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Thoughts from
the President
Life Lessons of the Chamber Player
As a person who spent the happiest and most rewarding days and nights of his performing
career within one of the world’s important chamber groups, my perspective on chamber music
is a “tactile” one, it is from the “inside.” And it is, without question, the fame and strength of
the Cleveland Institute of Music’s chamber music program that, in the end, convinced me to
come here as President.
And it is my chamber music experience which formed me as a person and still informs
my actions.
The ability to play chamber music, like anything else in music, should happen early on in one’s
musical training. However, unlike the theory training we receive and our instrumental studies,
we really learn to play chamber music by doing it, and it is, basically, a social endeavor, an art
shared between peers or colleagues and learned in a social setting.
It is my chamber music
experience which formed
me as a person and still
informs my actions.
I would hazard it to say that those of us who have given our lives to chamber music playing
demonstrated our commitment early on by spending our “down” hours playing with our
friends outside of school. And first encounters with the chamber repertoire’s greatest works
remain, for the chamber player, moments one never forgets.
What happens uniquely when playing chamber music? Why does it feel so special? How does it
change and train us to be better citizens?
There are all sorts of life lessons from the chamber experience, but, basically, one learns
to perform seemingly conflicting actions well and at once and in real time: one must listen,
produce, coordinate, intonate and find a concerted viewpoint or expression. One must learn
to lead, follow and find consensus, as dictated by the music’s scheme. The chamber player
must focus on different members of the chamber group at different moments, caught in a
kaleidoscopic evolution of allegiances over the course of a movement of music.
The heightened awareness of the chamber player is, of course, identical to that of the excellent
orchestral player, as the orchestra is, truly, an enlarged chamber group. And, as members of
great orchestras like our Cleveland Orchestra know, a conductor is not needed to play together,
but rather to give artistic vision.
What better training could there ever be towards being a responsible citizen or, for that matter,
a good family member? Our families demand that we be good children, good siblings and
good parents, that we learn to follow, share and lead. And even just being a good child involves,
eventually, having to lead one’s parent as he or she ages.
The necessity of deep and respectful sharing is at the root of concerted musical expression,
as is the willingness to assume different roles, as needed. Let’s be proud of the central place
chamber and orchestral music hold at the Cleveland Institute of Music and of our faculty who
share their deep understanding of it with our students.
— Joel Smirnoff
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Cleveland, Ohio
The classical-music hub for the next generation of musicians
ABOVE
The view of downtown from
Cleveland's brand-new convention
center (story page 12)
ON THE COVER
Violinists Jimmy Thompson and Jeanelle
Brierley participate in CIM's Intensive
String Quartet Seminar (story page 8)
Departments
features
4Noteworthy
CIM student wins gold
CBS shines national spotlight on students
New viola seminar
GRAMMY nominations at CIM
CAC grant higher than expected
Student makes Carnegie Hall debut
Smartphone app promotes student safety
8 Champions of Chamber Music
NOTES takes a look at the String Chamber Music Program at CIM
12 Cleveland, Oh!
Cleveland's revival makes the city ripe for the next generation of classical musicians
16Events
Liszt Academy visit
CIM Opera Theater
18Development
Donor Profile: Joe and Ellen Thomas
20 Alumni Snapshot
Joshua Roman
22Listings
Alumni
Appointments
Prizewinners
Faculty
Students
Preparatory
In Memoriam
W i n t e r 2 0 15
3
Noteworthy
photo: ©Denis Ryan y, Jr. / deniskelly.com
CIM Student Wins Gold at International Violin Competition
of Indianapolis
Students filled the lounge of CIM’s Cutter residence hall this September to watch fellow student Jinjoo Cho compete in the final
rounds of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. The viewing party was complete with a projection screen and sound
system, and to the delight of the students and the CIM community, Cho took home the gold medal.
The International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) takes place every four years and recognizes, rewards and promotes the
world’s finest young classical violinists. As the winner of the competition, Cho, student of Jaime Laredo, was awarded a $30,000 cash
prize, international concert engagements including a Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium recital debut, career management for the next
four years and the four-year loan of the 1683 “ex-Gingold” Stradivarius.
For her first appearance in the IVCI finals, Cho performed Mozart’s Violin
Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra. The
next night she performed Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 35, with
the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. CIM President Joel Smirnoff was the guest
conductor for the finals.
Cho holds a bachelor’s degree (2011) and a master’s degree (2013) in music
performance from CIM. But she has been a member of the CIM family since
coming to the United States in 2002, when she earned a spot in CIM’s prestigious
Young Artist Program.
4
CBS News Shines National Spotlight
on Students
CIM students Daniel Parvin and Marissa Plank don’t have your average college
roommates. Sure, they live with all seniors; but not the kind you’re thinking of. Plank and
Parvin are artists-in-residence at Judson Manor, a senior living community in University
Circle, where they provide performances and cultural programming in exchange for
living at the Manor rent-free.
Parvin, a DMA piano student of Anita Pontremoli, and Plank, a second-year graduate
student studying flute with Joshua Smith, live full time at Judson. And although they have
their own apartments there, both CIM students regularly join the residents for chats or
coffee in the lobbies and communal spaces of the home.
Interested in this program and the intergenerational relationships it fostered, CBS’s
national segment “On the Road with Steve Hartman” stopped by both CIM and Judson
to learn more. Hartman interviewed Plank and Parvin as well as 93-year-old resident
Clara Catliota, who says the program “gives us joy– my gosh, it’s lovely.”
Judson has benefited from its proximity to CIM for a long time, hosting performances
by students throughout the year. But finally in 2010, the senior living community created
the artist-in-residence program to secure more regular entertainment with the budding,
professional-level student musicians.
Watch the segment online at cbsnews.com.
Judson Manor in University Circle
Vernon and Castleman Team Up for
New Viola Seminar
Calling all violists! This summer, Robert Vernon, Principal Viola of The Cleveland
Orchestra, and Heidi Castleman, Professor of Viola at The Juilliard School of Music,
are offering a one-week intensive viola seminar for advanced viola players, college
professors and those interested in becoming college professors. The seminar will focus
on cultivating skills needed for successful chamber music performance, orchestral
performance and playing and teaching core orchestra excerpts.
Participants will also explore dialogue about pedagogical
approaches, curricular designs, studio organizational
models and attitudes leading to studio success.
Whether students are preparing for an orchestral
audition, building a studio or gaining experience to
become a college professor, this seminar will provide
young artists with the next steps in their careers.
The seminar will be offered June 1 to 5, 2015. Applications
are due January 30, 2015. For more information and
application materials visit vernoncastlemanviola.com or
contact Allison Elder at [email protected] or 216.202.0542.
