The Hansen Music Fellowship
An extraordinary fellowship for extraordinary freshmen
Program Overview
The Hansen Fellowship Program provides funding to selected undergraduate students for musical experiences vital to students’ long-term advancement. From travel, to music summer training programs, to recording and performance opportunities, Hansen Fellows will be uniquely and more impressively prepared for their musical careers. There is no other program like this throughout the country. Hansen Fellows are given extraordinary opportunities for professional development that are more typical for master's and doctoral study.
Each year, two entering freshman students in the College of Musical Arts will be designated as Hansen Fellows. Students awarded the Hansen Fellowship will be the most talented and is expected they will be of a top academic and musical caliber. Hansen Fellows will receive an additional stipend of $1,000 annually, plus generous monetary allocations to cover the expenses of their four-year program of fellowship activities.
| Year 1 | $1,000 stipend and up to $2,000 summer experience | $3,000 |
| Year 2 | $1,000 stipend and up to $1,000 master class/lessons | $2,000 |
| Year 3 | $1,000 stipend and up to $1,000 commissioning project | $2,000 |
| Year 4 | $1,000 stipend and up to $3,000 recording/performance | $4,000 |
| Total value of Hansen Fellowship | $11,000 |
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Hansen Fellowship, students must perform a successful BGSU audition and be nominated by an applied faculty member. Criteria for consideration are listed below.
Demonstration of exceptional musical performance through BGSU audition and related performance activity
Acceptance to BGSU and the College of Musical Arts as a music major by March 1
Minimum ACT score of 26 (excluding International Students) or equivalent SAT score (1230 and above)
Minimum TOEFL score of 71 (for International Students)
Nomination by BGSU applied faculty member
Interview Process
Once a student is nominated for the fellowship, they will be contacted by the Hansen Fellowship Committee (HFC) for additional information. Students nominated will be required to submit a video audition recording with the same repertoire performed for their BGSU audition, a letter of recommendation, and complete an interview with members of the HFC. Interviews may be conducted in person or through Skype or other technology.
Notification
The Dean of the College of Musical Arts will notify students selected for the Hansen Fellowship by April 1.
Application Submission
Email the completed application form as an attachment to Dr. Andrew Pelletier, Chair of Music Performance Studies at the College of Musical Arts; pandrew@bgsu.edu
Dr. Andrew Pelletier, chair
Music Performance Studies
College of Musical Arts
Bowling Green State University
Moore Musical Arts Center
Bowling Green, OH 43403
pandrew@bgsu.edu
Meet our current Hansen Fellows
Originally from Wisconsin, pianist Abigail Petersen is pursuing double degrees in Music Performance and Latin at Bowling Green State University, studying piano under Dr. Yevgeny Yontov. In 2023, she made her concerto debut with the BGSU Philharmonia as the winner of the university’s concerto competition and has also received first prizes in the Majorie Conrad Art Song Competition and the Douglas Wayland Chamber Music Competition. Abigail has appeared as soloist with the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra and performed in masterclasses for distinguished pianists including Anton Nel, Robert McDonald, and Terrence Wilson. Abigail is an alumna of Brevard Music Center, where she studied under Norman Krieger and Michael Chertock. The two-time recipient of the C. Elizabeth Cobb Memorial Scholarship for her efforts in collaborative piano, Abigail attended the Collaborative Piano Institute to study duo, chamber, and art song literature with artists including Howard Watkins, Warren Jones, and Martin Katz. A fierce lover of new music, Abigail has premiered more than a dozen works by her BGSU composer colleagues. She is a Presidential Scholar in the BGSU Honors College and a 2021 Georgia-Pacific Foundation Scholar.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
2023-2024 – Commissioning project
Summer 2023 – attended Collaborative Piano Institute, Louisiana State University
Summer 2022 – attended Brevard Summer Music Festival
Cellist Joshua Lyphout (b. 2003) is currently studying in the studio of Dr. Brian Snow at Bowling Green State University. Lyphout strives to invite audiences to explore new sound worlds with his programming in exciting and engaging contexts. An avid proponent of contemporary music, Lyphout has premiered dozens of new works by young composers and is committed to presenting new music alongside works of the established canon. Equally as passionate about early music and historically informed performance, he can frequently be heard performing works of the 16th and 17th centuries on period instruments.
