Strings

Meet Willem Rohwer—2024 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipient

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

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

Kathryn Bistodeau

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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��񱦵�’s Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet celebrates 50 years

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

��񱦵�’s Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet celebrates 50 years Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 09/09/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold + Sabine Kortals Stein

Photo: Ian Malkin, Transversales Verdun

Harumi Rhodes has mixed feelings about observing The Milestone. As second violinist of the world-renowned, Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet, she understands the significance of the group’s founding a half-century ago.

“It’s a monumental moment and we’re approaching it with a sense of awe,” she admits. “I feel humbled. Yet, in another sense, for us it’s business as usual.” Much of that business takes place right here in Boulder.

Joining Rhodes in conversation is first violinist Ed Dusinberre, who’s also her husband. The English-born musician reflects on the group’s remarkable musical journey filled with loss, personnel changes and—most of all—brilliant music making.

“I find myself thinking about all our former quartet members—we wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone today except for them,” says Dusinberre, recalling that the original quartet was formed by students at the Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary, in 1975.

“They were so young, living behind the Iron Curtain, wondering how they could fulfill their musical aspirations worldwide,” he adds.

Hard work and winning prestigious awards in several European competitions led to an American tour in 1982 and—following several U.S.-based short-term residencies—the decision to permanently relocate their families to the United States in 1985-86. Soon after, the players accepted an invitation to become the resident quartet at the ��񱦵�—and they’ve resided here ever since, though not without challenges. Gábor Takács-Nagy stepped down in 1993 and now enjoys a successful career as a conductor and teacher worldwide. The following year, violist Gábor Ormai was diagnosed with cancer and retired, passing away in 1995. The late Roger Tapping succeeded him, leaving to spend time with his family in 2005; in turn, he was succeeded by Geraldine Walther. Upon the retirement of founding second violinist Károly Schranz, Harumi Rhodes joined the quartet in 2018.

As the first new member in 1993, Dusinberre recalls the challenge of being a non-Hungarian. “It was a big adjustment for me, but I appreciated the welcoming, adventurous spirit of the players and the warmth of their collective sound,” he says. “The process was similar when Harumi and then Richard joined”—referring to current violist Richard O’Neill who succeeded Walther in 2020. Grammy-Award winner for Best Classical Instrumental Solo Performance in 2021, O’Neill is only the second person to receive an award for a viola performance in the history of this category.

Today, cellist András Fejér remains the sole original member of the Takács Quartet.

For Rhodes, becoming a member of the Takács was thrilling. “The College of Music is a musical home for us. We feel grateful to be embedded in this university and the community.”

Although the Takács maintain an international touring schedule that takes up about half of their time, the foursome prioritizes time with their students, working in partnership with Meta Weiss, the College of Music’s chamber music coordinator.

It may surprise some audience members who’ve been regulars at sold-out Takács Quartet concerts to learn that the group’s campus connection extends beyond Grusin Music Hall. As Dusinberre notes, their decades-long residency is centered around daily hands-on work with College of Music students.

“Our relationship with the college is the glue that keeps us together,” he stresses. “Our graduate string quartet program inspires us to think about future generations.” This two-year program consists of intense work with a promising ensemble, preparing and guiding the young artists into the demanding world of quartet playing.

“The newest quartet we’re working with is the Michigan-based Koa Quartet,” adds Rhodes. “We’ll listen to their interests and help them to develop a unique musical voice.”

The College of Music’s chamber music program has a long track record of success. The Brisbane, Australia-based Orava Quartet is a good example: Via email, first violinist Daniel Kowalik shared that his group met the Takács at a music festival in Sydney in 2011—at that time, the Orava had been together for five years. They soon came to ��񱦵� to study with the Takács.

“We always worked with one member at a time,” wrote Kowalik. “They rotated, so we had time with each member. I asked lots of questions, from general well-being to dealing with the pressures of performing.”