W i n t e r 2 0 15
5
Noteworthy
CIM Faculty and Student Land GRAMMY Nominations
GRAMMY nominations are out and the Cleveland Institute
of Music congratulates student Daniil Trifonov, head of the
CIM Guitar Department Jason Vieaux, violin faculty member
Jaime Laredo, Director of Recording Services Alan Bise and
head of the Audio Recording Degree Program Bruce Egre on
their nominations.
Daniil Trifonov
Jason Vieaux
CAC Grant to CIM
Higher than Expected
On November 24 at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
Cuyahoga Arts and Culture announced grants for General
Operating Support and Project Support. CIM was awarded
$737,886 for the two-year grant cycle, an increase from $716,270
last cycle. Among the top seven award recipients in the general
operating support list, CIM and The Cleveland Orchestra were
the only organizations to receive increased awards.
CIM benefits each year from funding from CAC, which invests
more than $15 million annually in organizations that support
art and culture in our communities. CAC funding comes from
residents in Cuyahoga County, and recently CAC reported a
6
The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on February 8,
2015, in Los Angeles, California, and will be broadcast live on CBS.
A total of 83 awards will be presented.
photo: C. Steiner
photo: GMD Three
photo: courtesy of the artist
Trifonov, current student of Sergei Babayan, working toward
his artist’s diploma, has been nominated for Best Classical
Instrumental Solo for his solo album, The Carnegie Recital, and
is featured in the album Mieczyslaw Weinberg, which is up for
Best Classical Compendium. Vieaux has also been nominated
for the Best Classical Instrumental Solo award for his solo album,
Play, on the Cleveland-based Azica Records Label, of which
Bise is chief classical producer and Egre is president and chief
recording engineer. Prince of Clouds, composed by Anna Clyne
and performed by Laredo and others, received a nod in the Best
Contemporary Classical Composition category.
Jaime Laredo
5% decrease in funds available for this year’s allocations. CIM was
told to anticipate a decrease in funding. Instead, CIM received a
3% award increase, which speaks to the strength of the school’s
application, the broad scope of programming and the impact
programs bring to residents of Cuyahoga County.
All grants from CAC are awarded in a competitive review
process conducted by panels of experts recruited from outside
the region. Grant award juries are asked to score applicants
based on how their activities benefit the public and how well they
carry out their missions. Jurors also consider financial sustainability
and board structure. CIM is eligible for this grant program because
of its amount of free concerts, outreach and education programs.
Student Makes
Carnegie Hall Debut
After winning top honors at the Hilton Head International Piano
Competition in March, piano student Shen Lu stepped onto the
stage at Carnegie Hall this November to make his performance
debut. Lu performed a program of Scarlatti, Beethoven, Ravel,
Dun, Chopin and Rachmaninoff.
The Carnegie performance was only one part of the prestigious
prize, which also included a cash award, an invitation to play as
a soloist with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and the
opportunity to record an album on the Steinway & Sons label,
which is slated to release in 2015.
Lu is a native of Jiangsu, China, and had previously won first
prize in the Hong Kong Open Piano Competition and second
prizes in the Jingzhong Competition and the Asia Chopin Piano
Competition. Lu earned a bachelor’s degree at the Central
Conservatory of Music in Beijing and a master’s degree at New
England Conservatory. He is currently in CIM’s artist diploma
program, studying with HaeSun Paik.
First held in 1996, the Hilton Head International Piano Competition
seeks “to encourage and support excellence in the performance
of classical piano music by showcasing the talents of young pianists
on the threshold of their careers in a competition adjudicated by
internationally acclaimed judges.”
Smartphone App Promotes
Student Safety
Case Western Reserve University’s police department recently
launched CWRU Shield, a free smartphone application that will
help improve the security and safety of students on both the
CIM and CWRU campuses.
Using satellite navigation (GPS) and wireless Internet (WI-FI)
technology, this system offers real-time safety features including
an indoor positioning system (IPS) which allows emergency
responders to pinpoint exact locations indoors. CIM and CWRU
are the first campuses in the country to use IPS technology.
The application works with Apple and Android smartphones and
includes the following features:
•GPS locates students on campus, allowing faster response during an emergency.
•WI-FI activates an indoor positioning system (IPS) to find approximate location of a student within a specific building.
•“Safety Checks” feature allows students to type an activity (such as walking home from library or to car, jogging, etc.) and enter an allotted time. If the student does not enter his or her secure PIN code before that time expires, the app sends a text message to emergency contacts from the student’s profile. The text message also includes the student’s activity and a link to a map displaying his or her last location.
•“What to do if…” feature includes a list of instructions for various emergency scenarios.
W i n t e r 2 0 15
7
Champions of
Chamber
Music
Photos: Robert Muller
Chamber Music
Teaching
one quartet at a time
When you walk down the hallway at CIM with any member
of the Cavani String Quartet, you can’t get very far before
being stopped by students saying hello or giving updates on
their latest endeavors. The Cavani String Quartet is CIM’s
quartet-in-residence, made up of violinists Annie Fullard and
Mari Sato, violist Kirsten Docter and cellist Merry Peckham.
They perform around the globe; permeate communities,
libraries and public schools; and win prestigious awards like the
Naumburg Award and the Guarneri String Quartet Award for
Artistic Excellence, which they’ve actually won twice. Then,
they return to CIM to teach and coach.
The “Cavanis,” as many students endearingly call them, are a cornerstone of the string and
piano chamber music program at CIM, and this year they celebrate their 30th anniversary
as the institute’s quartet-in-residence. All students in the program receive weekly coaching
and participate in master classes with the Quartet and with Peter Salaff, director of string
and piano chamber music at CIM. “For a school of this size to have a resident string
quartet and a head of string and piano chamber music is really unique,” says Docter.
In the DNA of the Walls
Salaff explains that chamber music is supported at CIM from all sides. From President
Joel Smirnoff, who played both first and second violin in the Juilliard String Quartet, to the
top-notch faculty who often help facilitate the formation of groups while continuing to
hone and fine-tune skills in private lessons, to the students who work unbelievably hard.
For Salaff, collaboration, essential for any ensemble, is evident between himself and the
Cavani Quartet. Together they work with six quartets throughout the semester in the
Intensive String Quartet program and with about 40 total chamber groups throughout the
year. “I feel that I’m experiencing one of the highlights of my life working with the Cavani
String Quartet,” says Salaff.
The support isn’t just felt; it’s also seen in the organizational and logistical aspects of the
program. “We are able to work with the orchestral program so the students have a
schedule that allows them to be as serious about chamber music as they are about their
orchestral ensembles,” says Fullard. Because of that, chamber music has become a main
part of the students’ education at CIM.