Lyphout has performed in masterclasses for cellists Mark Kosower, Andrei Ioniță, Sonja Kraus, Susan Babini, Kivie Cahn-Lipman, and Kahri Joyner, and has attended the Berlin Opera Academy and the Brevard Music Center. He has been a finalist or received prizes in the Douglas Wayland Chamber Music Competition and the BGSU Concerto Competition. Recent projects have included a recital of works by Prokofiev, Landon Cina, and Rachmaninoff and Idiosyncrasies: A Call for Scores; a composition competition which received over 400 submissions with 5 winners scheduled to be performed and recorded in Spring 2024.
Joshua Lyphout performs on 2023 cello by American master luthier Jon van Kouwenhowen.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Spring and Summer 2024 – Final project, recording of commissioned pieces
Spring 2023 – Recital of commissioned pieces
Summer 2023 –attended Berlin Opera Academy, Berlin, Germany
2022-2023 – Commissioning project (call for scores, five pieces selected)
Summer 2022 – attended Brevard Summer Music Festival
Aidan Peper is a saxophonist pursuing a degree in Music Education (anticipated Bachelor of Music Education in Spring 2027), studying with Distinguished Artist Professor Dr. John Sampen. A native of Bowling Green, Aidan performed in the Bowling Green Area Community Band and BiG Band BG prior to attending BGSU. He has also performed in a number of high school honors ensembles, most notably as the principal saxophone of the 2023 OMEA All State Band. Now at BGSU, he currently performs in the BGSU Wind Symphony, Early Bird Saxophone Quartet, BG Saxophone Club, and the Falcon Marching Band. In addition to performing, he also teaches young musicians from the Toledo Public Schools as part of the Music Plus Program. He represents the College of Musical Arts as a Music Ambassador, a role that helps to recruit new music students for BGSU. With the generous support from the Hansen Fellowship, Aidan will attend the Fredrick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute at Snow Pond Music Festival in summer 2024.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Summer 2024 – Attend the Snow Pond Music Festival and Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute, Maine
Kiersten Swihart is pursuing a B.M. in Flute Performance at Bowling Green State University, studying with Dr. Terri Sánchez. She performs in the BGSU Wind Symphony, Falcon Flute Choir, and various chamber ensembles. Kiersten studied with Dr. Cleo Leung, Bonnie Jenkins, and Dr. Heather Verbeck. In 2021, Kiersten won WDPR Dayton's Discover Classical Young Talent Search and placed 2nd in the David L. Pierson Concerto Competition. She performed with the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (2019-2023) and participated in the Ohio All-State Band (2022, 2023) as well as the Ohio Southwest Region Orchestra and the Wright State University Wind Symphony. She has attended numerous honor bands and summer workshops and was actively involved in her school's music program. Last summer, Kiersten had the opportunity to attend The Consummate Flutist 2023 Masterclass Series at Carnegie Mellon University, where she had the privilege of performing for and learning from world-renowned flutists. Kiersten has taught private flute lessons since middle school and aspires to establish her own flute studio, attend graduate school, and perform professionally.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Summer 2024 – Attend “The Consummate Flute” festival, Carnegie Mellon and private lessons
Ben Christiaansen is a violinist pursuing a Violin Performance degree from Bowling Green State University, studying in the studio of Dr. Caroline Chin. Ben is originally from Wisconsin, and has taken advantage of numerous opportunities from there. In his youth, Ben studied with Rena Ayala, who connected him to the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. Ben has participated in the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) for four years. Through MYSO, Ben has been able to perform in numerous ensembles including quartets, small chamber orchestras. He also has taken a masterclass with esteemed violinist Frank Almond, and has even traveled to Belgium and the Netherlands to perform in 2023. He has performed in prestigious concert halls, such as the Royal Concertgebouw, and Queen Elizabeth Hall. Moreover, Ben has participated in the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) Honors Orchestra multiple times, in which he has been able to work with professional conductors Dr. Robert Hasty and Dr. Barbara Rhyneer. At BGSU, Ben will be joining the Fulton String Quartet. Outside of music, Ben enjoys disc golfing and spending time with friends.