Today, the Orava Quartet enjoys an active schedule and has been signed by Deutsche Grammophon. Their Boulder experience “really helped launch us into having a career,” Kowalik noted. “Our coachings were invaluable and absolutely essential to learning the craft. Being mentored by the Takács forever changed how I think about and approach music making.”

For many students at the College of Music, a career as a performer isn’t their only goal—and the Takács Quartet is sensitive to that, too. “It’s only partly about making music,” Rhodes emphasizes. “Much of what we focus on when we’re talking with students has to do with how to make a life in music.”

Dusinberre treasures those conversations. “I ask students to identify individual favorite moments in a piece and we explore different ways to heighten those moments. Hopefully they learn about each others’ musical tastes and how to use their individual ideas to shape a unified interpretation.”

When touring and recording sessions wind down, these beloved artists find a special joy in coming home to Boulder, visiting with faculty colleagues, and sharing their knowledge and experience with students. As Rhodes says, “The gritty and beautiful work of a string quartet happens offstage in the rehearsal room. We feel so grateful that—after many decades—this process continues in our home at ��񱦵�.”

The Takács Quartet’s 50^th anniversary season is generously sponsored by Barbara and Chris Christoffersen.

“I find myself thinking about all our former quartet members—we wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone today except for them,” says first violinist Ed Dusinberre. Adds second violinist Harumi Rhodes, “It’s a monumental moment and we’re approaching it with a sense of awe. I feel humbled. Yet, in another sense, for us it’s business as usual.” And much of that business takes place right here in Boulder.

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The (musical) kids are back in town

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

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

Marc Shulgold

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you next year, SPA!

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

Photos: Kathryn Bistodeau, Sphinx Organization

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

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Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/17/2024 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

At the ��񱦵� Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM), students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. Most recently, the ECM awarded $5,820 in artist assistance grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects including:

Josie Arnett

Josie Arnett
“I’m really picky about which pieces I release on streaming platforms because I’m 20 and need to be able to write really bad music … and then release the things that I really love,” says Josie Arnett, an undergraduate composition student.

“Last fall, I got the opportunity to write a saxophone quartet piece for a group that travels all over the United States. I was really happy with the piece and really proud of it, so I reached out to a faculty member who set me up with the ��񱦵� graduate saxophone quartet.”

Sanitas Saxophone Quartet

Working with the Sanitas Saxophone Quartet, College of Music Recording Engineer Kevin Harbison and a mixing artist, Arnett recorded the piece for projected release on streaming platforms this summer. The ECM grant helped pay the artists and distribution fee.

Arnett says she learned a lot about how to interact in a professional recording setting and enjoyed collaborating within the College of Music. “It’s been fun to work with people that have a lot of energy, positive attitudes and are just really excited about what they do,” she shares.

Alice Del Simone
At the end of May, DMA student in voice performance and pedagogy Alice Del Simone was part of a workshop presentation at the Voice Foundation Symposium in Philadelphia titled “Legato Then and Now, Vibrato Edition: A Close-Up of What Happens Between the Pitches in the Classical Bel Canto Tradition.”

“The workshop offered a toolbox of exercises for how to teach the type of legato singing that was happening at the end of the 1800s, beginning of the 1900s when we started to have recordings available,” Del Simone says.

“It was my very first time presenting at a conference where there are often hurdles for a young academic to get an invitation to present. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to work with a group of people who are more prominent in the community than myself.”

During the symposium, Del Simone stayed at the conference hotel, partially funded by her ECM grant.

Zachary Howarth
Zachary Howarth, a DMA student in jazz studies, will go on the road this summer to record music in studios in Reno and South Lake Tahoe. Howarth also hopes to perform this music live in venues across Colorado and Nevada.

The project will involve a contemporary jazz quartet—trumpet, piano, bass, drums—writing and recording the music. The ECM grant will help the project get off the ground by assisting with studio fees, production costs and travel expenses.

