visiting distinguished composers
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THE COLORADO COLLEGE MUSIC DEPARTMENT
presents
a concert featuring the works of
Visiting Distinguished Composers
Jennifer Margaret Barker
Sharon Farber
Additional compositions by
Fred Lerdahl
Jan Jirásek
October 29 and 30, 2013 7:30 pm Packard Hall
Colorado College music faculty and guests
Veronica Afanassieva, violin
Steven Beck, piano
Daniel Brink, piano*
Judeth Shay Burns, soprano*
Monica Ding, oboe*
Ekaterina Dobrotvorskaia, viola*
Karine Garibova, violin
Susan Grace, piano*
Jerilyn Jorgensen, violin*
Katharine Knight, cello*
Tamara Teske Lenz, soprano
Colin McAllister, guitar
Paul Nagem, flute*
Donna Nunez, alto
Terri Parker, alto
Matthew Sheffelman, french horn*
Emily Sorensen, soprano
Daryll Stevens, clarinet*
Alejandro Vieira, bassoon*
Colorado College music students
Robin Hinson, soprano
Eliza Lovett, alto
Rebecca Lehman, soprano
Connor Rice, timpani
Raquel Vásquez, alto
*CC Faculty
Please refrain from using electronic devices during the concert
PROGRAM -- TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29
Geodha Jennifer Margaret Barker
(b. 1965)
Jerilyn Jorgensen, violin
Ekaterina Dobrotvorskaia, viola
Katharine Knight, cello
Connor Rice, timpani
Bridges of Love Sharon Farber
I. For Wherever You Will Go, I Will Go (b. 1968)
II. Once I Knew
III. Wine of Love
Judeth Shay Burns, soprano
Daryll Stevens, clarinet
Ekaterina Dobrotvorskaia, viola
Daniel Brink, piano
BuMian Jennifer Margaret Barker
Steven Beck, piano
Quiet Music Fred Lerdahl
(b. 1943)
Quattro Mani
Susan Grace, piano
Steven Beck, piano
Introduction and Étude Jan Jirásek
(b. 1955)
Quattro Mani
Susan Grace, piano
Steven Beck, piano
Piano Ballad No. 1 Sharon Farber
Steven Beck, piano
The Enchanted Glen Jennifer Margaret Barker
Daryll Stevens, clarinet
Susan Grace, piano
PROGRAM - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30
…a love like no other… Jennifer Margaret Barker
(b. 1965)
Colorado College Woodwind Quintet and Piano
Paul Nagem, flute; Monica Ding, oboe; Daryll Stevens, clarinet;
Alejandro Vieira, bassoon; Matthew Sheffelman, french horn; Susan Grace, piano
Seann Oran Jennifer Margaret Barker
Paul Nagem, flute
Colin McAllister, guitar
Soul Mate Jan Jirásek
(b. 1955)
Susan Grace, piano
When Music Sounds Sharon Farber
Robin Hinson, Rebecca Lehman, Tamara Teske Lenz, Emily Sorensen, sopranos
Eliza Lovett, Donna Nunez, Terri Parker, Raquel Vásquez, altos
Daniel Brink, piano
Sharon Farber, conductor
Ahuv Sheli (My Beloved) Sharon Farber
Robin Hinson, Rebecca Lehman, Tamara Teske Lenz, Emily Sorensen, sopranos
Eliza Lovett, Donna Nunez, Terri Parker, Raquel Vásquez, altos
Daryll Stevens, clarinet
Alejandro Vieira, bassoon
Karine Garibova, violin
Katharine Knight, cello
Susan Grace, piano
Daniel Brink, conductor
Na Tri Peathraichean (The Three Sisters) Jennifer Margaret Barker
I. Gearr Aonach
II. Aonach Dubh
III. Beinn Fhada
Paul Nagem, flute
Susan Grace, piano
String Quartet #1 Sharon Farber
Andante (b. 1968)
Allegro con brio, legato
Ad libitum espressivo – allegro misterioso
Veronika Afanassieva and Karine Garibova, violins
Ekatarina Dobrotvorskaia, viola
Katharine Knight, cello
PROGRAM NOTES
by Jennifer Margaret Barker
BuMian
BuMian was inspired by a trip to the islands of Hong Kong in 2007. The title is in Mandarin, and
translates as “sleepless.”
The Enchanted Glen
The Enchanted Glen is a small, intimate chamber work written to encourage children's
imaginations through music. Although the work is technically challenging for both the clarinet and
the piano, the resulting musical story is one of lush colored, wispy meandering lines and
rhythmically vital conversation between the two instruments, evoking pictures and tales of fairies,
goblins, castles and magical landscapes in the mind.