Justin Brown is a clarinetist pursing a BM in Music Performance at Bowling Green State University, studying under Professor Kevin Schempf and Professor Georg Klaas. He performs with the BG Philharmonia and has previously performed with the Wind Symphony, Concert Band, and various other chamber ensembles. This past summer, Justin attended the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro NC with help of the Hansen Fellowship, studying under Dr. Anthony Taylor and Dr. Shannon Scott. Additionally, Justin has also attended the Aria International Summer Academy during his time as a Hansen Fellow. An avid chamber musician, Justin has won multiple prizes in the Douglas Wayland Chamber Music Competition at Bowling Green State University, including two First Prize wins and one Second Prize win in the undergraduate division. Justin has had previous masterclass and lesson experience with Alexander Fiterstein, Steve Cohen, Ixi Chen and Ralph Skiano. Justin Brown hopes to attend graduate school upon completion of his Bachelor’s Degree and perform in an orchestra or military band.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Spring 2024 – Final project, full CD recording
Fall 2023 – Commissioning project
Summer 2023 – attended Eastern Music Festival
Summer 2022 – attended Aria Music Festival
Brazilian pianist Isabella Brill began her piano studies at the age of 6 and has been an active performer since 2016, when she joined the Preparatory School for young musicians at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Under the tutelage of Dr. Cristina Capparelli Gerling in the following years,Isabella soon garnered honors in national and international competitions, among them the First Prize and Best Interpretation of a Brazilian Work in the Cora Pavan Capparelli Competition in 2017 and 2019, and the Edna Bassetti Piano Competition. In Fall 2022, Isabella accepted the College of Musical Arts Hansen Fellowship, the highest honor awarded to two incoming freshmen each year and started her undergraduate studies at BGSU with Dr. Solungga Liu. In the fall of 2023, she won the BGSU Concerto competition and performed with the BG Philarmonia in February 2024.
Isabella enjoys participating in music festivals and has worked with some the most representative pianists of our time, including Anna Fedorova, Michael Gurt, David Koreevar, and Victor Rosenbaum. Isabella speaks four languages and is a wonderful ballet dancer.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Summer 2023 – attended Piano Plus Festival, Greece
Jake Weil is a Violist pursuing a degree in Music Performance (BM 2027), studying with Dr. Hannah Levinson. He is a member of the Fulton String Quartet. From Sylvania, Ohio, Jake initially started his musical studies on Guitar, before starting Viola shortly after. Since then, he has gained great amounts of performance experience on both instruments. Jake placed 2nd in the Ohio Viola Societies Viola Competition in the spring of 2021. The following year, he was a winner of the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts' Young Artist Competition, where he would perform as a soloist with the Toledo Symphony. Jake has served as the Principal Violist of OMEA's All-State Orchestra, and has also participated in NAFME's All-National Orchestra. Having an interest in contemporary music, Jake has premiered works from composers . Also dedicated to earlier repertoire, Jake regularly performs with BGSU's Early Music Ensemble, and has played instruments such as Treble Viol and Renaissance Lute.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Summer 2024 – Attend the Killington Music Festival, Vermont
Emma Clement is a hornist pursuing a degree in Music Education studying under Dr. Andrew Pelletier. Originally from Augusta, Georgia, she now resides in Spencerville, Ohio. Emma has been an active member of numerous area ensembles and heavily contributed to the success of her high school music program. She was the principal horn of the local Lima Area Youth Orchestra, and has played in many high school honor bands and festivals. In the future, Emma looks forward to the many opportunities the Hansen Fellowship will grant her in her goal to develop into a better musician and teacher.
Lexi Jones is a violinist pursuing a degree in Music Education, studying with Dr. Caroline Chin. Lexi is from Tallahassee, Florida, and has been an active member of many local string programs. During high school, she was a teacher’s assistant for the beginning orchestra program, as well as an intern for a chamber music program, helping new students learn how to play in an ensemble. Lexi was a first violinist in chamber groups who placed first for two consecutive years at the NOLA Chamber Fest Competition, providing her trio and quartet with the opportunity to perform in the Winners’ masterclass in New Orleans. She was concertmaster of both her high school orchestra and the Tallahassee Youth Symphony. In 2024, she won her youth orchestra’s concerto competition and performed as a soloist with the Tallahassee Youth Symphony. She has also performed as a member of the Florida All State Orchestra and she has spent summers working with renowned musicians at the Brevard Music Center Summer Institute, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and Florida State University Summer Music Camps.