“The opportunity to write, record and play music with such high-level artists is invaluable to my collaborative research in compositional tendencies in contemporary jazz mediums and fully improvised music,” Howarth says.

SeaJun Kwon

SeaJun Kwon
SeaJun Kwon, also a DMA student in jazz studies, likes writing compositions that push the boundaries of jazz music including “Avant Shorts”—10 etudes exploring micro tonalities and rhythmic concepts that aren’t commonly used in jazz compositions.

Kwon plans to compose these etudes and begin recording them over the summer, using a microphone setup funded by an ECM grant.

“I thought I’d write a bunch of super short compositions that focus on different ideas to develop myself and provide my community with these resources,” Kwon says.

By keeping them brief, he hopes to make the compositions more accessible and useful for his community.

“People are really busy, there are so many things that you have to do and also so many distractions,” Kwon says. “I think these short compositions put less pressure on people—they can work on them for 10 minutes and still learn from them.”

Er-Hsuan Li with orchestra

Er-Hsuan Li
Er-Hsuan Li graduated from the College of Music in May with a DMA in piano performance. In April, he held a concert featuring the world premiere of John Clay Allen’s “The Stone Harp” concerto for piano and strings along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

“It was a very fun event,” Li says. “Even though it was off-campus, it was really CU that made this possible because that’s how we connected.”

Many ��񱦵� musicians participated including conductor and Associate Director of Orchestras Renee Gilliland, composition alumnus John Clay Allen, Anna Kallinikos—who’s majoring in trumpet performance and minoring in business—and the majority of the 18-member orchestra. The ECM grant assisted Li with compensating the performers and renting the venue.

“I had performed in front of an orchestra only once before when I was a high schooler,” Li recalls. “So it was really special for me that—after 13 years—I got to do this again professionally. And I would like to think that I am a better musician now compared to then!”

Ethan Stahl

Ethan Stahl
When Ethan Stahl discovered Nkeiru Okoye’s music, he knew he’d found something special. “I loved her music so much that I began working on it for one of my degree recitals,” he says. “Eventually, it became evident that I had enough material to create a lecture recital.”

To prepare, Stahl—who’s pursuing a DMA in piano performance—interviewed Okoye about her music. “We talked on the phone for a few hours and in that conversation, she proposed the idea of writing a piece for me to add to one of the sets of piano pieces that I was studying.” The ECM grant helped fund Okoye’s contribution.

Okoye’s music is already part of the American Music Research Center’s Helen Walker-Hill Collection; her upcoming composition will be added to the collection.

“Okoye is extremely novel in the world of piano composition,” Stahl adds. “I’ve never heard piano music that is similar stylistically to hers.”

Natalie Trejo
Artist Diploma student Natalie Trejo competed in the finals for the Austin Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition in April—and the ECM grant helped her get there.

“I submitted the preliminary recordings back in January. From there, they selected three finalists to perform in the live final round in Austin, Texas,” Trejo says. “It went really well. I ended up getting third but I was very happy with how I played and I was not nervous at all.”

Trejo performed Chen Yi’s “Memory” for solo flute and Frank Martin’s “Ballade” for flute and piano.

“I love doing competitions because I get to learn new repertoire, meet new flutists, make connections and get to know the other finalists—it’s very important and humbling, but still encouraging,” Trejo says.

Jonathon Winter
Another spring 2024 graduate, Jonathon Winter—who earned a DMA in violin performance—recorded four pieces to be compiled into an album titled “Origin: Music by Women of the Americas.” The pieces are “ko’u inoa” by Leilehua Lanzilotti, “Scratch the Surface” by Dana Kaufman, “String Poetic” by Jennifer Higdon and “Sueños de Chambi” by Gabriel Lena Frank.

“I picked some fiendishly difficult music to play but it was so worth it,” Winter says. “I learned so much about preparing for recordings and what that actually entails.”

Winter worked with pianist and Postdoctoral Lecturer Barbara Noyes, as well as Kevin Harbison to record all four pieces over the course of seven months. Winter will continue the project over the summer with the goal of finding a label to disseminate the recordings.