Geodha (1992/1998) for string trio and timpani
The melody of Geodha comes from an earlier work that is a setting of the poem Geodha air
chùl na grèine by renowned Scottish poet, Derick S. Thomson. The premiere of Geodha took place
on the Island of Hoy in the Orkney Isles, Scotland. Over two hundred islanders traveled to the
concert from neighboring islands in fishing boats. Before climbing the hill from the beach to the
church where members of The Scottish Chamber Orchestra were to perform, these island
fishermen, farmers and their families jumped off the boats and into the water, for lack of a pier, in
their Wellington boots. It was a wonderful sight to behold and one that will stay with me all my days.
Seann Oràn (2012) for flute and guitar with recording
Poetry:
Seann Òran
Chuala mi raoir seann òran bhith ga sheinn,
’s bha taisealachd do bhilean anns a’ cheòl,
’s òg dhrùchd na h-oidhche’s gealach air a’ bheinn.
Mar anail bhlàth an t-seinneadeair do sgiamh,
tiugh chùhraidheachd do spioraid, ’s t’aoibhneas làn
bha’n dàn domh, shaoil mi uair, ach b’ann roimh ’n t-sian.
O thusa rinn an t-òran, an do ghluais
dearg-fhuil do bhith-bhuantachd an oidhche raoir
nuair chlaoidheadh m’anam-sa le gaol mo dhuais?
Derick Thomson’s translation:
Old Song
Last night I heard an old song being sung,
the music had the softness of your lips,
the young dew of the night, moon on the hill.
Your beauty, warm as was the singer’s breath,
the fragrance of your spirit, your full joy,
my destiny, I thought, before the storm.
O maker of the song, did the red blood
of your immortal life tingle last night
when my soul bore the burden of my love.
Seann Òran was commissioned by The Taggart-Grycky Duo and utilizes the poetry of
renowned Scottish Gaelic poet, Derick S. Thomson. Since the flute and guitar/lute duo can be
traced back many centuries, I thought that the pairing of Thomson’s poem with this duo would
be highly apropos. The title of the poem translates as “Old Song” and the poetry is written in
“old Gaelic.” Therefore I wanted to create a piece of music that was reflective of “old tunes.”
Although I did not compose the piece in the Scottish Folk Music tradition, I did incorporate said
tradition in the descent of a third over the course of the piece. The music falls from E at the
beginning to C at the end. In creating the spoken voice element I decided to record three
generations of my family, thereby capturing the essence of a well-beloved “old song” over the
passage of a life. The poem is recited in Gaelic by my nephew, Calum Barker. The first recitation
in English is by his father (my brother), Kenneth Barker, and the concluding recitation is by
Calum’s grandfather (my father), John Barker.
Na Trì Peathraichean (2000) for flute and piano
Na Trì Peathraichean (The Three Sisters…of Glencoe) was commissioned by Virginia
Symphony flautist Laurie Baefsky for premiere on the 1999-2000 Virginia Wesleyan College
Familiar Faces Concert Series. The commission was financed in part by Virginia Wesleyan
College.
The three sisters, Gearr Aonach, Aonach Dubh and Beinn Fhada, are neighboring mountain
ridges in the Glencoe region of the Scottish Highlands. Each movement of the work focuses on
one individual aspect of these breath-taking mountain ridges. The first movement focuses on the
motion of the wind whistling through the crevices and ferns. The second movement was inspired
by the perpetual rolling-motion of the mountainside screes (loose rock carpets), while the third
movement seeks to capture the sheer magnitude and beauty of these mountains.
…a love like no other… (2013) for woodwind quintet and piano
...a love like no other…was commissioned by Eileen Grycky and Chris Beste in memory of
Carol Brown Beste, for performance by the Del’Arte Woodwind Quintet. Eileen Grycky and
Carol Brown Beste played First and Second Flute in the Delaware Symphony Orchestra for
many years and were great friends. Carol’s children were her four Chesapeake Bay Retrievers:
Bayle, Chase, Brindisi (Brin) and Rafe. In writing this piece for Carol, her family and her
friends, I wanted to suggest the personality traits of each of her dogs, in addition to
acknowledging Carol’s love for her dogs, and her life as a highly talented and successful flautist.
I also wanted to create a work in which all four dogs and Carol ‘played together.’ At the onset of
the work, the personalities of the dogs are more evident and individual. They support Carol, but
they also take off on their own adventures. As the work progresses the personality traits become
more interwoven, with the individual personalities becoming less discernible; thereby blending
in to one “family.”
