University Opera presents A Little Night Music

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From March 14-16, University Opera, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Union Theater, will present a special production of Stephen Sondheim’s popular musical A Little Night Music. Directed by Karen K. Bishop Director of Opera, David Ronis, and conducted by UW–Madison Director of Orchestral Activities, Oriol Sans, the production will feature student performers from the School of Music, accompanied by the UW–Madison Symphony Orchestra.

University Opera is proud to join with other Madison area companies in presenting “A Spring of Sondheim, a series of four Sondheim shows in four months.” A Little Night Music, in March, follows Four Seasons Theatre’s production of Company (February), and precedes Music Theatre of Madison’s Marry Me A Little (April) and Middleton Players Theatre’s Merrily We Roll Along (May).

A Little Night Music is set in early 20th-century Sweden on the longest night of the year. Sondheim’s ravishing score, featuring his best-known song “Send in the Clowns,” is entirely written in ¾ time. The story explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt and the men who love her: a lawyer named Fredrik Egerman and Carl-Magnus Malcolm, a military officer.

When the traveling actress performs in Fredrik’s town, the estranged lovers’ passion rekindles. This strikes a flurry of jealousy and suspicion between Desirée; Fredrik; Fredrik’s wife, Anne; Desirée’s current lover Carl-Magnus; and Carl-Magnus’ wife, Charlotte. Both men–as well as their jealous wives–agree to join Desirée and her family for a weekend at Desirée’s mother’s country estate. In the perpetual twilight of the Nordic summer, lovers waltz in and out of each other’s lives and arms during a weekend romp filled with possibility, second chances, and endless surprises.

The large production will involve over 70 UW–Madison students–singer-actors, instrumentalists, technicians, and stage crew–spanning a wide age range, from freshmen to doctoral students.

The central role of Desirée Armfeldt will be performed by Madison Barrett. Her lovers, Fredrik Egerman and Carl-Magnus Malcolm will be played, respectively, by Alexander Cook and Grady Hayden. Fredrik’s young wife, Anne, will be doubled by Isabella Nowka and Elena Paul. Likewise, both Ben Johnson and Nathen Lê will take on the role of Fredrik’s son, Henrik. Charlotte, Carl-Magnus’ wife, will be performed by Kaitlin Case and Eliza Morris and Avery Brutosky and Danielle Bullock will share the role of the Egerman’s maid, Petra.

Guest alumna Jessica Kasinski will play Desirée’s mother, Madame Armfeldt, and Haley Street will play Desirée’s daughter, Fredrika. The quintet of “Liebeslieders” will be: Minseon Lee (Mrs. Nordstrom), Katie Eggers and Zoë Miller (Mrs. Segstrom), Brendin Larson and Rach Misner (Mrs. Anderssen), Ben Johnson and Nathan Lê (Mr. Erlanson) and Corey Lallo (Mr. Lindquist). Rounding out the cast will be Matthew Jordan as Frid, Lydia Jewell as Malla, Kyla Moore as Osa, and Camille Bruce-DeMuri. In addition to the orchestra, the musical team will consist of UW–Madison vocal coach Thomas Kasdorf (musical preparation), and Frankie Bones (rehearsal pianist). Graduate conducting student Elijah Schuh will serve as assistant conductor and conduct one performance.

The production will be designed by Em Allen with lighting by Zak Stowe, costumes by Kenneth Hoversten and Emily Popp, wigs by Jan Ross, and sound by Taylor Marshall. Dustin Strobush will be the technical director, and the production stage manager will be Alissa Berman. Others on the production staff include Zak Wolff, props designer; Ben Johnson, operations manager for University Opera; Sam Speer, sound assistant; and assistant stage managers Meghan Stecker, Lily Balge, and Lillian Doyle.

Ticket prices range from $15-$47 and are available in advance through the Campus Arts Ticketing office at (608) 265-ARTS and at artsticketing.wisc.edu. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office Monday-Friday, 11:30 am-5:30 pm and Saturdays, 12 pm-5 pm. Tickets may also be purchased at the door beginning one hour before the performance.

A Little Night Music is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

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Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition Winners Announced

The School of Music recently announced Minha Jeon, piano, and Stephen Dubetz, clarinet, as winners of the 2024 Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.

Jeon will perform Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Symphony Orchestra at the February 21, 2025 concert at the Hamel Music Center.

“Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was a significant challenge for me,” Jeon said. “It felt very different from my natural tendencies as a musician, which made it a piece I wanted to push myself to overcome. While preparing for this competition, I focused entirely on this work, determined to approach it with everything I had. I’m glad that the effort led to a positive outcome, and it has given me a bit more confidence to take on a wider variety of repertoire in the future.”

Dubetz will perform Carl Nielsen’s Concerto for Clarinet with Symphony Orchestra next fall.

“Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto written for the composer’s friend, clarinetist Aage Oxenvad,” Dubetz said. “It’s a pitched battle between tonalities centered around the note ‘F’ and the note ‘E’ may be a reflection of Oxenvad’s mental health, as he suffered from what today may be diagnosed as bi-polar disorder. Played through in one movement, the concerto dazzles, dances, and delights as one simple, two-note theme transforms again and again through various tempi, textures, and moods.”

