Orchestra at WSU
Newsletter of the String Program at Winona State University
Fall 2007
Dear Colleagues;
I hope that you are all well, and that your year is getting off to a great start!
This is the first-ever “issue” of what I would like to be an on-going project. It is my hope that this newsletter will inform teachers and students of happenings in the string area here at WSU, as well as around the region. Please contact me with any newsworthy events for future editions, or with suggestions for improvement. You can reach me by telephone at 507.457.5254, or by email at pvance@winona.edu.
Violin/Viola News
The Department of Music is happy to welcome Karin Boyce to our faculty. Ms. Boyce received her BA in Music and German from Luther College, and a MM in violin performance from the University of Texas at Austin. Karin has been on the faculty of MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis since 1998, where she holds the positions of Crescendo Program Coordinator, Lead Access Site Teacher for the White Bear Lake location, and Violin Coordinator for the MacPhail/Whittier piano and violin program. In addition, she maintains a private studio of over 30 students, teaches numerous violin classes and works with other MacPhail Community Partnerships. Karin is an active freelancer around the Twin Cities area, primarily with her group Sonori Colori.
Cello/Bass News
WSU Cello Professor Paul Vance was on sabbatical leave during the 2006-2007 academic year to study the three Suites for solo cello by Benjamin Britten. These challenging pieces were composed for the late Russian virtuoso, Mstislav Rostropovich, and represent something of a Mt. Everest to the cellist because of their technical and musical difficulties. Dr. Vance was able to study these works with University of Minnesota School of Music Professor Tanya Remenikova, a former pupil of Rostropovich’s at the Moscow Conservatory of Music.
To bring his sabbatical project to a conclusion, Dr. Vance will perform the Britten Suites in a series of recitals to be given over the course of the next eighteen months. The programs and performance dates of these recitals are as follows:
October 2, 2007: Domenico Gabrielli Ricercar No. 3, Robert Muczynski Gallery Suite, Benjamin Britten Suite No. 1.
March 25, 2008: J.S. Bach Suite No. 5, Britten Suite No. 2
February 3, 2009: William Bolcom Suite in C Minor, Britten Suite No. 3, John Tavener Threnos
Each of these performances will take place in the PAC Recital hall on the WSU campus. The recitals begin at 7:30 P.M.
New Students
WSU welcomes new music majors Alex Meine and Jeremy Marquez (violin); Brittany Torkelson (viola); Erik Dittmann and Brianna McDonough (cello); and Katie Leitschuh (double bass). Welcome also to Ben Kirkwold (cello), a chemistry major who is pursuing a minor in music. Have a great first year!
Winona Symphony Orchestra 2007-2008 Season
The Winona Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1907, and gave its first concert on April 29, 1908. On April 18, 2008 we will observe the centenary of this historic event and Winona State University’s Sesquicentennial with a gala concert which will include all the music performed on the Winona Symphony’s inaugural concert. Also on the program that evening will be a fanfare composed by WSO founder Carl Ruggles, and the premiere performance of a new work by internationally renowned composer Libby Larsen. Please join us this season for an exciting array of great music, and for a celebration of Winona’s rich history!
Subscription Concerts:
Saturday, October 27, 7:30 p.m., PAC Main Stage
Zoe Shepherd, flute soloist and James Hoch, clarinet soloist
Edward Elgar: Serenade, Op. 20
Franz Danzi: Sinfonia Concertante for flute, clarinet and orchestra
William Grant Still: Serenade
Antonin Dvorak: Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, Nos. 5. 6 & 8
Saturday, December 8, 7:30 p.m., PAC Main Stage
Suzanne Rhodes Draayer, soprano soloist
Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 8 (“Christmas Concerto”)
Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate
Victor Hely-Hutchinson: A Carol Symphony
Sunday, February 24, 4:30 p.m., PAC Main Stage
Eric Brisson, piano soloist
Benjamin Britten: A Simple Symphony
W. A. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 8
Friday, April 18, 7:30 p.m. PAC Main Stage
Libby Larsen, Guest Composer
Carl Ruggles: Angels
Charles Gounod: Prelude to Faust
Ethelbert Nevin: Un Giorno in Venezia
Georges Bizet: Micaela’s Aria from Carmen
Henry F. Gilbert: Negro Episode
Pietro Mascagni: Prelude and Siciliana from Cavalleria Rusticana
Libby Larsen: Commissioned work by Winona State University in observance of their Sesquicentennial, and Winona Symphony Orchestra’s Centennial.