Congratulations to all grant recipients and our thanks to this year’s adjudicators: College of Music staff member Kathryn Bistodeau, Music Advisory Board member Laurie Hathorn and University of Denver entrepreneurship faculty member Neil Pollard.

At the ��񱦵� Entrepreneurship Center for Music, students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. This spring, the ECM awarded $5,820 in grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects.

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Graduating DMA student shares College of Music experience, future plans

Anonymous — Thu, 02 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Graduating DMA student shares College of Music experience, future plans Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/02/2024 - 00:00

Adam Goldstein

When Joy Yamaguchi graduates from the ��񱦵�’s College of Music next week with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (violin performance + Music Theory Certificate), the work she started here will continue well beyond her official stint as a student.

“I’m looking forward to further developing the projects I started through my research here at ��񱦵�,” says Yamaguchi. “Completing this degree has helped me realize my strength and solidify my focus as a multifaceted artist.”

Yamaguchi came to ��񱦵� as a doctoral student with credentials as an accomplished teacher, performer and entrepreneur. She started playing violin at age 8 (she describes her musical roots as being a “Suzuki violin kid”), and went on to earn a bachelor’s in music from the University of Minnesota and a master’s from Florida State University.

Our College of Music offered Yamaguchi opportunities to expand her already refined approach as a musician, educator and artist. Thanks in part to the mentorship of top-notch faculty and the availability of top-tier academic resources, Yamaguchi has deepened her connection to music—and to the history of the art form.

Her time at ��񱦵� saw Yamaguchi researching and creating a new edition of two violin sonatas by Nobu Kōda, a Japanese composer of the Meiji era whose works were historically excluded from the classical canon, due in part to the fact that she was a woman.

The DMA program also offered Yamaguchi the chance to create a new curriculum for beginning string students. This curriculum, which focuses on teaching music theory through composition and improvisation, wasn’t just theoretical: Yamaguchi had the chance to put the system into practice with students at El Sistema Colorado.

In addition, Yamaguchi—who’s also the inaugural recipient of the András Szentkirályi Memorial Scholarship—found opportunities to present her research, insights and innovations to an audience beyond our campus. In 2023, she presented during the National American String Teachers Association’s annual conference, specifically detailing research that drew connections between bell hooks’ pedagogical framework and music education.

All of these accomplishments align with the mission that Yamaguchi had in mind when she decided to pursue her doctoral work at ��񱦵�. “I was looking for a program that would allow me to gain hands-on teaching experience and explore my interdisciplinary research interests,” she says.

“I was very fortunate to have a graduate teaching assistantship throughout my degree,” she adds, explaining that the assistantship allowed her to interact firsthand with students, and to learn the ins and outs of the academic world. “I taught lessons to undergraduate and graduate students, assisted with music theory courses and grew my understanding of the inner workings of academia.”

All of this valuable experience is set to pay off in very practical ways. This spring, for example, Yamaguchi will head directly from Boulder to Wisconsin where she’ll manage this year’s Blackbird Creative Lab, a prestigious musical immersion event hosted by Grammy Award-winning musicians—surely only the first of many ways that she’ll carry what she learned at our College of Music into the wider world.

“The DMA challenged me in ways that were expected and unexpected,” she concludes. “Throughout, I’ve been very grateful for the community of teachers and colleagues who have supported me. The relationships I’ve formed at CU will continue.”

Congratulations, Joy—and to all our fantastic 2024 graduates!

When Joy Yamaguchi graduates from our College of Music next week with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, the work she started here will continue. “Completing this degree has helped me realize my strength and solidify my focus as a multifaceted artist,” she shares.

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Louis Saxton named Spring 2024 Outstanding Graduating Senior

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Louis Saxton named Spring 2024 Outstanding Graduating Senior Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/25/2024 - 00:00

Adam Goldstein

Louis Saxton (BM, cello performance) attributes his decision to attend the ��񱦵� College of Music to his first interaction with Associate Professor of Cello David Requiro.