The 2024 competition was held December 2 in the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall. The competition is open to full-time students majoring in music from all areas (brass, jazz, keyboard, strings, percussion, voice, and woodwind). Students are required to compete with substantial complete works for soloist and orchestral accompaniment as defined by each area.

“I’m especially thankful to Professor Christopher Taylor, whose creative ideas helped me find solutions to many of the difficulties I faced,” Jeon said. “Winning this competition has made the process all the more rewarding, and I’m happy to have had this opportunity to grow as a musician.”

Dubetz expressed similar sentiments.

“It is an honor to be one of the winners of this year’s competition,” Dubetz  said. “The representatives from each division were all stellar performers and musicians of the highest caliber. Being selected from among a diverse pool of incredible talent is both immensely validating and a real dream-come-true.”

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Turner Gray Leads New Era For La Salle’s Pep Band

Turner Gray, a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Tuba Performance and Wind Conducting, has revitalized the La Salle University Pep Band as its new director. Under his full-time leadership, the band now energizes basketball games and special events, bringing music and spirit back to the La Salle campus after a three-year hiatus.

There has been some type of pep band presence at La Salle over the years, but not always in a full-time capacity. The band had been dormant on campus since 2021, and in 2024 Gray was the first person to be brought on in a full-time role for the director position. With that responsibility comes some challenges as well as obstacles, Gray said.

“Working in this role full-time has really given me the ability to devote the necessary time, effort, and resources into building this program into one that represents the university and the city of Philadelphia in the best way possible,” Gray said. “We do not have a music program here at La Salle, so the students who choose to participate in the band are doing so out of pure desire. Despite not offering a music program, my vision for this program stems from my desire for students to learn how to be the best musicians they can.”

Gray’s vision for the La Salle band is simple, he said: Create and cultivate a program that allows students the ability to continue music after high school while representing the university in a positive and exciting light.

“I envision a band that is filled with curious, engaged, and excited students that participate in music for the love of it,” Gray said. “When starting a program essentially from scratch, it’s easy to decide what direction you want it to go in. I believe in students also having a say in that direction–a collaborative effort to achieving success both on and off of campus.”

Based in Philadelphia, La Salle is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The La Salle Explorers played in the Tom Gola Arena as their main home stadium from 1998 to 2024, and now play in the newly renovated John Glaser Arena. The new arena is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose venue which opened October 24, 2024.

The new arena has put the band front and center with the athletes, Gray said. The band occupies the first few rows of the student section, with the drum set player being directly on the baseline next to one of the baskets. It gives the band some much needed visibility and “inserts us into the game in a much better position than they had in the old arena,” Gray said.

Gray believes the band can have a direct outcome on sporting events. The band being so up close and personal with the players helps reinforce the atmosphere fans come to expect from a college basketball game, he said, and simple tunes bring the fans together to cheer, sing, and make noise during close-game situations.

“Lots of folks would shake my hand or pat me on the back as they leave the arena, telling me ‘thanks for being here,’ ‘it’s so good to have the band again,’ or ‘the band sounds awesome,’ and it’s true, they do sound awesome,” Gray said. “There is some exciting energy surrounding the La Salle Pep Band–the students are excited to be here and are eager to grow as musicians and people.”

He also thinks that–maybe unintentionally–the arena features an acoustical design that heavily benefits having a band present. Even with a sold-out crowd, the band cuts through the crowd noise clearly, he said.

“My parents were texting me throughout the home opener saying they could hear the band on the TV broadcast when we were playing, which was pretty cool,” Gray said. “Small but mighty, we are loudly and proudly representing at the basketball games.”

Membership in the band is all-inclusive for any La Salle student, staff, or faculty member, and the ensemble operates with an open instrumentation with no audition required.

Gray wanted to have as many students involved however they could participate, even if it meant a different instrumental makeup than most pep bands. The result has been “close to what you typically see in most collegiate pep bands.”

“I believe that, especially when starting a program with zero students, it is important to open the group to all, evaluate what you have to work with, and then go,” Gray said. “Everyone is capable of learning, and anyone who comes in with an open mind and the desire to be involved is someone I want to teach. I have been telling students here on campus that if you’ve played for five minutes, five years, or anything in between, we want you in the band.”

Gray believes that your ability to play an instrument might not directly translate to your day job, but what will translate are the skills you learn as a result of participation in the band: collaboration, time management, and the discipline and dedication it takes to do something in addition to what you are in school for.

Gray is seeing a lot of interest from potential students due to several investments in their future on the La Salle campus. For instance, La Salle is offering new band, cheer, and dance members a renewable scholarship for participation in the group starting in the Fall of 2025.

“It’s reassuring to be at a program that shares my values on the importance of investing in your students in order to see a program succeed,” Gray said. “The prospective students I speak to and meet each week can’t wait to be on campus next year. I’m thrilled to be one small part of helping build this program up to what I know it can be, and I can’t wait to see who comes with us on the journey.”

