The album contains George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and “Rhapsody in Blue,” along with two pieces commissioned in remembrance of those who perished in the bombing, including 35 Syracuse University students.

The Wind Ensemble is the University’s premiere concert wind organization. Possessing an extensive history that includes a series of internationally distributed recordings, the ensemble, conducted by Professor and Associate Professor in the ’ Setnor School of Music, has commissioned dozens of works.

The Wind Ensemble performed the recently commissioned pieces, “Energy and Light” by , assistant professor in the Setnor School of Music, and “Angels Rising” by , during its 2023 United Kingdom Remembrance tour, held in observance of the 35th anniversary of the bombing.

“The scale of that disaster is incredibly humbling and haunting for our community,” says composer Draper. “In addition to mourning those who were lost, it is important to remember that each of the students had a vibrant life that should also be celebrated. With that in mind, I decided to write a piece that was about energy and light—two direct components of what it means to be alive.”

Following Draper’s piece, the listener journeys through the four sections of “Angels Rising”—lament, chorale, ascent and prayer. The work ends with the everlasting question of existence, composer Ticheli notes.

The final album piece, “Rhapsody in Blue,” featuring pianist associate professor and director of the Setnor School of Music, takes the listener back in time.

“This recording, celebrating the centennial of its composition, depicts what was likely heard by the audience packing New York City’s Aeolian Hall on Feb. 12, 1924, when ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ had its premiere with Paul Whiteman’s Palais Royal Orchestra and Gershwin himself at the piano,” says Laufer.

The Navona Records release will be available in both stereo and Dolby Atmos immersive audio formats. It will be accessible for streaming on Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music.

Story by Mikayla Heiss

Joseph Maxwell Ossei-Little (left) and Ryan McQuay Meredith

Meredith’s composition, “Polluted Skies,” consists of two movements, “Clouds” and “Stars.” The piece mimics a cloudy sky that eventually opens into a starry night.

A massive mechanical instrument, the organ always fascinated trombonist Meredith. Housed in Crouse College’s Rose and Jules R. Setnor Auditorium, a 3,823-pipe Holtkamp Organ is part of what attracted him to Syracuse University. “There’s a lot of magic tricks you can pull off on the organ,” says Meredith. “Specifically with our organ, there’s a lot of options where you can have one hand do an orchestra’s worth of what you want.”

The completed composition broadened organist Ossei-Little’s musicality, allowing him to play with unique rhythms and contribute his own voice to the growth of the organ community. “What really got me interested in the project is this whole idea that my professor has been championing about expanding the repertoire of the organ,” he says. A composer-organist pair themselves, Setnor Associate Professor Anne Laver and Assistant Professor Natalie Draper guided the students throughout the project.

The creation of new compositions can have a large impact on the evolution of the instrument, Ossei-Little notes. When large chords became commonplace in compositions, organ builders reacted, making it easier for players to meet the needs of the pieces.

Available on video via the AGO website this summer, “Polluted Skies” will highlight all the organ has to offer. Ossei-Little plans to premiere it at his scheduled for Saturday, April 13, at 5 p.m. in Setnor Auditorium. “It’s a very wonderful opportunity for us to showcase what the organ can do,” Ossei-Little says. “Not just what it used to do in the past but what it can do now.”

Members of the Syracuse University Wind Ensemble and Hendricks Chapel Choir perform at St. Paul’s Church in London. (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

These performances had a special meaning for the musicians and their directors—they were a way to pay tribute to the 270 people lost in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie on Dec. 21, 1988. Among those lost were 35 students returning home after a semester abroad through Syracuse University’s Division of International Programs Abroad (now Syracuse Abroad).

The tour, planned by the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) in the lead up to the tragedy’s 35th anniversary, was meant to honor those who were lost in the bombing, strengthen the bonds that have grown between Syracuse and Scotland in the ensuing years, and give the student musicians the experience of an international tour.

Milton Laufer, associate professor and director of the Sentor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, offers welcoming remarks prior to the Wind Ensemble concert at St. Paul’s Church in London. (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

Planning and curating the remembrance tour began in the summer of 2021 with a conversation between Milton Laufer, associate professor and director of VPA’s Setnor School of Music, and Bradley Ethington, professor of applied music and performance (conducting) and Timothy Diem, assistant professor of applied music and performance (conducting), about meaningful performance experiences for the wind ensemble.

“They suggested curating a performance centered around the 35th anniversary of the Flight 103 bombing during 2023—that the numeric significance of the year and the number of students we lost that fateful day should be memorialized somehow,” Laufer says.

Anne Laver, associate professor of applied music and performance (organ) in the Setnor School and University organist, and Joseph-Ossei Little, Hendricks Chapel Organ Scholar, rehearse at the organ at St. Paul’s Church in London. (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

After conversations with college and University leadership and with Hendricks Chapel Choir Director Jose “Peppie” Calvar and Dean Brian Konkol, and extensive planning by Setnor School administrators Michelle Taylor and Megan Carlsen, the tour was born. The trip was made possible with the support of Chancellor Kent Syverud; Vice Chancellor Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter and Trustee Judith Greenberg Seinfeld ’56.

Student musicians and Michael Tick, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, pose for a photo outside of Buckingham Palace in London. (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

“Two concurrent tours of two distinct ensembles; six concerts in three cities at five venues culminating in Lockerbie over the course of eight days. After nearly two years of planning, the day finally came for us to depart,” Laufer says. “I was overcome with emotions throughout the trip—from hearing these incredible students perform beautifully in venues of historical consequence to experiencing the Remembrance Garden alongside them. It was one of the most deeply personal and beautiful, gratifying experiences of my life. I could not have been prouder.”

The Hendricks Chapel Choir, 35 members strong, was led by Calvar, associate professor of applied music and performance (conducting) and assistant director of choral activities in the Setnor School. The Wind Ensemble, 65 members strong, was directed by Ethington and Diem. Anne Laver, associate professor of applied music and performance (organ) and University organist, and Joseph Ossei-Little, a graduate student and Hendricks Chapel Organ Scholar, provided organ accompaniment to the choir.

Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, was the guest preacher at Tundergarth Church prior to the Hendricks Chapel Choir performance.

Laufer; Michael Tick, dean of VPA; Dean Konkol; Elisa Dekaney, professor of music education and VPA associate dean for research, graduate studies and internationalization; and Taylor, assistant director for operations in the Setnor School and “tour mom,” also accompanied the group. Travel arrangements were facilitated by Kipling Tours.

The musical selections performed on the tour were carefully chosen. “Energy and Light,” a celebration of and a reflection on life, was specifically composed for the Wind Ensemble by Natalie Draper, assistant professor of music composition, history and theory in the Setnor School. The St. Paul’s performance was the piece’s European premiere.

“Such Splendor,” performed by the choir, was created by U.K.-based composer Cecilia McDowall, based on a poem written by Pan Am 103 victim and Syracuse student Nicholas Vrenios.

Peppie Calvar, associate professsor of applied music and performance (conducting) in the Setnor School and Hendricks Chapel Choir director, leads the choir performance at Tundergarth Church. (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

“The text happens to evoke significant meaning when contextualized with Pan Am 103,” says Calvar. “We are grateful to Elizabeth Vrenios, Nicholas’ mother, for her graciousness in allowing us to use this text. We hope the piece and our performance serve as a lasting monument to the Remembrance Scholars Program mission to ‘Look Back and Act Forward.’”

“Angels Rising,” a piece commissioned by the Setnor School and performed by the Wind Ensemble, was composed by prominent American composer Frank Ticheli.

“This work is composed as a deeply moving tribute to the memories of those whose lives were lost on that tragic day in 1988,” says Ethington. “It is a work of sorrow and of hope, a transcendent musical portrayal of the human condition and the beauty and fragility of life itself. This remarkable work will be forever associated with Syracuse University as it is performed around the world in the years to come.”

Bradley Ethington, professor of applied music and performance (conducting) in the Setnor School of Music, offers remarks prior to the Wind Ensemble performance at the Lockerbie Town Hall. (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

“Such Splendor” and “Angels Rising” were performed by the Hendricks Chapel Choir and Wind Ensemble, respectively, at the annual Remembrance Scholar Convocation, held in Hendricks Chapel on Oct. 20.

For Ronald Ditchek ’23, a member of the choir, the trip was especially poignant. Ditchek was one of three Remembrance Scholar alumni, including Micayla MacDougall ’22, G’23 and Tyler Youngman ’20, G’21, a Ph.D. student in the School of Information Studies, who performed as part of the Hendricks Chapel Choir (MacDougall also played the bassoon with the Wind Ensemble). During his year as a Remembrance Scholar, Ditchek represented Nicholas Vrenios and continues to do so.

A piper plays outside the Remembrance Room at Tundergarth Church in Lockerbie, Scotland. (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

One of Ditchek’s best memories of the trip is signing the book that was kept in a dedicated Remembrance room at Tundergarth Church. “Signing it meant so much to me because it represented how a piece of me was left in Lockerbie. It signified a vow as to my commitment to looking back and acting forward for the 270 lives lost on Pan Am Flight 103,” he says.

Ditchek says visiting the Pan Am Flight 103 memorial in Dryfesdale Cemetery in Lockerbie was another major moment. “I saw a new way of remembering. I was able to lay stones for people who were just like us and learn new stories about the SU students and other passengers who were on the flight,” he says. “When I paid tribute to the victims at the garden, I did everything: said prayers for the lives lost, told stories to other SU students about those who were on the flight and thought about how my experiences in Lockerbie should be told to others, so the legacies of those on the flight are not lost.”

Student musicians outside Edinburgh Castle (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

Ben O’Connell, a graduate student in choral conducting in the Setnor School, says the trip left him speechless. “I can’t put to words the kindness and embrace we experienced from the people in Lockerbie. It is truly inspiring how welcoming and gracious the people are after all these years,” he says. “Seeing the memorials in person in the environment where the tragedy occurred put a true humanistic aspect that was missing from my experience with Remembrance Week, one that I wish all people could experience.”

O’Connell even found a personal connection to one of the victims, Colleen Brunner, who grew up in the same town as his mom.

Alie Fitt, an oboist in the Wind Ensemble, says she gained a deep appreciation for Remembrance Week and for the Syracuse students who represent the lives that were lost.

“When Dr. Ethington and Dr. Diem were preparing us to go abroad, we had many conversations about the importance of why we were going and the impact that this had on the Syracuse community. The true weight of the attack, though, didn’t really hit me until I was standing in front of the memorial in Lockerbie,” she says. “In that moment, I realized that these victims were the same age as me, enjoying college life and friends, and had goals and dreams just as I do. … Taking part in this Remembrance Tour was such a moving experience and one I will never forget.”

Peppie Calvar leads the choir at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. (Photo by Jennifer Klock)

Joseph Ossei-Little, graduate student, Hendricks Chapel Organ Scholar and member of the Hendricks Chapel Choir, says the trip connected him on a personal level with the incident that happened nearly 35 years ago.

“Singing in Tundergarth Church, which overlooks the field where the nose cone of the plane fell that day, signified a true connection for me. I was able to share in their grief and comfort everyone present with my voice and music,” he says. Performing “Such Splendor,” he says, brought him to tears.

“It gave me that resolve, in my heart, that never again should such acts of violence be allowed to happen and how I, can in my small way, share kindness and love to make the world a better place,” Ossei-Little says.

Ben Vermilyea, a graduate student, trombonist and graduate associate conductor with the Wind Ensemble, says the whole week was an extremely powerful and moving experience. “I was fortunate enough to conduct one of the pieces at the concert in the Lockerbie Town Hall. It was amazing to feel the connection between the students and the audience in the room,” he says. “Even though we had never met before, we were bonded by the music being made in remembrance to the events of 35 years earlier. I have never had as powerful of a music making experience than I had performing in the Lockerbie Town Hall, particularly when we performed ‘Angels Rising.’”

Timothy Diem, assistant professor of applied music and performance (conducting) in the Setnor School and Michelle Taylor, assistant director of operations in the Setnor School and “tour mom,” are pictured with members of the Wind Ensemble in St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.

The trip was the first experience of traveling outside of North America for percussionist  and graduate student Alex Talerico G’24.

“The thing that stood out to me the most was just how accepting and friendly the people of Lockerbie were when we visited. The positive relationship between the town and the University was palpable and I was approached and accepted with open arms despite being a stranger to every person I met,” he says. “Performing musical works in Lockerbie Town Hall specifically dedicated to the tragedy was incredibly poignant and evoked feelings I’m not sure I’ll ever experience again.”

Allison Pasco, a graduate student in orchestral conducting and music education and a flutist, has long felt a connection to Remembrance. She grew up in Oswego, New York, with Remembrance Scholar alumnus Tyler Youngman. “The trip was one of the most special and memorable opportunities throughout my years at Syracuse,” she says.

Pasco had two prominent solos in “Angels Rising.” “It made me think of all of the Remembrance Scholars I have known throughout the years and of Lynne Hartunian and Colleen Brunner, the two SUNY Oswego students who were victims in the tragedy,” Pasco says.

“The Syracuse University Wind Ensemble’s concert tour of the United Kingdom with the Hendricks Chapel Choir was a remarkable and memorable experience for our students,” says Ethington. “The concerts in London, Lockerbie and Edinburgh were once-in-a-lifetime performances before enthusiastic audiences.”

“Our hosts in Lockerbie were gracious and welcoming, and our shared history in remembering the tragic events of December 1988 resonates from generation to generation,” he says.

Video by Nick Dekaney ’26, a broadcast journalism major in the Newhouse School and a member of the Hendricks Chapel Choir

West Point Band

The spirit of the Orange will unite with the precision of the United States Army’s oldest active-duty band, the West Point Band, for several events this weekend at the University, including a public concert with the University’s Wind Ensemble in Crouse College’s Setnor Auditorium Sunday, Sept. 24.

