New music faculty members perform on trombone, bassoon, cello, and piano
2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28


TACOMA, Wash. – New this fall at University of Puget Sound’s School of Music: four impressive new faculty artists who will debut on the campus stage with instruments not often heard in concert together.

For a sampling of the artists’ individuality, consider this: Trombonist David Krosschell spices up his classical and jazz schedule by performing with the Tijuana Brass-style group Rat City Brass. Jooeun Pak ’04, a philosophy, history, and science enthusiast, carried off gold in the Korean National Piano Competition. Francine Peterson, principal bassoonist of Northwest Sinfonietta, teaches young people in Seattle’s innovative Endangered Instrument Program. Meta Weiss, who has performed on A Prairie Home Companion, made her international debut on cello at the age of 7 in The Netherlands.

The four newcomers will be joined by faculty member Judson Scott, trumpet, in a Jacobsen Series concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, in Schneebeck Concert Hall. The concert, titled New Faculty for the New Year, will feature the following works. Ticket information is below.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Bassoon and Cello Duo in B-flat, K. 292
Dmitri Shostakovich: Cello Sonata in D minor, Opus 40
Paul Hindemith: Bassoon and Trumpet Duo
Halsey Stevens: Trombone Sonatina
David Popper: Requiem, Opus 66

Some of the pieces will vary from the original compositions by employing a different selection of instruments. Popper’s Requiem, a moving and expressive work that was written for three cellos and a piano, will be performed with one cello, one trombone, one bassoon, and piano.

“It is definitely the first time I’ve ever heard of this combination of instruments in this piece, and I am looking forward to performing it with my new colleagues,” said Meta Weiss.

The adaptation of Hindemith’s Concerto for Bassoon and Trumpet pairs an unusual combination of instruments in a romantic and spirited work. Francine Peterson says, “It is a piece I have wanted to perform for a long time. I am so glad that joining the faculty of Puget Sound affords the opportunity to do so.” Normally this concerto includes an entire string section. In this case that demanding role will be taken over by Jooeun Pak on piano.

Trombone Sonatina, written by contemporary classical American composer Halsey Stevens, was originally written for either tuba or bass trombone, and piano. This sparse combination of two powerful instruments is a challenge for any composer—but it is a challenge that Stevens rose to masterfully.

The Mozart duo for bassoon and cello adds a more classical note to the concert, while the Shostakovich sonata gives the cello full voice in a work written when the young composer was turning to a more conventional style after public rejection of his futuristic works.

Below are short biographies of the new faculty artists.

David Krosschell, affiliate artist faculty member, trombone, is an accomplished bass trombonist, tenor trombonist, and music educator. Well versed in classical, jazz, and commercial styles, he has performed with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Opera, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Jazz Orchestra, among others. Prior to relocating to Seattle, Krosschell taught at University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He is currently on the faculty at Seattle Pacific University. In 2013 Krosschell founded the School of Brass in Seattle. One of his more entertaining musical endeavors is performing with Rat City Brass, a pop group featuring the music of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Krosschell holds a doctoral degree in music performance from Northwestern University in Illinois.

Jooeun Pak ’04, a native of Seoul, South Korea, won her first major competition at the age of 10, and has since won prizes in national and international piano competitions. Her successful collaborations with contemporary composers have elicited invitations to perform in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Upon winning the grand prize in Indiana University’s 2011 Latin American Music Recording Competition for a CD created in collaboration with Colin Sorgi, Pak gave her Chicago debut concert in Chicago Cultural Center. Now an affiliate artist faculty member, Pak attended University of Puget Sound to study music and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music degree at Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. Pak has participated in master classes with world-renowned artists, worked under legendary conductors, and collaborated with opera and ballet companies.

Francine Peterson, bassoonist, has a varied career as a performer, educator, and adjudicator around the Pacific Northwest. An affiliate artist faculty member, she is principal bassoonist of the Northwest Sinfonietta and third contrabassoon with the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Peterson performs with the Auburn Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Opera Orchestra, The 5th Avenue Theater Orchestra, and Oregon Symphony. She maintains a large private studio and serves on the faculties of Pacific Lutheran University, Western Washington University, and Seattle Pacific University. Peterson has been teaching and performing at the Marrowstone Music Festival for more than 20 years. She coaches for the Seattle Youth Symphony and Cascade Youth Symphony orchestras and teaches through the former’s Endangered Instrument Program, which encourages students to learn less commonly played instruments.

Meta Weiss, Cordelia Wikarski Miedel Artist in Residence, is an acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, and artist, who performs music spanning all periods. The San Francisco native has appeared at venues including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and Teatro Británico (Peru). She performed at the age of 7 at the International String Convention in Holland. Weiss has won top prizes at numerous events including the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and Washington International Competition, as well as the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist, and Schadt Cello competitions. She has been a guest artist on the radio shows A Prairie Home Companion, Performance Today, NW Focus LIVE, and From the Top. Entendre, her debut album with violinist Arianna Warsaw-Fan, won The Violoncello Foundation Second Annual Listeners’ Choice Award. Weiss is finishing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at The Juilliard School.

FOR TICKETS order online at tickets.pugetsound.edu, or call Wheelock Information Center at 253.879.3100 to purchase with a credit card. Admission is $15 for the general public; $10 for seniors (55+), students, military, and Puget Sound faculty and staff. The concert is free for current Puget Sound students. Group ticket rates are available for parties of 10 or more by calling 253.879.3555 in advance. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door.

For directions and a map of the campus:pugetsound.edu/directions. For accessibility information please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3236, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility.

Press photos of the new faculty members can be downloaded from pugetsound.edu/pressphotos.

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