W i n t e r 2 0 15
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Performance as Practice
The Cavani Quartet is known throughout the Cleveland community,
not only for its musicians’ exceptional performances, but for the
time they spend in school gyms, cafeterias and libraries engaging
young students. They have audience interaction down to a science
and proactively alter their performances based on the grade or age
of the crowd. Their students also get a chance to work within the
community, which, Peckham believes, is an essential part of music
education. “The curriculum is developed to support performance
as part of the practice,” says Peckham. “Of course we want to
encourage the students to be civil minded, and–perhaps just as
importantly–we really want our students to have as many chances
as possible to make performing part of their learning process.”
The Cavanis' experiences in Cleveland and around the world
help them keep their fingers on the pulse of the latest techniques
and ideas swirling around the chamber music community. However,
Peckham still maintains that the program at CIM remains at the top of the
list. “We have a lot of opportunities to observe what goes on in other
music schools and conservatories, and we feel as though we are so
incredibly fortunate to be in residence at CIM, because it definitely
has one of the most supported and preeminent ensemble programs,
both for chamber music and orchestra, in the world,” she says.
Coaching is Kinetic
During a recent coaching session, the Velluto Quartet rehearsed
String Quartet in B-Flat Major by Brahms while members of the
Cavani Quartet stood behind them with perked ears and watchful
eyes. This is how the Cavanis coach. Their hands bounced in the
air, keeping time; they leaned in; they stood back; they occasionally
demonstrated on their students’ instruments. The acoustically
sound walls in the hall amplified both the wonderful music and the
perfectly pulsing voices of the students counting aloud their parts:
“one, two, three, four, five, six.”
In this particular session, the Cavanis were focused on the mood,
the energy, the feeling of the piece. When they wanted the students
to play a section with particular buoyancy, they danced on the stage
while the students–
who couldn’t help but
smile–played. And as
unusual as the exercise
was, it worked. The
music felt lighter. At
another point they
asked the students to
“air play” their parts,
instruments aside,
encouraging them to
make eye contact with
one another as their
hands fingered
phantom notes.
The counting technique
used in the coaching
session was developed
by Donald Weilerstein, first violin of the Cleveland Quartet, which
was formed back in the ’60s. This borrowing of techniques and
passing down of ideas is commonplace, Fullard explains. “There is
a complete and total commitment and love of passing these ideas
around. There’s no territory. It’s a wonderful and amazing musical
world, and there’s always room to share knowledge,” she says.
The Cavanis use many different types of tools for teaching and
coaching. Some of them have clever names and most take students
out of their performance comfort zones. One example is what they
call “chamber music aerobics,” where they have the students move as
a unit horizontally, side to side, then vertically, and so forth. “It’s a very
methodical way to get everybody to move similarly,” explains Sato. “It
may help one person who is moving too much to kind of rein it in,
and it may help someone not moving to become inspired to move a
bit more. It equalizes the body language.” The point of these exercises
is to tap into something deeper, something that maybe can’t be found
by playing the same few bars over and over again.
Sato felt this “aha” moment when she was
working with a quartet that had an injured
member unable to play until right before
the quartet was to perform. The group got
together with Sato and rehearsed anyway,
using different techniques to make the session
useful. “There was a lot of singing and counting
aloud,” says Sato. “There was such a willingness
on everyone’s part to imagine the sound. If you
can hear it inside your inner ear, it will come
out once you have the instrument in hand. This
temporary setback of not being able to play
the way one is used to actually brought out the
best in everybody: the students, myself, all of
us. It felt like we were on such a team together.
I will always remember that.”
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The X Factor
Heart. Empathy. Connection. These are words the Cavani Quartet and Salaff use
when they talk about being in a quartet. It’s more than getting the notes right or
playing at the same tempo; it’s about connecting with your fellow musicians and
bringing that connection to the audience. “I think many people just think if you
take four of the top musicians and stick them together in a quartet, they’ll sound
great,” says Docter. “But it’s that X factor. That spark of communication. You
need something beyond a willingness to just play your part very well. You have
to give up a part of yourself in a way and release the ego to let somebody else
shine.” That, she says is what makes good chamber music.
From the hallways to the practice rooms to the concert halls, students receive
support and encouragement to play at their best at CIM. The faculty push and
mold and tweak and find that many of the students grow both musically and
emotionally. Working together in small groups gives these young professionals
tools for working with others in the future, allowing them to learn not just from
their coaches and teachers, but from one another. The skills these students learn
here will help them for a lifetime. As Salaff put it, “I think if the world had more
chamber music, it would be a more beautiful place.”
Award-winning
chamber ensembles
with members who are alumni of the Intensive
Quartet Program at CIM include:
The Biava Quartet d
chambermusicwilliamsburg.org/aboutBiava.html
The Maia Quartet d maiaquartet.com
The Catalyst Quartet d catalystquartet.com
The Vega Quartet d vegaquartet.com
The Linden Quartet d lindenquartet.com
The Afiara Quartet d afiara.com
The Omer Quartet d omerquartet.com
The Jupiter Quartet d jupiterquartet.com
The Daedalus Quartet d daedalusquartet.com
The Parker Quartet d parkerquartet.com
The Miami Quartet d miamistringquartet.com
The Miró Quartet d miroquartet.com
Project Trio d whatisproject.org
The Fry Street Quartet d frystreetquartet.com
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Cleveland, Ohio, is in the midst of a renaissance.
Watershed moments like LeBron’s return and the selection
of the city for the Republican National Convention and
the Gay Games hoisted our Erie-side metropolis into the
national spotlight.
The classical music hub
for the next generation
of musicians
Phots: Robert Muller
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Cleveland was noted in Forbes magazine for having
one of the top emerging downtown areas in the country,
and recently CNNMoney named it one of the nation’s
top 10 innovate cities. With its residential population
downtown reaching an all-time high this year and an influx
of college-educated professionals moving to the city (the
number has grown by 23%), a revitalized East Fourth
Street and Flats district, and the continued vitality of
University Circle, Cleveland is sittin’ pretty as it rings in
the New Year.
So what does this mean for classical musicians? It means
a lot. Cleveland has maintained a strong footing in the
classical music industry due to the internationally recognized
excellence of The Cleveland Orchestra as well as the prestige
of CIM. But the revitalization of Cleveland brings to its young
professional musicians and to the classical music community,
more opportunities for performances in a variety of music
venues, an abundance of homegrown ensembles and
music societies and plenty of young people looking for
local entertainment.
Community Calls
Cleveland is a classical music hub that continues to grow
every year, due in large part to the CIM students who work
and perform throughout the community. Students are
encouraged, and in many cases required, to perform in places
like Cleveland City Schools, The Cleveland Museum of Art,
retirement homes and even Whole Foods and the West Side
Market. This isn’t just for the benefit of the Cleveland school
children or the Whole Foods patrons. Performances like these
help strengthen the education of CIM students who are about
to embark on a professional career that will likely involve a
variety of community performance opportunities.
