Linda Jennings, professor of Cello in the Department of Music, was invited to present two master classes on December 4, 2020, for young cellists at UW–Whitewater in Wisconsin and in the Chiang Rai Youth Orchestra, one of the leading youth orchestra programs in Thailand.
Members of the IUP Jazz Ensemble and the IUP Percussion Studio participated recently in a Zoom clinic with Tony Miceli. Miceli is an internationally renowned jazz vibraphonist.
Members of the IUP Jazz Ensemble met recently with jazz trombonist John Fedchock on Zoom. Fedchock is acquainted with IUP, having served as the guest artist for the 2002 IUP Jazz Festival.
IUP piano professor Henry Wong Doe gave an online presentation “Kiwis and the Keyboard” for the Pittsburgh Piano Teachers Association on Wednesday, November 18.
Voice students from IUP competed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing annual competition November 10–14, 2020. Listed here with their respective voice professors are this year’s winners from IUP.
The IUP Trumpet Ensemble will present its annual fall recital on Thursday, November 19, at 7:00 p.m. The performance was prerecorded and will air at this time on the Department of Music YouTube channel.
The IUP Jazz Ensemble will present its annual fall concert on Tuesday, November 17. The performance will be held in Fisher Auditorium in the Performing Arts Center on the IUP campus, and will begin at 7:00 p.m. Watch the live stream of this performance on the Department of Music YouTube channel.
Auditions for Perfect Arrangement by Topher Payne and the musical Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon will be held via video submission the week of November 9, 2020. All students interested in theater or musical theater are encouraged to audition or participate backstage in these productions that speak to our times.
IUP Department of Music faculty member, Raquel Winnica Young, will perform a concert as a member of Alabaster Trio this Sunday, November 1, at 2 30 p.m. The concert will be held at the historic Mishler Theatre in Altoona,
Congratulations are in order for Anthony Achille (BFA ’16) for receiving an award as a member of “The Commandant’s Own,” the United State Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. Anthony was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for the arrangements he has contributed to the ensemble, which have been performed across the United States.
Three live performances will be presented on October 23, 24, and 25 in Fisher Auditorium. Limited social-distance seating is available for IUP students, faculty, and staff only. The show will also be livestreamed on the IUP Music YouTube channel.
Zach Collins and sophomore music education and music performance major Kayla Holsopple presented a clinic via Google Classroom for members of the Gateway High School Wind Ensemble on October 9, 2020, sharing strategies on how to stay creative while completing school in a virtual setting.
Sadie Spencer (BS, Music Education, 2016) was recently interviewed by the National Association for Music Education’s Teaching Music magazine about best practices for adjudication and assessment contest opportunities.
The IUP String Project, a community music education outreach program for children ages 5–18 in Indiana and the surrounding area, is now accepting applications for private lesson instruction on violin, viola, cello, and bass. Applications are due on September 1.
IUP Theatre alumna Kate Quinn ’00 began her new position as the Michener Art Museum's next executive director on July 20, 2020.
IUP alumna Patreshettarlini “Pat” Adams is one of two national recipients of the Del Hughes award of the Stage Manager’s Association. The Del Hughes award is for lifetime achievement in the art of stage management.
The IUP Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance stands in solidarity with communities in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Louisville, Tallahassee, and across the nation that are fighting for racial justice.
Last October, the IUP Wind Ensemble performed Of Our New Day Begun, with the composer, Omar Thomas, as guest conductor. This powerful piece, which incorporates the poignant anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” is sonically colorful, provocative, and emotional, both for the performers and the listeners. We hope our performance touches you, challenges you, and also gives you hope.
Linda Jennings, professor of cello in the Department of Music, was invited to present an online cello class as part of a pilot project of the Chiang Rai Youth Orchestra, one of the leading youth orchestra programs in Thailand.
The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance announces the awards for outstanding achievement in 2019–20. These students excelled in theater and dance courses and accomplished noteworthy creative achievements on stage and “behind the scenes.”
On May 16, the IUP String Project featured solo and ensemble performances by community string students for the annual Spring Student Recital. Students and teachers worked to create audio and video recordings that were presented in an online recital for String Project families and students.
Members of the IUP Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Timothy A. Paul, recently recorded William Himes’ arrangement of Amazing Grace.Each member recorded their own part at home, and Paul stitched the individual recordings together to create a virtual ensemble.
Zach Collins, professor of Tuba and Euphonium in the Department of Music, gave a master class to brass students at North Hills High School. Collins was invited by the NHHS band director, Len Lavelle, to teach flexibility studies to the students.