Since it is a “special topics” course, students are receiving a general credit towards their graduation requirements, and it is graded like many other pep band “classes” based on participation.

Gray was a teaching assistant for the UW–Madison Band program where he worked with the Varsity Band and Concert Band. One of the biggest things he took away from Madison and brought with him to Philadelphia is the idea of meeting students where they are.

“My time with Badger Band saw me standing in front of mostly non-music majors with the goal of making them really great musicians,” Gray said. “I’m having to do that every time I get in front of my students here, since none of them are at La Salle specifically to study music and I want them to be great musicians. It really goes back to my idea of everyone is teachable and deserves the opportunity to receive a high-quality education and experience.”

Gray also learned how to better interact with people on the operational side “who don’t really know much about how a band operates.”

“Dr. Corey Pompey and Dr. Alexander Gonzalez always emphasized preparation–whether it be for teaching or for meetings, especially with non-music folks. I think that has really helped me face all of the challenges that have been put in front of me.”

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Weinstein-Reiman’s composition featured on new album

Assistant Professor of Music Theory Michael Weinstein-Reiman’s composition “Leaves” is featured on Choral Chameleon’s new album CHANGING.

“Choral Chameleon, under the direction of Vince Peterson, explores the concept of change as a fundamental aspect of our existence on CHANGING from Navona Records. The texts and poems in this release delve into change as something that is inevitable and cyclical, to be actively embraced and critically examined in how it transforms our experiences, identities, and worldviews. CHANGING encourages listeners to move forward together with joyful anticipation of what is to come — not only with willingness, but with courage and evergreen determination.”

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Schwendinger named Abravanel Distinguished Visiting Composer

Professor of Composition Laura Schwendinger has been named the 2024-25 Abravanel Distinguished Visiting Composer at the University of Utah School of Music. Schwendinger’s residency includes a lecture and concert featuring her work. Both events are on February 10 at Dumke Recital Hall on the University of Utah campus.

Schwendinger is the composer of the opera Artemisia (about the painter Artemisia Gentileschi), is the winner of the 2023 American Academy of Arts and Letters Charles Ives Opera award ($50,000) and was the first composer to win the Berlin Prize (1999).

A professor at UW–Madison since 2005, her works have been championed by Dawn Upshaw (on tour 1997-2005); the Arditti, Spektral and JACK Quartets; Jennifer Koh, Janine Jansen, Miranda Cuckson, Matt Haimovitz, ICE, Eighth-Blackbird, Chameleon Arts Ensemble, Collage New Music, ACO, Richmond Symphony and Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra. Her music has been performed at the Kennedy & Lincoln Centers, Berlin Philharmonic, Wigmore & Carnegie Halls, Miller & Théâtre du Châtelet, and Tanglewood, Aspen, Ojai, & Talis Festivals. Her prizes and fellowships include those from the Guggenheim Foundation, Harvard-Radcliffe Institute, ALEA III, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Rockefeller Foundation at Bellagio, and multiple fellowship residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo Colony, Copland House, Bogliasco Foundation, Tyrone Guthrie Center (IRE) and Visby Center (Sweden), and was a League of League of American Orchestras/New Music USA composer in residence with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra (2014); as well as a rare two-time recipient of commissions from the Fromm and Koussevitzky Foundations.

Recent premieres include orchestral works Nightingales a poem for two violins and orchestra for Ariana Kim and Eleanor Bartsch, a harp concerto for Atlanta Symphony Principal Harpist, Elisabeth Remy Johnson and a saxophone ensemble work for the Northwestern saxophone Ensemble.

In reviews, her music has been called “captivating, artful and moving,” “music of infinite beauty” (NY Times), “ the genuine article…onto the ’season’s best list “ (Boston Globe); Colin Clarke wrote about her JACK CD QUARTETS, “the sheer intensity of the music is spellbinding…the passion shines through like a light.”

In 2025, she has several major premieres including a new choral work Silent Spring, commissioned by Cantori NY, based on Rachel Carson’s seminal book (May 2025 at Merkin Hall, NY), Ghost Music for the Chameleon Arts Ensemble in Boston (April 2025), Ghost Songs for Loadbang Ensemble (National Opera Center, NYC in February 2025), and she was awarded the Creative Arts Award ($30,000) for her third opera.

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Katz joins School of Music as bassoon teaching faculty

The School of Music is excited to announce Eleni Katz as a bassoon teaching faculty member starting Fall 2025. A graduate of UW–Madison and Yale, and an accomplished bassoonist, Katz has established herself as a prominent soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. Her “thoughtful and expressive” (San Diego Union Tribune) approach to music making has led her from performances by the bright blue waters of Bermuda to the lights of Carnegie Hall.

“As a Madison native and a UW–Madison alumna, I could not be more honored and excited to join the Mead Witter School of Music and the Wingra Wind Quintet this fall,” Katz said.