Established in 1817, the West Point Band is the Army’s oldest continuously operating unit at West Point, tracing its lineage to the field musicians assigned by General George Washington when he established the post in 1778. Since that time, the band has evolved into one of the most capable and versatile professional performing groups in the world. Through its 2,600 annual missions, the West Point Band continues to serve the nation as a piece of America’s living history.

First, on Saturday, Sept. 23, when the in the JMA Wireless Dome, the West Point Band and United States Military Academy Cadet Spirit Band will play with the Syracuse University Marching Band as part of the Military Appreciation Day game.

During halftime, legendary Hall of Fame football coach Ben Schwartzwalder, a  war hero who earned a Purple Heart, Silver Star and Bronze Star for his actions during World War II, will be inducted into the Syracuse Athletics Ring of Honor. Schwartzwalder led the Orange to the 1959 National Championship and coached some of the greatest players in football history, including Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little. Following the ceremony, the Syracuse University Marching Band and the West Point Band will play the West Point Band’s version of “Armed Forces Medley.”

Next, on Sunday, Sept. 24, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, in collaboration with the West Point Band, will host a series of masterclass sessions for Syracuse University students and local high school musicians to learn firsthand from the members of the West Point Band. Sessions will focus on woodwind and brass instruments.

Syracuse University Wind Ensemble

After the masterclass sessions, the during a concert in Setnor Auditorium. The performance will also be livestreamed. Please note, the livestream will only be available during the concert from 2 to 3 p.m.

Based in the , the Wind Ensemble is the premier concert wind organization at Syracuse University. Bradley Ethington, director of bands at the Setnor School of Music and the director of Wind Ensemble, and Timothy Diem, director of the Marching Band, will co-conduct the Wind Ensemble and will be guest conductors for the West Point Band. Additionally, Lt. Col. Daniel Toven, commander and conductor of the West Point Band, will also guest conduct the Wind Ensemble in a piece.

“The members of the West Point Band are marvelous musicians and consummate professionals,” says Ethington. “We look forward to this outstanding collaboration with our students, which will be long remembered. It is a great honor to have them on our campus to perform with the SU bands.”

During the final piece of the concert, “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” two local musicians, William Boyd, former member of the West Point Band, and , a former faculty member in the Setnor School, a former member of the West Point Band and former principal trombone in the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, will join the performance.

During this ever-popular Central New York festival, musical members of the University community will perform as part of the lineup: the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble (BCCE), the Orange Juice advanced jazz combo and the Syracuse University Jazz and Commercial Music Faculty Ensemble. The University will also host a special gospel event, with a welcome luncheon.

Black Celestial Choral Ensemble

will present “Return to Community: A Sunday Gospel Jazz Service” to close out Jazz Fest on Sunday, June 25, at 3 p.m. The public will hear performances from the , the Dillard University Concert Choir (New Orleans) and a community choir. The first-of-its-kind program will offer a dynamic and inclusive spiritual experience that fuses and celebrates gospel and jazz music. A luncheon will be held beginning at 12:30 p.m. on the Shaw Quad. The and are both free of charge; the luncheon is available for the first 1,000 attendees.

“To host the Sunday Gospel Jazz Service on the campus of Syracuse University is an honor and joy, as Syracuse Jazz Fest is widely known and respected, and we at Hendricks Chapel hope to contribute in ways that celebrate music and build unity in ways that are memorable and meaningful,” says Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. “The Dillard University Concert Choir, Black Celestial Choral Ensemble and Syracuse-area Community Choir will unite to provide a wondrous and welcoming experience that acclaims the splendor of gospel and jazz music, sparks spiritual renewal and blesses our beloved community.”

Founded in 1977 by Seretta C. McKnight to provide a spiritual home for Black students at Syracuse University, the BCCE ministers through Gospel music that fosters and supports academic excellence at a university welcoming to all. Led by student director Gabrielle Pinkney ’24 and supported through The Alumni Group (TAG) of the BCEE, the choir has performed at numerous venues throughout North America.

“What an absolutely amazing time for Syracuse Jazz Fest to close with a Return to Community: A Gospel Jazz Service Experience at Hendricks Chapel. As we all know Hendricks Chapel is the heart of Syracuse University and the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble is its soul,” McKnight says. “As we look and see all the challenges we are facing in our communities and around the country, this music experience, merging the Gospel—good news—and jazz—a smooth groove—is just the balm needed for such a time as this.”

Dillard University Concert Choir

To honor the gospel service theme of “Return to Community,” a diverse community choir composed of Syracuse area residents will be led by Cora Thomas, known locally as the “First Lady of Gospel Music.” Born and raised in Syracuse, Thomas supports numerous community organizations and hosts “Sunday Morning Gospel” on WAER.

“This is the premiere year for us to celebrate gospel music through the Syracuse community at large and renowned talents of Dillard University Choir,” Thomas says. “I want to see the city come alive, people come together as a community with BCCE and Dillard University and be enthralled by this epic event.”

The nationally renowned Dillard University Concert Choir features vibrant student voices from across North America. The choir recently performed for the Historically Black College and University All-Star Game and the National Association for Law Placement Annual Education Conference.

Earlier in the Jazz Fest festivities, the Orange Juice advanced jazz combo, made up of students in the , will , at the Visit Syracuse Stage in Hanover Square.

Orange Juice advanced jazz combo

An advanced jazz combo featuring instrumental and vocal performers, Syracuse University Orange Juice performs regularly in concerts on campus and at University and community events. The group is vocalist McKenna Fenimore ’25, Joseph King ’25 on saxophone, Xaden Nishimitsu ’26 on trumpet, keyboardist Sam Ronan ’23, Luke Brady ’25 on bass and Grady Collingbourne ’24 on drums.

The student musicians are looking forward to performing—and being part of an event that includes Grammy Award-winning jazz artists Herbie Hancock and Gladys Knight and other national and international artists.

“We’re excited to hear the big jazz greats coming to the ‘Cuse!” Nishimitsu says.

The Syracuse University Jazz and Commercial Music Faculty Ensemble . Both groups are housed in the Setnor School of Music in the .

Syracuse University Jazz and Commercial Music Faculty Ensemble

Syracuse University Faculty Ensemble are members of the Setnor School of Music Jazz and Commercial Music department faculty and alumni. Their performances will feature new arrangements and compositions. The group is musical director and saxophonist Mike Dubaniewicz, John Hasselback III on trumpet, Daniel Mach-Holt on trombone, Nick Abelgore on keyboards, Rick Balestra on guitar, Matt Vacanti on bass and Allan Ward on drums.

The headlining performers are Grammy Award-winning jazz artists Herbie Hancock and Gladys Knight. Other national and international artists and a collection of local acts will also play as part of the free five-day festival.

Students in the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble perform on the stage at Hendricks Chapel.

New this year, the festival has expanded to four days, with the University hosting a Sunday Gospel Jazz service inside to close out Jazz Fest on Sunday, June 25. Members of the Syracuse community are invited to campus to hear performances from the out of Hendricks Chapel, along with a community choir and other nationally renowned gospel choirs and jazz groups.

Earlier in the week, the Orange Juice advanced jazz combo, made up of students in the , will perform from 4-5 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, at the Visit Syracuse Stage in Hanover Square.

The Syracuse University Jazz & Commercial Music Faculty Ensemble will play on the Amazon Stage in Clinton Square from 4-5 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. Both groups are housed in the Setnor School of Music in the .

“Syracuse University wants to ensure Jazz Fest will be a big success for our community. This is a great opportunity to support the local community and to open up our campus for a great closing event on Sunday showcasing our wonderful and talented students and faculty,” says , vice president of community engagement and government relations.

The headlining Jazz Fest performers are iconic jazz artists Herbie Hancock, a 14-time Grammy Award-winning keyboardist, and Gladys Knight, a seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer also known as the “Empress of Soul.” They will perform in Clinton Square on June 23 and 24, respectively.

Six other national and international artists and a collection of local acts will also play as part of the free five-day festival.

Established in 2013 by Dennis Gilbert ’73 and Nancy Shapiro Gilbert ’74, Gilbert Week allows Setnor students to learn about the wide variety of career opportunities in music from Syracuse University alumni and other industry professionals in a culturally rich city. Previously held in New York City, the immersion was recently expanded to offer additional cities on a rotating basis, including Austin, Los Angeles and London.

“In discussions with Dennis and Nancy, we talked about expanding Gilbert Week to provide a wider range of experiences for our students,” says Milton Laufer, director of the Setnor School. “These new cities are of interest to our students and home to many successful alumni in the music business. We’re excited to partner with the Gilberts on this re-envisioning of Gilbert Week and are grateful for their continued support.”

Under the guidance of Jim Elenteny, assistant teaching professor of sound recording technology in Setnor, and Jackie Flores, VPA’s assistant director of career development, the students are attending the music conference during the day and the music festival in the evening. The conference portion includes panels, discussions and presentations on a variety of industry topics, including artist rights, touring, publishing, marketing, streaming, mental health and diversity. Small group mentoring sessions with industry professionals will also be offered.

Flores met with the Gilbert Week students prior to the trip to provide guidance on networking in a fast-paced conference environment, such as developing an “elevator pitch” to quickly showcase skills to potential employers.

Follow VPA on Instagram to see what the Gilbert Week students are up to during SXSW.

The 25-piece group returns to DCC on Sunday, April 2, from 2 to 3 p.m. The program features traditional and contemporary favorites, including several new arrangements by co-director Tom Camp.

Although the concert is free and open to the public, attendees are encouraged to make a $10 tax-deductible donation to the church’s music ministry fund. DCC is located at 3600 Erie Blvd. in DeWitt. Parking is free. For more information, visit .

The Bones East trombone ensemble

“We’re thrilled to celebrate our 40th anniversary with what is turning into a springtime tradition at DeWitt Community Church,” says co-director , who recently retired from a 50-year career in the University’s and at Onondaga Community College. “I can’t think of a better way to usher in the holiday season while giving back to the community.”

The concert runs the stylistic gamut. DCC Music Director and organist Abel Searor ’08, G’10 joins Bones East for the “Adagio” from Saint-Saens’ “Third Symphony (Organ)” and “Nessum dorma“ from Puccini’s “Turandot.” The latter, recently arranged by Camp, features soloist Pete Sanborn.

Other soloists include Mark Anderson G’18 and Dave DiGennaro ’91, both of whom shine in the world premiere of Camp’s up-tempo arrangement of “Jada.” DiGennaro also takes a turn in the Duke Ellington chestnut “Reflections,” arranged by Camp, as well.

Bill Harris ’65, G’79

The world premiere of a jazz sextet by Loyola University Professor John Mahoney also is on tap.

“We’re grateful to partner with groups like Bones East,” says Searor, who teaches in the Setnor School and the , both of which reside in the . “Music is vital to what we do [at DCC] because it enhances worship and fosters a sense of community.”

The Palm Sunday concert is well-timed, given the church’s acquisition of a new, technologically state-of-the-art organ. “It’s like welcoming a new family member,” says Searor, who also oversees DCC’s chancel choir and adult bell choir.

Bones East was founded by Howard Kelley ’42 in 1983, around the same time that he and his wife, Gayle, started the Skaneateles Community Band. Since then, Bones East has concertized throughout the region while attracting a deep bench of talent that includes students, retirees, music educators and performers.

Some members also play in the award-winning (SUBE), housed in the —Jim D’Addario ’80, Clifford Crain and Jim Greenwald, to name a few.

Harris, who retired in 2009 after 48 years as principal trombonist of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, has taught musicians in SUBE and Bones East. “I feel like I’ve come full circle as a teacher,” he says.

The former member has fond memories of his student days at Syracuse—performing at the 1960 Cotton Bowl; picking up an Orange Key Award with football great Ernie Davis ’62; and pledging Phi Gamma Delta, where he met his artist wife, Karen ’65, at a Gamma Phi Beta mixer. Fifty-eight years on, they’re still married.

Harris also is a West Point Band alumnus, a retired fire police captain for the Fayetteville Fire Department, a marshal of the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Day Parade and an avid golfer. “If I swing my trombone like my golf club, I’m happy,” he says.

Bones East will present a joint concert with SUBE on Saturday, April 15, at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (259 East Onondaga St., Syracuse). The trombone group will then perform a concert on Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m. at the United Church of Cortland (25 Church St., Cortland) benefitting earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey.

Loren Loiacono

For the past 17 years, “Vision of Sound” has embodied the best in new music and modern dance throughout the region. This year’s program features compositions by Assistant Teaching Professor Loren Loiacono, master’s student Jaclyn Breeze ’23 and composer Christopher Cresswell ’11, to name a few.

Musical performances are by the Society Players, whose members include clarinetist and saxophonist Ronald Caravan, a retired professor in the Setnor School, which is part of the .

“Vision of Sound” runs Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theater (2384 James St., Syracuse); Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Gearan Center for the Performing Arts at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (299 Pulteney St., Geneva); and Sunday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m. at Wellin Hall at Hamilton College (198 College Hill Rd., Clinton).

Regular tickets are $20. Student and senior citizen tickets are $15. People 18 and under are admitted free. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit .

“We’re excited to showcase members of our campus community,” says Pilgrim, a former Syracuse professor who co-founded SNM in 1971. “’Vision of Sound’ is a celebration of not only new and established talent, but also the combined experience of live music and dance.”

Of the eight compositions on the program, five are world premieres, including Loiacono’s “Miniatures“ for solo piano. The award-winning composer will perform the piece with a sextet of dancers, choreographed by Caitlin Mahon of MAYHEM//dance fame. Loiacono dedicates the piece to her cats.