Eileen Grycky provided me with her impression of each dog, and Chris Beste, Carol’s
husband, provided me with some wonderful photographs of each dog. With the descriptions and
photographs in mind, I assigned one dog to each instrument in the woodwind quintet, with Carol
being represented by the flute. I also added piano to the ensemble in order to include and
represent Chris. The piano remains a support to the woodwinds throughout the piece, as Chris
was to Carol and the dogs. Bayle, who was described as feisty, highly protective of Carol, and at
times a little scary to Eileen, is the bassoon. He has a disruptive grace-note figure that pops up
throughout the piece. He also is the first to, musically, dart off with Rafe. Chase, who was
described as sweet but impulsive, is the oboe. In life Chase would impulsively break away from
Carol. However, in the piece he tends to stay close to Carol, echoing her material. Brin, who was
described as smart, handsome, athletic and noble, is the french horn. Brin is, to this day, the most
highly decorated Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Pictures of Brin gave me the impression that he
would be the one to look after the others. Therefore in the piece, he makes the attempt to take
charge. His material is also a little more “noble” than that of the other dogs. He plays with them,
but he also watches over them and therefore at times his material transcends out of the woodwind
texture. Finally the clarinet is Rafe, who was described as “The rascal!” as well as comical,
stubborn and independent. He likes to “go his own way,” and in the piece he is the first one to
take off on his own little adventure with a scavenging/frolicking-type figure.
PROGRAM NOTES
by Sharon Farber
Ahuv Sheli (My Beloved)
Israeli Poet Nathan Yonathan (1923- 2004) had two children, Ziv and Lior, of whom the
eldest, Lior, was killed in the Yom Kippur war. This aching loss has colored Yonathan’s later
works and has become his hallmark.
As an artist, it was an emotional experience for me to set Yonathan’s beautiful poetry to
music, trying to express through melody and harmony what he had so hauntingly articulated in
words. Thus, the piece starts in unison, to symbolize the uniting grief felt by those who know the
pain of losing a child.
Then the music immediately divides into four parts, as we are all different in the way we deal
with loss.
One beautiful and heartbreaking phrase that has moved me is “a sad dream of beauty”
(chalom atzuv shel yofi) - similar to Nathan Yonatha’s way of writing about feelings without
being melodramatic, I have tried to deal with this phrase in a unique way at the end of every
verse; the first two times in a delicate, self-reflected way, but then eventually, the author is
crying out his pain, and the music cries with him. Yet, he immediately quiets down to the final
statement, knowing that his son will not come back, slowly ending the same way it started, with
those simple, yet painful words, “ahuv sheli” - my beloved.
Bridges of Love
Bridges of Love is a song cycle comprised of three poems- all talk about love. Each of the
poems reflects the different styles of the theme of non- romantic love: love that is uncommon,
unconditional; love that is almost against all odds. These three poems are individual yet universal
in their connotation, and I believe that love, as music, can bridge the gaps of faith and religion
and can heal us all.
The first poem, For Wherever You Will Go, I Will Go, is taken from the book of Ruth, which
has always fascinated me. It tells the story of love between two women, Ruth and Naomi (Ruth
was Naomi’s daughter in law and she refused to leave her when both Naomi's’ and Ruth's
husbands died). I find this story so beautiful: love that is truly devoted and honest, which is rare.
In terms of musical style, the Viola represents Ruth, and as this is an ancient story, I used it
almost like a Middle Eastern Instrument. The Clarinet represents Naomi, and the two instruments
begin the cycle with imaginary dialogue between the two women, leading to the main theme in
7/8 and ending with singing of the original motif.
The second poem, Once I Knew, by Helen Keller, is a reminder of the power that love can
bring to the handicapped. I especially loved the following lines:
“But a little word from the fingers of another
fell into my hands that clutched at emptiness,
and my heart leaped up with the rapture of living.”
We all know the story of Helen Keller and her unbelievable strength and intelligence in the
face of nearly impossible odds. However, she could only have achieved so much by knowing the
kind fingers of her teacher, who opened up Helen’s dark, silent world by drawing letters into her
hand. The poem expresses how one loving touch can take us from darkness to light.
For the last poem, Wine of Love, I chose a universal theme, one that would speak to
everyone. I believe that we are all connected, and if we learn to love rather than respond with
hatred, this can only become a more positive and beautiful world.
Bridges of Love was commissioned by Pacific Serenades Ensemble and released on a CD by
Grammy award winner soprano Hila Plitmann in 2012.
Piano Ballad No. 1
I originally composed my piano ballad for a friend of mine, who went through a very
difficult time. When I met her she was suicidal, and was committed into a mental institute for a
few days, as they feared for her life. A beautiful and sensitive soul, I wanted to give her the gift
of music, to convey to her that people cared about her, and thus, the ballade came to life.
The music describes the mixture of her emotional states; her madness, scattered thoughts,
and extreme behavior that is unpredictable. We move from “agitato” parts to slow, unfocused,
floating notes - a twisted reality. At times, though, the music becomes tranquil and poignant, and
conveys her continuous attempt to escape from life and its challenges.
As the piece progresses, we experience many different emotions, until the triumphant ending,
which brings about strength and optimism for the future to come.
The ballad was premiered in Israel on June 12, 2007, and has been performed many times
since, including by the woman who is the subject of the piece.
String Quartet #1
String Quartet #1 was written in 1997 and won the first Prize in the professional writing
division composition competition at Berklee College of Music. The piece consisted of two
movements and has a very impressionistic feel to it, as I was influenced by the writing of Ravel.