Katz is a winner of the 2022 Concert Artist Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Nu Deco Ensemble, the Jupiter Chamber Players, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Sarasota Orchestra, and as a member with the New World Symphony.

Other recent appearances include La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Series, Lake George Music Festival, Phoenix Chamber Music Society, Death of Classical: The Crypt Sessions, and Newport Classical. Her approach to playing the bassoon has been described as “uncannily human” (The Royal Gazette) and she has always believed the bassoon should strive to emulate the organic resonance of the human voice.

“Eleni will bring a wide range of chamber and orchestral playing and we are excited for her to join us,” said Dan Cavanagh, director of the School of Music.

Professor of Bassoon Marc Vallon plans to retire from the School of Music this spring.

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Watch: Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of Pianos

Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy and Director of Graduate Studies Jessica Johnson recently produced a video featuring Missy Mazzoli’s Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of Pianos. Johnson filmed the piece in Collins Recital Hall at the Hamel Music Center on a DS Standard 5.5 keyboard.

According to the notes, “Isabelle Eberhardt was an explorer and writer who, at the beginning of the 20th century, abandoned a comfortable aristocratic life for a nomadic existence in North Africa. She was a liberated individual who rejected conventional European morality in favor of her own path. She died in a desert flash flood at the age of 27.

Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of Pianos imagines her riding on horseback through the desert, lost in thought, remembering sounds and sensations of her old life. Fragments of Schubert’s A Major Sonata pierce her consciousness and are quickly suppressed. In her fatigue she dreams of a piano half-buried in sand, a flash flood of sheet music swirling around her.”

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Voices of Hope: Pinsonneault and Gendel Release New Album

Albert Pinsonneault, Associate Director of Choral Studies, and composer Scott Gendel PhD’05 recently embarked on a profound musical journey together. Their collaboration resulted in the album HOPE EATS YOU ALIVE, a poignant and powerful work recorded by the Madison Choral Project, a group Pinsonneault founded in 2013.

In 2018, Pinsonneault approached his friend Gendel with a vision. He wanted a piece that would delve into a contemporary issue in a semi-extended form. What was especially striking to Pinsonneault was not the public discussions around immigration policies, but that some public actors were choosing language that dehumanized the people seeking refuge in the United States.

Gendel proposed using a text from National Public Radio’s StoryCorps, where forensic scientist Dr. Lori Baker recounts her mission to identify the remains of those who died crossing the border and match them with families who are looking for lost relatives. This story offered a counter-narrative to the dehumanizing rhetoric to those who can only describe immigrants as “them.”

“The musical story on HOPE EATS YOU ALIVE is not pro- or anti-immigration, it is not Republican or Democrat in nature,” Pinsonneault said. “It is a simple tableau offering a glimpse into the harrowing journey many are compelled to make. We were also careful not to tell the story of immigrants, which is not ours to share. Rather, we told the story of the forensic scientist Dr. Baker, who was doing something in her power to help.”

In addition to the title, HOPE EATS YOU ALIVE includes four other works by Gendel, each with its own unique message. Some are humorous, some warm, some contemplative, but all share a common theme: “Love is worth hoping for, even if it eats at you, even if it takes you alive. Loving one another is something we must do as often as possible.”

Gendel, who also sings in Madison Choral Project, “really produced an exceptional work for us,” Pinsonneault said. “His musical language is informed by opera, and he understands how to tell a story through pacing, silence, dissonance, and shockingly tender moments. We knew we needed to record this piece, and wanted to celebrate Scott’s other choral music in our first commercially produced album.”

Madison Choral Project is the only fully professional chorus in Wisconsin, specializing in 21st-century music and commissioning new works. Recording an album of Gendel’s music was a natural fit, a fusion of celebrating both new music and the artistry of Wisconsin musicians, Pinsonneault said.

The album was released December 13 by Navona Records, a label known for its high-quality choral music releases.

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From Campus Stages to Broadway: Stampley Receives 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award

The Mead Witter School of Music and the School of Music Alumni Association are thrilled to announce Nathaniel Stampley ’08 as the 2024 recipient of the School of Music Distinguished Alumni Award. 

“I am honored to be chosen for this acknowledgement,” Stampley said. “As a student walking, protesting, and performing on campus, I never would have thought that my contributions to such a vast student body many years ago would mean so much to me today. My experience on all of the many stages (Mills, Morphy, Music Hall, Union Theater, Union South) have helped shape me throughout my career.” 

During his studies in Madison, Stampley performed in major and featured roles with University Opera (Mirabell’s Books of Number, The Old Maid and the Thief, Gianni Schicchi, Le nozze di Figaro), sang in scenes and outreach programs with Opera Workshop, performed with the university orchestra as a winner of the Concerto Competition, won the sophomore men’s division at Wisconsin NATS, and was invited to perform solos in excerpts from Elijah with the UW–Milwaukee Orchestra.  

Stampley studied with Professor of Voice and Opera Mimmi Fulmer while at UW–Madison, and he has returned to campus multiple times over the years to share his expertise and artistry with students, the university, and the community through concerts, guest artist classes, and career talks.  