“Performance is one of the most important parts of a musical
education,” explains Madeline Lucas Tolliver, the ensembles
manager at CIM. “It’s essential to know how you can
play under pressure, and nontraditional venues provide
performance spaces with different kinds of pressure than
the concert hall. Nontraditional venues also give students
a chance to engage with their audiences and to really see
the impact they have on them, especially in places like
retirement homes and senior living communities.” Tolliver
works closely with the students at CIM. She knows their
schedules, they come to her with issues and questions,
and consequently, she hears a lot.
Tolliver explains that Cleveland provides students with
both a mix and an abundance of venues for performing.
“Cleveland offers availability of venues and availability of
audience members,” she explains. “There’s a variety of
events happening, yet they’re not all happening on the
same night. And they’re affordable. The opportunity for
students to plan, promote and execute their own events
and performances is important preparation for the next
stage of a professional career.”
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Rife with Regional Orchestras
In addition to organizing and playing concerts throughout the
community, many CIM students get the chance to sharpen
their orchestral playing skills by performing in the orchestras
in Cleveland’s surrounding areas, such as the Akron
Symphony, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland
Pops Orchestra, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, the
Firelands Symphony Orchestra in Sandusky, the Ashland
Symphony Orchestra and the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra,
to name a few.
This year, 20 CIM students hold positions with the Firelands
Symphony Orchestra, 15 hold positions with the Canton
Symphony Orchestra, four hold positions with the Cleveland
Pops Orchestra and four hold positions with the Akron
Symphony Orchestra, and many more students regularly
substitute for these orchestras.
Bethany Hargreaves is a viola student at CIM working towards
a Bachelor’s of Music degree with Jeffrey Irvine. She’s
technically a junior, but because she participated in the
Young Artists program at CIM, she entered school here as
a sophomore. Hargreaves is in both the Akron Symphony
Orchestra and the Canton Symphony Orchestra. This is her
first year playing in the orchestras but she knows her new
gig is going to be great preparation for the years ahead.
This opportunity is perfect for Hargreaves, who was drawn
to CIM for its reputation as such an orchestra-based school.
“The sooner you get exposed to playing in an orchestra like
this, the better off you’ll be when you get out into the real
world,” she says. “The repertoire is similar to what we do here
at CIM, but the level of the orchestras is much different. It has
a different feel. Being in these orchestras helps build your
repertoire and exposes you to different music and to different
conductor’s ideas.”
14
Hargreaves saw the open orchestra positions when they were
posted online. She asked her teacher about them and began
working through the repertoire required for the audition. “It’s
pretty rigorous,” she admits. “They post their openings online
and give you a list of repertoire you have to prepare, with
specific orchestra excerpts. You also need to play a movement
of a concerto, which is challenging.” Candidates for openings
in the Akron and Canton orchestras were required to play
excerpts from Don Juan, Beethoven’s 5th and 3rd symphonies,
Mendelsohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and Mozart’s Symphony No. 35.
A Classical Music Destination
Plenty of venues and performance opportunities? Check.
Several regional orchestras? Check. And Cleveland also
boasts organizations such as Apollo’s Fire, Opera Per Tutti,
the Cleveland Classical Guitar society and ChamberFest
Cleveland, the new summer festival run by Franklin Cohen,
principal clarinet of The Cleveland Orchestra and CIM faculty
member, and his daughter Diana Cohen. It is also home to
the world-famous Cleveland International Piano Competition,
the winners of which are often launched into international
stardom, and the Playhouse Square district, which is the
largest U.S. theater district outside of New York City. All of
these institutions strengthen the already-healthy classical
music community in Cleveland and continue to attract good
musicians to the city.
“
”
Cleveland is home to the perfect cocktail of talented young
people, a variety of performance opportunities and a large
number of professional orchestras, helping the city grow
beyond its rock-and-roll roots to become more like America’s
classical music hub.
Cle
veland comes out on top
CNNMoney listed Cleveland in its
“10 Most Innovative Cities”
Forbes listed Cleveland in its
“Top 15 Emerging Downtowns”
Fodor’s named Cleveland one of its 25
“Must see travel destinations for 2015”
Travel and Leisure magazine named Cleveland one of its 50
CIM students performing at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Museum
of Contemporary Art, Cleveland.
Cleveland's Regional Orchestras
Many CIM students hold full-time and substitute positions
with regional orchestras that include:
• The Akron Symphony
• The Canton Symphony Orchestra
• The Cleveland Pops Orchestra
• The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra
• The Firelands Symphony Orchestra in Sandusky
• The Ashland Symphony Orchestra
• The Mansfield Symphony Orchestra
“Best places to travel in 2015”
Travel and Leisure magazine also named Cleveland one of the
“World’s Most Visionary Cities”
for its progress in urban agriculture and local foods
Gogobot.com, a site visited by some 3.7 million travelers
worldwide, voted Cleveland the
Fourth most popular “Rising Star” city
in the world
The World Wildlife Fund awarded Cleveland one of three
Climate Leader Awards as part of the Earth Hour City
Challenge. The city also received the
“Bright Place to Live” award
STAR Communities awarded Cleveland with a
3-STAR Community Rating
for national leadership in
livability and sustainability
The League of American Bicyclists named Cleveland a
Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community
Students perform throughout the year at Severance Hall, home of
The Cleveland Orchestra.
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Events
Hungarians Make an Impression!
The Franz Liszt Academy Collaborates with CIM
This past November, visiting faculty members György Nádor
and Vilmos Szabadi provided their expertise, advice and coaching
on violin and piano performance to CIM students in Mixon Hall.
“It was a wonderful and eye-opening experience,” says violinist
Justin Woo who worked with Szabadi during the master class.
The session was just one part of CIM’s week-long collaboration
with the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest.
Nádor and Szabadi are faculty at the Franz Liszt Academy and
were visiting CIM along with a delegation of other students and
faculty as a part of the Impressions of Hungary series at CIM. The
series offered concerts, master classes and symposia, highlighting
Hungarian music and culture while celebrating the unique
partnership between both institutions.
At the heart of the visit was the culminating Liszt Reflections
concert, which offered a night of Liszt and Liszt-inspired new works
by student composers from both schools. The night seamlessly
moved from a piece by Liszt to the student work inspired by it,
expertly performed by an ensemble made up of both Franz Liszt
Academy and CIM students. Rezsó Ott, a student composer from
the Franz Liszt Academy, composed his piece Furioso e lamentoso as
a reflection of Liszt’s Elegy No. 2. “Although I have used the same
instruments, cello and piano, the atmosphere is a sharp contrast
to the original, intentionally creating a counterpart to the original
Liszt piece,” he says in his program notes. “I was trying to hide and
disguise the characteristic
motifs of Elegy No. 2, only
emphasizing them in the
closing moments as a direct,
reflective reference.”
