<link>/</link> <description/> <language>en</language> <item> <title>سԹ Musicians to Play Famed New York City Venues Jan. 19, 20 /news/oberlin-musicians-play-famed-new-york-city-venues-jan-19-20 <span>سԹ Musicians to Play Famed New York City Venues Jan. 19, 20</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-12-21T10:38:22-05:00" title="Wednesday, December 21, 2022 - 10:38">Wed, 12/21/2022 - 10:38</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In January, some 250 سԹ musicians will mark a singular moment in their young careers with a performance at New York’s fabled Carnegie Hall.</p> <p>And this time it’s <em>doubly</em> singular.</p> <p>The سԹ Orchestra, joined by three conservatory choral ensembles and four professional vocal soloists—among them two سԹ alumni—will present a program featuring the masterwork of one of سԹ’s own: <em>The Ordering of Moses</em>, the 1932 oratorio by celebrated composer R. Nathaniel Dett, who in 1908 became the first Black double-major graduate of سԹ Conservatory and who went on to forge an exceptionally distinguished career as a composer, performer, educator, and choir director at Hampton University and other institutions.</p> <p>The concert takes place at 8 p.m., Friday, January 20, in Carnegie’s Stern Auditorium. It will be preceded on the evening of January 19 by a panel discussion on the life and legacy of Dett at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Hall.</p> <p>سԹ’s 2023 runout to the Big Apple also includes two sets by the <a href="/node/68056">سԹ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble</a>, an eight-piece combo of standout conservatory musicians, at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the intimate venue that is part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center complex. Showtimes are 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Thursday, January 19.</p> <p>“Opportunities for performance and performative expression are central to the professional training of all musicians, and we are very proud to offer our students this opportunity to share their artistry in two of the world’s most celebrated venues for their craft,” says <a href="/node/49511">William Quillen</a>, dean of سԹ Conservatory. “Central to this remarkable experience is the opportunity we have to celebrate one of سԹ’s own: R. Nathaniel Dett, a visionary musician and educator and one of سԹ Consevatory’s most distinguished alumni.”</p> <h2>“From Darkness to Light”</h2> <p>Any date with Carnegie Hall may be aptly considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. سԹ’s upcoming performance marks the second time in as many months that its conservatory ensembles will have graced the historic venue’s Perelman Stage: The سԹ Orchestra and choral ensembles performed before the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations at a Carnegie Hall gala on December 2. That engagement served as the symbolic kickoff of a new partnership between سԹ and the United Nations aimed at improving access to education and musical training for students all over the world.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"><img alt="سԹ ensembles at Carnegie Hall." height="233" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/un_carnegie_for_newscenter_by_chris_lee.jpg" width="350"> <figcaption>سԹ Ensembles performed at Carnegie Hall in December 2022. (photo by Chris Lee)</figcaption> </figure> <p>The January 20 program begins with Johannes Brahms’ Tragic Overture, Op. 81 (1880), which opens with the striking of two blunt chords that, in the words of conductor Raphael Jiménez, send the audience on a “turbulent and sometimes gloomy ride with few glimmers of optimism.”</p> <p>It is followed by Iván Enrique Rodríguez’s 2018 musical essay <em>A Metaphor for Power</em>, which examines the assertion that “all men are created equal” through what the ASCAP Award-winning composer calls “an expanse of troublesome experiences visited by fleeting and unsuccessful moments of hope,” an analog of the experiences faced by many in America, including those who share the Puerto Rican composer’s Latino heritage.</p> <p>The evening concludes with Dett’s oratorio, initially composed while he was a graduate student in 1932 and expanded in 1937. It conveys the biblical story of Exodus and the journey from persecution to freedom, the composer deftly blending elements of his classical training with influences from Black folk songs and spirituals—a practice he learned as an undergraduate at سԹ and implemented throughout his career.</p> <p>The massive work summons the talents of the 96-piece سԹ Orchestra and 147 vocalists, including the سԹ College Choir, سԹ Gospel Choir, and Musical Union—the سԹ campus-community chorus that is one of the oldest U.S. ensembles of its kind. It features four soloists: سԹ alumni soprano <a href="https://chabrellewilliams.space/">Chabrelle Williams ’</a><a href="http://chabrellewilliams.space/">11</a>&nbsp;and tenor <a href="https://www.limmiepulliam.com/">Limmie Pulliam ’98</a>, as well as mezzo-soprano <a href="https://www.ronnitamiller.com/">Ronnita Miller</a> and baritone <a href="https://www.atholestill.com/artist/eric-greene/">Eric Greene</a>.