Phoebe Saboley is a horn player and mezzo-soprano pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education with a specialization in Choral Music at Bowling Green State University. She studies horn with Andrew Pelletier and voice with Katherine Pracht Phares. At BGSU she performs in the Wind Symphony, Collegiate Chorale, Horn Club, Philharmonia, and Volare Treble Choir. She is currently the President of the BG Horn Club and the Music Director of AcousChicks A Cappella, a student run a cappella group on campus that competes in the International Championships of Collegiate A Cappella. In 2023, Saboley attended the brass program at the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix International Music Academy in Saint-Irénée, Quebec with the help of the Hansen Fellowship. She is thankful for the support of DuWayne and Dorothy Hansen for the opportunities to commission new music for horn as well as travel internationally. After graduating, Phoebe plans to pursue graduate studies in Horn Performance and Brass Pedagogy.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Spring 2024 – Commission and recording with Australian composer, Catherine Likhuta (2 horns, piano, treble choir). Piece will be performed on senior recital and Volaré concert.
Fall 2023 – Commissioning project
Summer 2023 – attended Domaine Forget's Horn Sessions, Montreal, Quebec
2021-2022 – lessons/master classes, summer experience
Summer 2021 – Due to COVID, Pheobe petitioned to move her first-year summer experience to the summer of 2022. She plans to also complete her private lessons and master classes in 2021-2022.
Amanda Withrow is an oboist. She majored in Music Performance at Bowling Green State University, studying with Mr. Dwight Parry (BM expected Spring 2023). She studied with Dr. Nermis Mieses from 2019-2022. In 2019, she was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra with whom she toured Europe; she also was principal oboe of the 2019 OMEA All State Orchestra. At BGSU, Amanda performs in Philharmonia and chamber ensembles, serves as Treasurer of the Double Reed Club, and runs social media to maintain oboe studio visibility and engagement with prospective students. She has performed in masterclasses with Reid Messich, Euridice Alvarez, Tim Gocklin, and Pedro Diaz while seeking further learning opportunities from oboists such as Nancy Ambrose King, Frank Rosenwein, and Eugene Izotov. She has attended the MasterWorks Summer Festival since 2020. After graduating, Amanda plans to attend graduate school, perform in an orchestra, and teach.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
2023-2024 – Attending graduate school at the University of Georgia, assistantship in oboe performance
2022-2023 – Final Project, audio/video recording with several BGSU student collaborators. Recorded in her church.
2021-2022 – Commission project, Oboe Duet by Shawna Wolf
2020- 2021 – Took several private lessons, including sessions with Nancy Ambrose King, Frank Rosenwein, Dwight Parry, Tim Gocklin, and Eugene Izotov.
Summer 2020 – Attended the MasterWorks Festival in Spartanburg, SC. Participated in chamber music, master classes, and private lessons.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
- 2022-2023 – Attending graduate school at BGSU, tuba performance assistantship, graduate brass quinitet
- ·2021-2022 – Final project, recording project, commission piece and solo works
- 2020-2021 – Tuba Trio commission
- Summer 2020 – Lessons with Gene Pokorny, tubist with the Chicago Symphony and Mike Forbes from Noah’s home town in Mount Horeb, WI.
· Summer 2019 – Attended the Tuba-Euphonium Seminar at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC
Hansen Fellow Experiences
- Fall 2021 – Student teaching semester, Christian graduated in December of 2021 with a degre in music education.
- 2020-2021 – Final project, recording of tuba ensemble works, including commissioned piece. This will be in conjunction with Christian’s Honors Project.
- 2019-2020 – Commission, piece for tuba trio by TJ Cole. Piece will be premiered on Feb. 27, 2021 on Christian’s senior recital.
- Summer/Fall 2019 – Lessons with Gene Pokorny, Chicago Symphony; Andreas Hofmier, International German solist; Tim Buzbee, Melbourne Symphony; Chris Olka, Cincinnati Symphony; Tim Northcut, Cleveland Institute
- Summer 2018 – Gene Porkorny Low Brass Institute, Redlands, CA and Rafael Mendez Brass Institute, Denver, CO
Hansen Fellow Experiences
- 2019-2020 – Return to Taiwan, teaching and free-lancing
- Spring 2019 – Performance tour in Taiwan (in conjunction with Gretchen)
- Fall 2018 – Commission, piece for violin and piano. Ling-Na premiered the piece on the 39th Annual New Music Festival and then again on her senior recital.