The Piano Masterworks of
Great Hungarian Composers
concert provided a program
of Liszt, Bartók and
Dubrovay performed by
professional-level student
artists from both CIM and
the Franz Liszt Academy. The
audience was filled and many
people from Cleveland’s
robust Hungarian community
were in attendance to
see some of their favorite
composers come alive.
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Visiting faculty from the academy also provided private lessons and
coaching sessions to CIM students, and guest lecturer Dana Gooley
presented a free seminar hosted by the Case Western Reserve
University Department of Music entitled “Franz Liszt and the Virtue
of Improvisation.”
CIM was honored to host this talented group from such a
prestigious and historic institution and looks forward to future
collaborations with the academy.
CIM Opera Theater gets a
“Handel” on Alcina
George Frideric Handel’s opera Alcina is an ambitious undertaking.
Full of bold and magical characters, plot twists, beautiful music and
a litany of arias, it can be a challenge for even a seasoned cast, crew
and director to do and do well.
Of course, the challenge for an opera reviewer of a dual-cast
production is that he often experiences only one version. An
interesting feature of a dual-cast opera is that the unique talents,
personalities and combined life experiences of each cast can
influence the execution of the work, resulting in
different but similarly well-done performances.
For example, Kaitlin Borden’s portrayal of the title
character contained more of Alcina’s sadness as
Ruggiero began to slip from her spell (as Jones
pointed out in his review), while María José Badano’s
performance in the title role in the Wednesday/
Friday production emphasized Alcina’s passion and
jealousy as she loses her grip on her magical island.
In the end, the consistency of the chorus and
orchestra across both casts results in the same
happy ending…for the island inhabitants AND
the audiences.
The team of CIM’s opera theater and orchestra rose to the challenge
of Alcina this past November.
“The CIM orchestra, conducted by CIM opera regular Harry Davidson,
brilliantly supported the singers,” wrote Nicholas Jones, a reviewer
for ClevelandClassical.com who attended a performance by the
Thursday/Saturday cast. “Harpsichordist John Simmons and principal
cellist Julian Muller supplied flexible and energetic continuo lines.”
Jones called out several singers for notable performances, particularly
in executing the often emotional and taxing arias throughout the piece.
“…mezzo Erika Rodden, as the fierce Bradamante (disguised,
remember, as an armed warrior), gave a memorable performance
of her revenge aria, ‘Vorrei vendicarmi’,” he wrote. “Of all Saturday’s
cast, Rodden seemed the most comfortable with the bel canto
demands of melisma (the extension of a single syllable over several
measures in rapid passagework).”
About undergraduate mezzo-soprano Amber Fasquelle, who played
the pants role of Ruggiero with aplomb and swagger, he wrote: “Her
rendition of the famous ‘Verdi prati …captured the heartfelt sadness
of the song, as Ruggiero realizes what he has lost in awakening from
Alcina’s deceptions. Fasquelle’s clarity of diction, vocal power, and
control of Handel’s rapid passagework came to the fore in a later
aria, ‘Sta nell’ ircana,’ in which Ruggiero imagines himself a fierce
tigress about to pounce on an unlucky hunter.”
CIM Opera Theater Presents
La
Clemenza
di
Tito
(The Mercy of Emperor Titus)
February 25-28, 2014
7:30pm | Kulas Hall
What’s politics without a little scandal? Whether it
comes from a mob in ancient Rome or reporters at a press
conference, leaders’ lives are publicly scrutinized–especially
their love lives.
The title character of Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito learns this
lesson all too well when he is forced to give up the woman he
loves and try to find a wife. Love, jealousy and betrayal all play a
role in this two-act Italian opera.
Will the quality of his mercy be strained? Only Tito will tell.
Tickets
$20 adults | $10 students
$15 each groups of 10+ /seniors
216.795.3211 | cim.edu/tito
Sung in Italian with projected English text available.
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17
Ellen and Joe Thomas
photo: Steven Mastroianni
Donor Profile:
Joe and Ellen Thomas’ generosity ranges from the big
to the small and everything in between.
For many years, the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra has
performed concerts at Severance Hall, home of The Cleveland
Orchestra. Two years ago, the number of concerts increased due
to the outstanding generosity of Joe and Ellen Thomas, who funded
an additional concert for the students. For the Thomases, giving the
students an extra opportunity to play and perform in the magnificent
hall is an important and valuable part of their education. “It’s just a
wonderful experience for the young musicians,” says Mrs. Thomas.
“And obviously, the audience gets to enjoy another concert!”
Joe and Ellen Thomas have been involved with CIM for decades,
with Mrs. Thomas serving on the Women’s Committee and
Mr. Thomas serving on CIM’s Board of Trustees. They’re dedicated
to the advancement of CIM and are avid Cleveland Orchestra and
CIM Orchestra concert-goers. Mr. Thomas admits he doesn’t have
a background in music, but glowingly speaks of his wife’s love of
singing in the church choir and in a volunteer group that performed
for some years throughout Cleveland in hospitals, schools and nursing
homes. It’s his wife's love of choir music that inspired Mr. Thomas
to create an endowed scholarship for voice in her name this past
summer, surprising her with the gift at a luncheon. “I was thrilled!”
says Mrs. Thomas.
The Thomases’ generosity ranges from an endowed scholarship to
small, helpful gestures for CIM students. At an event a few years
ago, Mr. Thomas noticed CIM alumnus and now internationally
acclaimed violinist Chad Hoopes eyeing an iPad up for auction. So
Mr. Thomas made Hoopes a deal. He’d bid on the iPad and if he
18
won, he’d give it to Hoopes in exchange for him coming to play at
the Thomases’ house for a small dinner party. And that’s exactly what
happened: Mr. Thomas won and Hoopes played. “Obviously I think
I probably got the better deal because his time was probably more
valuable than what I paid for the electronic gadget,” says Mr. Thomas.
The Thomases attend almost every CIM Orchestra concert at
Severance Hall and hardly ever miss a Women’s Committee event.
Mrs. Thomas is very dedicated to her Women’s Committee duties.
“While looking at some of our schedules, in particular when we
travel, she says, ‘I can’t go that Sunday because I’m serving lunch at
the CIM auditions,’” Mr. Thomas says with a smile in his voice.
The Thomases’ kindness and philanthropy will continue to benefit
CIM and its community for many years to come, from serving lunch
to prospective CIM students to paving the way for talented vocalists
to attend the school, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s been exciting to see the operations of CIM and its students
become so productive after they leave CIM,” says Mr. Thomas.
“Frankly, it’s also a very fun group of people to be around, not only
students and faculty, but also the board members and Women’s
Committee. It’s really a win-win situation.”
CIM has many different ways to provide support for programs in the
Conservatory and the Preparatory and Continuing Education Divisions.
For more information, visit cim.edu/donatenow.