</p> <p>The choral ensembles were prepared by conservatory faculty <a href="/node/6646">Gregory Ristow</a> and <a href="/node/351086">Ben Johns</a>.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"><img alt="Raphael Jiménez." height="251" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/raphael-jimenez-350px.jpg" width="250"> <figcaption>Raphael Jiménez (photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones)</figcaption> </figure> <p>“This repertoire gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to high-level musical training, our commitment to new music, and our commitment to expanding the classical music canon, all wrapped around a theme of social justice—a theme that is central to the values of our institution,” says conductor Jiménez. “What is indeed a diverse and seemingly eclectic program has been curated with a sense of drama in mind—a drama that we all love to revive over and over: the journey from darkness to light.”</p> <p>The concert takes place at 8 p.m. Friday, January 20. Tickets ($15-$35) are available at <a href="https://www.carnegiehall.org/Events">carnegiehall.org</a> or by calling 212-247-7800. Carnegie Hall is at 881 7th Avenue in New York.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"><img alt="R Nathaniel Dett." height="241" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/nathaniel_dett.png" width="250"> <figcaption>R. Nathaniel Dett</figcaption> </figure> <p>The January 19 panel discussion, “Explorations of Political, Religious, and Cultural Context in R. Nathaniel Dett's The Ordering of Moses,” will examine Dett’s pioneering use of spirituals and folk songs as a basis for Western classical compositions—a practice he developed as a student at سԹ. It will be moderated by <a href="/node/319121">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a>, سԹ’s assistant professor of African American and African diasporic musics, and will feature a panel of distinguished guests: ethnomusicology professor Fredara Hadley of the Juilliard School, retired music theory professor Jeannie Ma. Guerrero of the Eastman School of Music, emerita professor of religion and women’s studies Cheryl Kirk-Duggan of Shaw University, choral professor Marques L.A. Garrett of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, professor Damien Sneed of the Manhattan School of Music, and Roland Carter, emeritus music professor Roland Carter of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and former music chair and choir director at Hampton University.</p> <p>In recent years, works by Dett—longtime staples of music programs at historically Black colleges and universities—have begun to appear more frequently on programs across America and in Europe. <em>The Ordering of Moses</em> made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2014; its U.K. premiere was presented by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in February 2022.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"><img alt="Courtney-Savali Andrews." height="251" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/courtney-savali_andrews_0.jpg" width="250"> <figcaption>Courtney-Savali Andrews (photo courtesy of Andrews)</figcaption> </figure> <p>“It is fantastic to see a watershed moment in the programming of Dett’s repertoire across the nation and overseas,” Andrews says. “Eighty years after his death, it seems as if he is in the press now almost as much as he was when he was touring solo and with his ensembles throughout his 45-year career between Canada, America, and Europe. Audiences today would serve his legacy well to take a closer look at the layered aspirations of this great American composer, thought leader, and culture bearer.”</p> <p>The discussion takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Kaufman Music Center. Admission is free, but reservations are required by calling 212-501-3330. Kaufman Music Center is at 129 West 67th Street in New York.</p> <h2>Jazz at Dizzy’s</h2> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"><img alt="Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble." height="233" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/sonny_ensemble_2019_by_fadi_kheir.jpg" width="350"> <figcaption>سԹ's Sonny Ensemble debuted at Dizzy's in 2019. (photo by Fadi Kheir)</figcaption> </figure> <p>Thursday evening continues with two performances by the سԹ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center, a short walk down Broadway from Kaufman Music Center. Established at سԹ through the support of the legendary saxophonist, the “Sonny Ensemble” made its New York City debut at Dizzy’s in January 2019. The return trip promises more original works, arrangements, and compositions by Rollins himself.