Pre-concert talks with Music Director Paul Vance begin thirty minutes prior to the start of each performance. Please call Hardt’s Music in Winona (507.452.2712) for ticket information.
WSU Chamber Orchestra
This year there are over thirty students participating in WSU Chamber Orchestra, an autonomous student ensemble. The Chamber Orchestra will be performing a concert on Sunday, December 9 at 2:00 P.M. in the PAC Main Stage Auditorium. This concert will include music by Handel, Gossec, and William Grant Still.
Wisconsin Cello Society Cello Day and Competition
The Wisconsin Cello Society Cello Day and Solo Competition is taking place on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Peck School of the Arts, Sunday, October 21, 2007.
Scott Cook, cello faculty at the String Academy of Wisconsin and cello pedagogy faculty at UWM is the host of this event. Bring your cello and have fun playing with other cellists in the area as part of what we hope to be a huge Cello Ensemble. The Ensemble will be performing at the Gala Concert at the end of the day. Music for the ensemble will be sent to you if you register early. It would be great fun if everyone participated in the Cello Ensemble.
If you are interested in participation in a cello masterclass to be given that afternoon, please contact Scott Cook at: sacook@uwm.edu Please include your planned repertoire. Enrollment in the classes is limited to the earliest applicants!
Participation in the Cello Day is free.
On behalf of my fellow WCS Board Members, we hope you have this date on your calendar and plan to attend!
MNSOTA Fall Clinic and Luncheon
The MNSOTA Fall Clinic and Luncheon will be held on Thursday, October 18 at Mounds View Senior High School. This year’s clinician will be world-renowned string pedagogue Phyllis Young. Prof. Young will discuss and demonstrate her use of mental imagery in string teaching. You won’t want to miss an opportunity to learn from this informative, engaging musician!
Cost for attending this event is $25 for MNSOTA members, and $35 for non-members. Registration for the event begins at 8:30 A.M. on October 18, and Phyllis Young’s Workshop starts at 9:00.
Please visit the MNSOTA website at www.MNSOTA.org for a reservation form, or for more information.
Scholarship Auditions at WSU
Scholarship auditions for prospective students intending to enroll at WSU for the 2008-2009 academic year will be held on Friday, February 1 and Saturday, February 2, 2008. Students who wish to be considered for scholarship award are encouraged to prepare two contrasting (in terms of style/tempo) pieces or movements for their auditions. Please contact Ms. Pat Young at 507.457.5250, or via email at pyoung@winona.edu.
The Agnes Bard Scholarship
In addition to our Fine and Performance scholarships awards, we will be offering the Agnes Bard scholarship to one violinist and one cellist for the 2008-09 academic year. These scholarships are for up to $2,000 per year, and are renewable for up to four years. Students interested in the Bard Scholarship should contact Dr. Vance as soon as possible. Audition requirements for this award are the same as those listed above.
Thank You!
Finally, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Natalie Filipovich, who taught violin and viola at WSU from 1996 until this last spring. Natalie has decided to move on from WSU, and we wish her well in her new endeavors. You were a great help to me in building a truly collegiate string program here, Natalie, and you will be missed (well, professionally – we are still married, after all!).
Best wishes to everyone, and have a great year!
Cordially,
Paul Vance
WSU Professor of Cello and Director of Orchestral Activities
Last Modified: Sunday, September 30, 2007 19:11 by Eric Brisson