The third movement was written twelve years later, at the request of the String Quartet of
Yucatan, Mexico, who performed the piece in May of 2013. At the request of the quartet, a
fourth movement is planned for their next performance.
When Music Sounds
When Music Sounds
Poem by Walter de la Mare
When music sounds, gone is the earth I know,
And all her lovely things even lovelier grow;
Her flowers in vision flame, her forest trees
Lift burdened branches, stilled with ecstasies.
When music sounds, out of the water rise
Naiads whose beauty dims my waking eyes,
Rapt in strange dreams burns each enchanted face,
With solemn echoing stirs their dwelling-place.
When music sounds, all that I was I am
Ere to this haunt of brooding dust I came;
And from Time's woods break into distant song
The swift-winged hours, as I hasten along.
When Music Sounds was commissioned by the Orange County Women’s Chorus;
specifically, by two of its members, who dedicated the piece to their mom who loved music all
her life. I came across Walter De La Mar’s poem and was drawn to its beauty and special
atmosphere. I felt that the words render a unique character; they created an unusual atmosphere-
serene and eerie, with a deep undertone and meaning. I was inspired to create that ambiance
through the power of music and the expressiveness of women voices- evocativeness and
splendor with interesting harmonies.
In this poem, music brings about serenity, calm, magic and enchantment as well as water and
naiads. I was looking to create the same mood through unusual harmonies and mixture of
rhythms and counterpoint. The gentle opening of the piano represents the flowing of water and
continues to accompany the voices throughout the piece, enhancing the complexity and
expressiveness of the harmonies that can only be sung by the pureness and expressiveness of
women- the creators of life.
When Music Sounds premiered in May 2011.
PROGRAM NOTES
by Fred Lerdahl
Quiet Music
Quiet Music was commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation for the American
Composers Orchestra, which premiered it in 1994 at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Dennis
Russell Davies. I made the two-piano version in 2001. The piece is in one movement lasting
about 14 minutes.
The sonic surface of Quiet Music displays two unusual constraints. First, as a manifestation
of the work’s expressive character, the dynamic is pianissimo throughout. The means of
achieving tension and climax are thereby displaced from dynamics onto texture and density.
Second, at every point until the final sonority there are running sixteenth notes somewhere in the
textural fabric.
Quiet Music employs a formal process, overlapping expanding variations, a formal process
that I have used in several pieces but which I carry here to an extreme of structural strictness and
polyphonic virtuosity. Each individual section grows from a single melodic or harmonic cell that
elaborates into complexity until it reaches a point of completion; meanwhile another section has
begun a similar process in another strand. Some strands contract after expanding, resulting in a
palindromic shape.
The expressive world of Quiet Music seems far from considerations of precompositional
constraints. It is one of my most intimate works, an internal reverie of magical textures and
shifting soundscapes.
The two-piano version inevitably produces a different experience than the original orchestral
piece. The running-sixteenth aspect is more in the foreground. The loss in instrumental color and
architecture is compensated for by a gain in textural clarity and shading.
PROGRAM NOTES by Jan Jirásek
Introduction and Étude for 2 Pianos – 2002, World Premiere
This piece associates and confronts the world of instrumental virtuosity with that of very
internal and intimate feelings. “Introduction and Étude for 2 Pianos” is dedicated to the piano
duo Quattro Mani.
Soul Mate (for piano)
Soul Mate is a solo piano piece. Part of the piece - especially the beginning - is very fragile,
vulnerable and emotional. The other part of the piece is very energetic and almost aggressive.
Those are two faces of the same substance, its Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
ABOUT THE COMPOSERS
Jennifer Margaret Barker
Jennifer Margaret Barker’s compositions have been hailed by critics in North America,
Europe and Asia as “extraordinarily moving,” “soul-stirring,” “at once gripping and timeless,”
“blazingly alive, with lovely, aching melodies,” “show-stopping,” “anything but passive,”
“beautiful...warm,” “haunting,” “illuminated by dreamy images,” and her compositional output
has been noted for its “amazing array” and “striking writing.”
Barker has received commissions and performances from most notably The Detroit
Symphony Orchestra, The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, The New Jersey Symphony
Orchestra with the New Jersey Youth Chorus, The Virginia, The Bearsden Choir with the BBC
Scottish Symphony Orchestra Brass and Percussion Ensembles, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra
String Quartet and Trio, Orchestra 2001, Relâche, Network for New Music, The Society for New
Music, Mélomanie, and Marimolin, as well as an extensive list of international concert artists.
She was invited to compose a work for The 2002 American Liszt Society National Conference,
and her compositional work is featured on the Distant Voices Touring Theatre ‘September
Echoes’ production. In January 2011, her youth string orchestra work, Suilean a’ Chloinne, was
presented at the Conductors Guild Conference. Her compositions have also been featured on
documentary and art films, including “No Denying.” Her works have been performed across
Europe, North America, and Australasia.