</p> <p>Showtimes are 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 to $45 ($20 for students), in addition to a $21 food and beverage minimum per person. Call 212-258-9800 or visit <a href="http://www.jazz.org">www.jazz.org</a> for information and reservations. Dizzy’s is at 10 Columbus Circle in New York.</p> <p>Members of the Sonny Ensemble will arrive in New York early to begin a series of performance-visits with area schoolchildren and music programs in New York and New Jersey.</p> <h2>Sneak Previews</h2> <p>Northeast Ohio audiences will have opportunities to experience preview performances happening on campus prior to their departure for New York.</p> <p>The Sonny Ensemble will appear at the ’Sco—the student-run concert club on the lower level of Wilder Hall—<a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/events/concert_the_oberlin_sonny_rollins_jazz_ensemble">at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, January 15</a>.</p> <p>The complete Carnegie Hall program, featuring all four vocal soloists slated to appear in New York, <a href="/events/carnegie_hall_preview_concert_oberlin_orchestra_and_choirs">happens at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 17</a>, in Finney Chapel.</p> <hr> <p><em>Ticket info and more at <a href="/nyc2023">www.oberlin.edu/NYC2023</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tour includes music by سԹ alumnus R. Nathaniel Dett performed at Carnegie Hall, jazz gigs at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-12-21T12:00:00Z">Wed, 12/21/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2596">Conservatory Tours</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2370">Ensembles &amp; Orchestras</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3797">Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/raphael-jimenez" hreflang="und">Raphael Jiménez</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/courtney-savali-andrews" hreflang="und">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/bobby-ferrazza" hreflang="und">Bobby Ferrazza</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/william-quillen" hreflang="und">William Quillen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/gregory-ristow" hreflang="und">Gregory Ristow ’01</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/nyc_news_center.png?itok=OPD2YcCU" width="760" height="570" alt="سԹ in New York City tour graphic."> </div> Wed, 21 Dec 2022 15:38:22 +0000 eburnett 451880 at 2022 Winter Term Recap /news/2022-winter-term-recap <span>2022 Winter Term Recap</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-03-11T15:25:19-05:00" title="Friday, March 11, 2022 - 15:25">Fri, 03/11/2022 - 15:25</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>سԹ’s <a href="/winter-term/about" target="_blank">Winter Term</a> allows students to participate in on- or off-campus intensive group projects offered by faculty and staff. Students may develop independent study or research projects, complete internships, or undertake rigorous personal development projects. This year, from January 25 to February 17, group projects included such offerings as Practicum in Museum Education to Exploring Marginalized Music to Congressional and hospital internships.</p> <p>In this video we recap some of the projects students explored. Visit <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/collections/72157720412304151/" target="_blank">سԹ’s Flickr page</a> for more photos and videos.</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-03-11T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/11/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>More than 2,290 students explored projects and research opportunities outside of their normal course of study during Winter Term. In this wrap-up gallery we look back at some of the group projects students performed.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3515">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3797">Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2391">Languages &amp; Literatures</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25246">Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32971">Opera Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25441">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/matt-elrod" hreflang="und">Matthew (Matt) Elrod</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/maureen-peters" hreflang="und">Maureen Peters</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/gunnar-kwakye" hreflang="und">Gunnar Kwakye</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/nancy-darling" hreflang="und">Nancy Darling</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/caroline-jackson-smith" hreflang="und">Caroline Jackson Smith</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/mike-moore" hreflang="und">Michael (Mike) Moore</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/rebecca-landell" hreflang="und">Rebecca Landell</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/kj-cerankowski" hreflang="und">KJ Cerankowski</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/ann-cooper-albright" hreflang="und">Ann Cooper Albright</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry" hreflang="und">Chemistry and Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/theater" hreflang="und">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Students in biology professor Mike More’s lab undertake a plant systematics project during Winter Term.