Master class

Christine Brewer taught her usual Fall-term master class on Tuesday this week.  Seven advanced students performed for and worked with her.  These sessions are always a delight!

Voice students with Christine Brewer, September 2011.

Panel discussion

Last evening, Christine Brewer joined in a panel discussion with two local arts executives.  Laughter flowed like water, and the students and faculty left both informed and energized.

Topics ranged from young artist programs to career preparation to audition horror stories.

The two arts execs were Bret Dorhout, Vice President for Artistic Administration for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Paul Kilmer, Director of Artistic Administration for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.  Christine has performed with both groups, and had insights to share about their different approaches and the varying relationships of singers to opera and symphonic literature.

Here are a couple of photos:

Jenn Johnson

Jennifer Johnson Cano, a 2006 Webster alum, returned home this weekend for her second solo recital on campus.

And what a recital it was!

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With her husband Christopher at the piano, Jennifer sang Elgar’s Sea Pictures and Dvorak’s Gypsy Songs, Op. 55, along with an aria from Porpora’s Polifemo and and aria from La clemenza di Tito.

Students at intermission were saying things like “I’ll never sing again, after hearing something that wonderful.”  I know they weren’t meaning that literally, but the simple act of hearing a recent alum – one less than six years out of her undergrad program – sing so fabulously was a thrilling and slightly reality-check event.

I was personally very glad to hear the Elgar, as I taught those songs years ago to Nancy White, and of course love Elgar, but had never heard the entire set in one sitting.  I’m hoping that Jennifer is thinking about doing Gerontius one of these days; she’ll be a great voice for that oratorio by Elgar.

Jenn and Chris greeted friends after the recital, and patiently stood for photos and hugs.

We’re awfully proud of this one!

Jenn and Chris spoke to students and faculty on Saturday about the singer’s life, life in NYC, and working at the Met.

 

Seminars

Sent to students today…..

Jennifer Johnson Cano, a 2006 alum, is presenting a guest voice recital on Friday evening at 7.30 in the CMS concert hall.  She is then speaking for 90 minutes on Saturday at 1.30 pm in CMS 10.  She’s a major rising star with some impressive NYC performances in the past year.  She now on the artist roster at the Met.  And she started here as a music education major.  You should hear what she has to say.

On Monday, world-renowned soprano (and Webster University Visiting Artist in Residence) Christine Brewer is speaking at 730 pm in the music building recital hall.  She’ll be joined by the Directors of Artistic Administration for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Saint Louis Symphony in a panel discussion.  (Sadly, this is opposite the Kim Portnoy Sextet in Moore Auditoirum at 7.)  They will be discussing the roles of administration and artist, and of course answering your questions.  EVERY performance major – and indeed every music major – really should be at one of these events on Monday evening!

Christine Brewer returns on Tuesday evening for a 730 pm master class with advanced voice students in the CMS concert hall.

ALL of these are seminar points!!!  And every single one is worthwhile.  Please go to those required by your applied teacher, and then pick one or two more to attend!

What’s up!

Forthcoming Activities in the

Department of Music

We invite you to experience our musical offerings for Fall 2011!  Here are a few of the concerts and recitals in the next two weeks.  As always, more details on these performances and up-to-date information on all Department of Music offerings, including near-nightly student recitals, small ensemble performances, and guest master classes is available at www.webster.edu/music, or simply click here for the direct calendar link.  Performance locations vary, so please check carefully in order to ascertain the specific hall.

In the next two weeks . . .

Friday, September 23 at 7.30 p.m. – Webster Presents: Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo soprano, in alumna recital; Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave.  $

Sunday, September 25 at 7 p.m. – Webster Presents: Webster University Symphony Orchestra, Paul Davis, conductor with Daniel Schene, piano in A Liszt Celebration; Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave.  $

Monday, September 26 at 7 p.m. – Jazz at Webster: The Kim Portnoy Sextet; Moore Auditorium, 470 E Lockwood.  $

Tuesday, September 27 at 7 p.m. – Concert Series: String Faculty in concert; Thompson Music Building recital hall, 8282 Big Bend. $

Tuesday, September 27 at 7.30 p.m. – Guest Master Class: Christine Brewer, soprano, with advanced voice students;  a benefit for the Nigh Opera Scholarship Fund; Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave.  $

Sunday, October 2 at 4 p.m. – Concert Series: George Lopez, piano in guest recital; Moore Auditorium, 470 E Lockwood. $

Monday, October 3 at 7 p.m. – Webster Presents: Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir & Choral Society in Concert; Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave.  $

Tuesday, October 4 at 7 p.m. – Concert Series: Paula Bernhardt, flute in faculty recital; Thompson Music Building recital hall, 8282 Big Bend.  $

Julie

Junior vocal performance major Julie made the school newspaper this month!

http://websterjournal.com/2011/09/01/campus-critters/

Eliot

Eliot is a freshman guitar performance major from Texas.  The student newspaper ran an article about him this week.

http://websterjournal.com/2011/09/14/eliot-wilde-freshman-continues-love-for-guitar/

The week ahead

I try not to measure my life by the busy-ness of its days, but rather by the satisfaction of making a difference, making life easier and more consistent for others, and making art happen.

If busy-ness is a measure, though, this coming week is a winner.

This term is filled with riches:

• A major curriculum revision in my department.  I’ve authored the revisions, and if they are approved on Friday I will have mounds of paperwork to complete in a six-week period.  The beauty of this revision is that we’ll be able to send more students to Vienna to study!
• I am now co-chair of the university Curriculum Committee.
• We have a new general education program to be implemented in Fall 2012.  All of the new courses for that are due to Curriculum Committee (the one I co-chair) from all 25 departments on campus by November 29.
• My own department is reviewing general education courses and proposing new ones.  I’ll supervise the drafting of these proposals and the writing of syllabi.
• The NASM accreditation response is due in two weeks.  I’ve barely started it.  Each of sixteen responses is taking about two hours apiece to write.
• Program review of each major in the university, to be completed by April.

We also have an alumna recital this week as Jennifer Johnson Cano returns on Friday night for a 7.30 p.m. performance.  She presents a lecture/talk the following day.  And then Christine Brewer is here for two days early next week.

Curriculum Committee meets this week. Departmental faculty meeting is Friday.

Tony

Here’s an article about one of our music majors in today’s Webster University Journal.

Tony is a scholarship student in instrumental performance.

http://websterjournal.com/2011/09/14/webster-violinist-finds-solace-in-running/

Commemoration

This afternoon, various faculty and students from the Department of Music gathered at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Saint Louis for a 4 p.m. commemoration concert.

Here is what I spoke at the beginning of the event:

“Ten years ago this morning, monstrous evil struck at the human spirit.  The aftermath has been unthinkable.  In the midst of overwhelming tragedy, we have gone on – surely, faithfully, hopefully.  Today’s remembrances are but another step in this awful and all-too-real journey.

“We join today to heal, to sorrow, to commemorate, to reconcile evil and goodness, desolation and resolution, tearing down and rebuilding.  We do so where words fail, in music and in song.

“We gather in silence, we listen in silence, we contemplate in silence, and after a hug and kind word with a neighbor, we depart in silence.”

‘Twas a moving afternoon.

Heather and Trent Patterson, with some Strauss.

Trent Patterson conducts the Chamber Singers in Beethoven.

Keith Welsh reads words of Saint Louis native T.S. Eliot.