In addition to ASCAP awards and varying international awards, Barker has received grants
from organizations such as The National Endowment for the Arts, the Pew Charitable Trust, the
American Composers Forum, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Norfolk (USA)
Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Meir Rimon Commissioning Assistance Grant, the
Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, the Philadelphia Music Project and The Scottish Arts
Council. In 2007 she received an Established Artist Fellowship from the Delaware Division of
the Arts for her contributions to the State of Delaware.
Published by Boosey & Hawkes, Theodore Presser, Vanderbeek & Imrie Ltd., Southern
Percussion and McKenna-Keddie, Barker has received numerous broadcasts of her compositions
on American public radio, Radio Television Hong Kong and the BBC. Her first CD, ‘Nyvaigs,’
was released in April 2000 on the CRI label and is currently distributed by New World Records.
Her second CD, ‘Geenyoch,’ which includes a bonus DVD featuring four music videos of her
compositions filmed by award-winning cameraman John Anthony Palmer, was released in May
2005 on the Meyer Media LLC label (www.meyer-media.com). In reviewing this second CD,
critic Jon Alan Conrad noted that Barker’s music “sounds familiar and yet always new. While
speaking in her own distinctive compositional voice, it answers the emotional and visceral needs
that music has always met.”
Dr. Barker is a Full Professor of Music Theory/Composition at the University of Delaware.
She is Co-Chair of New Music Delaware and Co-Artistic Director/Founder of Still Breathing,
The University of Delaware Contemporary Music Ensemble. As a William Penn Fellow at the
University of Pennsylvania, she received the Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in music composition.
She received two Masters’ degrees in piano performance and music composition respectively
from Syracuse University, and an Honors Bachelor of Music degree from the University of
Glasgow in Scotland. Born and raised in Scotland, Barker has lived in America since 1987. In
addition to composing, Barker remains active as a pianist.
Sharon Farber
Winner of the 2012 Visionary Award in Music by The Women in Film & Television
International Showcase, composer Sharon Farber, originally from Israel, has received critical
acclaim as a composer in the Concert world as well as that of Film and TV. She brings to her
music influences from her Middle Eastern heritage as well as her extensive knowledge of
Classical and Western music.
Ms. Farber began her musical career at the age of seven as a classical pianist. After
graduating from Thelma-Yelin High School for the Arts, she served in the IDF (Israeli Defense
Force) and later worked as a theater composer and musical director in Israel. She won the first
prize in Colors in Dance in 1992 for her music for choreography. In 1994, she moved to Boston
upon receiving a scholarship from Berklee College of Music. During her studies, she won the
first prize in the yearly Professional Writing Division Concert with her first string quartet. After
graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1997 (majoring in both Classical Composition and Film
Scoring) she moved to Los Angeles to begin her professional career. Miss Farber was the
recipient of the prestigious Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Internship in Film Scoring,
as well as the Mentorship program of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, on which she later
served as a board member for ten years.
Ms. Farber has been writing concert and chorale music in parallel to her film-scoring career,
and has many national and international premiers and performances to her credit. To name a few:
The Third Mother/Mothers’ Lament, world premiered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale,
Ashkina, for mixed choir, chamber ensemble and ethnic instruments, Translucent Rocks,
commissioned and premiered by the Israeli Chamber Orchestra, chorale works, song cycles, and
many more. Commissions include the Laguna Beach Music Festival, Pacific Serenades
Ensemble, Orange County Women’s Chorale, Culver City Symphony Orchestra, The Jewish
Symphony Orchestra, International String Quartet of Yuccatan and Ipalpiti Artists International.
Recently two outstanding sopranos released CDs with Sharon's music (Grammy Award winner
Hila Plitmann and Sharon Rostorf Zamir, who was nominated for a Grammy for her performance
on that CD), and she is the Composer In Residence of the Beverly Hills International Music
Festival as well as the music director of Temple of the Arts in Beverly Hills, CA.
Ms. Farber has been working with such companies as NBC, CBS, Showtime, and WB as
well as writing music for features films. She won the Telly Award for best score for the docu-
drama California 2000 and her orchestral score for the film When Nietzsche Wept was released
commercially. She has recently scored the feature film The Dove Flyer, and is gearing up to
score Buddha Eyes for producer Aaron Millar and Roman’s Table for director T. Raphael
Cimino, as well as a seven film series for Ancient Entertainment.
Ms. Farber has recently been commissioned by the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra to
compose a new cello concerto to be premiered January 5, 2014, and her Fantasy for Orchestra
will be performed by the Israeli Chamber Orchestra January 14, 2014.
Fred Lerdahl Fred Lerdahl's music is greatly esteemed for having developed original harmonic syntaxes
and formal processes, presented with elegant craftsmanship and expressive depth. His work is
rare in today's musical world in that it seeks and achieves both complexity and intelligibility. It is
indebted to the past yet committed to the exploration of new territory. Lerdahl's music has been
commissioned and performed by major chamber ensembles and orchestras in the United States
and around the world, and he has been resident composer at leading institutions and festivals. His
music has been widely recorded for numerous labels, including Bridge Records, who have
initiated an ongoing series devoted to his music.
