level conventions, on TV, in video games, and has been recorded on Gothic Records and Centaur Records. In 2014 and 2015, Anthony was honored as a Semi- Finalist and Finalist (respectively) for the American Prize in Composition, Professional Choral Division and was recently awarded the 2016-2017 William Jewell College Spencer Family Sabbatical, a year-long fully funded sabbatical in order to compose two new large-scale works for choir, soloists and chamber orchestra. Anthony has also been commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for a new work to premiere at the AGO National Conference to be held in Kansas City in 2018. Anthony has made numerous guest conducting/clinician appearances and has prepared ensembles for such esteemed conductors as James Conlon, James Jordan, David Newman, Donald Neuen, and Alex Treger. Ensembles under his leadership have performed nationally and internationally at renowned concert venues including Disney Hall in Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Links William Jewell Music Tony’s Facebook Tony’s Twitter Support the show on

Sermon delivered by UTUUC member Christine Steyer on July 3, 2016. Soprano Christine Steyer was a recent winner of six national awards, including The American Prize in Art Song and The Johnny Mercer Award. Christine received critical acclaim for her operatic portrayals of the Marschallin from Der Rosenkavalier, the title role in Madama Butterfly and Violetta in La Traviata. She has performed roles with Lyric Opera of Chicago in Street Scene, Sweeney Todd, Cunning Little Vixen and Manon Lescaut. Her recent concert engagements include the Poulenc Gloria, the Brahms Requiem and Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s 9th, Rossini’s Petite Mass and Mendelssohn’s Cantata 42. A frequent recitalist, Christine sang concerts of Russian and American music with pianist Philip Morehead. Christine Steyer is the artistic director of Bellissima Opera and is currently heading The Transcendence Triptych project – an operatic celebration of individuals who transcended the racial divide. Christine's sermon is preceded by a reading given by Sybil Madison-Boyd and a reflection by Rich Pokorny. Maureen Kwiat Meshenberg tells about the final of the 3 operas in the Transcendence Triptych which is one created by students. Paul Geiger presents additional information about The Transcendence Triptych project. The theme for July is how to take a path of growth. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections on our website.

Celebrated for his innovative programming and exciting performances, conductor David Leibowitz has achieved international acclaim for his work on the concert, opera, and ballet stage. Mr. Leibowitz is the Music Director/Conductor and founder of the award-winning New York Repertory Orchestra. Some recent highlights of his tenure there have been a fully staged production of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio and a landmark performance of Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 3. As an avid fan and champion of today’s music he has commissioned, worked with, and performed local and world premieres by some of today’s most important composers; such as Paul Moravec, Lowell Liebermann, Harold Farberman, Stephen Dembski, John Schwabe, Salvador Brotons, Michael Shapiro, and Steven Rosenhaus. From 2003-2013, Mr. Leibowitz held the post of Principal Conductor with the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra and has recently been guest conductor of the New York Opera Exchange, conducting performances of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, and Verdi’s La Traviata. He is currently on the conducting faculty of the Westchester Summer Vocal Institute and the International Opera Institute at the Maud Powell Music Festival. For many years, Mr. Leibowitz was on the conducting staff of the Rome Festival Opera (Italy), leading opera, ballet, and concert performances, and was the Orchestra Director of the Siena (Italy) Summer Music Festival. in 2012 he led the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Orchestra and Chorus in a critically acclaimed performance of the Mozart Requiem. Throughout the United States and Europe, he has directed such ensembles as the Pleven Philharmonic (Bulgaria), the Orchester Pro Arte (Vienna), Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Bach Festival Orchestra (Princeton, NJ), and the University of Wyoming (Laramie) Symphony Orchestra. In the New York City area, he has conducted the Astoria Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Greenwich Village Orchestra, Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, Centre Symphony Orchestra, New York Festival Singers, Litha Orchestra, and the Music at St. Paul’s Series at Columbia University. He has also worked with the Dance Theater of Harlem. A dedicated music educator, Mr. Leibowitz conducted the Third Street Philharmonia at the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City from 2003-2006 and from 2009-2012 he was the Orchestra Director at the City College of New York. He has worked as a conductor and coach with many other student and youth orchestras, including the the orchestras of Brooklyn College, the InterSchools Orchestra of New York, and the Gemini Youth Orchestra. In 2011, Mr. Leibowitz was an award-winner of the American Prize in Orchestral Conducting and the American Prize in Orchestral Programming. He was given the “Gift to New York City” award from the Omega Ensemble of New York for his ongoing contributions to the musical life of New York City and is on the Board of Directors of the Conductors Guild, an international service organization of over 2,000 members, devoted to the advancement of the art of conducting and to serving the artistic and professional needs of conductors. Mr. Leibowitz received his Master of Arts degree in Performance Practice, Summa Cum Laude, from the City University of New York’s Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College. His main studies were in performance, musicology, and composition. He was awarded a teaching fellowship and was named a Presidential Scholar of the University. OUTRO MUSIC: Dimitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10, mvt. 2, performed by the New York Repertory Orchestra, conducted by David Leibowitz, Oct. 18, 2014

Nov. 4, 2013. 826 National is the recipient of the American Prize, one of three 2013 Library of Congress Literacy Awards. Speaker Biography: Gerald Richards is CEO of 826 National, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students, ages 6-18, with expository and creative writing. For transcript, captions and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6149