Co-founder of the Kettle Corn New Music series, Loiacono composes music that is described as “plush … elusive” (“The New York Times”) and “vivid and colorful” (Albany’s “Times Union”).

Breeze’s “Structures” is a five-movement work for two saxophones. Utilizing traditional compositional techniques, the 2022 piece is something of a departure for the master’s student of . “I tried writing outside my comfort zone,” admits Breeze, whose piece features a Cyr wheel performance by Cirque du Soleil alumnus Avi Pryntz-Nadworny.

A Rising Star at SNM’s 2022 Cazenovia Counterpoint festival, Breeze also is an accomplished flutist and a member of SNM’s board.

Christopher Cresswell

The program continues with Cresswell’s “Three Studies” for baritone saxophone and electronics. Premiered at Syracuse, the 2011 work marks the composer’s fascination with human-generated sounds and electronic media. “Each movement is connected by pitch content but explores different timbral possibilities,” explains the multi-instrumentalist who teaches at Onondaga Community College.

“Three Studies” accompanies a quartet of dancers, choreographed by Maya June Dwyer, a faculty member at Le Moyne College and the Manlius Pebble Hill School.

“Vision of Sound” highlights dozens of other musicians and dancers, including Ryan Chase, an Emmy-nominated composer on the faculty of Colgate University, as well as Sean McLeod and Kierstyn Zaykoski, both of whom are affiliated with the New York Institute of Dance and Education.

Based in Syracuse, SNM is the only year-round new music organization in New York state outside of Manhattan. Pilgrim attributes its success to partnerships with universities like Syracuse, where students, faculty and alumni participate in some 30 concerts and workshops a year.

“We provide a format for living composers, much like galleries do for visual artists,” says Pilgrim, whose organization also collaborates with in the . “Our longevity is a testament to the hard work of many people and the enduring popularity of contemporary music.”

Each December, students in the  in the  entertain the University community with live musical performances, and this year, there are two sold-out, in-person concerts on Dec. 4—4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.—along with a on Dec. 11.

Hosted by , these performances are free and open to the public. Celebrating the sounds of the season, Holidays at Hendricks is anchored by the  and its director , associate professor of applied music and performance and assistant director of choral activities in the Setnor School.

José “Peppie” Calvar is director of the Hendricks Chapel Choir and artistic director of Holidays at Hendricks. He spends 18 months organizing and orchestrating the student-centric performance that has become a holiday tradition in Central New York.

“The amount the show has grown since my arrival here in 2013 is incredible,” says Calvar, who spends 18 months organizing each year’s musical celebration.

“We’re showing institutionally what we as the Setnor School of Music do best, and we get to do it all at once in this one big moment. It’s tremendously fulfilling for us and for our students, and we hope that our audience feels the same way.”

Calvar stops by to discuss Holidays at Hendricks and what the student-centric concerts mean to the University community, why Holidays at Hendricks is such a special celebration and what people can expect from this year’s performances.

Calvar also shares the challenges of producing the first virtual Holidays at Hendricks during the COVID-19 pandemic, how he went from being an engineering student to pursuing a career in music and his passion for spreading choral music around the world through a series of international residencies.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

Check out episode 125 of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast featuring José “Peppie” Calvar, director of the Hendricks Chapel Choir and artistic director of Holidays at Hendricks. A transcript [PDF] is also available.

On Sunday, Dec. 4, performances will take place in Hendricks Chapel at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The recorded virtual concert will premiere on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. EST.

These performances are free and open to the public. for both the in-person and virtual concerts. Guests for the in-person concerts can select which section they will sit in for the performance.

An ongoing tradition hosted by and the in the , Holidays at Hendricks celebrates the sounds of the season and is anchored by the and its director , associate professor of applied music and performance and assistant director of choral activities in the Setnor School.

The student-centered concert features performances from:

• Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra, directed by James Tapia, associate professor of applied music and performance in the Setnor School;
• The international award-winning Syracuse University Singers, under the direction of John Warren, professor of applied music and performance and director of choral activities in the Setnor School;
• Crouse Chorale and Setnor Sonority, directed by Wendy Moy, assistant professor of music education in the Setnor School and the School of Education, and Peppie Calvar, respectively;
• Student organists and University organist Anne Laver on the Hendricks Chapel organ;
• Syracuse University’s big band, the Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble, directed by John Coggiola, associate professor and chair of music education in the Setnor School and the School of Education; and
• The World Premiere of “Quem Vidistis Pastores” from Christmas Cantata, by Peppie Calvar.

Public parking is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis in Irving Garage and the Hillside lot. Those who require accessible parking or would like more information about the event may call Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901 or email chapel@syr.edu.

Communication Access Realtime Translation and American Sign Language interpretation will be provided at in-person concerts. Captioning will be provided at the virtual concert. Doors to Hendricks Chapel will open 30 minutes prior to each concert start time.

For more information, visit . Hendricks Chapel will also post regular updates about the event through its ,�������Ի������貹�����.

SCI is an organization that is dedicated to the promotion of composition, performance, understanding and dissemination of new and contemporary music. The conference is a celebration of contemporary composition, featuring the works of 40 composers from both the local region and across the country. Region II encompasses New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico.

Composer Nilo Alcala G’09

The conference includes six concerts that are open to the public, with music spanning the solo, chamber, electronic, multimedia, choral and orchestral mediums. The concerts will be held on the Syracuse University campus as well as in the Syracuse community in partnership with the Society for New Music and Symphoria, the orchestra of Central New York.

The concerts feature visiting performers as well as Setnor students, faculty, staff and alumni. Composer Nilo Alcala G’09 is a featured guest artist, with three of his choral works programmed on the final Nov. 6 concert. Alcala will also give a pre-concert talk.

The is as follows. Tickets are not required unless noted.

• Friday, Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. Society for New Music, Park Central Presbyterian Church, 504 E. Fayette St., Syracuse. . Music by Paul Richards, Wenbin Lyu, Sami Seif, Jiyoun Chung, Charles Peck, Paul Novak, Octavio Vazquez.
• Saturday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m. Mixed Chamber and Electronic Music, Shemin Auditorium, Shaffer Art Building. Music by Cecilia Suhr, Brittany Green, Devin Cholodenko, Manual Sosa, Neil Flory, Jamie Leigh Sampson, Filipe Leitao.
• Saturday, Nov. 5, 2:30 p.m. Mixed Chamber and Electronic Music, Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College. Music by Andrew Martin Smith, Ivette Rodriguez, Paul David Thomas, Matthew Jaskot, Andrew Walters, Natalie Draper, Mark Zanter, William Vollinger.

• Saturday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m. Symphoria, Oncenter Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, 421 Montgomery St., Syracuse. . Music by Giacomo Rossini, Dinah Bianchi, Samuel Barber, Ralph Vaughan Williams.

• Sunday, Nov. 6, 11 a.m. Mixed Chamber and Electronic Music, Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College. Music by Paul Leary, Beth Wiemann, Robert McClure, Eric Heumann, Hubert Howe, Sam Parnin, Sierra Wojtczack, Gregory Wanamaker, Ed Martin.
• Sunday, Nov. 6, 4 p.m. Music and Message: New Choral Works, Hendricks Chapel. Music by Patrick Vu, Megan DiGeorgio, Carrie Magin, Anuj Bhutani, Michael Rickelton and guest composer Nilo Alcala. Alcala will give a pre-concert talk at 3 p.m.

Pianist Dan Sato and soprano Kathleen Roland-Silversteen

Musical performances, much like spiritual moments, can spark deep emotions and colorful contemplations. When paired together, these experiences can feel larger than life itself. On Sunday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m., soprano Kathleen Roland-Silverstein and pianist Dan Sato present the “Music of Olivier Messiaen” as part of the Hendricks Chapel’s Malmgren concert series.

Roland-Silverstein and Sato, both Setnor School of Music faculty members, pored over a year’s worth of preparation into this program of what they like to call “Messiaen’s greatest hits.”

“This concert might be a first for many to experience his music. It’s a kind of music that’s very intoxicating, like a really strong psychedelic,” says Sato.

French composer and organist Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) is best known for his harmonically rich and complex work that pushed boundaries in 20th-century music. A devout Catholic, his spirituality and fascination with nature were at the center of nearly everything he did.

To introduce Messiaen’s soundscape, the Hendricks Chapel Choir, directed by José “Peppie” Calvar, will gently open the concert with the sacred motet “O sacrum convivium.” This choral piece, composed in 1937, is one of his earlier works that offers a meditation on spiritual communion with the divine.

For Messiaen, music was not just an acoustic experience but a visual one. His synesthesia, a condition that links one’s senses, made him associate sound with color and vice-versa. Music notes were like ribbons, and chords became rainbows. With this imagery, he found ways to intertwine it with musical and spiritual concepts from other cultures.

In the piece “Harawi: Chant d’amour et de mort,” Sato and Roland-Silverstein explore an ancient Peruvian story of a love ending in death. Messiaen composed in French and Quechua, an indigenous language spoken in the Peruvian Andes. “He also just used onomatopoeic sounds. One of the songs is called ‘Dondou tchil,’ which is supposed to represent the ankle bracelets that were worn by the Peruvians,” Roland-Silverstein remarked.

Messiaen’s cosmic scenes are almost supernatural, Sato added. “The scope of time and resonance offers a glimpse or a snapshot of what eternity feels like. [His music] demands so much more than we can provide, even just from the piano or from the human voice.”

Still, the challenge is worth taking. Sato plans to perform selections from Messiaen’s “Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jésus,” one of the most demanding and impressive works in the entire piano repertoire. Messiaen drew inspiration from birdsongs, Indian classical music and most importantly, his faith as he contemplated the infant Jesus.

“It goes from a lullaby into this really grand galactic explosion of dissonance. It feels almost uncomfortable and nightmarish, but that is that extremism of expression,” Sato says. “You’re just kind of left in a daze.”

After giving themselves the luxury of time to absorb Messiaen’s music, Sato and Roland-Silverstein say this concert will be a great opportunity to share the experience with the community. Anticipating a most memorable musical encounter, Roland-Silverstein says, “I hope people feel transported.”

The Malmgren concert is free and open to the public. Complimentary parking is available in the Quad Lot and Irving Garage. For more information, visit .

Story by Piper Starnes, graduate student in the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications program in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

“It’s the first time you get to hear your piece performed live in front of an audience, which is an exhilarating experience. It’s really the debut of your creative output,” says Natalie Draper, an accomplished composer and assistant professor in the Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Audiences in Syracuse and beyond will be able to witness no less than four world premieres during this semester’s Music and Message series at Hendricks Chapel, as Setnor School faculty and students present new music by Clarice Assad, João Luiz, Ian Shaw and Ivan Božičević. Music and Message programs take place at the chapel on Sundays at 4 p.m., unless otherwise noted, beginning Feb. 13 through May 8.

A world premiere is also a big deal for the performer entrusted to share a new work with an audience for the first time, and it often involves months of devoted practice and regular communication with the composer.

Duo Sonidos members Adam Levin and William Knuth

Duo Sonidos, a string duo made up of William Knuth, assistant professor of violin in the Setnor School, and classical guitarist Adam Levin, from the University of Rhode Island and the Kithara Project, are active promoters of new music. The musicians sought out new works by Brazilian composers Clarice Assad and João Luiz after receiving grant funding for the compositions from the Augustine Foundation and a 2021 VPA Research and Creative Grant.

The duo will perform them on March 6, as part of the ongoing Malmgren Concert Series, and will feature music of the Americas from 20th and 21st centuries with Assad and Luiz’s pieces as anchors. The composers, who will be on campus for the premiere performances, plan to introduce their works to the audience and meet with student composers and musicians during their stay.

“Adam and I are extremely excited to premiere these works at Syracuse University,” says Knuth. “As performers, some of the most exciting moments in our careers come from receiving a new piece of music and having the chance to peel away the layers of discovery as we breathe life into the music for the first time.”

Knuth says that, as an artist, he feels a great sense of responsibility to the composer. “I always feel as if we are caring for or adopting someone’s newborn child with all the fragility and unmapped landscape that comes with such an experience.”

Assad and Luiz are both multi-Grammy Award nominees, and Assad’s current release has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.

“They are both virtuosic performers in their own right, as well, and have very unique compositional voices incorporating elements of Brazilian rhythm, music and cultural concepts into the pieces,” says Knuth. “It is an honor to have these artists join our community for this event.”

Prize-winning works from Hendricks Chapel’s first-ever organ commission competition will receive their premiere performances on April 10. This new competition for solo organ works—led by Natalie Draper and University Organist Anne Laver—generated more than 100 submissions in its inaugural year. Ian Shaw’s “Solomon and the Gnat” received first prize and Ivan Božičević’s “Rivers of Eden” received second prize.

Laver, assistant professor of applied music and performance in the Setnor School, and Alex Meszler, instructor in the Setnor School, will perform the works. The program will also include new organ works by student composers.

“Creating space for new music is one way we can diversify the musical experience, both for listeners and performers,” says Laver, also the artistic director of the Music and Message series. “Our students are searching for ways to make music relevant. Engaging composers who create for our current time and place is one of the ways we can do that. We hope the experience of hearing new music and meeting living composers will inspire them to continue this work in their own musical careers.”

The performances mentioned above are only a sampling of the wide range of music that will be presented on the weekly Music and Message series. Other new music highlights include a performance of “Mass of Reconciliation” for choirs and jazz/funk band composed by José “Peppie” Calvar, associate professoe of applied music and performance and assistant director of choral activities in the Setnor School, on Thursday, March 10. Setnor School choirs will present a variety of new music on Sunday, Feb. 27; Tuesday, April 19 and Sunday, May 1. The series will also include many performances of music from earlier centuries.

The Malmgren Concert Series is now woven throughout the Music and Message programs, still featuring the organ, Esther Malmgren’s beloved instrument.