“From the moment I first heard Nathaniel Stampley, when he was auditioning as a teenager for a Summer Music Clinic tuition waiver, I knew he was a special artist and human being,” Fulmer said. “It has been a privilege and joy to be part of his life in the years since then. His phenomenal success as a performing artist combined with his dedication to his family makes him a role model for all aspiring performers.”

A native of Milwaukee, Stampley has enjoyed an international career in musical theatre over the past 25 years. He went from Madison to Chicago, where he appeared multiple times with Apple Tree Theatre. This led to national and international success. 

Stampley starred as Porgy in the national tour of “The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess,” and as Mufasa in “The Lion King” on Broadway and in a long-run production in West End London. He was in the cast of the Broadway production “The Color Purple” (both the original production and revival) and toured across the United States in “Ragtime.”   

In 2021-2022  Stampley was featured in a new work, “Paradise Square” in Chicago and on Broadway, and appeared in “A Man of No Importance” on Broadway in fall 2022. His performance in the title role of Man of La Mancha with Marriott Theatre brought him a Joseph Jefferson Award.  

 Stampley completed a run in the title role of Sweeney Todd at the Signature Theatre in Washington D.C., and in fall 2023 he played the featured role of Herbie in Gypsy at the Marriott Theatre (Chicago).

Stampley has also appeared as guest artist with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the El Paso Symphony, among many others. He has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and 92Y.  He has embarked on a television career that includes appearances on Law & Order: SVU (NBC), The Blacklist (NBC) and Blue Bloods (CBS).

Stampley is an Artistic Associate at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. He is also a Lunt- Fontanne Fellow awarded by the Ten Chimneys Foundation.  

As part of the celebration, Stampley will host a career talk on February 20, 2025 at 4:30 pm in Morphy Recital Hall in the Humanities building, as well as a masterclass and Q&A on February 21, 2025 from 3:30 pm-5:15 pm in Collins Recital Hall at the Hamel Music Center. Both events are free and open to the public. 

The Mead Witter School of Music Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes an alumnus or alumna who is making, or has made, an outstanding contribution to the music profession in service or in artistic impact.

“On behalf of the School of Music Alumni Association, let me say how thrilled we are to introduce our 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Nathaniel Stampley,” said Garry Owens, President of the School of Music Alumni Association. “Since Nathaniel received his degree from the School of Music, he has enjoyed a highly successful career as a performer on Broadway, London’s West End, and many other venues worldwide. We are all very proud of Nathaniel and applaud his myriad accomplishments throughout the years.” 

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Ronis, University Opera are American Prize winners

David Ronis in rehearsal during the 2023 production of La traviata.

Director of University Opera David Ronis is the 2024 winner of The American Prize in Directing (The Charles Nelson Reilly Prize) for his work in the 2023 production of La traviata. University Opera also secured a tie for second place this year in the college/university division of the American Prize in Opera Performance for the same production.

This double win from The American Prize follows last year’s double win for the University Opera production of  Sweeney Todd (first place for both production and direction).

“Huge kudos to everyone involved in this production–cast, orchestra, crew, designers, and production staff,” Ronis said. “We have so much to be proud of and grateful for.”

With 19 national awards to his credit since 2016–10 in the National Opera Association Production Competition, five production awards from The American Prize, and four directing awards from the same competition–Ronis has helped establish University Opera among the premier collegiate opera-producing organizations in the country.

“We are particularly grateful for the support that University Opera receives from generous donors, the Mead Witter School of Music administration, and the Madison community and look forward to many more productions that offer wonderful performance opportunities for our students and vital programming for our audiences,” Ronis said.

Ronis’ award-winning work will be on display with the University Opera’s spring production of A Little Night Music, March 14-16, 2025 at the Wisconsin Union Theater.

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Chana wins Jaap Kunst Prize

Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology Nadia Chana has won a Jaap Kunst Prize for her 2023 article “Ugly Publics.” The prize recognizes the most significant article in ethnomusicology written by members of the Society for Ethnomusicology during the first 10 years of their scholarly career. Chana’s article was published in the Fall 2023 issue of the journal Ethnomusicology.

Chana’s essay takes up a collaboration between Inuk singer Tanya Tagaq and Greenlandic mask dancer Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory to theorize a form of dominant public she calls an “ugly public.”

“Ugly publics rely on the difference between audiences (the people in the room) and publics (which are not quite people and rely on a series of texts) to come into being,” Chana writes in the article’s abstract. “Ugly publics result when a dominant public is pinned down and made to feel feelings associated with minoritarian positionings. Crucially, in ugly publics, these feelings do not result from empathizing with minoritarian subjects but rather from confronting their own dominance.”

Members of the prize committee noted that “this penetrating study of audience response to a performance by Indigenous musicians confronts us, as readers, with the uncomfortable truths of race, dominance, and power in North America. In turning her gaze on the audience, Nadia Chana defamiliarizes the idea of ‘going to a concert’ that most of us accept without much further thought. Her work inspires deep reflection in us as readers, as ethnomusicologists, and as lovers of and listeners to music.”