Saxton was still testing the waters at different schools, evaluating where to expand and refine his role as a cellist—a status that began with music lessons at age 4 in his small northern Minnesota hometown. At his first trial lesson with Requiro, the prospective student and the professor made an instant connection. “I knew within minutes of meeting him that I had to go to this school,” Saxton recalls, citing the positive feedback, easy rapport and immediate sense of inspiration he experienced in that initial meeting.

Saxton’s commitment to our college is also rooted in more intangible factors that stood out during his visits to the only non-conservatory option he considered in deciding where to pursue his passions. His choice boiled down to the mood, the culture and the welcome he received immediately before meeting Requiro as he was sitting with his father outside the professor’s door, awaiting that first trial lesson.

“It was pretty evident that I was a high schooler with my dad and several people asked me if I needed help,” Saxton remembers. “I felt a sense of welcome, along with a sense of dedication.”

Over the next four years, the support and discipline of our college community would serve him well.

It was hardly a typical four years for Saxton as an undergraduate: His freshman year was 2020, coinciding with the most intense stretches of pandemic lockdowns. And in 2021, Saxton was on site when shots broke out at the Table Mesa King Soopers; he fled from the tragic violence, only to return the next day to play Bach’s Cello Suite 1 in G Major to offer a degree of healing.

Through all of the challenges, Saxton relied on the spirit of solidarity, strength and kindness that he first experienced here—to great success. Earlier this year, he won the college’s Concerto Competition; in March, he was announced the recipient of the 2024 Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award; and soon thereafter, by faculty vote, he was named the College of Music’s Spring 2024 Outstanding Graduating Senior.

According to Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Enrollment Management Matthew Roeder, “Students are eligible for this College of Music acknowledgment by demonstrating a strong record of scholarship, musicianship, and an emerging record of service and leadership.

“Obviously, Louis has made a strong impression on our faculty who hold a high opinion of his work in the College of Music.”

For Saxton, however, the rewards of his time at ��񱦵� run deeper than accolades. His studies during the worst stretches of the COVID pandemic, for example, offered some unlikely chances to connect with his driving mission as a musician and as an artist. Following the quarantines, his first performance in front of a live audience was a highlight of his undergraduate career.

“It wasn’t even a full house,” he recalls. “That small audience was screaming and shouting and clapping so enthusiastically. It felt like, ‘This is why we do music.’

“Everyone was so excited. And we were so excited to be able to perform. That’s what we’re going to school for. That’s what we’re here to do.”

No doubt, Saxton will bring that same sense of purpose and clarity to the next phases of his musical journey—as a teacher, performer and universal musician.

Congratulations to Louis and all our fantastic graduates in the Class of 2024!

At the College of Music’s commencement ceremony on May 9, we look forward to celebrating the remarkable accomplishments and indelible impact of undergraduate cellist Louis Saxton!

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Meet incoming Assistant Professor of Violin Andrea Segar

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Meet incoming Assistant Professor of Violin Andrea Segar Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/10/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

Photo credit: Mike Lovett

Andrea Segar’s excitement about coming to Colorado to join our College of Music faculty is palpable.

As the first violinist of the renowned Lydian String Quartet in residence at Brandeis University, Segar previously served as a professor in the university’s Department of Music. “It’s been an incredible privilege playing in the Lydian quartet for the past seven years,” she shares. “I will really miss my colleagues and will always be their biggest fan! I’m lucky that I went on this journey with such good and generous people.”

This fall, Segar will join our faculty as an assistant professor of violin. “I am so excited to join an unbelievably talented group of faculty,” she says. She also mentions the students she met while in Boulder for interviews. “I was inspired by the warmth I felt between students and faculty at CU. I thought to myself, ‘This is a place I would love to work.’