- Summer 2018 – Private study with violinist from Chicago (I don’t have the name)
- Summer 2017 – InterHarmony International Music Festival, Acqui Terme, Italy
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Through Hayley’s experience in the Hansen Fellowship, we found that it is more advantageous for vocal students to take their private study experience in the first year and then the summer experience in second. In Hayley’s second year, she applied to two prestigious summer programs but was not accepted into either, so she is completed her summer experience in her third year.
- Spring 2020 - Haley was scheduled to complete her final project in May 2020. She had rented out a restaurant, hired a chef, and prepared a recital with several collaborators. Each piece on the recital was paired with a dish/beverage from the country of the music’s origin. Twenty-five guests were invited to attend. Unfortunately the event had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 and Haley graduated without being able to complete her final project.
- Fall 2018 – Commission, piece for eight voices and soprano solo. Piece was premiered on Haley’s Senior Recital, Spring 2019.
- Summer 2018 – Choral Institute at Oxford, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
- Summer 2016 – Private study with Kara Cornell, teacher in Pittsburg, PA
Liz Mathiesen (she/her) is a cellist and composer who majored in Music Education. With her Hansen funding, Liz revisited Brevard Music Center in North Carolina (after first attending in 2019) and started pursuing a certification from the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Funding aside, Liz used her years at BGSU to settle into the role of an accomplished educator and community leader. Liz teaches a private cello studio of three students and has spent the last couple years exploring her newfound passions for restorative agriculture, activism, and self-sufficiency. While Liz is devoted to the study of her musical crafts, Liz is concentrating her current efforts on skill development and community outreach outside the musical sphere—like with her most recent project, Liz’s Crochet Studio (IG: @lizscrochetstudio), where she sells her own handmade goods to raise money for women’s healthcare initiatives.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Spring 2024 – Final project, Suzuki Book 2 training
Fall 2023 – Commissioning project
Spring 2023 – Suzuki Book 1 training
2021-2022 – lessons/master classes
Summer 2021 – attended the Brevard Summer Music Festival
Kamryn McCrory is a cellist who studied in Music Education at Bowling Green State University under Dr. Brian Snow, DMA. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Kamryn has participated in and been a valued member of numerous music-oriented programs. In 2018, Kamryn was offered a position in the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra with whom she toured Europe upon graduation. Recently, Kamryn has professionally recorded and performed American composer Augusta Reed Thomas’s Rainbow Bridge to Paradise for Solo Violoncello for BGSU’s New Music Festival in October 2020. She has also performed and worked with many members of The Cleveland Orchestra such as cellists Brian Thornton, David Alan Harrell, Richard Weiss, Tanya Ell, and violinists and pianist Isabel Trautwein and Carolyn Warner. After graduation, Kamryn hopes to teach K-8 instrumental strings and conduct her own beginning string orchestra.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
Summer 2022 – attended the Brevard Music Festival
2021-2022 – Commission project
Composer and pianist Steven Naylor (b. 1999) is pursuing a MM in composition at the Jacobs School of Music; he is also an Associate Instructor in the Theory department. Steven graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2022, earning performance & composition degrees, having formerly graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in 2017. Steven is in demand as a commissioned composer of vocal & instrumental music, with recent/upcoming projects including instrumental pieces, a song cycle, and a chamber opera. Steven’s micro-opera Visionary won BGSU’s 2021 Music Composition Competition, and was performed at the 2022 BG New Music Festival. The short film Play Date, dir. Kate Schnepf, which Steven scored, was screened at several international film festivals. A Michigan-native, he absorbed the natural landscapes of his homeland throughout childhood, which remain a large influence in his creative work. Steven has amassed hundreds of performances as a collaborative pianist, and has presented nine solo piano & composition recitals. Additionally, he has worked with high school, collegiate, and professional singers as a voice coach. Steven was a Resident Artist with Toledo Opera for two seasons 2022-24. During that time, he was also music director at First Presbyterian Church of Perrysburg, Ohio, directing a choir and improvising service music on organ & piano. He worked in the BGSU Dept. of Theatre & Film 2022-23, and served as music director for Evil Dead: The Musical. Steven performed solo works at the 8th International Conference on Music and Minimalism in 2022 and the virtual 2020 BG New Music Festival. His 2022 video recording project New Piano Music from Bowling Green, Vol. 1, exemplifies his frequent collaboration with living composers. His debut album, idyll, released in 2021; his second album, consisting of vocal compositions, will release late 2024. Steven is an engraver for St. James Music Press. He lives in Bloomington with his partner Christiana and cat Clara.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
- Present (2024) – pursuing a MM at the Jacobs School of Music
- Appointed as Toledo Opera Young Artist (Collaborative Piano) for 2022-2023 season
- 2020-2022 – Final project: recording project of Steven's own compositions, including solo piano pieces and choral works. Currently working on a set of Nocturnes for piano which will be featured on the recording. Recording project will be finished in the 2021-2022 school year (his fifth year).