Jan Jirásek
Jan Jirásek was born in Rychnov nad Kneznou, Czech Republic. He graduated from the
Janácek Academy of Musical Arts in Brno (JAMU), where he studied composition. After the fall
of the Iron Curtain Jirasek's music was widely performed at many renowned festivals, radio and
tv stations, etc. Mr. Jirasek is considered one of the foremost film composer in the Czech
Republic. He was awarded the prestigious film music prize “The Czech Lion” for movie “An
Ambiguous Report About the End of the World” (dir. Juraj Jakubisko) and for the movie
“Kytice” (Wild Flowers) dir. F.A.Brabec. Mr. Jirasek's music has been recorded on labels like
BMG Classics (the CD “Renaissance of Humanity” with music by Jan Jirásek, Arvo Pärt and
Hildegard von Bingen), BMG-Ariola (the CD “Bread and Circuses”), and other major labels.
Mr. Jirasek´s music is published by Ricordi/Universal.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Veronika Afanassieva was born and raised in Novosibirsk. She started playing the violin at
the age of seven and studied over the next several years with Arnold Kobyliansky, Alexei
Kiselev and Marc Meinbach. Veronika is a founding member of the Veronika String Quartet,
which started its career in 1989 under the tutelage of Borodin String Quartet cellist Valentin
Berlinsky. After moving to the U.S., she continued her violin studies with Ralph Evans and Kurt
Sassmannshaus. She also studied chamber music with Henry W. Meyer and members of the Fine
Arts Quartet. Since 1999, Veronika has been an artist-in-residence at Colorado State University-
Pueblo and at the Pueblo Symphony, where she serves as Concertmaster.
Steven Beck continues to garner impressive acclaim for his performances and recordings
worldwide. Praised by the New Yorker as “one of the city’s finest young pianists,” a recent New
York concert by Mr. Beck was described as “exemplary” and “deeply satisfying” by Anthony
Tommasini in the New York Times. 2013-14 season highlights include performances with the
Alabama Symphony, recordings of Carter's late piano works for Bridge Records' Carter series,
and a performance of Messiaen's final work, Concert a Quatre with the New York Youth
Symphony. His annual performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations on Christmas Eve at
Bargemusic has become a New York institution. In the words of New York Times critic Allan
Kozinn, Mr. Beck is "an eloquent and persuasive performer of contemporary works." He has
worked with Elliott Carter, Pierre Boulez, Henri Dutilleux, Charles Wuorinen, John Zorn, Beat
Furrer, George Perle, and George Crumb, and with ensembles such as Speculum Musicae and the
New York New Music Ensemble. He is a member of the Talea Ensemble, the Knights, and piano
duo Quattro Mani. This semester he is teaching at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Daniel Brink has served on the music faculty at Colorado College since 1987. Dan
participates in music academics teaching Music Theory courses and Music in Western Culture.
In the performance arena he teaches private and class piano, accompanies CC choral ensembles,
serves as accompanist/coach for CC student vocalists and conducts the CC Chamber Orchestra.
He has also taught on the faculty of the Colorado College Vocal Arts Symposium since its
inception in 1999. Outside CC, Dan serves as Assistant Conductor and Principal Pianist for the
Colorado Springs Chorale. He also serves as Accompanist/Coach and Music Director for Opera
Theatre of the Rockies, and frequently performs in recital with singers from throughout the
country.
Judeth Shay Burns, soprano, has received critical acclaim for her theatrical, concert, and
operatic performances. Judeth has performed with Opera Theatre of the Rockies, Central City
Opera, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs and the Colorado
Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Colorado. She was the guest soloist with the CSO for their live
telecast of Colorado Christmas which was broadcast throughout the region, live from Boettcher
Hall at the DCPA. In 2011 Judeth sang with the Nikolescu Quartet performing concerts in
Berlin, Leipzig and Vienna, and gave a recital at the historic Chateux Vieux in Geneva,
Switzerland. She has received two awards from the Pikes Peak Council for the Arts for best
classical solo performance, and was nominated for best female actress for her work as Charlotte
in Opera Theatre of the Rockies, A Little Night Music.
Monica Ding grew up in a musical family outside of Chicago, IL. She performed in choirs
as a child with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Lyric Opera, and the Grant Park
Symphony. She attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland on a full
scholarship where she received a B.M. degree. Monica then attended Northwestern University,
where she graduated with a M.M. degree in oboe performance. She held principal chair positions
with the Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra in Mexico, the Tamaulipas Music Festival Orchestra,
Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, the Chicago
Philharmonia, and the International Chamber Music Festival in Prague. She has been Professor
of Oboe at the Zacatecas University in Zacatecas, Mexico. Her teachers have been Ray Still, Sara
Watkins and Carl Sonik. Currently she is a bandsman with the USAF Academy Band and oboe
instructor at Colorado College.
