School of Music High Notes: November News
Welcome to the third issue of High Notes: News from CFA School of Music. High Notes is intended as a monthly information column that highlights the high notes achieved by our students. Feel free to pass along any items of interest, especially related to our students and alums, directly to Cami Sylvia.
November 2020
Giving Thanks—Celebrating Students Past and Present
It is that time of year when the custom in the United States is for friends and families to congregate and profess gratitude for the abundance in their lives. In isolation here in Boston, I will miss the collective appreciation of my family, but I take solace in reveling here in the monthly High Notes by highlighting the abundance of successes and achievements of our current students and our alums. Yes, I am indeed grateful to be a part of this great institution. Yes, I am thankful to be surrounded by talented students and faculty. Yes, I am in awe of the tremendous success of our alums and current students. But I am perhaps most grateful and humbled by the hope and resilience I witness daily within the CFA School of Music. We are artists. We persevere. And…today (as always), I celebrate the commitment by our current students and our alums to being “musically-in-the-world”.
Here’s a challenge to all alums out there—reach out to me during the end of the term. Let me know what your “high note” has been lately. And we’re not just talking musical notes. What can we all celebrate with you? The birth of a child, a new degree, a new move, a union, a change in career…any other milestones? Yes, we are all musically-in-the-world in different ways, but surely there are other high notes that CFA School of Music alums gather together to celebrate. Email me directly by clicking here. I look forward to hearing from you.
Pianist Kyung Ah Kim Performs in Seoul
Dr. Kyung Ah Kim (CFA’14) gave a piano recital at the Seoul National Arts Center on October 20. She studied with Professor Boaz Sharon while at BU. Dr. Kim is on the piano faculties of the Seoul National University and the Seoul Middle School of the Arts.
Graduate Voice Student Featured with Assyrian Arts Institute
Soprano Maria Khoobyar is featured as part of a summer project with the Assyrian Arts Institute for an episode of their virtual series AAI@home. Accompanied by pianist Sveenie Betsargis, Ms. Khoobyar presents an operatic rendition of the famous Assyrian song, “Ya Nishra Tkhoumeh” by Dr. Freydun Bet-Abram Aturaya. You can watch here.
Soprano Caroline Corrales is Finalist in Vocal Competition
Soprano Caroline Corrales (MM’20, OI’22) has been chosen as a finalist in the Artist Division of the Carolyn Bailey & Dominik Argento Vocal Competition hosted by the National Opera Association. The final round will be completed virtually and winners will be announced on January 5. Caroline studies with Dr. Lynn Eustis.
SoM Flutists SWEEP Pappoutsakis Flute Competition!
Earlier this month the finalists of the 41st annual James Pappoutsakis Memorial Flute Competition were announced. This competition is open to flutists from all Boston music schools and culminates in a Jordan Hall Debut recital and a cash prize of $10,000. Alyssa Primeau (MM‘20, PD‘22) was last year’s First Prize winner and will present her Jordan Hall recital at a date to be determined. This year, all four finalists are BU students, both undergraduate and graduate. They are:
- Grace Helmke, Sophomore
- Barrett Yueh, Junior
- Matthew Lee, DMA
- Pauline Jung, DMA
All four are members of Prof. Linda Toote’s studio; we are delighted and proud of their efforts and success! Congratulations students AND Linda Toote.
Alumna Beth Morrison Named Musical America’s “Artist of the Year”
Alumna Beth Morrison (BUTI’89, BM’94) has been named “Artist of the Year” by Musical America! Beth studied with former faculty member Mark Aliopoulios and has also previously served as the director for the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Discover why Musical America is calling Beth an “Agent of Change” in the link above. Beth Morrison received the CFA Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016 and currently leads the Beth Morrison Projects, which she established in 2006.
Music Education Students Appointed to Board of Suzuki Association
Not one, but two of our DMA students have recently been appointed to the board of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Notably, both Bruce Walker and Kerri Williams are working on proposals for research in DEI that will relate directly to their work with the Suzuki organization. This is a moment to celebrate how our BU music education program will have a direct impact on changes in international music education practice and organizational structures.
Two DMA Music Education Candidates Present Their Dissertations
Earlier this month, Joe Pondaco presented his dissertation, You have to work with what the computer has: Music software affordances and student compositions. Many thanks to Jim Imhoff for his guidance as supervisor, and to Kelly Bylica and Tavis Linsin for lending their insights and expertise as readers.