All are welcome to attend programs in-person at Hendricks Chapel or online through Zoom. Visit for the Zoom link and additional program information, including a full schedule of performances.

Keane Southard

Keane Southard, a Ph.D. candidate in composition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, has been announced as winner of the 2021 Gregg Smith Choral Composition Contest in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music. The award, which is named for renowned composer and choral conductor Gregg Smith, is given biennially to a composer between the ages of 21 and 35 who has written and submitted a musical composition for a Setnor School choral ensemble.

Southard won for his work “The Wayfaring Stranger,” which was selected by a committee of Setnor faculty from numerous compelling entries. Southard’s work will be premiered by Crouse Chorale, the Setnor School’s gender-inclusive treble ensemble of students from varied majors and schools/colleges. The premiere will be part of their performance on Wednesday, April 27, at 8 p.m. in the Rose and Jules R. Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College. Southard will work with the choir on the piece and will be present for the world premiere.

“Crouse Chorale is excited to work with Southard and bring ‘The Wayfaring Stranger’ to life,” says Setnor Professor Wendy Moy, who conducts the ensemble. “It is an honor to be the first to interpret a new piece and we are grateful to have this contest in honor of Gregg Smith.”

Southard (b. 1987) is a composer and pianist who believes deeply in the power of music to change how people think, feel and act and that it can be a catalyst for positive change in the world. He has been a recipient of many awards, including winner of the 2nd Michal Kleofas Oginski International Symphony Orchestra Contest, the Howard Hanson and Belle S. Gitelman Awards from the Eastman School of Music, the Yale Glee Club’s Emerging Composers Competition, the Capital Hearings Young Composers Competition, the Cecil Effinger Composition Award and George Lynn Prize from the University of Colorado-Boulder, the Longfellow Chorus International Composers Cantata Competition, the Charles B. Olson Young Composer Award and the Ars Nova Singers Colorado Composers Competition. He has also been awarded residencies at Copland House, Playa and the Kimmel-Harding-Nelson Center.

The Setnor School established the Gregg Smith National Choral Composition Contest and the Gregg Smith Graduate Choral Conducting Scholarship in 2008 with the support of an anonymous donor. Smith had a 30-year relationship with Syracuse University; the Gregg Smith Singers and Smith collaborated with University choirs and faculty members on operas, concerts and numerous premieres at the University.

The Setnor School hosts the Gregg Smith National Choral Composition Contest as part of its mission to offer opportunities for the highest level of professional musical development within the context of a broad, humanistic education; to encourage and facilitate the broadest possible range of creative options for students and faculty, recognizing that the Western classical tradition continues to grow and expand, and that it is only one in a world of myriad others; to uphold the school’s role and responsibilities as a citizen of the community, and of the larger culture, by serving the community through outreach and education and by creating and maintaining an inclusive environment in which all can pursue musical interests and develop their gifts; and to offer substantive musical opportunities for non-music majors from all corners of the University.

Tiago Cruz

Cruz is working with Kathleen Roland-Silverstein, associate professor of applied music and performance (voice), assisting and collaborating with voice pedagogy graduate students, conducting research and helping design an up-to-date voice laboratory for the Setnor School. A small equipment grant from Syracuse University’s Office of Research has assisted with laboratory, which will aid in a proposed longitudinal study of vocal health in Setnor voice students.

“Tiago has been invaluable in preparing a longitudinal study, set up of the new voice-assessment tools and helping to train our students in their use,” says Roland-Silverstein.

“I’m having a great experience, which is contributing to my learning and to my career,” says Cruz. “The opportunity to assist in the creation and development of a voice lab is unique.”

Cruz is a speech language pathologist finishing his doctorate in an exciting and fast evolving field. His expertise as a scholar and performer ranges throughout the fields of sonology, voice pedagogy, performance and production. He began his studies as a classical acoustic guitarist in 1995 and has continued his studies as a singer and performer alongside his voice science studies.

“His contribution as a scholar and educator to Setnor this year has already been a tremendous gift to students and faculty,” notes Roland-Silverstein.

On Sunday, Dec. 5, performances will take place in Hendricks Chapel at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. The recorded virtual concert will premiere on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. ET.

Registration is required for all in-person and online programs and is now open at . All concerts are free and open to the public.

New this year, guests for the in-person concerts can select the row they will sit in throughout the performance. In accordance with University policy, guests will be required to wear masks indoors at all times and outdoors in the presence of others.

An ongoing tradition hosted by Hendricks Chapel and the Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Holidays at Hendricks celebrates the sounds of the season and is anchored by the Hendricks Chapel Choir and its director José “Peppie” Calvar, associate professor of applied music and performance and assistant director of choral activities in the Setnor School.

The student-centered concert features performances from:

• Asriel Davis, a graduate student majoring in organ performance in the Setnor School, and Anne Laver, University organist and assistant professor of applied music and performance in the Setnor School, on the Hendricks Chapel organ;
• Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra directed by James Tapia, associate professor of applied music and performance in the Setnor School;
• The international award-winning Syracuse University Singers under the direction of John Warren, professor of applied music and performance and director of choral activities in the Setnor School;
• Crouse Chorale and Setnor Sonority directed by Wendy Moy, assistant professor of music education in the Setnor School and the School of Education, and Peppie Calvar, respectively; and
• The first-ever “Holidays at Hendricks” appearance by Syracuse University’s big band, the Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble, directed by John Coggiola, associate professor and chair of music education in the Setnor School and the School of Education.

“Our emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic is slow, but steady and safe. Our ensembles continue to make music together in person using masks and other protective measures. We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to come together to make music in a time when so many musicians have been unable to do so,” says Calvar. “We’re also grateful to Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, for his leadership in continuing to provide support for you to enjoy our students’ work in Hendricks Chapel or wherever you may be.”

Public parking is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis in Irving Garage and the Hillside lot. Those who require accessible parking or would like more information about the event may call Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901 or email chapel@syr.edu.

Communication Access Realtime Translation and American Sign Language interpretation will be provided at in-person concerts. Captioning will be provided at the virtual concert. Doors to Hendricks Chapel will open 30 minutes prior to each concert start time.

For more information, visit . Hendricks Chapel will also post regular updates about the event through its ,�������Ի������貹�����.

A gift from Dr. Jason Soifer ’51 creates new endowments in Soifer’s name in the Department of Drama to support scholarships and in the Setnor School of Music to support international study and experiences, both in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Soifer, who passed away on July 14, 2021, at the age of 91, named Syracuse University the beneficiary of his $2.7 million . As part of the Forever Orange Campaign, the gift creates new endowments in Soifer’s name in the Department of Drama to support scholarships and in the Setnor School of Music to support international study and experiences, both in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA).

“I had always been stage-struck, gifted with a booming voice, backed up with a lack of talent, but I persevered and ended up in the box office during my four years at Syracuse,” said Soifer in describing the inspiration behind the endowments, during an interview earlier this year. “I trained at Medical School in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and realized how important an international education was, especially in language and to broaden one’s view of life. It can be quite educational to people—watch from a sidewalk cafe in Paris!” Soifer served abroad in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Paris for NATO as its medical head. The endowment to the Setnor School to support international study is intended to give students the same opportunities to absorb new cultures and expand their worldviews.

“This gift is very personal to me,” says Milton Rubén Laufer, director of the Setnor School of Music. Even though Laufer never met the man behind the gift, he appreciates deeply the potential impact of Soifer’s endowment funds to support music and drama students in VPA. “Though I was a promising student, my family couldn’t afford the tuition for me to go to my top choices. It was a scholarship like this one, earmarked for under-represented students, that gave me the opportunity to attend the best schools and travel internationally. I would not be where I am today without those experiences or support.”

Echoing Laufer’s sentiments, Holly Thuma, interim chair of the Department of Drama, also describes the Soifer gift as one of opportunity that “helps us to overcome the inequities many students face.” The Jason Soifer Endowed Scholarship for Drama is intended to provide scholarship and financial assistance to students who will bring diverse perspectives to the dramatic arts. “We are one of the top-rated drama programs in the country,” says Thuma, “but many gifted students can’t afford to come here. We are so grateful for Dr. Soifer’s gift, which offers a real chance to change things.”

Thuma points out that exposure to diverse perspectives and voices is vital to the developing artist. “To become better actors requires empathy, to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes,” says Thuma. “That’s what actors do. We step into someone else’s shoes and walk that life experience. Part of our job is to help students expand their worldview—in acting, directing, designing, all aspects of the performance arts. Diverse voices are part of our art form and we need to expand the stories we tell. The Department of Drama has a strong vision for the future, one in which stories that have long been excluded will be given their due and brought center stage.”

“Cost is the biggest barrier for anyone of talent to come here,” says Laufer. “Scholarship support that brings diverse voices and perspectives to the stage will strengthen the whole college.” Laufer also serves as co-chair of VPA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. “These students could be the next Fulbright Scholar or Grammy winner or Tony Winner, or the next professor or dean. I’m the first person of color to lead Setnor in its 140-year history. It’s not my intention to be the last.”

The Jason Soifer Endowed Fund for International Music Opportunities offers students expanded world views through cultural music exchange and immersion programs, international competitions, concerts, performance tools, student stipends, student research and internship opportunities.

“I think every Setnor student should have a chance to be on foreign soil,” says Laufer. “It increases our abilities as artists to immerse ourselves, transcend language in many ways and break down barriers. It helps our students develop as human beings and as global citizens. There’s a certain aspect of fearlessness that accompanies international travel and that, too, is an important gift to give our students. In addition, the more our students interact with students from other nations, the more likely we are to get international students here.”

VPA Dean Michael Tick calls the Soifer gift transformational. “Jason Soifer has provided opportunities for current drama and music students and invested in the future of Syracuse University. I am deeply grateful for the ways in which the Soifer endowments will lift up VPA for years to come.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University

Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.

William Knuth

Knuth was nominated by Hannah Comia G’21, a Fulbright applicant and 2021 recipient of the American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellowship, which will fund her to study and perform Finnish art songs in Finland.  She says, “Professor Knuth went above and beyond to help me. He provided me with invaluable insight as someone who had received one of these awards himself.”

Knuth has also served on the campus Fulbright U.S. Student Committee for the past two years. The committee seeks to recruit strong applicants and assist them in preparing compelling application materials. A former Fulbright Scholar, Knuth is a violinist who teaches violin and viola, gives private lessons and performs with guitarist Adam Levin as a member of Duo Sonidos. He has a distinguished performance and recording record spanning multiple genres.

“Faculty support is crucial to our students’ belief in their abilities and the strength of their applications for competitive national scholarships. Syracuse University’s recent designation as a Fulbright U.S. Student top producing institution is a testament to the commitment that our faculty members have to fostering our students’ success,” says Jolynn Parker, director of the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising.

Students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts rehearse in the stadium.

“Visual and Performing Arts students wouldn’t have a reason to be here if they couldn’t sing or hold an instrument or act onstage or spend time in the studio.  The arts are a social activity, not something that lends itself to isolation. We knew that bringing students back safely was going to be an important part of keeping our community together,” says Milton Laufer, director of the Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

“Theater productions are our laboratories, and we felt that pivoting to digital or zoom performances wasn’t enough. We wanted to give performers the opportunity to gain experience in a physical space and for our theater design and technology students to work on sets and costumes,” notes Ralph Zito, chair of the Department of Drama.

The challenge VPA faced as COVID-19 hit the United States in March: teaching voice, choral music, instruments, dance, acting, studio art, museum curation and hands-on design disciplines during a global pandemic, with restrictions on social distancing, studio capacity and in-person contact.

“I have to say our creativity served us well. We’re in a position now where many peer institutions are asking us what we have done so they can copy it. It was an enormous team effort and we had tremendous support from the rest of the University. It was worth it, because of the impact on our students,” says VPA Dean Michael Tick.

Jessica Dominique Montgomery, who is a master’s student studying vocal pedagogy and vocal performance at the Setnor School, agrees. She feels that the ability to work with her teachers directly has been essential to taking her skills and performance to the next level.

Flexibility and Teamwork

VPA leaders and faculty praised the University’s support for the plans put forward by each program for modifying hands-on instruction based on COVID-19 prevention protocols. “They really trusted us to figure out the best way to use spaces and handle issues like safety demonstrations before students use specialized equipment in studios,” says Bob Wysocki, director of the School of Art and the Doris E. Klein Endowed Professor of Art. Graduate students and instructors helped create instructional videos covering how to use equipment safely in order to minimize the time students spend in shared spaces.

Michelle Taylor, assistant director for operations at the Setnor School of Music, says that work study and graduate students have been an essential part of the team. No stranger to complex logistics in her previous career at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Taylor says, “Our graduate assistants are so prepared for things they couldn’t have imagined. I can’t say enough about their organization, focus and diligence.  They have been critical to ensuring that we had no classroom transmission by helping us manage the schedules for clearing rooms after a short period of time, working with ensembles, collaborating on online performance logistics and technology so we can share music in a different way during the pandemic. All of our music students followed the health guidelines, even when nobody was watching.”

Noting that she normally picks the music she’ll perform as much as a year in advance as a graduate student, Montgomery had already committed to performing art songs that challenge the musician’s range, breath control, agility and overall technique. “I had to be very creative in how I navigated these pieces while singing with a mask on, modifying my breathing and engaging with my breath support.” Working with Janet Brown, associate teaching professor of applied music and performance, was key.  “Having a teacher who believes that you can do it is a privilege and a wonderful experience.”

Montgomery says that it was particularly meaningful when her undergraduate professors, who were watching her performance remotely from Florida State University, complimented her performance, even as she was singing through a mask. “My musicianship has grown since coming to Syracuse University.”

