The halls of the Westbrook Music Building are once again busy and our faculty, staff, students and alumni are all doing amazing things! Read about them here:
Wortmann places third at NATS 2019 National Student Auditions; Alum Johnson places too
The final round of the NATS 2019 National Student Auditions (NSA) was held in June and Glenn Korff School of Music’s Ryan Wortmann finished in third place! Alum Kate Johnson finished in third place in her category as well.
The NSA semifinal and final rounds were held on Thursday and Friday, June 27 and 28, 2019, at St. Olaf College, which also served concurrently as the venue for the NATS National Summer Workshop. More than $35,000 in prizes were awarded to our winners, who were officially announced to a capacity audience of teachers, collaborative pianists, parents, friends and family members. Nearly 180 of the top young vocalists from across North America participated in the semifinal round.
In the Category 8 - Lower College/Independent Studio Men -- 3rd Place, Ryan Wortmann, West Central Region, Student of Jamie Reimer in the Glenn Korff School of Music
In the Category 13 - Advanced College/Independent Studio Women -- 3rd Place, Kathleen Johnson, West Central Region, Student of Kate Butler, who is an alum of the GKSOM.
Runkun Li
During the end of July, I attended the 2019 Lanzhou International Clarinet and Saxophone Festival (Lanzhou, China). This is a festival where are professionals and students in the industry come together to interact, share ideas, and make music together. All experts are from 11 countries and regions. Most of them are internationally well-known musicians such as Ricardo Morales (Principal Clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra), Corrado Giuffredi (Principal Clarinetist of Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana) and Jean-Yves Chevalier (Saxophonist Professor of Conservatoire à rayonnement régional d'Angers) etc.
I was also formally invited as a professional saxophonist to participate as one of their clinicians and to perform in the all-star big band concert and jazz night concert. All events of this festival were held by Northwest Minzu University from July 24th to July 29th, 2019.
On the other hand, I went to Sichuan Conservatory of the Music and Shenyang Conservatory of the Music to have two recitals and have three master classes there during the middle of June.
Totally, all musical activities were successful in China. Professors, students, and friends all gave me very positive responses. As a UNL Music School student, I introduced UNL music school and Hixson-Lied College Fine and Performing Arts and let them know about my professors Dr. Paul Haar (Saxophone Performance) and professor Tom Larson (Jazz Composition as my minor). My China tour was reported many news media, such as China News, Sina News, and Dalian Daily News etc.
News articles about Runkun Li:
http://www.xj.chinanews.com/huawen/2019-07-11/detail-ifzkzyaw4813450.shtml
http://szb.dlxww.com/dlrb/html/2019-07/15/content_1514235.htm?div=0
Alumni, Where are they now?
Updates with our Alumni:
Richard Fountain, Master of Music (Piano Performance); Doctor of Musical Arts (Piano Performance), Professor of Piano, Wayland Baptist University - Plainview, TX; Principal Keyboard, Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra; Principal Keyboard, Lubbock Symphony Orchestra
Matt Hill, DMA Choral Conducting, Director of Choral Activities, Peru State College Artistic/Executive Director, Sing Omaha
Brian Jeffers, Bachelor of Music, Freelance Opera Singer and Music Library Assistant, New York City, New York
Nicholas A. Kenney, MM & DMA, Associate Professor of Horn/Assistant Director of Bands at Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO (Newly promoted and tenured!)
Dr. Janka Krajciova, DMA Piano Performance, Currently teaching students of all levels and ages at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. Also serving as a collaborative pianist, church musician, and adjudicator in the Omaha area.
Anne Madison, BM in Piano, Chair of the Piano Department at Omaha Conservatory of Music
Nicholas Raimondi, Music Education, Band teacher at Hopkins North Junior High in Hopkins, MN
Leah Stevens, Master of Music, New World Symphony Flute Fellow, Miami Beach, FL (starting September 2019)
Nathaniel Sullivan, BM in Vocal Performance, Currently located in New York City. I'm freelancing as a singer, doing mostly oratorio and chamber music at the moment. I also work as Director of Operations for Resonant Bodies Festival, a contemporary/experimental vocal music festival that's based in NYC.
Welcome Back CMB!
It's great to have you back on campus Cornhusker Marching Band!
UNL Harp Department News
In September 2019, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music faculty and students are very pleased to have the opportunity to perform in "Harptacular".
Harptacular is a regional harp event taking place in Omaha, NE at the Omaha Conservatory of Music, 7023 Cass Street. This harp-filled weekend is sponsored by Lyon and Healy Harps of Chicago.
Friday, September 13, 7:00 p.m.