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Concert Choir wins American Prize

Just a few months after earning a performance spot at one of the most distinguished choral conferences in the nation, Concert Choir has been named a winner of a 2024 American Prize in Choral Performance in the “college/university chorus—larger program” category.

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is one of the nation’s most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts.

Earlier this summer, the American Choral Directors Association announced that Concert Choir was invited through its peer-review process to perform at the national conference in Dallas, Texas. One of the highest honors in choral music, Concert Choir will perform on March 19, 2025 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center and at the Winspear Opera House. This is the second such recent invitation for Concert Choir, as the ensemble was also selected to perform at the 2022 Wisconsin Music Educators Association Convention.

Under the leadership of Dr. Mariana Farah since 2021, Concert Choir is the premier choral ensemble at the School of Music. This advanced-level flagship group performs works that span the entire breadth of the choral literary tradition and requires an advanced level of musicianship and ensemble skills from its members.

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Jaeger a 2024 Rockwell Award recipient

From L to R, Walter Rich, Music Education Teacher Education Program Coordinator for the School of Music; Ben Jaeger; Kaitlin Lepak, Outreach Program Manager for the Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center; and Tom Owenby, Associate Dean for Teacher Education and Director of the Teacher Education Center, met on October 14 to congratulate Jaeger on his Rockwell Award.

Ben Jaeger (Music Education 2000) has been named a recipient of a 2024 Rockwell Award. Awarded by the School of Education, these honors recognize exemplary teachers and other school professionals who mentor and provide high-quality field experiences to UW–Madison students who are preparing to work in schools. Recipients of these awards receive $1,000 each for their significant contribution to UW–Madison’s vital field experience program.

Jaeger, who is currently a band teacher at Vel Phillips Memorial High School in Madison, says winning the award is a “meaningful catalyst to reflect on how many future students of our student teacher will benefit from the community we create in the music programs of the Madison Metropolitan School District.”

Perhaps the most meaningful part of the process so far for Jaeger has been the student teacher quotes presented by Tom Owen, Associate Dean for Teacher Education and Director of the Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center.

Jaeger takes a “hands-on with scaffolding” approach to mentorship when working with UW students. This strategy, he says, establishes a safety net that allows students to take chances, and work towards building rapport and great art.

“A high quality field experience provides space for the student teacher to feel autonomy while feeling supported,” Jaeger says. “Resources are provided, guidance is given, and opportunity to become a stakeholder in the creation of art and the forming of community is available.”

Jaeger started teaching tuba and euphonium lessons, as well as recording concerts, at Memorial  in the late 1990s. He directed the pep band from 1999 to 2005, continued tuba and euphonium lessons, and then started teaching full time band in 2011. He was amazed  by what the students were able to accomplish musically with the right support and guidance.

“I knew I wanted to student teach here,” Jaeger says. “There was always something electric about Madison when I was a kid visiting and there has always been something special about Memorial.”

Jaeger’s advice for future music educators?

“Don’t give up. Some of the hardest days are some of the best learning. Relationships are everything. And great music is not made without great trust. Everyone in that room has my back and I have theirs and together we are invincible.”

The School of Education is honoring recipients of its 2024 Rockwell Awards during a November 9 celebration on campus.

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University Opera to present collegiate premiere of Songbird

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University Opera begins the 2024-25 season with Songbird, a reimagining of Offenbach’s hilarious operetta La Périchole in 1920s New Orleans. Songbird was adapted by Eric Sean Fogel, James Lowe (musical arrangement and orchestration), and Kelley Rourke (English lyrics and book). The adaptation, a masterful mashup of 19th century operetta with the jazzy Ragtime sounds of 1920s New Orleans, makes this comedy swing.

Songbird was commissioned by the Glimmerglass Festival in 2021 and subsequently produced at Washington National Opera and Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. The UW–Madison production will be the first collegiate production of the piece. Four performances will be presented at Music Hall on the UW–Madison campus: November 22 at 7:30 pm, November 23 at 7:30 pm, November 24 at 2 pm, and November 26 at 7:30 pm. David Ronis, Karen K. Bishop Director of Opera, will direct and Oriol Sans, Director of Orchestral Activities, will conduct. Songbird will be sung in English and French with projected supertitles.

Fogel, Lowe, and Rourke transplant La Périchole, originally set in a fantasist version of Peru, to a speakeasy in 1920s New Orleans called the “Three Muses.” This is Prohibition time, but in the Three Muses, you would never know it. The liquor flows, the place is always packed, and Don Andrès, the corrupt Mayor of New Orleans, is on the take.

Vaudeville performers Songbird and Piquillo are struggling to make ends meet. Don Andrès sees their act and offers to help Songbird financially, also seeing an opportunity to satisfy his own lascivious desires. In doing so, he plunges the community into a series of dizzying, madcap escapades. Of course, this all happens amidst the celebratory chaos of Mardi Gras. In the end, love conquers all as Songbird and Piquillo outsmart Don Andrès and everyone goes back to partying. As they say in New Orleans, laissez les bon temps rouler!