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/images-2022/wtlab.yvonnegay.jpg?itok=7DQr7pwS" width="760" height="570" alt="A student works in a lab surrounded by books and instruments."> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id class="o-flex--video-embed"> <h2>Winter Term 2022</h2> <div class="video-embed-field-provider-vimeo video-embed-field-responsive-video"><iframe width="854" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" title="Vimeo | سԹ Winter Term 2022 Highlights" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/681444327?autoplay=1&amp;muted=1"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 11 Mar 2022 20:25:19 +0000 ygay 393351 at سԹ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble Performs March 13 /news/oberlin-sonny-rollins-jazz-ensemble-performs-march-13 <span>سԹ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble Performs March 13</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-03-09T10:17:49-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 9, 2022 - 10:17">Wed, 03/09/2022 - 10:17</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The سԹ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble, a student group created through the support of the legendary jazz musician, <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/concert_the_sonny_rollins_jazz_ensemble_bobby_ferrazza_director">will perform a set</a> in سԹ Conservatory’s Clonick Hall recording studio on Sunday, March 13.</p> <p>The 2:30 p.m. concert is free and open to the public, and will be streamed at <a href="/conservatory/on-stage/live-webcasts">سԹ.edu/livestream</a>.</p> <p>The ensemble will present a mix of original tunes and arrangements of standards by the group’s members and director <a href="/node/6686">Bobby Ferrazza</a>, سԹ’s professor of jazz guitar.</p> <p>The 2021-22 Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble lineup consists of Armen Krakirian (trumpet), Coleman Rose (saxophone), Eric Weaver (trombone), Sehrea Brown (vocals), Archer Parks (guitar), Wilson Woods (piano), Kamran Curlin (bass), and Martin Kent (drums).</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble musicians." height="320" src="/sites/default/files/content/conservatory/images/sonnyrollinsgroupmural-008.jpg" width="800"> <figcaption>The سԹ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble, with director Bobby Ferrazza (far left). Photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Formed in 2018, the Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble was made possible through a <a href="/news/jazz-legend-sonny-rollins-designates-major-gift-oberlin">generous gift to سԹ Conservatory</a> by Rollins, the revered jazz saxophonist and composer. More than a mere spot in an elite unit, membership in the ensemble requires a commitment to service through music and willingness to give for others—core principles exemplified by Rollins, now 91, throughout his life and career.</p> <p>Auditions for the ensemble are held each year, and all سԹ jazz students are eligible for inclusion beginning with their first year on campus.</p> <p>In January 2019, the Sonny Ensemble performed two sets at New York City’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center complex. The following year, the ensemble made its West Coast debut in the Joe Henderson Lab at SFJAZZ in San Francisco.</p> <p>A return engagement at SFJAZZ coupled with a slate of Bay Area school performances were canceled this year due to COVID restrictions. The students joined forces in fall semester to purchase and deliver groceries to Afghan refugees who have resettled in the Cleveland area.</p> <p>“These students are among the most talented musicians in our conservatory, but they are also amazing stewards of the mission Mr. Rollins established for this group: to be servants to their community not only through their music, but through their generosity of spirit,” says Ferrazza. “I’m very proud of each one of them, and all of سԹ can be proud of them too.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">All-star student group’s return to action ends months of COVID limitations.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-03-09T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/09/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3797">Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/bobby-ferrazza" hreflang="und">Bobby Ferrazza</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/sonny_ensemble_graphic.png?itok=1aXw8neQ" width="760" height="570" alt="Sonny Rolllins playing a saxophone."> </div> Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:17:49 +0000 eburnett 393156 at