Potter, Ruiz, Wychulis featured in faculty recital Feb. 12
calendar icon01 Feb 2024
Lincoln, Neb.—Glenn Korff School of Music faculty members Clark Potter, viola; Sergio Ruiz, piano; and Katie Wychulis, harp, will present a faculty recital on Monday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Westbrook Music Building Rm. 119.
The concert is free and open to the public. It will also be live webcast. Visit https://music.unl.edu/webcasts the day of the performance for the link.
“Sergio and I are playing two pieces by Amanda Harberg, an American composer/pianist born in 1973 and a colleague of Sergio’s at the Interlochen Summer Academy, where they are both on the faculty,” Potter said. “Those two pieces are ‘Prayer’ for viola and piano and ‘Philadelphia Suite,’ a five-movement piece for the same combination. The movement titles of the Suite are provocative, I think—Firely Prelude, Close Call, Memory, Kingfisher and Urban Hootenanny. In this Suite, she uses influences from all kinds of places—folk, funk, jazz and more modern elements. Her music is, at points, really fun, while at other points, she creates a beautiful, dreamy sound with fascinating rhythms that will take the listener to beautiful places.”
Ruiz had the opportunity to work with Harberg at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Her work has been presented in major venues all over the world, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Verizon Hall, Symphony Center, the Newport Music Festival, the Moab Music Festival and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Published by Theodore Presser Co., Harberg's work has garnered awards such as a Fulbright Hays Fellowship, Juilliard's Peter Mennin Prize, two New Jersey Council on the Arts Fellowships, a New York State Council on the Arts Fellowship, nine NFA Newly Published Music Awards, and a MacDowell Colony summer residency.
“I had the remarkable experience to meet and work with composer Dr. Amanda Harberg at Interlochen Center for the Arts (ICA) in Summer 2023, where we were both on faculty,” Ruiz said. “In addition to conversations on composing music and/or teaching, we had many discussions about how to solve technically challenging passages in piano music, because she is also a pianist. Whether it was listening to a large ensemble playing her repertoire at ICA or having the privilege to prepare her music for my upcoming concert, her music is a truly magical experience. It’s no wonder that her music is being performed at places like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.”
Also on the program are arrangements of two of the “12 Spanish Dances” by Spanish composer Enrique Grendados. One will be performed by Ruiz, and the other by Ruiz and Potter. Wychulis will also play a solo harp piece, Carlos Salzedo’s Concert Fantasy on Augustin Lara’s ‘Granada.”
The final piece on the program is a piece by Cuban composer Eduardo Morales Caso.
“Katie and I will play ‘Le Rouge et le Noir,’ a large, one-movement piece for viola and harp,” Potter said.
Potter is Professor of Viola. He is the director of NEBratsche (the UNL Viola ensemble), and he is an active performer as a solo recitalist and chamber musician. He has conducted the Lincoln Youth Symphony since 2007. For more on Potter, visit https://go.unl.edu/cpotter.
Ruiz is Professor of Music in Piano. An international Steinway artist, he has delighted audiences throughout the world. His performances on Spanish-speaking radio broadcasts have aired throughout South and Central America. For more on Ruiz, visit https://go.unl.edu/ruiz.
Wychulis is Lecturer in Harp. An Omaha native, she is principal harp of the Lincoln Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic and Sioux City Symphony. In 2001, she received a Fulbright grant to study contemporary harp performance practices in Australia, where she studied at the Australian National University in Canberra. For more on Wychulis, visit https://go.unl.edu/wychulis.