Last week, Mark Potvin successfully presented his dissertation titled Socially Prescribed Perfectionism in a High School Choir. Professor Diana Dansereau shares that Mark’s work is part of a meaningful study and a strong contribution to the growing literature on student mental health in the music classroom. We are deeply grateful to Jill Wilson for her excellent supervision of Mark’s study and to Tawnya Smith for the insights and expertise that she shared as third reader.
SoM Piano Graduate Has Great Success with Transition to Remote Learning
Dr. Lucy Chen (MM’11, DMA’15) is Director for Monmouth Conservatory of Music in Red Bank, NJ. Check out this article to learn how she and her team successfully transitioned from in-person instruction to remote learning within 24 hours. Dr. Chen came to BU from Shanghai Conservatory and served as Professor Boaz Sharon’s assistant for several years. Before moving to Monmouth Conservatory, she also taught at Edwards Waters College in Jacksonville and was Chair of the Music Department.
DMA Choral Conducting Grad in NY Times
Performing amidst a pandemic has required immense thought and creativity in order to ensure the safety of each ensemble member. The choir at First Parish Church of Stow and Acton, however, has managed to find a solution. Read more about the ensemble in this NY Times article featuring recent DMA Choral Conducting graduate Dr. Michael Pfitzer (CFA’19).
Exciting Publication News for 2 BU SoM Graduate Students
We share the news of a recent publication from music education DMA alumna, Megan Lewis (CFA’18): “Self-Efficacy Belief and the Influential Coach: An Examination of Collegiate Athletes” – She and her sister Erianne (Associate Professor of exercise and sport science at UNC Chapel Hill) applied much of what Megan learned in her BU dissertation work to co-conduct research with athletes.
Musicology Ph.D. Candidate Jeff Dyer’s “Popular Songs, Melodies from the Dead: Moving beyond Historicism with the Buddhist Ethics and Aesthetics of Pin Peat and Cambodian Hip Hop” has been published in journal Religions as part of the Special Issue Music, Sound, and the Sacred. This is Jeff’s third journal publication—a tremendous accomplishment! Here are the reading links: Abstract | HTML Version | PDF Version | Special Issue.
Winners Announced for 2020-2021 BU at Carnegie Hall Competition
It is with great pleasure that we announce the winners of the “BU at Carnegie Hall” Competition for 2020-21:
Saejin Yoo, piano
William Grant Still: “Three Visions,” II and III
Jillian Agona, soprano and Jing-Fang Huang, piano
Richard Strauss: “Ständchen”/ Gaetano Donizetti: “Eterno amore e fè / Manuel de Falla: “Seguidille”
Tianhong Yang, piano
Isaac Albeniz: “El Corpus en Sevilla, Iberia”
Hyojin Kim, viola with staff pianist Siu Yan Luk
Ralph Vaughan Williams: “Romance”
Jessica Hetrick, soprano and Ann Schaefer, piano
José Rolón: “Debujos sobre un Puerto”
Xinyuan Wang, violin
Eugène Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 4, Allemande
Sarah Rogers, soprano and Regan Siglin, piano
Debussy: “De rêve” from Proses Lyriques
Chengcheng Ma, piano
Earl Wild: Fantasy on Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
Students are from the studios of Professors Gila Goldstein, Penelope Bitzas, Michelle LaCourse, Pavel Nersessian, Shiela Kibbe, Sharon Daniels, Bayla Keyes, and Boaz Sharon.
Unfortunately, as we all know, Carnegie Hall will be closed in the Spring, so the CFA School of Music will curate a pre-recorded concert of the winners in the Spring. Stay tuned for the broadcast date and time for our “BU at Carnegie Hall” Concert. More info soon…
It is with gratitude that I thank all SoM studio faculty who helped prepare all students who competed. I am also grateful for the fine work of our external adjudicators who were impressed with the high quality of our student performers. Last—but not least—I appreciate the tremendous efforts of Michelle LaCourse, artistic director of the BU at Carnegie Hall Initiative.
Best,
Gregory Melchor-Barz, Ph.D.
Director and Professor
Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Music
Founded in 1872, Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Music combines the intimacy and intensity of traditional conservatory-style training with a broad liberal arts education at the undergraduate level and elective coursework at the graduate level. The school offers degrees in performance, conducting, composition and theory, musicology, music education, and historical performance, as well as artist and performance diplomas and a certificate program in its Opera Institute.