The cast features Madison Barrett and Eliza Morris alternating in the title role, Ben Johnson as Piquillo, and Alex Cook as Don Andrès. As Don Andrès’s sidekicks, Michael Chiaverini will perform the role of Don Pedro and Nathan Le will be Panatellas. The “Three Muses,” cousins who run the speakeasy, will be portrayed by Danielle Bullock and May Kohler, alternating as Guadalena; Eloise Berkley and Zoë Miller as Berginella; and Rach Misner as Mastrilla. Corey Lallo will be the Mobster and Matthew Jordan will be the Priest. Rounding out the cast will be Kaitlin Case as Celeste and alum Michael Kelley as the Guide.

Juliana Gessner will be the set designer, Matthew Albrecht will be the lighting designer, and costumes will be designed by Kenneth Hoversten and Emily Popp. Sara Bartlett provides choreography, Brandon Gregory will be the sound designer, Tamara Brown will design hair and wigs, and Zak Wolff will be the props designer.

Musical preparation will be by Thomas Kasdorf, and Frankie Bones is the rehearsal pianist. The production stage manager will be Elizabeth Cantwell. Others on the production staff include Kaitlin Case, assistant director; Oliva Gacka, dramaturg; Cody Diedrich and Scott Shapiro, carpenters; Benjamin Johnson, operations manager for University Opera; Sam Speer, sound assistant; Ray Erickson, lighting board operator; Eva Perez and Owen Yang, assistant stage managers; and Katie Eggers and Kyla Moore, costume assistants.

Tickets are $32 for the general public, $27 for senior citizens, and $10 for UW–Madison students, available in advance through the Campus Arts Ticketing office at (608) 265-ARTS and online. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office Monday-Friday, 11:30 am-5:30 pm and Saturdays, 12 pm-5 pm. Tickets may also be purchased at the door beginning one hour before the performance. The Carol Rennebohm Auditorium is located in the Music Hall, on North Park Street at the foot of Bascom Hill.

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Nonprofit led by alumnus awarded NEA grant

Since his undergraduate days at UW–Madison, Cody Goetz (Piano Performance and Spanish ’17) has maintained a focus on community engaged music education opportunities.

“From the first moment I started working with Cody as an undergraduate piano major, I knew that he wanted to make a difference in the world,” Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy Jessica Johnson said.  “As a student, Cody was serious about community engagement projects and deeply committed to creating partnerships that were mutually beneficial and meaningful.”

Goetz took the community engagement skills he learned in Madison and applied them to his work as executive director of the Mundi Project, a nonprofit based in Utah that works to actively break down socioeconomic and generational barriers by providing quality music experiences for all. 

Last week, Mundi Project made a huge announcement: It is one of 112 organizations nationwide selected to receive an ArtsHERE grant of $130,000 as part of a new pilot program from the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with South Arts and in collaboration with the other five U.S. Regional Arts Organizations.

This grant will support the Mundi Project’s two key initiatives: creating a strategic plan and providing professional development. Project 1 involves partnering with a consulting firm to develop a three-year strategic plan, enhancing leadership, operations, service, and community engagement. Project 2 includes comprehensive professional development in community music education, trauma-informed practices, accessibility, and cultural competency for staff, board, teaching artists, and volunteers.

These initiatives will strengthen the organization’s capacity, cultivate an inclusive culture, and improve program delivery to better serve diverse communities.

“It is my firm belief that my educational experience as a Badger helped me flourish in my master’s degree program and also instilled in me a passion for community engaged music education opportunities,” Goetz said. “I am forever grateful for the nurturing music community at UW–Madison. I wanted to express my gratitude for my educational experience at UW–Madison, and how the power of my experience has led me to have early successes in my arts administration career.”

More than 4,000 organizations applied for ArtsHERE funding in late 2023 and early 2024. Applications were reviewed by multiple review panels based on published review criteria, including the applicant’s organizational capacity and their capacity-building project, alignment with ArtsHERE’s commitment to equity, and engagement with historically underserved communities. 

“A fine musician and teacher, Cody always believed that music is a powerful way to connect with others and center our humanity,” Johnson said. “His work with the Mundi Project is truly transformative and life-changing for so many people.”

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New series celebrates chamber music

The School of Music is proud to present a new concert series, Live from the Mead Witter School of Music. Held the second Sunday of each month during the academic year in Collins Recital Hall at the Hamel Music Center, this series will focus on chamber music performances by faculty ensembles, top student groups, and outside artists.

The series officially begins September 8 with a performance by the Pro Arte Quartet. All performances in this series are free, non-ticketed events, and will also stream live from the School of Music YouTube channel. The series is made available by the generosity of donors to the David and Kato Perlman Live from the Mead Witter School of Music Fund.