“I know from my experience at Brandeis how valuable it can be for students to watch their teachers going through the same process they are. Even though I’ve had more years of experience, I’m still going through the same process of discovery, still reaching for the same artistic ideals and still trying to be a better collaborator.”

Segar brings a welcome combination of experience both in the academic world and in the rarefied world of performance. As she notes, the College of Music has its share of faculty members with similar credentials, including the internationally renowned Takács Quartet in residence. “I first encountered the Takács Quartet as a teenager in a master class at a summer festival,” she recalls, “and hearing them play showed me just how wonderful, dynamic and inspiring quartet-playing could be. I’m thrilled to get to work with them.”

Segar’s primary emphases at ��񱦵� will be teaching and performing. “I love learning about each student and their goals,” she says, “getting a sense of what comes naturally to each of them and what feels difficult, and helping them through the process of taking risks. I’ve always found that teaching is so much more than just helping students learn to play well.

“One of the beautiful things about teaching is that I’m both learning from my students and getting to share the wisdom passed down from my teachers. It’s a privilege to help students figure out their path in the world, support them in their individual work and see them grow.”

In that vein, she turns her attention to the College of Music’s universal musician mission which, she says, “really resonates with me.” She appreciates how the college is “addressing the needs of the students as whole people—both personally and professionally—and I’m very excited to contribute to that.” Segar expresses the hope that College of Music students graduate “with the skills and passion to not only make beautiful music, but to use music as a force for good in the world.”

Welcome!

As the first violinist of the renowned Lydian String Quartet in residence at Brandeis University, Segar previously served as a professor in the university’s Department of Music.

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Meet 2024 Presser Scholar Louis Saxton

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Meet 2024 Presser Scholar Louis Saxton Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/07/2024 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

For senior Louis Saxton, the decision to go into music and the decision to come to ��񱦵� was made the same way—by the inspiration of a teacher.

“I chose to pursue music because I had a really amazing teacher as a kid. She taught me from age 4 until probably 14 or 15, and she is the reason that I love music,” says Saxton, who’s pursuing a Bachelor of Music in cello performance. “Getting to see how infectious her love of music was, I thought, I want to do that.”

When it was time to pick a school for his undergraduate degree, Saxton explains, “It was evident after five or six minutes in my trial lesson with [Associate Professor of Cello] David Requiro, it was a really quick connection. He has a good way of giving constructive feedback in a manner that’s uplifting and isn’t just smacking you down for playing out of tune.”

Saxton is the College of Music’s 2024 Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award recipient. The $3,000 award goes to an undergraduate music major at the end of their final year of study, chosen by faculty vote. Award recipients demonstrate a high level of musical and academic excellence, leadership and impact through formal or informal roles in the College of Music, ��񱦵� and our community, and will have advanced equity and inclusion values and priorities.

“It’s a big honor,” continues Saxton, who was also awarded first prize in the College of Music’s Concerto Competition in February. “It’s really flattering to know that the faculty have noticed my exuberance, we’ll call it. I’ve tried really hard to get to know a lot of the different professors and I’ve been really lucky to get to work with them. It’s nice and it’s humbling to get recognition for that.”

A couple of College of Music faculty members who made a particular impression on Saxton are Associate Professor of Viola Erika Eckert and Assistant Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky.

“Erika seems to offer help to anyone in the entire College of Music. I’ve gotten coachings from her and every one of them has been so wonderful,” Saxton says. “And Annika Socolofsky’s Instrument Design Lab class was so amazing because I think that all music majors, especially in classical music, tend to have this very rigid idea of what you have to do to be a musician, how you need to compose, how you need to perform.

“Her class was eye-opening to the possibilities behind all different kinds of music and new music, and the fact that we need experimentation even when it goes horribly wrong.”

After graduating in May, Saxton will take a gap year, teaching cello students, working, gigging and preparing for future auditions. He hopes that his pursuits will lead him to a career that combines his love of teaching and performing.

