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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Last modified: Wednesday, May 12, 2010

IU Jacobs School of Music students to perform in Kennedy Center program

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Six students from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music will perform Friday, May 14, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The performance is part of the center's Conservatory Project, a weeklong concert series showcasing artists from America's leading music schools.

The 6 p.m. performance on the Millennium Stage in the Terrace Theater is free and open to the public and will be streamed live on the Web at 6 p.m. EST. The streamed concert will be available at https://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium.

Jacobs School students selected to participate include Davin Lee, cello; Carlin Ma and Meeyoun Park, piano; Amanda Russo, mezzo-soprano; Daniel Stein, flute; and Christopher Van Leeuwen, trumpet.

The program includes works by Tomasi, Debussy, Paganini, Vine, Poulenc and Bernstein.

About the Artists

Cellist Davin Lee, a native of Korea, received her bachelor of music degree in cello performance at the Korean National University of the Arts in 2006 and earned her master's degree at the Peabody Conservatory. She has received first prizes in numerous competitions, including the Seage Ilbo Competition, Seoul Youth Chamber Music Competition, Joongang Ilbo Music Competition, KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) Competition and others. Most recently, she was awarded with the Gene Smith Memorial Award at the Sorantin Competition. Lee has performed as a soloist with the North Czech Philharmonic in Prague, the KBS Philharmonic and the KNUA Orchestra in Korea. She also has performed numerous recitals at venues such as the Kumho Young Artist Series and the KUNA Rising Star Series. She has participated in master classes with memorable cellists such as Frans Halmerson, Arto Noras, David Geringas, Yo-Yo Ma, Tsyoshi Tsutsumi and Ralph Kirshbaum. Lee is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, studying with Eric Kim.

Carlin Ma graduated this month from the Jacobs School of Music with a bachelor of music degree in piano performance, studying with Distinguished Professor Menahem Pressler. She also studied with Arnaldo Cohen, Evelyne Brancart, Emile Naoumoff and Karen Taylor. In the summer of 2009, she performed in Lübeck, Germany, as a full-scholarship student at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. In 2006, she performed in Russia in St. Petersburg's Capella Hall and Philharmonic Hall as a featured piano soloist and as a member of her orchestra on violin. Other past orchestral solo performances include the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. These opportunities led to the privilege of performing in master classes with Sergei Babayan, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Robert Levin, Joseph Kalichstein, Anne Schein, Jon Nakumatsu and Angela Chang. Ma is also an experienced collaborative pianist, serving as the studio accompanist for Alexander Kerr, Eric Kim and Thomas Robertello at the Jacobs School; as the rehearsal pianist for the Jacobs School's Contemporary Vocal Ensemble; and as a collaborator with the Jacobs Pre-College String Academy program. Ma also takes active interest in activities outside of performance. She is a Herbert Presidential Scholar at IU, the Vice President of the Student Representative Committee of the Jacobs School, a participant in courses offered by the Hutton Honors College and a member of the IU German Club, Aikido Club and Fillipino Martial Arts Club. Photography is a side passion, which landed her as a photo contest winner in the International Experience Program competition.

Meeyoun Park, a native of Seoul, Korea, is a graduate of Yonsei University in Seoul, where she earned a degree in piano performance. She has performed throughout the U.S. and Korea as both soloist and collaborative pianist. Her musical versatility has involved her in work with both the Korean National and Royal Opera companies, and collaboration as vocal accompanist with renowned singers at the Jacobs School of Music, including Virginia Zeani, Timothy Noble, Carlos Montané and Carol Vaness. She has worked for IU Opera Theater as a vocal coach and rehearsal accompanist for numerous productions, has served as an associate instructor of piano for three years at the Jacobs School and also worked as a staff accompanist at DePauw University. Park has participated in master classes with some of world's finest performers, including André Watts and Alicia de Larrocha. She completed her master's degree and Performer Diploma at the Jacobs School and is currently pursuing the doctoral degree in piano performance under the guidance of Karen Shaw.

Mezzo-soprano Amanda Russo is currently pursuing her master of music degree at the Jacobs School of Music. She has performed the roles of Marcellina in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, the title role in Massenet's Cendrillon and Isabella in L'Italiana in Algeri with IU Opera Theater. In the summer of 2008, she performed the role of La Padrona in the revival of the one-act pastiche opera Il Pesceballo, a summer collaborative project with the Jacobs School of Music and the IU Folklore and Ethnomusicology department. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Russo received her bachelor's degree in vocal performance with a minor in German from Carnegie Mellon University. While studying at Carnegie Mellon, she appeared as Nancy in Albert Herring, Ruggiero in Alcina, Cassie in A Chorus Line and Charlotte in A Little Night Music. She was also a featured soloist in Copland's In the Beginning and Corgliano's Fern Hill. Last summer, Russo performed in Haydn's Creation as Eve with the Robert Page Festival Singers at the Virginia Arts Festival. Following her performance at the Virginia Arts Festival, Russo covered the role of Petra in A Little Night Music as a studio artist with Central City Opera. While there, she was the recipient of the Central City Opera Guild's McGlone Studio Artist Award.

Daniel Stein is a doctoral student of Thomas Robertello at the Jacobs School of Music and an associate instructor in flute. He has performed as guest principal flutist of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. He has also appeared with the New World Symphony, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra of Emmanuel Music, Boston. His solo performances include a debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, sponsored by the National Alliance for Excellence. An avid performer of contemporary music, Stein is a member of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and the Indiana University New Music Ensemble. He was the winner of IU's 2008-2009 woodwind concerto competition, playing the Flute Concerto by Christopher Rouse. In April 2009, Stein was co-principal flutist of the international YouTube Symphony Orchestra, which performed at Carnegie Hall to a sold-out crowd and a worldwide Internet audience. Stein completed his university training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in electrical engineering, computer science and music while studying flute privately with Marianne Gedigian and Linda Toote. MIT awarded him the 2005 Louis Sudler prize, given to a single graduating senior for contributions to the arts. As a 2005-2006 Fulbright Fellow, he studied with Jacques Zoon at the Conservatoire de Genève, Switzerland. He has studied as a fellowship student at the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival and the Music Academy of the West.

Christopher Van Leeuwen grew up in Urbandale, Iowa, and attended the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) as an undergraduate, studying trumpet with Randy Grabowski. After graduating from UNI in 2008, he began his master's degree at the Jacobs School of Music, studying with Edmund Cord. In March 2010, Van Leeuwen co-won the IU Brass Concerto Competition and performed as soloist with the IU Wind Ensemble. Also in March, his trumpet ensemble received second prize at the National Trumpet Competition in Fairfax, Va.

The Concert Program

The Project

The Conservatory Project is an initiative of Performing Arts for Everyone's Millennium Stage. As a semi-annual event occurring in February and in May, it is designed to present the best young musical artists in classical music, jazz, musical theater and opera from the nation's leading undergraduate and graduate conservatories, colleges and universities in performance at the Kennedy Center.

The 2010 spring series includes performances from the following institutions:

For more about the IU Jacobs School of Music, visit https://www.music.indiana.edu.

Web Version

https://newsinfo.iu.edu/web/page/normal/14439.html

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