The IUP String Project, a community music education outreach program for children ages 5–18 in Indiana and the surrounding area, is now accepting applications for private lesson instruction on violin, viola, cello, and bass.
Stephanie Caulder, professor of oboe and chair of the Department of Music from 2014 to 2020, recently received the 2019–20 Distinguished Faculty Senate Award for Creative Arts. IUP has presented the Distinguished Faculty Awards since 1969 to honor faculty members who make significant contributions to the university.
Elizabeth Sloan has accepted a graduate assistantship at Drexel University Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, where she will pursue a master of science in arts administration. The program at Drexel is one of the top five programs in the country for arts administration.
Countertenor Michael Shoaf has decided to pursue his doctor of musical arts in vocal performance at the University of Utah. While in Utah, Michael will focus on music from the Baroque and Renaissance eras from opera to chamber music.
Benjamin Strong has been offered an assistantship with full tuition waiver at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Benjamin will be pursuing a master of music in vocal performance studying under Metropolitan Opera and international bass, Peter Volpe.
Members of the IUP Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble concluded their series of Zoom meetings with various guest artists by speaking with IUP alumnus James Self.
Members of the IUP Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble continued their series of Zoom meetings with various guest artists by speaking with composer/arranger Alan Baylock.
Bill Richter, an MA candidate in Horn Performance in the IUP Department of Music, will be attending West Virginia University in the fall to pursue a doctor of musical arts degree in horn performance.Â
The IUP Chamber Singers, conducted by Craig Denison, met via Zoom with Luthien Brackett, who shared her path to a full-time solo and choral singing career in early and contemporary musics.
Brendan Boyle, an MA in music performance candidate in the Department of Music, has been accepted into the University of Cincinnati/College–Conservatory of Music beginning in fall 2020, where he will pursue the doctor of musical arts degree with a focus in wind conducting.
The IUP Jazz Festival had to be canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. That didn’t prevent this year’s guest artist, trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, from meeting and interacting with the members of the IUP Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble.
Due to restrictions resulting from the COVID 19 pandemic, we are extending our audition period through the summer. We accept video recorded auditions anytime for Theatre, Musical Theatre, and Dance Arts auditions. Prospective students must first be accepted to IUP.
Kym Laret is pivoting her expertise to help staff on campus stay safe with dozens of hand-crafted face masks. Kym is the professional staff costume technician in the Theatre, Dance, and Performance costume studio.
Professor Rachel DeSoto-Jackson’s innovative work in applied theater was mentioned in a national article in American Theatre.
Alumni, students, and faculty of IUP Department of Music participated in Conemaugh Township High School's recent production of Guys and Dolls on March 12, 13, and 14 in the high school’s auditorium.
The Department of Music presents the 20th annual IUP Jazz Festival on April 18, 2020. The Festival will be held in Fisher Auditorium in the Performing Arts Center on the IUP campus and will feature the IUP Jazz Band and the IUP Jazz Ensemble. The featured guest artist is trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, the leader of the Count Basie Orchestra.Â
The Johnstown Symphony Orchestra performed a concert titled “JSO Pops: Movies from Johnstown + Open Mic Night at the Symphony” on Saturday, February 8, 2020. The orchestra included faculty members, Kevin Eisensmith and Ronald Horner, and alumni Dennis Emert and Michael Vatavuk.
Indiana Musicale hosted its sixth Monster Piano Concert February 8, 2020. The concert featured 18 pianos played by 24 pre-college pianists from Indiana and neighboring counties.
Congratulations are in order for IUP Department of Music alumnus Ed Yasick, Jr. who was named 2019 High School Choral Teacher of the Year by the North Carolina Music Educator’s Association High School Choral Section.
Pianist and music historian Matt Baumer will present a lecture-recital celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Clara Schumann, one of the greatest pianists of the 19th century. The recital will take place on Monday, February 10, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. in Gorell Recital Hall.
The IUP Department of Music and IUP Athletics hosted the event on January 25, 2020, bringing selected high school musicians to IUP for a day-long musical event centered around Pep Band and experiencing the thrill of the combination of IUP music and basketball.Â
A Suffragist Soirée: Celebrating 100 Years of Voting Rights through Music and Dramatic Readings takes place on Sunday, February 2, at 3:00 p.m. in Gorell Recital Hall. Come hear the words and music of suffrage-era women, along with classical, blues, and jazz selections by courageous women composers of the suffrage era.
Cody Kelly (music education, M’19) will present his thesis research at the 2020 New Directions in Music Education Conference at Michigan State University this February.