Faculty Showcase Events

The U School of Music is proud to honor the variety of scholarly talents and achievements of our faculty, students, and alumni. Please join us in celebrating the artistry and intellect of faculty research at our Sundays@7 and Fridays with Faculty events this academic year and come prepared to learn more about the where, when, why, and how of music composition, technology, performance, education, theory, and history. There is something at the U for the musician in all of us, and we look forward to having you here to learn and grow with us!

Sundays@7

Libby Gardner Concert Hall | 7 p.m.

Sept 15: Jazz Area

Steven Heffner, Alex Parker, and Jason Dreher explore the works of, and important recordings, by Oscar Pettiford and Thelonius Monk, two brilliant lines in the history of jazz music. The selections on the program follow Monk’s and Pettiford’s distinct evolution of instrumental roles and compositional innovations. Experience the magic of jazz and live improvisation —your ears will thank you!

Oct 27: Voice Area

Kirstin Chavez, Julie Wright Costa, Carol Ann Allred, Robert Breault, James Bobick, and Seth Keaton , with pianist Mitchell Giambalvo, present “Music We Love:” a program that delights and inspires the heart with favorite arias and songs, curated through our faculty’s collective decades of performing on world stages!

Nov 3: Brass Area

Discover the resplendent world of classical brass music with Peyden Shelton, Travis Peterson, and Alex Purdy. Join us for an exhilarating journey through the brass repertoire, featuring stunning performances that highlight the versatility and expressive power of these instruments in solo and ensemble repertoire.

Dec 8: String Area

The String area concert, with Hasse Borup, Julie Edwards, Elliot Cheney, David Yavornitzky, and pianist Vedrana Subotic, presents one of the most beloved and unique compositions of all times - Schubert’s enchanting “Trout” Quintet based on the famous song of the same name. Scored for strings and piano, this work features a rarely heard solo instrument - the Double Bass. Experience the enchanting beauty of this program highlighting the joy and good cheer of the holiday season!

Fridays with Faculty

David Gardner Hall RM 270 | Noon

Aug 23

Laura Grantier

The Clarinet Family: A Spectrum of Sounds

Meet the clarinet family! Dr. Grantier will discuss and demonstrate 8 members of this rich and diverse group of instruments, each with its own unique sound and role in musical ensembles. She will be assisted by Zane Jensen, a member of the U of U clarinet studio.

Sept 20

Jennifer Muniz

Several perseverant cultural figures in early Chicago history were determined to re-define the U.S. artistic identity. This lecture will discuss composer pianists in the early 20th century with Chicago connections, primarily Arne Oldberg (1874-1962), as well as Rudolf Ganz, John Alden Carpenter, Howard Hanson, and Florence Price.

Oct 18

Olivia Tucker

Experts present ideas for music teachers to implement in their classrooms for the continuous improvement of instructional quality, equity, and access. However, music educators teach in specific local contexts that shape their agency in making suggested changes. Come learn about the “what” and “how” of music teacher agency!

Nov 22

Elisa Alfonso

This talk will explore the ways the former children of Operation Pedro Pan, the Cuban unaccompanied children’s exodus of the 1960s, have expressed their collective and individual experiences as child migrants through musical performance. I examine the processes and politics of community-building through musical representations of nostalgia and traumatic memory.