Oberlin Conservatory Headlines

Oberlin in the News

Oberlin Opera Theater’s Così fan tutte will let Mozart’s glorious music and Da Ponte’s clever libretto sing, under the baton of Bridget-Michaele Reischl and the direction of Jonathon Field. Two new initiatives—a behind-the-scenes blog and thematic program notes—will offer audiences ways to explore different aspects of the production. The production opens on Wednesday, November 18, at 8 p.m. in Oberlin College’s Hall Auditorium, with additional performances on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

OBERLIN, OHIO (September 24, 2009)— An educational powerhouse that “has trained some of America’s best orchestral musicians for decades” (The New Yorker), the Oberlin Conservatory of Music will present five free orchestral concerts this fall, featuring several of its distinguished faculty soloists in concert with the conservatory’s two student orchestras. Music director Bridget-Michaele Reischl will conduct the orchestras in repertoire ranging from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 to a new commission by Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng, performed by acclaimed harpist Yolanda Kondonassis on October 2.

OBERLIN, OHIO (August 18, 2009)—Throughout her long life, Helen Hodam gave generously of her time and talents, helping dozens of students to build careers in classical singing. Now, a $1.7 million gift from the legendary voice teacher’s estate has established and will endow the Helen Hodam Merit Scholarship in Voice at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. A professor of singing at Oberlin for more than two decades, “Miss Hodam,” as she was universally addressed, was one of the most distinguished voice teachers in the United States.

OBERLIN, OHIO (July 30, 2009)—The Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Orchestra are pleased to announce a new partnership that will enhance educational opportunities for young musicians while building on the historic relationship between the two institutions.

OBERLIN, OHIO (February 20, 2009) — Frank Kuchirchuk, a retired photographer who took live performance photographs of some of the greatest jazz artists during the height of their careers, has donated his entire collection of jazz images to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The Frank Kuchirchuk Collection of Jazz Photography contains some 200 images, most of which are negatives that have never been seen by the public. The collection will be cataloged and archived within Oberlin’s Phyllis Litoff Building, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open later this year. A selection of the photographs will be displayed within the building, which will house Oberlin's Jazz Studies Department and its academic programs in music history and music theory.

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Jennifer Koh ’97 received acclaim from audiences and critics alike for her October 29 concert on Oberlin's Artist Recital Series. "Koh's program was a daring and intelligent thematic menu played with uncommon taste, flair and expressive acuity," writes Donald Rosenberg, music critic for the Plain Dealer. Her playing was "sensitive and bold," with "tonal suavity, clarity of texture and nuanced phrasing." The evening also marked the world premiere of a new video by Tal Rosner, created to be viewed in time to Koh's live performance of Esa-Pekka Salonen's Lachen verlernt. "The score surely can stand on its own, but the green and black dancing lines, nightscapes and sparks that accompany the violin add beguiling images to the narrative," Rosenberg writes.

Musical America has honored three Obies in its 2009 awards for excellence, announced recently. Composer Christopher Rouse ’71 was named Composer of the Year, and the Pacifica Quaratet—which features violinists Sibbi Bernhardsson ’95 and Simin Ganatra ’95—was dubbed Ensemble of the Year. In a profile for the magazine, critic Paul Horsley says of Rouse, "Few composers have written as skillfully and movingly for orchestra as he, and few have ranged as widely in scope." Responding to fellow composer John Adams' oft-quoted accolade that Rouse is "one of few whose music will last," Horsley writes, "there is little reason to doubt that assessment." In her feature on the Pacifica Quartet, Heidi Waleson calls the ensemble "a model 21st-century string quartet" that "combines technical prowess with great expressivity."

Just a year and half out of school, Sullivan Fortner ’09 is "a name unknown around New York, though maybe not for long," according to critic Ben Ratliff. In a recent review of the young pianist's appearance with mallets player Stefon Harris's quintet Blackout at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Ratliff praised Fortner's creative contributions. At one point, Fortner led the band in an improvised introduction; at another, he strummed a blues progression on the piano strings. The band, writes Ratliff, is "developing its own identity from the inside out."

Oberlin's historically informed staging of Charpentier's Les Arts Florissants earned recognition in New York Times critic Allan Kozinn's Boston Early Music Festival round-up. A project of the Historical Performance Division at Oberlin, Les Arts Florissants featured Oberlin students in the pit and onstage, directed by Associate Professor of Harpsichord Webb Wiggins. The production was performed in Oberlin, during Commencement and Reunion weekend 2009, as well as in Boston.

Tenor Arthur Espiritu '04, who studied singing with Emeritus Professor of Voice Richard Miller and was a winner of the 2004 Oberlin Concerto Competition, has won a $10,000 George London Award from the prestigious George London Foundation. Baritone Edward Parks '06, winner of the 2008 Met Auditions, received an honorable mention.

Conservatory Communications

Conservatory Media Relations staff:

Marci Janas
Director of Conservatory Communications
mjanas@oberlin.edu

Charlotte Landrum
Associate Director of Conservatory Communications
clandrum@oberlin.edu

39 W. College St.
Oberlin, OH 44074
Phone: (440) 775-8328
Fax: (440) 775-5457

Oberlin Conservatory Magazine

COVER STORY:
The Selch Collection of American Music History
The donation of a seminal collection — and an endowed professorship — makes Oberlin a global center for the study of American music.

PLUS:
From computer-enhanced performances to historically informed recordings, a new project supports students' innovative ideas.

And more...