Ekaterina Dobrotvorskaia was born in the old historic Russian town of Vladimir to a
family of musicians. She received her M.M. in music performance from the Moscow
Conservatory in 1998, with certificates in solo, chamber, orchestral performance and also special
training in music pedagody. Her active performing career has included extensive tours in
Australia, Israel, Cyprus, Switzerland, Belgium, Nederland, France and Germany. Ekaterina has
been a violist of The Veronika String Quartet since November 2000 and was an Artist-in-
Residence at the Colorado State University-Pueblo for 11 years. She frequently makes solo
appearances, collaborates with local musicians in chamber music performances, and tours with
The Veronika String Quartet. She is the viola instructor at Colorado College and has been a
member of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic since 2007.
Karine Garibova, born and raised in Moscow, Russia, started playing violin at the age of
six. Karine earned both MM and DMA degrees from the Gnesins' Russian Academy of Music in
Moscow. Karine is a founding member of the Veronika String Quartet, which has performed
widely in the U.S., Australia, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East; and appears frequently on
NPR’s Colorado Spotlight Series. The VSQ is currently hosting a popular and critically-
acclaimed concert series in both Pueblo and Colorado Springs; highlights can be found on
YouTube. Since 2000 Karine has been playing with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, where
she became Associate Principal Second Violin in 2004. Ms. Garibova served as Artist-in-
Residence at Colorado State University-Pueblo for nearly twelve years. She also has a private
studio in Colorado Springs and coaches the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony.
Susan Grace has performed solo, chamber recitals and with orchestras in the United States,
Europe, the former Soviet Union, India, South Korea, and China. She has also performed at the
Aspekte Festival in Salzburg, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s new-music series Engine 408, Cape
Cod Chamber Music Festival, Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the Grand Teton Festival,
Music at Oxford and the Helmsley Festival in England. Susan is a member of Quattro Mani, a
two-piano team that has gained high praise from both critics and audiences here and abroad for
their concerts and recordings. Quattro Mani performed in Carnegie Hall in May 2012 with the
Alabama Symphony and was called by the New York Times “the impressive duo Quattro Mani.”
Susan is associate chair, artist-in-residence and lecturer in music at Colorado College, as well as
music director of the CC Summer Music Festival.
Jerilyn Jorgensen is a member of the performance faculty of Colorado College and has been
adjunct faculty in violin and chamber music at the Lamont School of Music of the University of
Denver. From 1980-2004 she was first violinist of the Da Vinci Quartet, and as a member of that
ensemble she has performed throughout the United States, been a prizewinner in the
Shostakovich International String Quartet Competition and finalist in the Naumburg Chamber
Music Competition, and appeared on PBS’s NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. She is a founding
member of the Trio Paradis, whose 2013-14 inaugural season presents music by women
composers from all eras in a series entitled Unsung Voices. Ms. Jorgensen holds bachelor of
music degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School, and a master of music
degree from Juilliard. Her major teachers have included Zvi Zeitlin, Joseph Fuchs, and Leonard
Sorkin. She has also worked with Burton Kaplan. Ms. Jorgensen plays a beautiful violin from
1705 made by G.B. Rogeri.
Katharine Knight, a co-founder of the former Da Vinci Quartet in 1980, has performed
across the United States, as well as in Russia, England and Canada. She has recorded
extensively; and, with abundant teaching credits to her name, is also a veteran of many
international competitions. In addition to her near quarter century with the Da Vinci Quartet, Ms.
Knight performs regularly as a recitalist, guest artist with other chamber ensembles, and as a
member of Hot Celli - a duo with husband and fellow cellist, Richard Slavich. Ms. Knight joined
the music faculty of the Colorado College in 1999 as cello instructor, and is a member of the
chamber music faculty at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music. She plays a 1997
cello made by the husband and wife team Joseph Grubaugh and Sigrun Seifert.
Tamara Teske Lenz is a long time member of the Taylor and St. Stephen’s Choir. She
retired from School District 11 after 30 years of teaching elementary music. She has performed
with the Colorado Springs Chorale, Abendmusik, The Fine Arts Center Repertory Theater, The
Colorado Opera Festival and Opera Theatre of the Rockies. She is currently teaching private
voice and flute, and is the Administrative Assistant to Opera Theatre of the Rockies. Tamara is
the conductor of Dawn Singers, the training choir for CS Children’s Chorale. She continues to
study voice with Martile Rowland.
Colin McAllister enjoys a rich musical life as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor and
educator. He currently serves as the Coordinator of the Music Program and Head of Strings at
the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Past performance highlights include appearances
at the Monday Evening Concerts, New Music Miami, San Francisco sfSound, SoundON Festival
of Modern Music, CSU-Bakersfield Guitar Arts Series, CSU-Fullerton New Music Festival,
Darmstadt International Music Festival, Festival Hispanoamericano de Guitarra, Dallas Festival
of Modern Music, Foro Internacional de Músic in Mexico City, Breda (NL) Jazz Festival, and
the Centro Mexicano para la Música y las Artes Sonoras (CMMAS). He has recorded for the
Innova, Albany, Old King Cole, Vienna Modern Masters, Carrier and Tzadik record labels, and
his transcriptions and methods are published by Productions d'OZ. www.colinmcallister.com.
