Our concert season for 2008-2009 concluded on May 6. Visit this page again beginning in September for upcoming events in the 2009-2010 academic year.
Two Puget Sound String Faculty Active as Recording Artists, Artists in Residence, and Entrepreneurship
A new recording released last Fall by the contemporary ensemble Brave New Works of quintets by Malcolm Bolcom and William Albright include Maria Sampen, Associate Professor of Violin, and Timothy Christie, Affiliate Artist in Violin. Sampen and Christie also are returning to the Brevard Music Center in 2009 for a second summer as resident faculty. In addition to teaching high school 
through post-graduate violinists from all over the world, they performed last year with many great artists including Yo Yo Ma, Bill Preucil, Keith Lockhart, and Leila Josefowitz. Tim Christie will begin his summer as the executive and artistic director of the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, a non-profit organization he founded that produces two weeks of chamber and solo concerts as well as educational programs in the heart of Washington's wine country. Professor Sampen will be one of the featured performers.
Dawn Padula to Join Music Faculty in Fall
Mezzo soprano Dawn Padula joins the School of Music faculty in 2009-2010 as Director of Vocal Studies. Ms. Padula was chosen from an outstanding pool of applicants in an exhaustive national search begun in Fall 2008. She completed both a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Trinity University, a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Houston, where she focused in her dissertation on pedagogical issues with the male voice, particularly registration negotiation and passaggio. As a performing artist she is active in opera, oratorio, and on the concert stage. She has performed many of the major mezzo roles, has been a soloist in such oratorios as Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, and requiems by Mozart and Durufle, and she has a concert repertoire ranging from Baroque to Broadway. She also is an experienced director, leading productions of Into the Woods, The Pirates of Penzance, Gianni Schicchi, and others. She brings to Puget Sound a devotion to teaching, a dedication to performance, and a passion for music. “I am looking forward to collaborating with such an accomplished faculty,” says Padula, “to having the opportunity to work with the very talented student body, and to being a part of the extremely special community that is the University of Puget Sound.”
Brendan Faegre '07 Wins Awards
Composer and percussionist Brendan Faegre '07 has won a BMI Student Composer Award for Tihai, a composition for percussion ensemble. He also was named this year's ASCAP Foundation Young Composer Fellow for study this summer with Don Freund and David Crumb at the Bowdoin International Music Festival. His composition for piano trio, Circular Ruins, received First Prize in the Beethoven Club 2009 Student Composition Contest and will be performed at the Belvedere Chamber Music Festival in Memphis, Tenn. this June. Brendan recently finished his first year as an associate instructor at Indiana University. He is one of several Puget Sound students who have recently pursued graduate study in composition, including Scott Ordway '06, who received his master's degree from the University of Oregon and will begin PhD studies at the University of Pennsylvania this fall; David Roberts '05, who also completed his master's degree from the University of Oregon and will begin a doctoral program at Indiana University this fall; Greg Simon '07, who is currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Colorado; and Carmen Caruso '04, who completed a master's in electro-acoustic music at Dartmouth. All are former students of Robert Hutchinson.
Brianna Richardson's Research Cited in the Strad
Senior Brianna Richardson's research in musician's health has been cited in Strad magazine. Part of her senior thesis, "Searching for the Perfect Set-Up", included a survey of 250 violinists and violists. Her findings on the chin rest and its importance in the comfort of the set-up was one of the news items appearing in the April edition (page 11). For the past three years Brianna has been involved in exploring issues on musician's health. In addition to her thesis, she has produced a brochure on musicians' health resources in the Seattle/Tacoma region that is used extensively on campus and has done presentations in both classes and ensembles. Following graduation in May she plans to apply to graduate programs in physical and occupational therapy so she can work with injured musicians and continue to promote musician's health.
Steven Zopfi Presenting at ACDA, Conducting the Portland Symphonic Choir
Steven Zopfi, Director of Choral Activities, recently presented his edition of "Deal Gently With Thy Servants, Lord" at the American Choral Director's Association's Nation Convention in Oklahoma City. His edition was one of 13 Compositions chosen nationally for the College and University Reading Session. Dr. Zopfi also conducted the Portland Symphonic Choir in a masterclass with the internationally acclaimed choral ensemble, Chanticleer, this past February on music by Rachmaninov, Mozart, and Clements. The choir also performed Mozart's Requiem, Kyrie in D Minor, KV 341, and "Ave verum corpus" in March at the Arlene Schnitzler Concert Hall in Portland.
Concert Choir Tour...Going for a Song
The Adelphian Concert Choir, conducted by Dr. Steven Zopfi, brought its acclaimed 48-voice ensemble to four cities across Washington on a spring tour that mixed classic masterpieces with contemporary and folk songs. The University of Puget Sound Adelphians gave March performances on stage in Tacoma, Wenatchee, Spokane, and Walla Walla.
The concert tour was as follows:
Saturday, March 7th, 7:30 p.m.
Annie Wright School, 827 N. Tacoma Avenue, Tacoma, WA
Thursday, March 12th, 7:30 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, 941 Wenatchee Street, Wenatchee, WA
Friday, March 13th, 7:00 p.m.
University High School, 12420 E. 32nd Avenue, Spokane, WA
Saturday, March 14th, 7:30 p.m
Pioneer United Methodist Church, 209 E. Birch Street, Walla Walla, WA.
Dan Goodrich Advances to Finals
Saxophonist Daniel Goodrich (’09), a senior in music education and student of Fred Winkler, won at the state and regional levels of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist competition. He will represent Puget Sound in the national finals in Atlanta in March. He is the most recent Puget Sound student to enjoy success in this competition. Justin Ehli (euphonium, student of Ryan Schultz) advanced to the regionals in 2006, as did George Woodward (piano, student of Tanya Stambuk) in 2007 and Luke Borsten (saxophone, also a student of Fred Winkler) in 2008. Brian McCarthy (piano, student of Tanya Stambuk) advanced to the nationals in 2008.
Composition by Professor Robert Hutchinson Performed at Multiple Conferences.
As the Blue Night Descends Upon the World by Professor Robert Hutchinson was performed at the Society of Composers Region VIII Conference at California State University Stanislaus in October of 2008 and has been selected for performance at the Society of Composers Region VI Conference at Oklahoma City University in February of 2009. As the Blue Night Descends Upon the World was commissioned in 2007 by the Tacoma Concert Band, directed by Professor Emeritus Robert Musser. A revised version was subsequently performed in 2008 by the University of Puget Sound Wind Ensemble, directed by Professor Rob Taylor, a video of which can be found on YouTube here.
Three School of Music Faculty Win University Awards.
The School of Music was duly proud this Fall when three of its faculty were given prestigious university awards. Recognizing his achievements both on campus and in his field of musicology, Professor Geoffrey Block was given the title of Distinguished Professor, and Professors Robert Taylor and Maria Sampen both won Tom Davis Teaching Awards. For Professor Sampen, it was her second award in four years for teaching excellence. Another faculty member, Professor Robert Hutchinson, won a Tom Davis Teaching Award in 2007. Professor Duane Hulbert was appointed Distinguished Professor in 2005.
The School of Music on YouTube.
Watch performances on YouTube of the Piano Monster Concert (February 2008), the University Wind Ensemble featuring a performance of a new composition by Professor Robert Hutchinson (March 2008) and the University Wind Ensemble (March 2009).
For past news and events, click here.