Performance-based teaching could only be done safely through teamwork.  “The Public Health Team was great about providing consultation on guidelines for distancing and air circulation and other technical issues. The Office of Academic Affairs really took the approach that we know the best ways to teach in our disciplines and helped us find the right spaces for distanced rehearsals, such as Goldstein Auditorium, athletic fields and Hendricks Chapel. Facilities Services mobilized quickly and was ahead of many issues, including procuring plexiglass and mobile air filtration units,” says Tick.

Laufer notes that the University’s assistance purchasing special masks for use while playing instruments, cleaning supplies, devices to limit the spread of aerosols from playing instruments and the multi-channel microphones essential for distanced musical performances was crucial.

“By mid-September we had distributed 1,300 face shields, 315 bottles of hand sanitizer, 270 instructor PPE kits, 180 bottles of disinfectant spray, 85 bottles of microphone sanitizer and 5400 alcohol pads to disinfect piano keys,” adds Kati Foley, who is a project director in the dean’s office and was responsible for sourcing and distributing personal protective equipment at VPA.

The Creative Touch

Visual and Performing Arts drew on its creativity to deliver great teaching in different ways. “The nature of being an artist is being adaptive. We had a chance to start over at the moment the paradigm shifted and the faculty in the School of Art have risen to the occasion–completely re-thinking their teaching for de-densified classrooms and studios,” says Wysocki.

“We have seen little moments of the most amazing creativity from our faculty and students to create engagement with professionals, sites and museums–it’s really critical for the master’s program in museum studies,” says Emily Stokes-Rees, interim director of the School of Design.

“Thanks to the pandemic, we have an archive of detailed videos of professional techniques. Instead of viewing a classroom demonstration from a distance, students can watch up close–as many times as they need to. Now that everyone is on Zoom, we have had incredible opportunities to engage far-flung alumni in conversations about how what they learned at Syracuse has helped them in the professional world of museum curation.”

Alex Mendez Giner, an associate professor of film, says that graduate assistants and a really complex technical setup were key to teaching cinematography during the fall semester. To demonstrate how cameras are used and angles are chosen, he had to figure out how to present each point of view during an online class. “It was incredibly challenging from a technical setup to stream what is essentially a TV station with three cameras so we can show angles, the approaches, how I was choosing the technique.  The teaching assistants were operating cameras and we were essentially going live for the class.” He was surprised at how quickly and successfully they adapted. “There’s no perfect substitution when we are teaching these very intimate classes that require the teacher to be there in terms of actual class work. What drives me is how creative and talented our students are at all levels.”

Zito notes, “The acting faculty were surprised about what could be accomplished in an online format. There’s a level of attention to detail and truthfulness that happens when you are essentially on camera. I was teaching a Shakespeare scene study class, and the only two faces you were seeing were the two people acting with each other, and you could watch what was going on behind a person’s eyes in a different way. We may be teaching different skills in a different order, but learning has happened and I am grateful for what we have been able to deliver.”

Montgomery believes that the ability to modify classes for the pandemic has been key, “So much of the learning experience in performance is just getting up there and doing it. The fall semester gave me a challenge–was I going to let the pandemic stop me from being successful and achieving what I want to achieve in my performance and my career. I took that challenge and succeeded.”

“I’m incredibly proud of all of our students, faculty and staff. Last semester I taught in a national leadership institute for deans and associate deans from the top arts institutions around the country. Every few weeks someone asks me about what we are doing at Syracuse University because they have seen us make it work and how our students are learning,” says Tick.

Headlee came to Syracuse University to study with noted organist Arthur Poister and earned a master of music degree in 1953, following undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Jan Philip Schinhan. He retired from the University in May 1992 after 36 years of teaching, academic service and continuous choir directing activity, including six seasons with the Hendricks Chapel Choir.

Headlee was active in the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and the Organ Historical Society, performing at many conventions. He served as organist at Park Central Presbyterian Church in Syracuse from 1992 until his passing.

“Headlee was a lifelong mentor and friend to me and many other organ students,” says Jim Potts ’74, who serves as organist and choirmaster at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Syracuse. “His influence on me as an organist and a church musician was unsurmountable.”

In 2010, Headlee helped celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the University’s Holtkamp Organ in Setnor Auditorium in Crouse College with a performance of pieces that he particularly connected to the organ, including Seth Bingham’s Rhythmic Trumpet (No. 4 from Baroques, 1944), which was by the Syracuse chapter of the AGO. He also moderated panel sessions and helped develop content for the 2019 Syracuse Legacies Organ Conference, an event celebrating Poister, Walter Holtkamp Sr. and Calvin Hampton.

“I am so grateful I had a chance to get to know Will Headlee over the past seven years,” says Anne Laver, assistant professor of organ in the Setnor School and current University organist. “He was a first-rate musician with a keen ear, and you could always count on him to give you his honest opinion of a performance. Will represented the best of humanity. He was kind, generous and devoted to his students.”

A celebration of Headlee’s life will be held at a later time. Memorials in honor of him can be directed to the Setnor School of Music by contacting Mike Grannis, assistant director of development and alumni relations, at 315.708.2377 or mjgranni@syr.edu.

The broadcast will air Sunday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m., and will include performances pre-recorded at Hendricks Chapel, featuring student ensembles and faculty from the University’s Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

“Holding this annual holiday tradition online is an exciting opportunity to expand the audience, while keeping our community safe,” says Hendricks Chapel Choir Director José “Peppie” Calvar, who is also an associate professor in the Setnor School of Music. “Students, families and alumni will be able to experience the magic of ‘Holidays at Hendricks’ from around the world, for the first time ever.”

The program is free and open to all. Registration for the broadcast is required and is open now on the University’s website.

“Since its dedication in 1930, Hendricks Chapel has sought to extend its reach far beyond the boundaries of a building,” says Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol. “This year, at a time when countless citizens are thirsting for grace and hungering for peace, we hope to bring the spiritual heart of campus into the hearts and homes of our campus community. I am proud of the dedicated efforts of our students, faculty and staff, as this program will indeed serve as food for the soul.”

An ongoing Central New York tradition hosted by Hendricks Chapel and the Setnor School of Music, “Holidays at Hendricks” celebrates the sounds of the season and is anchored by the Hendricks Chapel Choir. The student-centered event will include performances by the Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra, directed by James Tapia, associate professor in the Setnor School; and the international award-winning Syracuse University Singers, under the direction of John Warren, professor in the Setnor School. Performances featuring the Hendricks Chapel organ will be offered by Augustine Sobeng G’21 and University Organist Anne Laver, assistant professor in the Setnor School. Crouse Chorale and Setnor Sonority directed by Wendy Moy, assistant professor in the Setnor School, and Peppie Calvar, respectively, will also join the production.

For more information, visit . Follow Hendricks Chapel on social media for updates about the event. Find them on ,�������Ի���.

Performer and current organ graduate student Augustine Sobeng talks with sound recording technology major and “Composing for the Organ” research assistant Brianna Cofield ’22 at the Holtkamp Organ in Setnor Auditorium at one of the recording sessions.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, the Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts will host “Composing for the Organ,” a and a that aims to foster awareness of and appreciation for contemporary organ music.

The events, which are free and open to the public, are geared toward composers at any career stage and experience level who wish to learn more about writing for the organ and organists who are interested in the compositional process. Additional details can be found on the event’s .

“Composing for the Organ” was created and organized by Setnor faculty members Anne Laver, assistant professor of organ, and Natalie Draper, assistant professor of composition and theory. They originally planned the event as a one-day mini-festival with panels, a reading of new works, and a live concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Syracuse. After the coronavirus outbreak, the organizers had to reimagine the event and the way in which the composers and performers would share their creative work. They decided to offer a webinar and virtual concert, and St. Paul’s allowed them to rehearse and record the performances. They titled it “Reimaginings: A Virtual Concert of New Music for Organ.”

Draper wrote a piece—her first for organ—that Laver will be performing on the virtual concert. The other performers are current organ graduate student Augustine Sobeng and organ alumni Alexander Meszler ’13 and Jonathan Embry ’14, who will be premiering a work of his own. .

Draper and Laver also interviewed several prominent composers about their experiences composing for the organ; these interviews are posted on .

“Our hope is that this program and the associated composing for the organ webinars and interview project will encourage more composers to write new music for the organ,” says Laver in her recorded introduction to the concert. “We want to ensure a dynamic future for the organ, and to do that, we need composers interested in engaging with the instrument—composers who are interested in reimagining the possibilities for the organ.”

“Composing for the Organ” is presented with the support of grants from the Special Projects Fund of the San Francisco Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the Mozingo Endowment of the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the Syracuse University Humanities Center “Futures” Symposium, the Syracuse Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and the Central New York Humanities Corridor from an award by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The American Spiritual Ensemble

The , a critically acclaimed professional vocal group that has thrilled audiences around the world with its dynamic renditions of classic spirituals and Broadway numbers, will visit Syracuse University March 8-11 to hold a residency and offer three public events.

“The American Spiritual Ensemble performs with commitment, passion and exceptional musicality,” says Anne Laver, assistant professor of organ and coordinator for the group’s residency. “They are superstars in the choral world, and we are so excited to be able to host them in Syracuse.”

The ensemble, which performs under the direction of Dr. Everett McCorvey, will rehearse and hold master classes with several vocal ensembles at Hendricks Chapel and in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music, including the University Singers, Hendricks Chapel Choir, Crouse Chorale and Setnor Sonority.

The residency also includes the following events, which are free and open to the public:

• Sunday, March 8, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Hendricks Chapel
  Concert by the American Spiritual Ensemble as part of the Malmgren Concert Series at Music and Message. Performance featuring American Negro Spirituals and music of the Black Experience. Reception to follow.
• Tuesday, March 10, 12:30 to 1:50 p.m., Hendricks Chapel
  “‘Mother Music:’ The African-American Spiritual and Its Role in Shaping American Musical Styles.” Lecture recital highlighting the history and context of the Negro Spiritual and its influences on American music.
• Wednesday, March 11, 8 to 9:30 p.m., Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College
  “Lift Every Voice and Sing!” choral concert featuring the American Spiritual Ensemble and Setnor School of Music choirs. A special choral concert featuring performances by the American Spiritual Ensemble, the Setnor School of Music choirs, and a 200-voice combined choir performing arrangements of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” and “Amazing Grace.”

Everett McCorvey, founder and music director of the American Spiritual Ensemble

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided for the March 8 and 10 events. For additional accommodations, please email Hendricks Chapel.

Complimentary parking for the March 8 and 11 events will be available in University lots and Irving Garage on a first-come, first-served basis. Paid parking will be available for the March 10 event in Irving and University Avenue garages.

The public events are made possible with generous support from Hendricks Chapel, the Setnor School of Music, Syracuse University Humanities Center, the Central New York Humanities Corridor from an award by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Esther Drake and John Vincent Malmgren Endowment.

Syracuse University Libraries will host student acoustic guitarists in December.

For questions, contact the Syracuse University Libraries Arts Programming Team at rsfoxvon@syr.edu.

On Sunday, Dec. 8, two identical performances will take place at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The addition of an earlier show will ensure that more guests receive an opportunity to attend this annual holiday event.

Increased student participation is an additional highlight of this year’s Holidays at Hendricks. The Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra, the student orchestra of the Setnor School of Music, will perform at both concerts.

Doors to Hendricks Chapel will open 30 minutes prior to each concert start time. Both concerts are free and open to the public. Financial donations in support of Hendricks Chapel outreach programs, such as the food pantry, will be accepted throughout the day. The community is also invited to a reception at the Heroy Geology Laboratory lobby following the 7:30 p.m. concert.

Public parking is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis in Irving Garage and the Hillside lot. Those who require accessible parking or would like more information about the event may call the chapel at 315.443.2901 or email chapel@syr.edu.

An ongoing CNY tradition hosted by Hendricks Chapel and the Setnor School of Music, Holidays at Hendricks celebrates the sounds of the season and is anchored by the Hendricks Chapel Choir and its director José “Peppie” Calvar. The newly formatted, student-centered performance features the Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra directed by James Tapia, the international award-winning Syracuse University Singers, under the direction of John Warren, and Syracuse University’s combined vocal jazz ensembles, directed by Professor Jeff Welcher. The Crouse Chorale (soprano/alto choir) and Setnor Sonority (tenor/bass choir), directed by Hillary Ridgley and Peppie Calvar, respectively, will also join the production.

“As we celebrate Syracuse University’s sesquicentennial, we recognize the diverse religious and spiritual perspectives among our students and our University community. In our diversity, we come together in this festive season to celebrate 150 years of impact at Syracuse,” says Hendricks Chapel Choir director Peppie Calvar. “We honor the visionary leadership that has brought us to this point, and the extraordinary accomplishments of the Orange family spread throughout the globe. Our student performers represent the next generation of visionaries and leaders ready to propel our society to a bright and promising future. We look forward to sharing their talents with you at Holidays at Hendricks 2019.”

For more information, visit or the . Hendricks Chapel will also post regular updates about the event through its ,�������Ի������貹�����.

Titled “A Day of Improvisation,” the workshop is Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in OCC’s Academic II building at 4585 West Seneca Turnpike in Syracuse.

The event features six facilitators, including Mary Knysh, a world-renowned multi-instrumentalist, recording artist and educator, and Alina Plourde, an oboe instructor in the Setnor School of Music in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA).

“A Day of Improvisation” is open to the public, and costs $75 before Oct. 21 and $85 after Oct. 22. Family rates, scholarships and sliding scale tuition are available. For more information and to register, visit , or contact Plourde at alinaoboe@yahoo.com.

Co-founded in 1986 by cellist David Darling (Bobby McFerrin, Paul Winter Consort) and flutist Bonnie Insull, MfP is a nonprofit worldwide organization dedicated to music making and music improvisation as a means of self-expression.