Development
photo: Roger Mastroianni
Starling Foundation Selects Jaime Laredo’s Studio
for Starling Scholars Program
CIM is honored to be among a select group of schools to benefit
from the interest and generosity of the Dorothy Richard Starling
Foundation. The Foundation recently selected the studio of CIM
faculty and master violinist Jaime Laredo as the recipient of three
half-tuition scholarships, designated for Laredo’s top students.
“We are honored that the Starling Foundation has reestablished
a Scholars program at CIM. There’s an obvious kinship with the
Foundation’s mission to support classical violin study at the highest
level and our mission to guide our talented students toward
fulfilling careers in music. These scholarship funds are so vital
to the success of our students and we are truly grateful for this
recognition and support,” says CIM President Joel Smirnoff.
Laredo joined CIM’s violin faculty in 2012 and maintains an active
performance schedule as a member of the Kalichstein-LaredoRobinson Trio and as a conductor. The students selected to receive
the three half scholarships for the 2014–15 academic year are Jinjoo
Cho, Kyu Eh (Katharina) Kang and Rubén Rengel. Cho recently
won the Gold Medal at the 2014 International Violin Competition
of Indianapolis in September. Kang has performed as a soloist with
leading orchestras at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow,
the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Alte Oper Frankfurt and the
Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Rengel was the winner of the
CIM Concerto Competition in October and is a past winner of
the Juan Bautista Plaza National Violin Competition of Venezuela.
In 1969, Frank M. Starling created the Dorothy Richard Starling
Foundation to support classical violin music at the highest level. The
Foundation is named for Starling’s wife, Dorothy Richard Starling,
These scholarship funds are
so vital to the success of our
students and we are truly
grateful for this recognition
and support.
Joel Smirnoff
who began violin studies as a child. After graduating with distinction
from the Pennsylvania College of Music, she received a teacher’s
certificate from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where she was
considered to be a student of exceptional talent. In 1920 she was
awarded a scholarship to study under Eugene Ysaye, perhaps the
most eminent teacher of classical violin of that era. From 1922 to
1925, Mrs. Starling continued studies with the eminent teacher
Leopold Auer and played as soloist with many leading orchestras.
Tragically, medical reasons forced her to discontinue her career
as a professional violinist in 1930. Throughout her lifetime, she
continued to take great pleasure in furthering interest in classical
violin music.
W i n t e r 2 0 15
19
Alumni Snapshot
photo: Nathan Heath
Following his graduation from CIM and a two-year stint as principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony,
Joshua Roman became a YouTube sensation.
Joshua Roman, cellist, composer, conductor, artistic director and avid
YouTube poster, started something big in March of 2009. That's
when he uploaded the first video of his "Popper Project," a series of
videos of an often jeans-and-hoodie-clad Roman playing one Popper
Étude per week. Three and a half years and 40 études later, Roman’s
YouTube channel boasted more than 500,000 views.
Roman graduated from CIM in 2005 with both bachelor’s and master’s
degrees after studying with Desmond Hoebig, former principal cellist
of The Cleveland Orchestra and Richard Aaron. At 22 Roman was
appointed principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony. In Seattle he
became involved with Town Hall Seattle’s TownMusic chamber music
series, where he is now serving his eighth year as director. He has
soloed with the San Francisco Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the
Los Angeles Philharmonic, the BBC Scottish Symphony, the Mariinsky
Theatre Orchestra, the New World Symphony, the Alabama Symphony,
and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Ecuador, to name a few, and has
collaborated with everyone from Cho-Liang Lin, the Assad Brothers
and Earl Carlysshas to photographer Chase Jarvis and DJ Spooky. In
2011, Roman gave a TED talk about the Internet and classical music
and was also asked to become a TED Fellow, joining a group of some
of the world’s most talented doers and thinkers.
20
Just a Cellist
Roman grew up in Oklahoma and started playing the cello at the age
of three. He played in bands, in church; he played for his friends, and for
anyone who would listen. Back then, he wasn’t trying to be innovative,
or to reach new audiences; he was just playing music. “I feel I really
only became a ‘classical musician’ while I was at school,” he says. “I didn’t
really think about that label before. Before that, I was just a cellist. I was
just a cellist that played jazz, music at the church and rock and roll. I was
constantly playing for people who didn’t have classical music in their lives
except for what they heard from me. And that was just the life I had.”
Roman finds that delivering something authentic and inspired to an
audience, regardless of its classical music savvy, is going to resonate
much more than something played perfectly. “Instead of trying to think
about necessarily reaching new people, I try to think about what I love
and how I can share that with people that might also love it,” he says.
“In the end, you do end up reaching more people because you’re
being yourself.”
Roman has continued to build his career this way, always seeking
projects, collaborations or appointments that genuinely excite and
inspire him. He knows that if he’s not passionate about what he’s
working on, no one else will be either.
“Likes this”
This path has worked out well so far for Roman. In addition to
the Popper Project is Roman’s most recent YouTube series called
“Everyday Bach,” which consists of videos of Roman performing Bach’s
cello suites in different locations around the world. His backdrops range
from the Freedom Tower in New York City to rooftops and cathedrals,
oceanscapes and garden views. And his followers love it. The views and
subscribers continue to grow on his channel and the comments are
filled with praise and, of course, the ultimate endorsement, “likes.”
For Roman, performing on YouTube came out of the need to have
something to practice for. He had been used to either preparing for
lessons in school or rehearsing with the Seattle Symphony, which held
performances nearly every week. “I had only a few concerts here and
there and I hadn’t figured out yet how to maintain a consistent practice
schedule in preparation for clusters of performances,” he says. And so
began Roman’s dive into social media.
Roman was surprised by the success of the Popper Project. “I was
looking for a way to challenge myself and had the good fortune to
stumble upon something that resonated with other cellists,” he says. He
wasn’t looking for some new way to connect with musicians or to new
audiences, but that’s exactly what happened. “Looking back, I can see
why it really became so popular, but at the time it wasn’t on my mind,
I was just using the platform that everyone uses,” he admits. “I was just
being a normal person using the tools available. It’s great that it ends
up creating a community.”
Playing the Vernacular
worked the iPad and together they created the part electronic, part
live cello music cover. The black-and-white video on YouTube zooms
in on both cello strings and bouncing sound waves scrolling across the
iPad. DJ Spooky explains in the video that they chose this song because
Radiohead is today’s “vernacular,” a language that resonates with people
all over the world.
This collaboration not only inspired Roman, but also helped him grow
as a classical musician. “It’s good to explore the things that you love in
every way possible,” he says. “Playing with DJ Spooky or collaborating
with a videographer helps me to see Bach in a different way. I think
you should always be experimenting musically and artistically and be
looking for collaborations that really excite you even if they’re outside
of music. It’s exciting to see what music comes out of you when you
don’t have instructions.”