Paul Nagem has been principal flute for the Colorado Springs Symphony/Philharmonic
since 1994. A native of San Diego, he studied flute there with Damian Bursill-Hall, then
principal flute of the San Diego Symphony and now with the Pittsburgh Symphony. He received
his Bachelor's Degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Lois
Schaefer of the Boston Symphony. Mr. Nagem is the Instructor of Flute at Colorado College. He
has performed with the San Diego Symphony, the Colorado Symphony and the Singapore
Symphony. Mr. Nagem plays Straubinger flutes.
Donna Nunez, mezzo-soprano, is a member of the Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble and the
Compline Choir of Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. She is a graduate of the
University of Colorado Colorado Springs with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts.
Matthew Scheffelman is principal horn for the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, principal
horn for the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, and instructor in french horn at Colorado College.
Emily Sorensen regularly performs with the Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble and Opera
Theatre of the Rockies. In May 2012, she was the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana with a
collaboration of performing groups including the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony. She
participated in the 2009 Vocal Arts Symposium, and has singing experience in various capacities
ranging from opera and oratorio to choral and jazz. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Music
Education from the University of Northern Colorado and currently studies voice with Martile
Rowland. She teaches music for Colorado Springs School District 11 and the Colorado
Academy of Music and Dance.
Daryll Stevens has been Clarinet Instructor at Colorado College since 1980. An active
chamber and solo musician, she has performed with the Colorado Springs Symphony, the
Colorado Opera Festival, the Opera Theater of the Rockies, the Colorado College Summer
Music Festival and Soundscapes. Ms. Stevens received the M.F.A. from the University of
California at Los Angeles. Her teachers have included Gary Gray, Mitchell Lurie, and Franklin
Sabin. She further explores her interest in music through her duties as Librarian of the College's
Albert Seay Library of Music and Art. In the spring of 2006 she received a second masters in
library science. In addition to her duties at Colorado College, Ms. Stevens maintains an active
private studio.
Alejandro Vieira, bassoon, is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He earned his Master
of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he was
a winner of the annual concerto competition, and also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the
Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he participated in ensembles ranging
in specialty from music of the medieval period to contemporary music. Alex became a member
of the United States Air Force Academy Band in 1998, and currently serves as principal
bassoonist of the Concert Band and as bassoonist of the Academy Winds, a unique and dynamic
group that blends the sounds of a woodwind quintet plus percussion. Prior to joining the
Colorado Springs Symphony (now the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra) in January,
2001, as Second Bassoon and Contrabassoon, Alex held the position of second bassoon with the
Northern Kentucky Symphony. In the 2008-2009 season, and from 2010 to the present, he has
held the position of Acting Principal Bassoon in the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
Colorado College Music Students
Robin Hinson, Class of 2015, Music Major/Russian and Eurasian Studies Minor, McLean, VA
Rebecca Lehman, Class of 2014, Biology Major/Music Minor, Concord, NH
Eliza Lovett, Class of 2014, Music Major, Wellesley, MA
Connor Rice, Class of 2015, Music Major, Minneapolis, MN
Raquel Vásquez, Class of 2014, Music Major, Cedar City, UT
UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE CC MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Unless otherwise noted, all concerts are in Packard Hall, are free, and open to the public
For the most current information, please check the events website:
http://www.coloradocollege.edu/newsevents/calendar/
Student Music Theatre Production
Opera Scenes, Shorts and Stuff
Daniel Brink and Ann Brink, directors
Friday, November 8 ~ 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 9 ~ 7:30 pm
Music at Midday
Instrumental and Vocal Student Performances
Wednesday, November 13 ~ 12:15 pm
Faculty Recital
Beethoven Sonatas
Jeri Jorgensen, violin
Cullan Bryant, piano
Thursday, November 14 ~ 7:30 pm
Faculty Recital
Rex Matzke and the Jazz Express Quartet
Tuesday, November 19 ~ 7:30 pm
Distinguished Organist Recital Series
Frantisek Vanicek, organ
Tuesday, November 19 ~ 7:30 pm
Shove Chapel
Concert Band
Jeremy Van Hoy, director
Tuesday, December 3, 7:30 pm
Bluegrass Ensemble
Keith Reed, director
Thursday, December 5 ~ 7:30 pm
Colorado College Choir and Chamber Chorus Deborah Teske, director
Friday, December 6 ~ 7:30 pm
Shove Chapel
Collegium Musicum Renaissance Ensemble
Nancy Ekberg-Tynan, director
Sunday, December 8 ~ 3:00 pm
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