MfP boasts satellite programs throughout North America and Europe, including a new one in Central New York.

“We believe any combination of people and instruments can make music together,” says Plourde, who regularly plays with Symphoria and other local groups, such as the Society for New Music and Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton. “Whether you’re a professional performer, a teacher, a student, a dancer or someone with an interest in music-making, you’ll get something out of the workshop.”

“A Day of Improvisation” is open to vocalists and instrumentalists of all stripes, and seeks to provide inspiration and new ideas for composers, songwriters and music educators. Electives include singing, drumming, movement, visual art, chamber music playing and group facilitation.

Plourde extends a “special invitation” to people who do not read music and to classically trained musicians who want to explore other idioms, such as folk, rock, jazz or world music.

She also is excited to reunite with Knysh, an MfP teacher and trainer who travels the world, offering music improvisation seminars and drum circle facilitator trainings and performances.

In addition to working for MfP, Knysh has founded a company called Rhythmic Connections, which advances health, education and creative development through ethnic-influenced music improvisation activities.

“She is a cutting-edge facilitator who can work with groups of any age and experience,” says Plourde, who also teaches music at OCC and the Montessori School of Syracuse. “Her energy is contagious.”

Knysh and Plourde are joined by four other facilitators:

• Christy Clavio, a professional teaching artist and musician from Asheville, North Carolina, specializing in multicultural music;
• Jimbo Talbot, a Syracuse-based drum circle facilitator, sound therapist, vocalist and performer;
• Jessica King, contrabassoonist and second bassoonist of Symphoria who, along with Plourde, is a founding member of the New Leaf Ensemble improvisational collective; and
• Laura Enslin, a soprano soloist and recitalist and former VPA instructor, who is founder of the CNY Singing Garden voice studio.

Plourde says that while attendees are encouraged to bring their own instruments, they may experiment with any of the dozens of multicultural instruments at the workshop, ranging from mbiras, hand-pans and pianos to a variety of djembe drums.

“This is our third year offering the event. The feeling of community, the deep listening, the artistry and the beautiful music created on the spot amaze me every time,” she adds.

MfP offers seminars and workshops on both sides of the Atlantic, in addition to the three-year Musician and Leadership Program. The organization’s humanistic and inclusive philosophy (in which “there are no wrong notes,” Darling writes) is popular among performers, composers, music educators and expressive arts therapists.

The , organized by Samuel Kuffuor-Afriyie ’20, an organ performance major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, will provide Ghanaian musicians an opportunity to network, learn and perform as a community. The institute, which runs from Aug. 11-17, is open to musicians of all experience levels who are interested in enhancing their skills in organ performance, voice and choral conducting. It will take place in Christ the King Church and Parish Hall in Accra.

Faculty instructors for the workshop include Anne Laver (organ, Syracuse University), José “Peppie” Calvar (choral conducting and voice, Syracuse University), Malcolm Merriweather (choral conducting and voice, Brooklyn College), Nathaniel Gumbs (organ, Yale Institute of Sacred Music) and Jessica Montgomery G’20 (voice, Syracuse University).

“It’s an opportunity for everyone attending to learn from each other,” says Kuffuor-Afriyie. “The instructors from the United States will learn about Ghanaian culture. And likewise, the participants and Ghanaian musicians will learn about music performance from us.”

Each day of the workshop will feature group lessons in the morning, workshops on special topics in the afternoon and rehearsals with guest choirs from across Ghana in the evenings. The week will culminate with a large workshop for local musicians and an evening concert featuring participants, faculty and guest choirs.

Registration is open on the , where those interested can find more information on the fees, schedule and faculty. Salt and Light Ministry, a Ghanaian nonprofit religious organization, is assisting with the administration and hosting of the institution.

Anne Laver, University organist and associate professor in the Setnor School of Music, is assisting Kuffuor-Afriyie in organizing the institute. She recently organized the Syracuse Legacies Organ Conference on campus and has led a number of educational camps and organ workshops for high school students. For this event, though, her motivation goes beyond the music.

“When a student comes up with a compelling project like this, as a teacher you want to do everything you can to support it. That’s my main motivation,” says Laver. “Sam has been eager to help with everything I ask of him, so when he came to me so determined to organize this workshop, I was inspired to do anything I could to help him.”

Kuffuor-Afriyie says he was inspired to plan an organ performance institute in Ghana last summer during a visit there. Of Ghanaian descent himself, he was visiting friends and family and learned that music education in Ghana is focused on musicology and theory rather than performance. As an organ performance major, he wanted to give more people the opportunity to hone that skill.

There is also value to the connections that these workshops bring. As a high school student, Kuffuor-Afriyie attended an organ workshop where he was able to meet fellow young organists and learn from university-level instructors. The experience gave him the motivation he needed to continue his studies, he says, and helped him feel less isolated in his unique career field.

“As a student, this is important to me because I see so much chance in life. When someone gives you an opportunity, you need to take a chance. Just like when I auditioned here, Dr. Laver and SU took a chance on me,” Kuffuor-Afriyie says. “In doing this workshop I’m just trying to share what I’ve learned.”

Kuffuor-Afriyie’s spirit and passion helped motivate Hendricks Chapel to sponsor the organ institute. As the home of one of the University’s organs, Hendricks Chapel is invested in supporting the musical arts, as well as fostering individual student growth. As the student-centered global home for religious, spiritual, moral and ethical life, Hendricks Chapel is also compelled to support such a profound experience of cross-cultural exchange.

“At Hendricks Chapel we seek to have a global impact,” says Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol. “Because music and the arts are critical to our mission, this opportunity to support students and accompany our global companions was met with great enthusiasm. I am personally delighted!”

Other sponsors of the Accra Organ and Choral Music Institute include the Setnor School of Music, Ghana Wesley United Methodist Church, and the Syracuse and Brooklyn Chapters of the American Guild of Organists.

For more information, email chapel@syr.edu or call 315.443.2901. Visit the to register and the for updates.

Milton Rubén Laufer

The College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) has announced that , a pianist and scholar and current director of Western Carolina University’s School of Music, has been named director of the , effective July 1.

Laufer will be responsible for the Setnor School of Music’s creative, academic and strategic leadership, and he will provide public advocacy for the school at the University, regional and national levels. He will also serve as an associate professor of music.

Laufer succeeds Martha Sutter, who will return to the faculty following a one-year research leave.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Laufer to Syracuse University, the college and the Setnor School,” says VPA Dean Michael S. Tick. “Our hard-working search committee, led by Ralph Zito, chair and professor of our Department of Drama, commended him for being a skilled and dedicated musician as well as an accomplished entrepreneurial leader in music education, arts consulting and arts advocacy. I look forward to collaborating with him on his vision for the Setnor School.”

“I am so honored to have been chosen to serve this remarkable institution,” says Laufer. “Music has been woven into the fabric of Syracuse University for 142 years. I endeavor to honor this great legacy while working alongside the extraordinary faculty, staff and talented students of the Setnor School of Music toward a bright and prosperous future.”

A Chicago native of Puerto Rican and Cuban parents, Laufer began playing the piano at three years of age, and his training includes studies at the Music Institute of Chicago, the Gnessin Institute, the Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan (B.M.) and Rice University (M.M., D.M.A.).

Laufer has delighted audiences on four continents in prestigious venues from Lincoln Center to Tchaikowsky Hall. A versatile artist, he has shared the stage with artists ranging from Natalie Cole to Guerassim Voronkov. His appearances on Spanish-speaking television and radio have been aired throughout Europe, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Laufer is recognized internationally as a leading interpreter and scholar of Spanish piano music. His editions of Isaac Albéniz’s Three Improvisations for Piano and “La Vega” are published by G. Henle Verlag of Munich and available worldwide. Currently he is writing the book “The Pianist’s Guide to the Repertoire of Spain.”

In addition, he has two recording projects planned: an album featuring piano and vocal works by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona and recording of Latin works for cello and piano with Canadian cellist Nigel Boehm. His recording credits include albums on the Naxos, Zenph Sound Innovations, Bis Records and Beauport Classics record labels.

As an educator, Laufer is guided by the principle that students must be adaptable to the changing vocational landscape that awaits them. They must not only be skilled, expressive technicians, but also entrepreneurs and convincing communicators who understand the value of their art as a commodity in the marketplace and its power as a force for change within their community.

Laufer is a charter trustee and lifetime member of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and an active voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammys) and Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Latin Grammys).

WQXR is New York City’s only classical music radio station, broadcasting live on 105.9 FM. “Young Artists Showcase” is a weekly radio show that since 1978 has sought out and displayed the talents of young emerging artists. It is hosted by Robert Sherman, who is well known to radio listeners and also presided over WQXR’s “The Listening Room.” Among the countless artists who have been heard on “Young Artists Showcase” in the earliest stages of their careers are violinists Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Joshua Bell and Chee-Yun; cellist Matt Haimovitz; and pianist Orli Shaham. Episodes are archived on the .

In addition to lessons and classes designed for undergraduate and graduate string performance majors, the Setnor School of Music’s strings area, housed within the Department of Applied Music and Performance, offers guitar classes for beginners and private lessons on guitar, harp, and all orchestral string instruments for intermediate and advanced students from all majors across campus.

Scherzinger, associate professor in the Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, first composed the piece in 2015 and premiered it that summer at the World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, France. An inclusive music performance for tenor saxophones and interactive computer, it will be one of 13 performances at ACCelerate: The ACC Smithsonian Creativity and Innovation Festival.

The festival will be held April 5-7 at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation will host the festival.

ACCelerate is a celebration of creative exploration and research at the nexus of science, engineering, arts and design among the 15 colleges and universities in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). More than 40,000 visitors to the museum are anticipated over this three-day event. The festival will feature 38 interactive installations and 13 performances grouped in three thematic areas: Exploring Place and Environment; Exploring Health, Body and Mind; and Exploring Culture. Scherzinger is one of three Syracuse faculty members to perform or exhibit in the festival.

For the performance, School of Music instructor Diane Hunger, senior Leah Haines and graduate student Nieves Villasenor will play tenor saxophones. They read the same music throughout the entire piece, but will rarely line up and are often out of sync with one another.

The fourth element of the piece is the computer—Scherzinger’s role—which will capture the sound of the three tenor saxophones in various ways and add effects. Almost all the sounds processed by the computer come from the live performers.

At various high points in the piece, it sounds like there are as many as 30 saxophones all playing at the same time, but never in unison. “It is probably the most obnoxious piece I have ever composed,” Scherzinger jokes.

For Scherzinger, the evolution of “Three Really Mad Tenors” was a process. He attempted to write a trio for either soprano, alto and tenor saxophones or alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, without success.

“I became very excited about writing a trio for three like saxophones, in this case three tenor saxophones,” Scherzinger says. He looked to the Rollins/Coltrane and Domingo/Carreras/Pavarotti collaborations for inspiration.

“In both the jazz album and with the operatic tenors, the soloists play/sing the same music at the same time, either in the form of a jazz head (song) or operatic aria. This is at the heart of ‘Three Really Mad Tenors,’” he says.

This is the third and final version of the piece, Scherzinger says. Audiences get a different experience each time, as the saxophonists bring their own interpretations into their performances.

Scherzinger says he and his colleagues are very much looking forward to the festival. “We are excited to be performing in a space at the Smithsonian,” he says.

The 20-minute performance will take place on Friday from 4 to 4:45 p.m. on the Coulter Plaza Stage at the ACCelerate festival. The audience is invited to move in and around the performers during the performance. Scherzinger hopes to present a performance of “Three Really Mad Tenors” in Syracuse in the near future.

Cherry Rhodes

All of Syracuse University’s former and current organ faculty will play a role in the conference. Christopher Marks, associate dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and former University organist, will give the keynote address, “Something Blue,” to open the conference.

The conference will also host presentations by David Pickering (author of “Arthur Poister: Master Teacher and Poet of the Organ”) and Jonathan Hall (author of “Calvin Hampton: A Musician Without Borders”) and offer book signings with the authors.

Kola Owolabi

Three concerts will be held throughout the weekend:

• On Friday, March 29, at 8 p.m. in the Rose and Jules R. Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College, Cherry Rhodes will present a solo recital featuring works by Hampton.
• On Saturday, March 30, at 8 p.m. in Setnor Auditorium, Katharine Pardee and William Porter will perform works with connections to Poister.
• Former University Organist Kola Owolabi, along with the Hendricks Chapel Choir and combined Festival Choir, will perform hymns, choral anthems and organ solos by Hampton in Hendricks Chapel on Sunday, March 31, at 4 p.m.

William Porter

The conference will conclude at 7 p.m. with Dean’s Convocation, featuring performances by current Setnor School of Music faculty and students and a message by the Rev. Brian E. Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. The evening concerts at Setnor Auditorium and events in Hendricks Chapel are free and open to the public, and do not require registration.

In 1948, Poister arrived at Syracuse University and began building one of the largest organ programs in the country. Within four years of his appointment, Syracuse boasted two new, large organs built by Walter Holtkamp Sr. and a flourishing department. Over the next three decades, hundreds of students studied with Poister on these instruments, including Hampton, who became one of the great organ composers of the 20th century.

Presented in partnership with the Westfield Center for Historical Keyboard Studies, the Syracuse Legacies Organ Conference aims to highlight the important accomplishments of Poister, Hampton and Holtkamp Sr. in the context of 20th-century American organ culture.

Katharine Pardee

The campus of Syracuse University, with its landmark instruments built by Holtkamp Sr. in Setnor Auditorium and sister instrument in Hendricks Chapel, is the ideal location for a conference devoted to this period in American music history.

Attendees who wish to take part in any of the conference events, including an opportunity to perform in the hymn festival with the Hendricks Chapel Choir, are invited to .