A Look at What’s Next
Roman continues his work with Seattle’s TownMusic chamber music
series this year. He will also be performing the world premiere of
friend and composer Mason Bates’ cello concerto with the Seattle
Symphony and the Columbus and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestras.
In the following year, he will be premiering his own cello concerto, a
project born out of Roman’s continued desire to challenge himself.
“I don’t think everyone needs to be a composer, but it would be
impossible to overestimate the importance of the things I learned
from turning a blank sheet of paper into a piece of music,” he says. For
Roman this is just a new step in his journey. Tune in to YouTube to see
what he’s up to next. youtube.com/JoshuaRomanCello
A few years ago, Roman worked with experimental hip hop musician
Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky, on covering Radiohead’s popular song,
“Everything in Its Right Place.” Roman played the cello, DJ Spooky
Roman’s upcoming concerts:
January 20, 2015 | San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Performances
Auerbach: Trio No. 3
January 24, 2015 | Tulsa, OK
Signature Symphony
Dvorak: Cello Concerto
January 30-31, 2015 | Columbus, OH
Columbus Symphony
Mason Bates: Cello Concerto
February 7, 2015 | Chicago, IL
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra
Cello + Chocolate
For a full list of concerts and details, visit
joshuaroman.com
Photo: Bret Hartman
winter 2015
21
a l u m n i n ew s
Have some news?
Visit cim.edu and click “Newsroom.”
At the bottom of the page, click “Submit
News” and fill out and submit the form.
News is accepted on an ongoing basis
and may be held until the next issue.
Alumni
Steve Greenman (BM ’89, MM ’91,
Goldschmidt) recently celebrated the world
premier concert of his ensemble, “The Braided
Candle,” at the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto,
Canada. The title comes from the specially
braided Havdalah candle used in the Jewish
religious ceremony marking the distinction
of the Sabbath from the rest of the week;
night from day; spiritual from material. “The
Braided Candle” project represents the musical
entwining of two seemingly separate musical
folk traditions: Jewish and Chinese. Drawing
from their own unique musical and cultural
backgrounds, Greenman (East European Jewish
violin) and Gao Hong (Chinese pipa)— both
internationally renowned masters of traditional
folk music—expand the boundaries of traditional
Jewish music through explorations of Jewish
and Chinese musical improvisation, diverse
and ancient musical modes and contrasting
rhythms. This collaboration presents a newly
created repertoire combining elements of both
music styles.
Collaborative pianist Ralitsa Georgieva-Smith
(PS ’06, Pontremoli) organized an evening of
music to support UNICEF’s efforts to help
children in need around the world. Performers
included CIM faculty Massimo LaRosa
(trombone), Anita Pontremoli (piano) and
Preparatory faculty Jason Smith (trombone),
as well as Sophie van der Westhuizen and
Pierre van der Westhuizen, president of the
Cleveland International Piano Competition.
All proceeds went directly to UNICEF. This
summer, Georgieva-Smith performed with
faculty at the Interlochen Low Brass Institute.
Other engagements included the Oberlin
Conservatory Trumpet Institute and Cleveland
Trombone Seminar. Her collaborative partners
included members of the Philadelphia Orchestra,
Rotterdam Philharmonic and faculty from Penn
State University.
22
Robert McAllister (MM ’80) received the
2014 National Guild Milestone Certificate
of Appreciation. Currently the Colburn
Community School of Performing Arts Dean,
McAllister will be among seven other community
arts education leaders receiving the award.
Gary Olmstead (DMA ’76, Duff) recently
received the 2014 Medal of Merit Award from
Ohio University. The Medal of Merit is awarded
to alumni who have achieved distinction and
outstanding professional accomplishments in
their chosen fields. Dr. Olmstead served as the
Graduate Assistant in Percussion while enrolled
in the Master of Fine Arts Degree program at
Ohio University from 1964 to 1966. Olmstead
also holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the
University of Michigan. Olmstead developed
the percussion program at Indiana University
of Pennsylvania (IUP) during his 37-year
tenure. Other awards and honors include the
“Achievement in Music Award” from Ohio
University, the “Distinguished Faculty Award
for Teaching” from IUP and the “Lifetime
Achievement in Education Award” from the
Percussive Arts Society (PAS). Olmstead was
inducted into the PAS Hall of Fame in 2013,
the society’s highest form of recognition for
outstanding accomplishment and artistic
contributions to the world of percussion.
Nathan Olson (BM ’06, MM ’08, AD ’09,
Preucil) was recently named one of the “100
Creatives,” a list of the top cultural entrepreneurs
in Dallas. Olson is the co-concertmaster of the
Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He also plays
first violin for the Baumer String Quartet and
teaches as adjunct faculty at the University of
North Texas.
Matt Waid (BM ’06, MM ’07) is teaching at
Converse College in Spartanburg, SC. Waid
also won the Principal Double Bass position for
the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra in
Hendersonville, NC. This will be his third year
performing with them.
The Omer Quartet, comprised of violinists
Mason Yu (BM ’13, Kantor, Smirnoff, Zenaty)
and Erica Tursi (BM ’13, Preucil), violist
Joseph LoCicero (BM ’13, Docter, Irvine,
Current MM Ramsey) and cellist Alex Cox
(BM ’13, Kraut) performed Haydn’s String
Quartet in C Major Opus 20, No.2 at the La Jolla
Music Society’s SummerFest.
The New York Philharmonic has selected
10 young musicians from the Music Academy
of the West for its 10-day Global Academy
Fellowship Program, including CIM alumni
Matthew Cohen (BM ’11, Irvine) and
Genevieve Tabby (BM ’13, Kraut). The
program will begin in January and will include
coaching, chamber music and professional
development activities with Alan Gilbert and
New York Philharmonic musicians.
Appointments
Julie Albers (YAP alumna) was named
Principal Cellist of the Saint Paul Chamber
Orchestra. Holding the Bill and Hella Mears
Hueg chair, Albers will begin her full-time tenure
as principal in the 2015–16 season.
Michael DeBruyn (BM ’07, MM ’09, Aaron,
Hoebig) joined the Pittsburgh Symphony
Orchestra earlier this year. DeBruyn
was previously principal cellist of the
Louisville Orchestra.
Julie Fischer (BM ’02) was appointed concertmaster of the Evanston Symphony Orchestra.
Fischer teaches at the Music Institute of Chicago
and heads the chamber music program at
Midwest Young Artists.
Nicholas Landrum (MM ’14, Fitch) was
named the inaugural composition fellow with
the MusicaNova Orchestra of Phoenix, AZ. His
work “Gaslight” was written as his thesis while
attending CIM. The work was conducted by
Warren Cohen on the premiere concert of the
orchestra’s season on October 26.
Yuriy Leonovich (MM ’08, DMA ’12, Geber)
was appointed assistant professor of cello at
Bob Jones University, as well as section cello in
the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.