For the Harptacular opening recital, GKSOM faculty member Mary Bircher will be joined by UNL guest artist Elizabeth Richter to perform works by French composers Desire Emile Inghelbrecht, Marcel Tournier and Claude Debussy. Bircher and Richter's performance will feature a lovely two harp transcription of Debussy's Clair de Lune.
Saturday, September 14, 10:00 a.m.
Glenn Korff School of Music harp students Kelly Callahan and Sarah Brady will perform in a masterclass, featuring small ensembles. Sarah will be joined by UNL flute player Arden Fechtmeister; Kelly , Sarah and UNL freshman Susannah Karpov will collaborate as the UNL Harp Trio.
The UNL ensembles will be coached by Harptacular guest artists Duo Scorpio
http://www.duoscorpio.com
Sunday, September 14, 10:00 a.m.
Glenn Korff School of Music harpists Kelly Callahan, Sarah Brady and Susannah Karpov will perform in the Harptacular Student Showcase.
All Harptacular events are free but registration is required.
For more information, please visit www.lyonhealy.com/harptacular
Tom Larson and Susumu Watanabe
Faculty member Tom Larson and Graduate Student Susumu Watanabe recently returned from the TLG/TBAO Tour 2019.
June 11: Lecture and master class at National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan
June 14: Lecture and master class at Tokai University, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan
June 19: Tom Larson Group Performance at Into The Blue, Machida-shi, Tokyo
June 20: Tom Larson Group Recording Session at Studio Dede, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
June 21: Tokyo Brass Art Orchestra Concert I at Wako University Potpourri Hall, Machida-shi, Tokyo
June 22: Tokyo Brass Art Orchestra Concert II at Roppongi CLAPS, Minato-Ku, Tokyo
June 23: Tokyo Brass Art Orchestra Concert III at Studio Wuu, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba
National Association of the Teachers of Singing's National Student Auditions
Five Glenn Korff School of Music-affiliated students were named one of the top 14 voices in the nation in their age and level of training category in the National Association of the Teachers of Singing's National Student Auditions. The live national competition will host finals at St. Olaf College in Minnesota on June 27 & 28th.
Korff School-affiliated students:
Ryan Wortmann, student of Jamie Reimer
Jacob Thomas, student of Alisa Belflower
alum–Kathleen Johnson, student of Kate Butler
alum–Krista Lawrence, student of Alisa Belflower
Trey Meyer, student of Alisa Belflower
Greg Simon
With the generous support of a grant from NU’s Office of Global Strategies, I was able to spend two weeks in Chile researching protest music by Chilean artists of the 1960s and 70s, wildly influential to this day on musicians around the globe. I’ll use this research to develop lessons and teaching materials for a new course I’ll be teaching in Spring 2021, “Music and Protest in Latin America.”
I began my trip in Valparaíso, on the central coast. During my time their, I studied the city’s vibrant tradition of street art; examined the work of Lukas, an influential Chilean political writer and cartoonist; and spoke with Chilean singer and poet Claudio Lazcano about “cueca,” the Chilean folk music tradition that inspired many singers and songwriters of the 60s and 70s.
In Santiago, Chile’s largest city and home to the most significant protest music movement, I visited the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (Museum of Remembrance and Human Rights) to learn more about Chile’s tumultuous political history. I spent two days in the museum, examining artifacts and visiting the archives; my conversations with the Museum’s incredible team of archivists are ongoing. I also spent time in the Chilean National Library (Biblioteca Nacional), reading and examining their music collection. A highlight of my time in Santiago was a two-hour conversation with Rodrigo Torres Alvarado, Professor of Music and Music History at the University of Chile. Prof. Torres and I discussed Chile’s musical past and the way its cultural landscape has shifted, as well as how present-day Chileans perceive the country’s protest tradition.
My free time in Santiago was spent visiting my Chilean family, browsing bookstores for new reading and Chilean poetry, and enjoying incredible wine, seafood, and empanadas.
Upcoming China Travel
The Glenn Korff School of Music is pleased to announce that a delegation of faculty and students will be traveling to China, June 10-20, 2019. Lead by Dr. Paul Haar, Associate Professor of Saxophone, Jazz Studies, this octet will perform and teach at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, Beijing Contemporary Music Academy, Beijing, Capital and the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
The ensemble consists of Dr. Paul Haar-Saxophone, Runkun Li (DMA Jazz Studies)-Saxophone, Christopher Leach (DMA Jazz Studies)-Trombone, Christian Chesanek (DMA Jazz Studies)-Bass, Malachi Million (DMA Jazz Studies)-Guitar, Seth Fromal (DMA Jazz Studies)-Piano, Kyle Granville (DMA Jazz Studies)-Trumpet, and Andrew Wray (Junior BME)-Drums