Free and accessible concert parking is available on campus in the Q-1 lot, located behind Crouse College. Overflow parking will be available in Hillside, Q-3 and Q-4 lots.

The Setnor School of Music and Hendricks Chapel welcomes people with disabilities. Setnor Auditorium and Hendricks Chapel are accessible, and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided at the Dean’s Convocation. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation at one of the public events, please contact Michelle Taylor at mjtaylor@syr.edu or 315.443.2191 two weeks prior to the event.

Story by Rebecca Ross

The quintet will rehearse with several Setnor ensembles, including the Syracuse University Orchestra, Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble and Samba Laranja, the University’s Brazilian Ensemble. The group will also work with student composers, recording their compositions with sound recording and technology students in the Belfer Recording Studio; give private lessons to string students; and serve as guest speakers at Setnor’s all-school convocation, the Soyars Leadership Lecture Series and the Music Education Academy.

The quintet will also perform both on campus and in the Syracuse community. The following performances are free and open to the public:

• Quinteto da Paraíba in concert, Tuesday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m., Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College
• Quinteto da Paraíba in concert, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m., Inspiration Hall, 709 James St., Syracuse
• Quinteto da Paraíba performance with the Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble and Samba Laranja, Friday, Feb. 1, 5:30 p.m., Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College

Quinteto da Paraíba’s residency is part of VPA’s ongoing internationalization initiatives.

“Their visit is an important step in expanding our partnership with the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB),” says Elisa Macedo Dekaney, professor of music education and associate dean for research, graduate studies and internationalization in VPA, who visited UFPB last year. “I was impressed by their music artistry and by the Brazilian repertoire they played. I am excited by what we can learn from each other.”

Quinteto da Paraíba’s members are Thiago Formiga, violin; Ulisses Silva, viola; Ronedilk Dantas, violin; Nilson Galvão, cello; and Xisto Medeiros, bass. The group originated in the music department of the Communication, Tourism and Arts Center of the UFPB and has been in residence there for nearly three decades. Traveling with versatility between concert music and popular music, Quinteto da Paraíba has recorded a number of CDs and has appeared on DVDs, movie soundtracks, shows, concerts and tours in Brazil and abroad. They are avid ambassadors of the music of Brazilian composers.

The Baker Artists Program creates opportunities for students to connect with renown music professionals through a robust and engaging residency program. Founded in 2013 by a grant from the Dexter F. & Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, the Baker Artists Program brings leading performers, educational scholars, composers and industry leaders to the Setnor School of Music, the Syracuse University campus, and to the larger Syracuse community by providing master classes, lectures and performances.

For Setnor Auditorium performances, free and accessible concert parking is available in the Q1 lot. Additional parking is available in the Irving Garage. Campus parking availability is subject to change; call 315.443.2191 for current information.

If you require accommodations to fully participate in Setnor Auditorium events, please contact Michelle Taylor at 315.443.2191 or mjtaylor@syr.edu.

Directed by Setnor faculty member Eric Johnson, “The Marriage of Figaro” will be performed in English with libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. The production, which has been adapted to suit the outstanding all-student cast, will be fully staged with orchestra conducted by Setnor faculty member James Tapia.

The libretto is an adaptation of the controversial French play of the same name by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. Because it depicted a nobleman being outwitted by his servants, it is widely acknowledged to have contributed to the civil unrest that led to the French Revolution.

For most Setnor Auditorium events, free and accessible parking is available in the Q1 lot. Additional parking is available in the Irving Garage. Campus parking availability is subject to change; call 315.443.2191 for current information or for more information about the opera.

If you require accommodations, contact Michelle Taylor at mjtaylor@syr.edu or 315.443.2191 one week prior to the event.

A scene from the 2017 concert at Hendricks Chapel.

Hendricks Chapel invites the Central New York community to celebrate the sounds of the season at the annual concert on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

Doors to Hendricks Chapel will open at 6:30 p.m. All are encouraged to arrive early, as seating capacity is limited. Donations of non-perishable food items for the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry are encouraged. A reception with light refreshments will follow the concert in the Heroy Geology Laboratory lobby.

Public parking is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis in Irving Garage, the Hillside lot and all open Syracuse University parking lots. Those who require accessible parking or would like more information about the event may call the chapel at 315.443.2901 or email chapel@syr.edu.

Holidays at Hendricks is a concert with a long tradition at the University. Performances will be given by the Hendricks Chapel Choir (José “Peppie” Calvar, director); University Organist Anne Laver; the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble (James T. Spencer, director), the University Singers (John Warren, director), Crouse Chorale (Hillary Ridgley, director), the Syracuse University Concert Choir (Peppie Calvar, director) and the Syracuse University Vocal Jazz Ensembles (Jeff Welcher, director). The Chimemasters from the Setnor School of Music will ring the Crouse College chimes before and after the show. This year’s program will also include a surprise guest conductor.

“This year marks my sixth production of Holidays at Hendricks,” says Calvar, the event’s artistic director. “With each passing year, I grow in understanding of the powerful impact making music together has on our students and in return how their work impacts our audience and our community. In a world making every effort to divide us, we come together as an Orange family to express our unity in joy and song this season.”

Thanks to a partnership with , the performance will be broadcast in late December on public television and radio stations throughout Western, Central and Northern New York. Dates for the broadcasts will be announced soon.

Hendricks Chapel will also post regular updates about the event through its , and pages.

The screening and performance will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public.

The orchestra, which performs under the direction of Setnor faculty member James R. Tapia, will also present the prelude music “Night on Bald Mountain” by Modest Mussorgsky.

Shapiro was commissioned in 2001 by the Chappaqua Orchestra’s Boris Koutzen Memorial Fund to write the movie score for “Frankenstein,” directed by James Whale and starring Colin Clive and Boris Karloff. The world premiere of the work with live orchestra and film occurred in October 2002 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Jacob Burns Film Center in New York and since its premiere has received nearly 30 productions worldwide.

Unlike “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935), with its lush score by Franz Waxman, the original “Frankenstein” was produced without a movie score. Critics such as Leonard Maltin remarked that “Frankenstein” was badly in need of music. Shapiro’s 70-minute score is written to be played under the dialogue of the film. For modern-day moviegoers, Shapiro’s haunting music adds significantly to the emotional impact of the film.

For most Setnor School of Music concerts, free and accessible concert parking is available on campus in the Q-1 lot. When parking for concert events, drivers should inform parking attendants that they are attending a Setnor School of Music concert in Hendricks Chapel so the parking attendants can direct where to park. Campus parking availability is subject to change; call 315.443.2191 for current information or for more information about the concert.

Those who require accommodations to fully participate in this event should contact Michelle Taylor at 315.443.2191 or mjtaylor@syr.edu.

Bria Skonberg (Photo by Georgia Nerheim)

The residency will culminate with a concert on Friday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m. in the Rose and Jules R. Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College. The concert is free and open to the public. Skonberg will perform with student jazz ensembles Orange Syndicate, Orange Collective and the Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble, as well as jazz and commercial music faculty from the Setnor School.

Free and accessible concert parking is available in the Q1 lot. Additional parking is available in the Irving Garage. Campus parking availability is subject to change; call 315.443.2191 for current information.

During her residency, Skonberg will also participate in a “Women in Jazz” panel on Thursday, Sept. 27, presented as part of the Setnor School’s Soyars Leadership Lecture Series. The panel will also feature Joyce DiCamillo, Theresa Chen and Melissa Gardiner, and it will be moderated by Randy Henner, Skonberg’s manager.

The panel will be held from 6:30-7:50 p.m. in Room 007 of the Whitman School building. The discussion is free and open to the public. Parking is available in SU pay lots.

Skonberg has been described as one of the “most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” (Wall Street Journal). Recognized as one of “25 for the Future” by DownBeat Magazine, she has been a force in the new generation with her bold horn melodies, smoky vocals and adventurous concoctions of classic and new.

Skonberg signed to Sony Music Masterworks’ OKeh Records in 2016 and released her debut LP, “Bria,” which won a Canadian JUNO award and made the Top 5 on Billboard jazz charts. She collaborated again with producer Matt Pierson, as well as multi-Grammy winner Gil Goldstein, for her second Sony album, “With A Twist,” released in May 2017. Her take on Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love” has garnered more than three million streams.

Noted as a millennial “shaking up the jazz world,” (Vanity Fair), Skonberg has played festivals and stages around the world, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival. She is an avid educator and supporter of public school opportunities, giving numerous workshops and concerts for students of all ages. She has been a faculty member at the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Camp (2008-present) and Centrum Jazz Camp; performs outreach on behalf of Jazz at Lincoln Center; and co-founded the New York Hot Jazz Camp for adults and the New York Hot Jazz Festival. .

Joyce DiCamillo

DiCamillo, pianist and Setnor School alumna, has led her own jazz trio for more than 30 years. As a pianist, she has performed with such jazz greats as James Moody, Phil Woods, Houston Person, Nick Brignola, Marvin Stamm, Urbie Green, Arnie Lawrence, Steve Marcus, Gerry Neiwood, Bob Mintzer, Butch Miles, Andy Fusco, Martin Drew and Marlene VerPlanck. Her trio has released five trio CDs receiving national airplay: “A Touch of Jazz,” “Freelancin’” (featuring tenor saxophonist Person), “Moment to Moment,” “Love Letters” and “Sunrise Lady.”

DiCamillo performs on the Steinway piano and is included on the prestigious international roster of Steinway Artists. She has performed repeat engagements at the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Her trio has headlined at such venues as the Southport (UK) Jazz Festival, the Guinness Jazz Festival (Cork, Ireland), the Andria (Italy) Jazz Festival, Syracuse Jazzfest, the Jazz Cruise and the Litchfield Jazz Festival. She appeared on National Public Radio’s acclaimed “Piano Jazz” hosted by Marian McPartland and has toured as pianist for internationally known pop vocalist Donna Summer.

DiCamillo is co-founder of SoNYC Media, a digital music startup that creates and distributes branded entertainment, and is founder and board chair of Project Music, a public-private partnership using the transformative power of music to effect positive social change for students most in need of access, opportunity and inspiration. .

Theresa Chen

Chen is a pianist, improviser, accompanist, composer, arranger, educator, a Catholic music minister and a part-time instructor of jazz piano and jazz history at the Setnor School. She has collaborated with many famous jazz artists, including Bill Dobbins, Dave Rivello, Rich Thompson, Charles Pillow, Gary Smulyan, Clay Jenkins, Dave Liebmann and Scott Wendholt. She also played at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, WGMC-Jazz 90.1 radio station and many other prominent jazz venues in Taiwan.

Chen is devoted to a series of performance projects on women jazz pianists, classical music improvisation and free improvisation. Gathering the information around the jazz field, Chen aims at helping Taiwan build a complete and professional jazz educational system. She’s also exploring many different possibilities of sounds through musical experiments and meeting more jazz musicians from different cultural backgrounds. She believes jazz is a free art form that can include multiple cultures within its music. Through her music, Chen hopes to bring love, peace, harmony and warmness to audiences in the present and in the future. .

Emerging jazz trombonist Gardiner, also a part-time instructor in the Setnor School, has been described by Curtis Fuller as technically creative and emotionally powerful. Her improvisation is inspiring and motivating for the listener, and she draws the listener in with a raw expression that directly relates to life experience.

Melissa Gardner (Photo by Michelle Van Dyke)

Throughout her career Gardiner has worked with several notable musicians, including Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Geri Allen, Wycliffe Gordon, Steve Turre, Gerald Wilson, Patti Austin, Tia Fuller, Ingrid Jensen, Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Vulfpeck. As a bandleader, she performs regularly with her jazz organ trio, MG3, and the SAMMY Award-winning, New Orleans-style brass band Second Line Syracuse. She is a member of the CNY Jazz Orchestra and frequently joins other local and regional ensembles. Gardiner is active in theater as a pit orchestra musician and has also worked with Carnival Cruise Lines and the Disneyland All-American College Band.

Gardiner teaches the MANOS Makes Music program for dual language preschool students, which focuses on music and movement. Although she is just getting started in the world of music education, she was a finalist for the 2017 Music and Arts Educator of the Year Award. .

The Baker Artists Program creates opportunities for students to connect with renowned music professionals through a robust and engaging residency program. Founded in 2013 by a grant from the Dexter F. & Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, the Baker Artists Program brings leading performers, educational scholars, composers and industry leaders to the Setnor School of Music, the Syracuse University campus, and to the larger Syracuse community by providing master classes, lectures and performances.

Those requiring accommodations to fully participate in these events should contact Michelle Taylor at 315.443.2191 or mjtaylor@syr.edu one week prior to the event date.

• Tuesday, April 24, 9 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

All choirs are open to all students. While an audition is not required for Crouse Chorale and Concert Choir, students interested in those ensembles should attend the audition for voice screening for placement only. To register for an audition and for more information, email cusechoirs@gmail.com.

Contact: Setnor School of Music Choral Activities Area
315.443.4106
cusechoirs@gmail.com

Website:

The concert features contemporary music that reflects on the Jewish experience during WWII, as well as 21^st-century responses to genocide. Steve Reich’s “Different Trains” for string quartet and prerecorded tape explores the composer’s experience growing up riding trains across the United States and the realization that he would have had to ride very different trains had he been born in Europe. Donald McCullough’s “Holocaust Cantata” for choir, soloists, piano, cello and narrators gives voice to the Polish Jews’ experience, alternating music based on traditional Polish songs with prisoners’ stories from the archives at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The program will conclude with Greg Bartholomew’s work for SATB choir, “The 21^st Century: A Girl Born in Afghanistan,” a setting of the speech former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan made upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

José “Peppie” Calvar, director of the Hendricks Chapel Choir, designed the program concept. He writes, “Donald McCullough’s ‘Holocaust Cantata’ is a piece that has always been on my ‘bucket list’ to perform as a conductor. The text is poignant and profound, and the music is so haunting. The marriage of the ‘Holocaust Cantata’ and ‘The 21^st Century: A Girl Born in Afghanistan’ by Greg Bartholomew seems odd at first. With texts from Kofi Annan’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, the choir sings, ‘We can love what we are without hating what we are not, without hating who we are not.’ The two pieces remind us of the bonds that unite humanity despite our ethnic, cultural and spiritual differences, and of the timelessness of this unity.”