- 2019-2020 – Commision: solo piano piece entitled Luminance by Catherine McMichael. The piece is about the life cycle of the stars. Steven will premiere the work on his senior recital in the spring of 2021.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
- 2021-2022 - Attending graduate school in at Florida State University, studying String Bass Performance.
- 2020-2021 - Final Project, audio and video recording his two commissioned pieces. Gene will play both the bass and violin parts on the recording. (Gene will graduate one year early but will complete the Hansen Fellowship in three years)
- 2020-2021 – Commission, two pieces by Maria Newman. One for two violins and one for violin and bass. The two-violin piece will be premiered on Gene’s senior recital in Spring 2021.
- Summer 2020 – lessons with two Canadian violinists at the Banff Festival Music Festival
- Summer 2019 – Attended two festivals in British Columbia: Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute, and the University of British Columbia Chamber Institute.
Hansen Fellow Experiences
- 2019-2020 - Attending University of Wisconsin, Masters in Clarinet Performance
- Spring 2019 – Performance tour in Taiwan (in conjunction with Ling-Na)
- Fall 2018 – Commission, piece for Clarinet and Violin by Eric Mandat. The piece was performed on Gretchen’s senior recital and on our in Taiwan with Ling-Na.
- Summer 2018 – Bayview Music Festival, Petoskey, MI, private study with festival faculty
- Summer 2017 – International Clarinet Conference
Hansen Alumni: More Stories and Achievements
Gene Waldron, violin and string bass, Music Performance, from Wyoming, OH
I started my summer before starting at BGSU playing violin in the Seven Hills Sinfonietta, a community symphony led by a conductor at University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music. We performed a jazz and pop based program in Cincinnati. I then went to an Ohio Community Theater Association (OCTA) regional competition, playing violin and cello in the pit orchestra for Jekyll and Hyde, the musical, with a theater group called "Footlighters". Our group moved on to the State competition and perform in Columbus over Labor Day weekend. Near the end of the summer, I was a faculty member for a camp at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center, playing the violin with piano students in order for them to become more experienced accompanists. In mid August, I played with the Queen City Chamber Orchestra as a violinist for their "Mostly Mozart" summer concert. Throughout the summer, I played with friends and family to provide music for several weddings.
Noah Laabs, tuba, Music Performance, from Mount Horeb, WI
I had a pretty relaxing summer to finish off my high school career and to begin college life. In July, my family and I drove up to Mercer, Wisconsin to have a relaxing week at the cabin full of fishing and swimming. Then on July 5th, I traveled overseas to tour in Peru with my youth orchestra, The Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. In Peru, I traveled to Lima, Cusco, and Puno all while performing concerts in each city. After flying back on July 15th, I spent the rest of the summer working, practicing, and preparing for an exciting fall at BGSU.
Erin Burks, voice, Music Education
- As a vocalist, we determined that Erin would take her private study experience in her first year.
- Summer 2018 – Private study with Nancy Maultsby, professor at Baldwin-Wallace and Mary Stucky, professor at CCM
- This summer, I spent a week studying with Professor Nancy Maultsby at Baldwin Wallace University. Prof. Maultsby graduated from Westminster Choir College and was a graduate student at Indiana University School of Music. Among numerous other awards, she is the winner of the Marian Anderson Award and the Martin E. Segal Award. Prof. Maultsby and I acknowledged that we only had a small amount of time together. So, we decided to use our time to focus on vocal technique as opposed to working on repertoire. We worked on breath support, efficiency of sound, transitioning between chest and head register, and awareness of self. Every day was something new, and our last day together was a recap of everything we had worked on. I absolutely loved working with Prof. Maultsby. She equipped me with so many vocal exercises, as well as a new perspective on my own voice. While some of the things we were focusing on were the same as what I was working on in my prior semester at BGSU, her approach to such things was unique and refreshing. Hearing the same ideas presented in a new way reinforced the techniques I’m working on to become a better musician. Aside from music-related stuff, Prof. Maultsby was simply a wonderful woman and made every lesson enjoyable. We got to know each other past the surface level and shared some lovely exchanges. It was such an honor to work with her.