He recently presented a master class at the
South Carolina Cello Choir conference at
Furman University. Leonovich and his wife,
Kristin, are scheduled to play the Brahms
Double Concerto at the South Carolina Music
Educators Association in February.
Bill Kalinkos (MM ’05, Cohen) was appointed
clarinet professor at the University of Missouri
School of Music for the 2014–15 academic year.
He previously served on the faculties of the
University of California at Berkeley and Santa
Cruz. Kalinkos maintains an active performance
schedule with the new music ensemble Alarm
Will Sound, which presents concerts in Poland
and South Korea this season. In addition,
Kalinkos will perform John Adams’ concerto
“Gnarly Buttons” with Eco Ensemble in Venice,
Italy; the Mozart Concerto with the Eureka
Symphony in California; and Scott MacAllister’s
“Black Dog” with the Mizzou Wind Ensemble.
Clayton Vaughn (MM ’09, Kraut) won the
Alabama Symphony section cello audition and
started in September.
Prizewinners
Rixiang Huang, piano student of Paul Schenly
and Antonio Pompa-Baldi, won second prize in
the Cleveland Chinese Contemporary Culture
Association International Piano Competition
in October.
Dr. Robert Psurny Jr. (DMA ’95), professor
of music at Carroll College in Helena, Montana,
has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to
lecture at the Academy of Performing Arts in
Prague, Czech Republic. During his spring
2015 residency, Psurny will explore cultural
diversity in Czech and American choral music
by studying the Czech language and choral
repertoire while also lecturing on American
choral and popular music. Psurny is one of
approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals
who will travel abroad through the Fulbright
U.S. Scholar Program in 2014–2015. The
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered
by the Council for International Exchange
of Scholars, a division of the Institute of
International Education.
Faculty
The Cavani String Quartet (quartet-inresidence) opened the 25th season of Music at
Noon: The Logan Series at Penn State Erie,
The Behrend College, in September. The
performance included the world premiere of a
work dedicated to Leslie Curtis, a close friend
of the Cavani Quartet and former Penn State
Behrend employee. Honoring the memory of
Curtis, who was a flutist, Timothy Mauthe
(MM ’07) was commissioned to write
“Elegy” for flute quintet. Mauthe is currently
completing his DMA at CIM under the
guidance of Keith Fitch. He is also serving
as the Assistant Director of the Composition
Program for the New York Youth Symphony.
Joining the Cavani Quartet in the world premiere of “Elegy” was Madeline Lucas (BM ’09;
MM ’11), Ensembles Manager at CIM and flutist
of Ars Futura and North Coast Winds. Lucas
completed her flute studies with Joshua Smith,
principal of The Cleveland Orchestra.
Katherine DeJongh (chair, orchestral winds,
preparatory) performed Lowell Liebermann’s
Concerto for Flute and Orchestra with the
ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus,
conducted by David Danzmayr on the
2014 Summer Concert Series in Franklin
Park Conservatory.
Jason Vieaux (head, guitar) had a busy
summer that included performances at the
legendary Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires for
a Mario Davidovsky tribute, his return to the
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts for
a recital in the beautiful Sunken Garden, and
an appearance at the Kon Tiki Festival in Oslo,
Norway. Highlights from his fall season include
solo recitals in Portland, OR; San Jose, CA;
and Winnipeg, AB; performances of Rodrigo's
Concierto de Aranguez with the Santa Fe
Symphony, Signature Symphony and New
Mexico Philharmonic; chamber music
performances in Tecate, Mexico; and a Florida
concert with the Escher String Quartet. Vieaux's
new album with Yolanda Kondonassis (head,
harp) will be released in spring 2015.
In June, Richard Weiner (co-head, percussion)
was a member of the faculty at The National
Orchestral Institute at the University of
Maryland. In July he traveled to Evanston,
IL, to present classes at the Northwestern
University Percussion Symposium, and in
August he performed with the Grand Teton
Music Festival Orchestra. Weiner performed in
July and August with The Cleveland Orchestra,
and in November he performed with The
Orchestra during its Miami
residency. On November 21, he presented
a Snare Drum Clinic at the Percussive
Arts Society’s International Convention in
Indianapolis.
On September 7, 29 Suzuki violin, viola
and cello students and five faculty members
performed the “Star Spangled Banner” for
an enthusiastic crowd before the start of the
Cleveland Indians game. The weather was sunny
and beautiful as the Sato Center Suzuki students
filled Progressive Field with their music.
In Memoriam
Patricia O'Brien Blaha (BM ’60, piano), born
in Medina, Ohio, died on August 28. She lived in
Hawaii for almost 25 years, and for the past
24 years, she served as music director at the
Holy Spirit Church in Georgia. She served the
music ministry of the Catholic Church for more
than 60 years, playing the organ at daily Mass
since she was 16 years old. Services were held
in Georgia.
Sarah L. Felder died on September 24. She
was 92. She was both a graduate of and former
faculty member at CIM. A longtime resident of
New Jersey, she performed in many community
events with her string quartet and piano
accompanist. She was involved with the Temple
Sinai of Bergen County, where she was asked
to sing the Haftarah every year during Rosh
Hashanah services.
Preparatory
Sarah Parker (soprano) tied for the highest
prize awarded in her category at the Osaka
International Music Competition in Japan.
This past summer, Parker attended a
month-long musical festival in Siena, Italy, that
performed throughout the Tuscan region and
into Switzerland. Parker is 16 years old and
studies with Cynthia Wohlschlager.
Marian Patterson, adult preparatory flute
student of Katherine DeJongh, played in a sideby-side concert, “Doctors of the World with the
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra,” conducted by
JoAnn Falletta in July. Four days of rehearsals and
coaching by members of the BPO culminated in
the concert in Buffalo’s Kleinhans Music Hall.
Proceeds of the concert benefit the John R. Oishei
Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, New York.
w i n t e r 2 0 15
23
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funded by Cuyahoga County residents through
Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
About CIM
Founded in 1920, the Cleveland Institute of
Music (CIM) is one of eight independent music
conservatories in the country and is known for
superior orchestral, chamber music, composition
and opera programs at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels. CIM graduates play important
musical roles in our world as composers producing
meaningful new repertoire, as eminent instrumental
and vocal soloists, as world-renowned chamber
musicians and as members of premier orchestras
around the globe. More than half of the members
of The Cleveland Orchestra are connected to
CIM as members of the faculty, alumni or both.
Located in University Circle, Cleveland’s cultural
hub, CIM is easily accessible to all music lovers—
A benefit presented by
the CIM Women’s Committee
providing hundreds of concerts annually, most
free of charge. Visit cim.edu for more information.
Benefit tickets start at $250
216.795.3209 or cim.edu
Concert only tickets $20
Severance Box Office: 216.231.1111
or clevelandorchestra.com
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Visit cim.edu/wcbenefit
for more details.