The concert highlights the talents of Setnor School of Music students and provides the opportunity for them to collaborate with faculty. The Hendricks Chapel Choir will be joined by cello professor Gregory Wood and piano professor Ida Tili-Trebicka. String professor Laura Bossert leads a quartet of string students in Steve Reich’s “Different Trains,” and Andrew Robinette, assistant professor of music at South Dakota State University will be guest conductor for “The 21^st ���Գٳܰ���.”

The concert is part of the Malmgren Concert Series at Hendricks Chapel. The series was made possible by a generous gift to Hendricks Chapel from alumna Esther Malmgren ’42 in 1991. The free concerts, held throughout the year, feature a wide variety of music.

The concert is free and accessible. Parking is in the Q1 (on space-available basis and handicapped), Hillside, Q3 and Q4 lots.

For more information, call Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901 or visit .

Angky Budiardjono

Directed by Setnor faculty member Eric Johnson, “Gianni Schicchi” features music by Giacomo Puccini with libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. An English version by Jonathan Howell G’18 and Paula Homer will be performed with orchestra conducted by music director and Setnor faculty member James Tapia.

“Gianni Schicchi” was originally set in 12^th-century Florence, Italy, but has been updated to contemporary New York City. The greedy Donati family expects a rich inheritance when its wealthy uncle Buoso dies, but discovers to its chagrin that he has left all his money to charity. They summon the self-made man Gianni Schicchi to help them out of this predicament, with unexpected consequences.

Originally part of “Il Trittico” (“the Triptych”), the opera lasts approximately one hour and features the beloved aria “O mio babbino caro.” The cast features Setnor students and faculty, with guest artist Angky Budiardjono G’15, a Setnor alumnus, performing the role of Gianni Schicchi.

For most Setnor Auditorium events, free and accessible parking is available in the Q1 lot. Additional parking is available in the Irving Garage. Campus parking availability is subject to change; call 315-443-2191 for current information or for more information about the opera.

If you require accommodations for this event, contact Michelle Taylor at mjtaylor@syr.edu by Monday, Jan. 22.

About Syracuse University

Founded in 1870, Syracuse University is a private international research university dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching excellence,��rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11 academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence in the liberal arts, sciences and professional disciplines that prepares students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main campus and extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three continents. Syracuse’s student body is among the most diverse for an institution of its kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Syracuse also has a long legacy of supporting veterans and is home to the nationally recognized Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their families.

This festive afternoon of song concludes with 70 young voices joining together for a combined finale, a candlelit performance of “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”).

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-16 and free for children under 5. Tickets will be available at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the SCC office at 315.478.0582 or email Deirdre Popp.

SCC, the resident children’s chorus of Syracuse University, was founded in 1981 as part of the preparatory division of the University’s Setnor School of Music. The chorus is recognized for musical excellence and as a model for performance-based choral music education. Each year, young singers come from across Central New York to sing in the four choirs that make up the chorus.

Contact: Deirdre Popp
Syracuse Children’s Chorus
315.478.0582
dpopp@syracusechildrenschorus.org

Webpage:

This year’s “Holidays at Hendricks” will take place Sunday, Dec. 3.

Syracuse University’s annual holiday concert, “Holidays at Hendricks,” will take place this year on Sunday, Dec. 3, in the main chapel.

The performance, by talented musicians and vocal performers from the Syracuse University community, begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and space is limited. Donations of non-perishable food items to benefit the food pantry at Hendricks Chapel will be gladly accepted. Free parking is available in the Quad parking lots and Irving Garage.

Students from the University’s organ studio will provide prelude music beginning shortly after 7 p.m., while the Chimemasters from the Setnor School of Music fill the campus with the sounds of the season.

“I’m always impressed by our students’ commitment to this program, and of the passion and emotion they pour into their performance,” says Peppie Calvar, assistant director of choral activities and director of the Hendricks Chapel Choir. “In the midst of so much divisiveness in today’s society, people of every faith and tradition gather at Holidays at Hendricks both as performers and audience members as an expression of what draws us all together. I think this resonates deeply with our students in particular.”

Following a welcome from Brian Konkol, the newly installed dean of Hendricks Chapel, the concert will begin with a new fanfare composed by Syracuse University Brass Ensemble director James T. Spencer. It will continue with pieces by Randall Thompson, Francis Poulenc, Sydney Guillaume, Eric Whitacre and many others.

Performances will be given by the Hendricks Chapel Choir and the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble joined by the Syracuse University Singers, Crouse Chorale (formerly known as the Syracuse University Women’s Choir), the Syracuse University Concert Choir and the University’s combined Vocal Jazz Ensembles. The concert will also feature University Organist Anne Laver and pianist Ida Tili-Trebicka.

For more information, contact Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901.

Timothy Diem

Timothy Diem is in his first year as the director of athletic bands and assistant professor of music in the Setnor School of Music in the . Previously he spent 16 years at the University of Minnesota, 11 as the director of the Pride of Minnesota Marching Band.

Along with directing the marching band and overseeing all administrative aspects of the program, Diem also has taught courses in music education, marching band techniques and conducting, and directed various concert ensembles. Diem has also taught grades 5-12 instrumental music for four years in Elbow Lake and Rockford, Minnesota.

Highlights include Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance for two pianos, four pianists and string quartet; selections from song cycles by Eric Whitacre and Lori Laitman; an arrangement of Massenet’s Méditation from Thaïs for alto saxophone and piano; a flute duet; and a special arrangement of Let it Be for strings and organ that features a surprise invention. A festive dessert reception will follow the concert.

Contact: Michelle Taylor
Setnor School of Music
315.443.2191
mjtaylor@syr.edu

�±�������ٱ�:��

The concert, titled “Feminine Voices,” will begin at 4 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel and is free and open to the public. Parking will be available in the Irving Garage.

Anne Laver

The evocative music of prize-winning British composer Judith Bingham provides the framework for the concert. The program will include “Altartavla,” a multi-movement piece inspired by a Swedish altarpiece that the composer paired with contemporary poetry; “St. Bride, Assisted by Angels,” the story of St. Bride’s time travel to the scene of the Nativity; “Prelude and Voluntary,” based on the story of the Road to Emmaus; and “Jesum quaeritis Nazarenum,” an aria for soprano and organ depicting the disciples’ experience at the empty tomb on Easter Day. Additional sacred works by contemporary Korean composer Eunyoung Kim and early 20th century French composers Elsa Barraine and Lili Boulanger complement the music by Bingham.

Bingham’s music frequently draws upon biblical narrative and art for inspiration, and therefore lends itself to pairing with the poetry and artwork upon which it was based. Poetry and images of artwork will accompany the music, as will written program notes.

“Ms. Bingham’s music appeals to me on so many levels,” says Laver. “I love that her music takes you on a journey; it never leaves you in the same place in which you began. Her fluid theology also resonates with me; she appreciates the biblical stories and makes use of them like a good storyteller. Most of all, though, she knows how to write effectively for the organ, which is no small feat. Every time I include one of her pieces on my concert programs, audience members always have a positive reaction.”

Laver is Syracuse University Organist and a faculty member in the Setnor School of Music in the . Janet Brown is on the voice faculty at the Setnor School of Music.

Janet Brown

The concert is part of the Malmgren Concert Series at Hendricks Chapel. The series was made possible by a generous gift to Hendricks Chapel from alumna Esther Malmgren ’42 in 1991. The free concerts, held throughout the year, feature a wide variety of music.

Upcoming concerts in Hendricks Chapel include “Sonatas, Suites and Reflections,” featuring cellist Adriana Contino and harpsichordist Michael Unger (Jan. 21, 2018); a Rising Star Recital with organist Alcee Chriss III (Feb. 25, 2018) and “Voices of the Shoah,” featuring the Hendricks Chapel Choir directed by José “Peppie” Calvar (March 4, 2018).

For more information, call Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901 or visit hendricks.syr.edu.

Contact: Andreya Cherry
Setnor School of Music, Student Producer
215.850.3026
ascherry@syr.edu

Website:

Frederick Marvin

Marvin, a legendary concert pianist and music scholar, died in May at the age of 96 in Vienna. The concert will include remembrances from students and friends, audio of Marvin’s recordings and performances by Richard Hicks ’76, Victoria Von Arx G’77, Tish Goettle-Kilgor ’78 and Professor Emeritus William Goodrum.

“It was a happy day at the Syracuse University School of Music when Frederick Marvin presented his first Crouse College solo piano recital,” writes George Pappastavrou, director emeritus of the school, in the concert program. “That high-caliber command of the instrument and a repertoire of music fresh to our ears augured well for the future of the school, for attracting gifted students and for enhancing the national reputation of the University’s musical establishment.”

Marvin began his concert career at the age of 16 in his hometown of Los Angeles and studied with Milan Blanchet and Arthur Schnabel. His New York debut garnered him the Carnegie Hall Award for the best debut of the season. After several years spent touring around the United States, he moved to Vienna and gave concerts throughout Europe.

Marvin is renowned for his research, editing, publishing and recording of the works of Antonio Soler, an 18^th-century Spanish composer whose music had been hidden in obscurity until Marvin brought it to light. Marvin garnered two Del Amo Foundation grants, three Fulbright Fellowships and three grants from the United States-Spanish Joint Committee for Cultural and Educational Cooperation for his research on Soler. His scholarly achievements brought him the honor of Knight Commander of the Spanish Orden del Merito Civil from the Spanish government. He was also awarded the Medaille de Vermeil, Croix de Commandeur of the Societe Academique Arts-Sciences-Lettres of France for his solo concerts.

In addition to Soler, Marvin brought to light the works of Czech composer Jan Ladislav Dussek. In 2000, Marvin received the Cervantes Medal from the Hispanic Society of America in New York City, awarded to individuals for eminence in the field of Hispanic poetry and music. He was also made a fellow of the society.

For most Setnor Auditorium events, free and accessible parking is available in the Q1 lot. Additional parking is available in the Irving Garage. Campus parking availability is subject to change; call 315.443.2191 for current information or for more information about the concert.

Chinary Ung

“Auras” features music by Cambodian-born composer Chinary Ung and Vietnamese-born composer Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ. Setnor faculty member Kathleen Roland will appear as a guest performer, while Setnor’s Kelly Covert, Darryl Pugh and Gregory Wood perform as part of the Society All-Stars ensemble. John Friedrichs, Jillian Honn, Sonya Williams, Ann McIntyre, Arvilla Rovit and Rob Bridge also perform as part of the ensemble, and Susan Ung and Elissa Johnston make guest appearances. Heather Buchman conducts.

Ung’s “Aura” is a 45-minute work celebrating the enlightenment of Buddha. It seamlessly weaves the capabilities of Western instruments and contemporary techniques into the traditional music of his homeland. “Aura” has two sopranos singing high-flying passages in Pali and Khmer, floating over a chamber orchestra in which nearly everyone is required to play additional percussion instruments, including bowed crotales, little cymbals common to the ancient world.

In addition to the 16-string zither (đànTranh), Võ will perform as soloist on the monochord (đànBầu), the bamboo xylophone (đànT’rung), traditional drums (trống) and many other traditional instruments.

Tickets for “Auras” and more information about the concert is available at .

The University Singers

• The award-winning composer will receive a $1,325 prize. The selected composition will be premiered by the Syracuse University Singers under the direction of Setnor faculty member John Warren on April 4, 2018, at 8 p.m. in Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College, on the SU campus. Travel expenses to the premiere are the responsibility of the prize recipient.
• Composer must be 21-35 years of age at the time of submission.
• Scores must be postmarked no later than Sept. 30, 2017.

Submission Criteria:

• Submission must be 3-4 minutes in duration.
• Competition is open to unpublished and unperformed works only.
• SATB a cappella or accompanied by piano or organ; additional instruments optional
• The Syracuse University Singers is the flagship choral ensemble at Syracuse University and is comprised of 34 auditioned undergraduate and graduate students, mostly majoring in music. The University Singers has recently won the Grand Prix de Florilège de Tours, France, and competed in the European Grand Prix in Varna, Bulgaria.
• Rights to texts must be cleared, and evidence of copyright holder’s permission must be shown.
• Composer will retain the copyright of the piece.
• Submission may be secular or sacred.
• The Setnor School of Music Department of Choral Studies will retain winning manuscript for future performances.
• The composer must reside in North America.
• Composer must include a biography, list of works and proof of age (copy of driver’s license, passport, etc.) with submission.

Please include your name, email address, postal address, and phone number(s) in a sealed envelope, together with your score. Size of manuscript must not exceed 8 ½” x 14”. No scores will be returned unless a self-addressed mailer and postage are provided. The winner will be notified by Oct. 30.

Submit to:

Gregg Smith Choral Composition Contest
Department of Choral Studies
215 Crouse College
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244-1010

For additional information, contact suchoral@syr.edu or 315.443.4106.

The chorus has four chorus levels, including young men’s. Children must be between the ages of 8 and 17 years old by Sept. 1 to audition. To schedule your audition time, please contact the SCC office at 315-478-0582.

SCC is the resident Children’s Chorus of Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music.

Contact:

Katherine Medicis

Director, Preludio and Kantorei Ensembles

kmedicis@syracusechildrenschorus.org

315-478-0582