2024/2025 Series Dates
All concerts begin at 12:30 pm
September 8, 2024 (Pro Arte Quartet)
October 13, 2024 (Trio Collage)
November 10, 2024 (Martha Fischer & Bill Lutes)
December 8, 2024 (Marc Fink & Friends)
January 12, 2025
February 9, 2025 (Dawn Wohn)
March 9, 2025
April 13, 2025
May 11, 2025 (Madlen Breckbill)

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Payung named Assistant Director of Bands

The School of Music is excited to announce Herb Payung as the next Assistant Director of Bands. He will serve alongside the band faculty to teach and help guide the historic University of Wisconsin Bands program in the School of Music. In addition, he will assist with aspects in both the athletic and concert band programs, and the undergraduate curriculum. Payung replaces Alexander Gonzalez, who has been hired as the Director of Bands at Southern Oregon University.

“As an alumnus of UW–Madison, I am aware not only of the well-established musical tradition of the Mead Witter School of Music, but of the tightly-knit community formed by its faculty and students,” Payung said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to re-enter this flourishing creative space in a new capacity and continue to build relationships through music making.”

Previously, Payung served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Elon University where he was involved with all aspects of the athletic band program and conducted the Concert Band. At the onset of his career, Payung taught instrumental music in eastern Pennsylvania. During his six years in public education, Payung conducted high school concert bands, jazz ensembles, pit orchestras, and marching bands. He taught courses in instrumental music and jazz improvisation. Payung also served as an elementary band director and brass and percussion instructor at the middle school level.

“We are extremely proud and excited to welcome Dr. Payung home to UW–Madison after an extensive national search by the Mead Witter School of Music,” said Corey Pompey, Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands. “Payung is an exceptional artist-teacher and high-caliber individual. Without question, our students will benefit from all that he has to offer.”

Payung holds music degrees from Penn State University (BME, MM Wind Conducting), Boston University (MM Music Education) and UW–Madison (DMA Wind Conducting). His primary conducting teachers include Scott Teeple of UW–Madison and Dennis Glocke of Penn State University.

“We conducted a comprehensive national search to find the individual best suited for our position,” said Scott Teeple, Director of Bands in the School of Music. “Dr. Payung brings a wealth of knowledge about Big Ten band programs. He exercises a deep appreciation for our traditions, while also bringing a forward-thinking philosophy to our students and programs.”

Payung is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, the National Association for Music Education, the American Federation of Musicians, and Pi Kappa Lambda, Music Honor Society.

 

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Concert Choir invited to perform at ACDA conference

 

The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) has announced that Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Mariana Farah, has been invited through its peer-review process to perform at the national conference in Dallas, Texas. One of the highest honors in choral music, Concert Choir will perform on March 19, 2025 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center and at the Winspear Opera House.

Under the leadership of Dr. Farah since 2021, Concert Choir has already performed at the Wisconsin State Music Conference and has been nominated as a finalist for the 2024 American Prize in Choral Performance.

Concert Choir is the premier choral ensemble at the School of Music. This advanced-level flagship group performs works that span the entire breadth of the choral literary tradition and requires an advanced level of musicianship and ensemble skills from its members. Any UW–Madison student wishing to be considered for placement in Concert Choir may audition, regardless of degree path.

The mission of ACDA is to inspire excellence in choral music through education, performance, composition, and advocacy. The 2025 ACDA National Conference will highlight a rich choral heritage, celebrate the music and expertise of present-day choral colleagues, and look with excitement to the next generation.

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Cook, Rowe set to retire

Professor Susan C. Cook and Professor Paul Rowe are retiring this spring.

Cook is a professor of musicology, and was formerly the academic associate dean for the Arts and Humanities in the Graduate School and director of the School of Music. She also held the Walt Whitman Chair in American Culture Studies as part of the Fulbright Distinguished Teaching Program in the Netherlands.

Cook’s teaching and research focuses on contemporary and American music of all kinds and demonstrates her abiding interest in feminist methodologies and cultural criticism. The author of Opera for a New Republic, she also co-edited 2 volumes of essays, Cecilia Reclaimed and most recently Bodies of Sound: Studies Across Popular Music and Dance, in collaboration with dance historian Sherril Dodds. As director of the School of Music, Cook played a critical role in the Hamel Music Center building campaign, as well as leading discussions on the department’s strategic vision and mission.

Professor of Voice Paul Rowe has also served on the voice faculties of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, Vanderbilt University, State University of New York at Purchase, Lehigh University and Nazareth College of Rochester, the Berkshire Choral Festival, and the Tennessee State Governor’s School. He was the Artistic Director of the Madison Early Music Festival, an annual festival he helped found in 2000.

Rowe has maintained a wide ranging performing career throughout the United States for the past 20 years. He has performed with many of the leading American musical organizations including the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa at Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall in New York, American Ballet Theater at the Metropolitan Opera and Kennedy Center, and Musica Sacra at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall. He has appeared as well with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Alabama and Arkansas symphony orchestras, the Folger Consort, and the Ensemble for Early Music, among many other groups.

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