“I think it would be really fun to be a part of a university music program that is really strong and brings in excited students,” he adds. “I would love to keep teaching because I had such good teachers.

“I feel so lucky that I’ve had teachers who have lifted me up and inspired me. Like David, I got to see him play with the Boulder Philharmonic and it was bonkers—I want to be that teacher for somebody, too. They see you perform and they feel inspired.”

Louis Saxton (BM ’24) has been named the College of Music’s 2024 Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award recipient. Discover Saxton’s inspiration, journey and experience at ��񱦵�!

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2024 Concerto Competition winners announced

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

2024 Concerto Competition winners announced Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/29/2024 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

A highly anticipated event at the College of Music, our annual Concerto Competition showcases the talents and hard work of our undergraduate and graduate students. On Feb. 25, two students were awarded first prize in their respective divisions: Undergraduate cellist Louis Saxton (BM ’24) and graduate violinist Rinat Erlichman (AD ’25). As competition winners, they’ve earned the opportunity to perform with the ��񱦵� Symphony Orchestra next season.

Undergraduate competition winner
Senior cellist Louis Saxton performed Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque for Violoncello and Orchestra accompanied by Teaching Assistant Professor Hsiao-Ling Lin. Saxton studies with Associate Professor of Cello David Requiro.

“Making the finals last year was so thrilling and winning this year’s competition is an absolute honor and privilege,” shares Saxton. “I’m so excited to get to perform with such amazing conductors and performers next season!

“I have felt enormously supported by the College of Music, my cello professor and the entire string department,” he adds. “I am so grateful to have experienced many classroom performances and incredibly constructive and positive feedback on my performances over my years at ��񱦵�.

“I am very much looking forward to taking a gap year post-graduation this May. I have loved every bit of my time at ��񱦵� and am excited to take a year off to re-invigor my love of all things academia and furthering my education. I aspire to participate in a top tier string quartet fellowship in the next few years and to pursue at least a master’s degree in cello performance.”

Graduate competition winner
Rinat Erlichman performed Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47, accompanied by Postdoctoral Lecturer Barbara Noyes. Erlichman studies with Takács Quartet violinists Harumi Rhodes and Edward Dusinberre.

“I am incredibly thankful to my teachers for their support, guidance and artistry,” says Erlichman. “I am grateful and excited to play the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the ��񱦵� Symphony Orchestra and looking forward to many more concerts here in Boulder.”

Erlichman’s success in the Concerto Competition follows her first-prize triumph in the 2023-2024 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition.

Big thanks to our faculty adjudicators—Gary Lewis, Nicholas Carthy and Matt Dockendorf—and congratulations to all participating student competitors and collaborative pianists, and to those who advanced to the final round:

Undergraduate competition

Louis Saxton, cello
Corvina Graham, flute (honorable mention)
Anna Kallinikos, trumpet
Luke Lozano, piano
Joshua Vance, saxophone

Graduate competition

Rinat Erlichman, violin
Maggie Brady, violin
Michael Brotherton, trumpet
Kristina Butler, soprano
Allyson Kreider, flute
Rebecca Ortiz, trumpet

To enjoy the winners’ performances in the fall, visit cupresents.org for details.

On Feb. 25, undergraduate cellist Louis Saxton and graduate violinist Rinat Erlichman were awarded first prizes in the College of Music’s annual Concerto Competition. Congratulations to all participating students and collaborative pianists!

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Alumnus Dylan Fixmer—composer with a cause

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Alumnus Dylan Fixmer—composer with a cause Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/29/2023 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

Not one to mince words, College of Music alumnus Dylan Fixmer gets right to the point: “I want music to have a purpose,” he says. But finding his purpose didn’t come right away.

Fixmer earned a bachelor’s degree in music education in 2010 and went straight into teaching. Which was fine. Still, he admits, “I’d been composing my whole life. I was always noodling on some sort of piece.

“Five years ago, my mom showed my wife [alumna Sarah Off] and me a song I’d written many years ago. I guess I’ve always been a composer.”