- Summer 2018 – Private study with Nancy Maultsby, professor at Baldwin-Wallace and Mary Stucky, professor at CCM
Christian Bush, tuba, Music Education
- Summer 2018 – Gene Porkorny Low Brass Institute, Redlands, CA and Rafael Mendez Brass Institute, Denver, CO
Gretchen Hill is a freshman studying clarinet performance and music education. She is originally from Flint, Michigan where she studied clarinet at the Flint Institute of Music with Dr. Spencer Prewitt, a Bowling Green alumnus. During her time at the Flint Institute, she participated in the Flint Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Hentgen Honors Woodwind Quintet. Some of her notable accomplishments include participating in the 2015 and 2016 MSBOA All-State Bands, the 2015 and 2016 Michigan Youth Arts Festival Honors Bands, and the 2015 Michigan Youth Arts Outstanding Soloist Competition. In 2016, she won the North Oakland Concert Band Concerto Competition, and just recently, took first at the Ohio MTNA Senior Performance Woodwind Competition. Gretchen is so thankful for all of the musical opportunities that the College of Musical Arts has to offer, and for such a great clarinet studio full of outstanding musicians.
Ling Na "Nana" Kao is from Taiwan. She has been playing violin and piano since she was 4 years old. She is majoring in violin and minoring in piano at BGSU. For Nana, the violin has a distinctive sound, and she enjoys playing it. When she was 15 years old, she decided to go to the U.S. for college, and is happy to be here in Bowling Green.
Katherine Ray is a first-year music performance major from central Missouri. She is currently studying flute with Dr. Conor Nelson as her primary instrument and piano with Dr. Thomas Rosenkranz as a secondary instrument. She has participated in musical experiences such as being principal flute of the Missouri Symphony Young Artists Philharmonic, being a founding member of the Missouri Symphony Young Artists Woodwind Quintet, accompanying choirs, and participating in musicals and various honor bands. Her primary teacher was Elysia Crecelius, and she has taken lessons/masterclasses with Amy Porter, Alexa Still, John Thorne, Alice K. Dade, and Nadine Hur. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and learning new things.
Summer experience update: Chaska McGowan
The Atlantic Music Festival was the most diverse music festival which I have attended. It featured many programs including composition, opera, piano, new music, music lab (technology), a wonderful orchestra, and chamber music. Students were highly encouraged to network with musicians outside of their program for collaborative work and future projects. The atmosphere was appreciably open. Though each program operated on its own, each student was welcome to mix and match lectures, performance opportunities, and collaborative opportunities as they desired.
I was fortunate to have lessons with Dr. Bruce Brubaker and Dr. Gabriel Choros from the New England Conservatory, Dr. Logan Skelton from the University of Michigan, Father Sean Duggan from SUNY Fredonia, and many others. One unique benefit of this festival was that students were able to have at least one lesson with every teacher who visited the festival. Students received two or three lessons each week of the festival. Master classes by visiting professors were also held several times a week. The frequency of the lessons and master classes as well as the diversity of feedback helped students approach familiar pieces with an enormous variety of interpretive decisions.
After the attacks in Paris, a fellow pianist composed a short six-hand piano piece expressing his sadness, empathy, and anger at the events. He performed the piece the next day in afternoon seminar with two other pianists. It was a perfect expression of music’s ability to offer a response to violence and the most moving performance which I heard during the month. It aptly reflected the festival's mission statement:
“This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” -- Leonard Bernstein
The festival was a challenging opportunity to perform for unfamiliar professors and students. I believe it was a good learning opportunity to perform under pressure and become comfortable with unfamiliar situations without clear answers. The experience was profitable musically and personally because it forced me to grow more independent and to find solutions myself than any other festival which I have attended.
Thank you for your contribution to making this experience possible. I deeply appreciate your support.
Updated: 08/13/2024 03:39PM