But first things first: With an undergrad diploma from ��񱦵� in hand, he spent a decade teaching in small Colorado towns such as Hotchkiss and Rifle, also serving as a counselor at the YMCA of the Rockies. Along the way, he earned a master’s in music education from Indiana University. Truth be told, Fixmer got his biggest kick out of time spent in Hotchkiss, population 875.

“I put together a little 8^th-grade jazz band,” he reminisces, somehow managing to keep a straight face as he listed the instrumentation: “We had two tubas, a bass clarinet and drums. I played piano and there were some other instruments. But the best part was, they played my compositions.”

Are we starting to see a pattern here? Fixmer, 35, recalls that, yes, while pursuing his degree at our College of Music, he studied composition and theory with noted Professor of Composition Carter Pann. Even as he pursued his graduate degree in music education and found work in the classroom, life as a composer continued to beckon. “I was always going through textbooks on composing,” says Fixmer, exemplifying the college’s universal musician mission. “I wanted to expand my vocabulary.”

And so it came to pass, in a big and meaningful way. Fixmer not only found life as a composer, but he found a way of writing music with a purpose. “I’m not sure I’d ever want to write a piece of absolute music,” he admits, referring to a composition that is simply a collection of melodies with no storyline or subtext. Instead, Fixmer creates for a reason.

Consider his Violin Concerto, premiered by the Greeley Philharmonic in September 2022—in partnership with the Greeley Family House and other homelessness assistance organizations to increase support for the unhoused. This work has such an extraordinary backstory that it deserves a movie treatment. Off performed the premiere on an instrument once owned by Terri Sternberg—an accomplished musician who had fallen on hard times, became homeless and died in 2013. Learning her story propelled Fixmer to create a heartfelt concerto that generated critical raves, a radio broadcast on Colorado Public Radio and eventually helped bring attention to the cause of homelessness as far away as London and Paris.

His deep concern about people goes beyond writing a thoughtful piece of music, he stresses. “In Greeley, I’m on a homelessness task force. That’s part of my desire in identifying topics to write about—ones that focus on human connections.”

Those connections now include some of Fixmer’s neighbors in Northern Colorado. Recently, another of his orchestral works was premiered by the Greeley Philharmonic where he now serves as composer-in-residence and where he’s created an impactful education outreach program. His “Seven Symphonic Portraits: A Weld County Reflection”—commissioned by the Greeley Philharmonic and the Weld Community Foundation—was unveiled in October at the Union Colony Civic Center. “It’s for the people of Weld County,” he says, “to describe the experience of living here, of what brings people to this county.”

There’s not enough space to cover all that the JW Pepper Editor’s Choice Award recipient has to offer. No space to discuss his children’s Spanish-language opera, “Clara y los Cuarto Caminos” (“Clara and the Four Ways”). Nor to get around to his side career in a guitar-fiddle duo with his wife, appearing at folk festivals playing bluegrass and traditional foot-tapping Irish tunes. No time to write about a commissioned work aimed at increasing interest in mental illness.

Once again, Fixmer—with recent commissions and premieres under his belt from UC Health, Opera Guanajuato and the Crested Butte Music Festival, among others—doesn’t mince words. “I don’t want to be typecast,” he says.

Alumnus Dylan Fixmer’s variegated and prolific career aims to inspire empathy and advance community engagement.

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Strings

Meet Willem Rohwer—2024 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipient

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���񱦵�’s Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet celebrates 50 years

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The (musical) kids are back in town

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Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients

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Graduating DMA student shares College of Music experience, future plans

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Louis Saxton named Spring 2024 Outstanding Graduating Senior

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Meet incoming Assistant Professor of Violin Andrea Segar

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Meet 2024 Presser Scholar Louis Saxton

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2024 Concerto Competition winners announced

Undergraduate competition

Graduate competition

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Alumnus Dylan Fixmer—composer with a cause

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��񱦵�’s Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet celebrates 50 years