Students

С�� NOW unpacks the story of an opera legend

Mariefaith Lane — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 19:59:54 +0000

С�� NOW unpacks the story of an opera legend Mariefaith Lane Mon, 06/09/2025 - 13:59

Kathryn Bistodeau

Photo credit: Kathryn Bistodeau

It’s that time of year again—С�� Boulder’s New Opera Workshop (С�� NOW) has taken over the College of Music, and the world of opera will never be the same.

Every summer, С�� NOW hosts an extended workshop where graduate voice students and alumni have direct interaction with living composers and librettists to develop and perform their music over a few weeks—resulting in premieres at Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Wexford Festival Opera and more. This year, С�� NOW again welcomes composer and librettist Mark Adamo and his new work “Sarah in the Theatre” about the legendary American opera conductor, impresario and stage director, Sarah Caldwell.

“Other than the best acronym in the business, С�� NOW serves as a laboratory—an incubator for pieces that are going to be produced and commissioned at some point,” Adamo says of the program founded in 2010 by Leigh Holman, the College of Music’s associate professor of opera and director of our Eklund Opera Program. “Generally, the composer and the librettist come in, and either they want to work out certain things musically that they haven’t tried before, or develop it dramatically. It’s a pretty flexible brief.”

Adamo has been a guest artist here before to workshop “The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.” The opera premiered in 2013 but Adamo wasn’t quite satisfied with the end product. He brought the work to С�� NOW in 2017 to create a revised, compressed version that he says was transformational. “It was a great, great experience, I have to say. We had a fabulous time together. So I’m very grateful to be back,” Adamo says.

Hannah Benson, an Artist Diploma student in opera and solo voice, says the workshop was a draw for her attending С�� Boulder. In her first year participating, she’ll play the lead role. “С�� NOW is unique in that it’s such a good environment for learning, including how to be professional and how to work efficiently in some higher stakes,” she says.

Photo credit: Kathryn Bistodeau

Working on brand-new material offers С�� NOW participants the opportunity to trust their instincts and try new things in a collaborative space. Benson notes the experience has helped her to break past mental boundaries and push the limit of her craft.

“The thing that’s the most different is that what we’re working on is tangibly new,” Benson says. “When you’re working on something that you’ve been with for a while, it can sometimes feel like it gets stale. With this experience, things are always changing.”

“Sarah in the Theatre” focuses on the real character of Sarah Caldwell (1924-2006)—the first woman to conduct the Metropolitan Opera, the second woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic, and chief conductor and artistic director of the Opera Company of Boston which she founded in 1959.

“A great figure, but one of the reasons that we may not know her so much today is that she never met a budget that she couldn’t blow through,” Adamo says of Caldwell’s well-documented financial mismanagement. “She could be thoughtless and negligent to her artists. It was all constantly a race between the genius and the demons.”

“Sarah in the Theatre” aims to explore what makes a show come to life by highlighting Caldwell’s collaborators behind the scenes. It tells the story of Caldwell’s incredible rise and fall, and offers an honest look at artistic geniuses and what they sacrifice for their art.

For Adamo, the heart of the show comes to one question: “How do you love someone who can do as much damage as they can do good?”

Join us for a semi-staged production of “Sarah in the Theatre“ on June 13 at 7:30 p.m. and June 15 at 2 p.m. in the Imig Music Building’s Music Theatre, N1B95. Performances are free and open to the public, and include a deep-dive, moderated talkback.

Every summer, the С�� New Opera Workshop (С�� NOW) hosts an extended workshop where graduate voice students and alumni have direct interaction with living composers and librettists to develop and perform their music over a few weeks. This year, С�� NOW again welcomes composer and librettist Mark Adamo and his new work “Sarah in the Theatre” about the legendary American opera conductor, impresario and stage director, Sarah Caldwell.

Off

Traditional

White

2025 ECM grants help students shine

Mariefaith Lane — Fri, 23 May 2025 17:51:36 +0000

2025 ECM grants help students shine Mariefaith Lane Fri, 05/23/2025 - 11:51

Kathryn Bistodeau

Each spring, the Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM) awards project grants to support students in their professional and artistic endeavors. This year’s adjudicator panel—comprising Dairy Arts Center Executive Director Melissa Fathman, Colorado Symphony member Nick Davies and myself—considered 27 applicants and awarded 16 grants totaling just over $6,200. I sat down with a few of these students to learn about their projects and how the grants helped fuel their success:

Electronic oboe piece
When Grace Stringfellow discovered composer Gracie Fagan’s work, they knew they had to work together. Stringfellow, a DMA student in oboe performance and pedagogy, first discovered Fagan (MM ’25) through an Instagram post of a piece she wrote for Assistant Professor of Saxophone Nathan Mertens.

“It was a really good example of her compositional style. She’s very into using electronics, live processing and other more modern sounds,” Stringfellow says. “She’s inspired by EDM and other dance musics.”

They then reached out to Fagan about writing a piece for oboe—something that would bring the repertoire into the present and showcase more extended techniques on the instrument. The ECM grant helped Stringfellow to compensate Fagan for the project.

“The main motivation was to create something that feels modern—that feels like something you would hear on the radio, something that’s singable, maybe has a little bit of improvisation,” they say. “Throwing everything out of the window of what is expected.”

Stringfellow and Fagan worked together to come up with inspiration for the piece, creating a collaborative and integrative process that Stringfellow says is unique from their commission experiences in the past.

“This feels like almost, almost co-writing. Obviously, she’s doing the body of the work, but it feels like co-writing and co-creating which is fantastic.”

The completed piece will be six or seven short movements, reflecting the shorter songs heard in pop music. Stringfellow plans to premiere the work at a recital in October, then hopes to perform at other local venues as well. They also plan to record the piece for public release.

“I really want to push the boundaries with this commission, so I’m really glad that we can do this,” Stringfellow says. “Gracie will be able to come back for the premiere, so I think I’m looking forward to that most of all and continuing to work with her!” MORE

Each spring, our Entrepreneurship Center for Music awards project grants to support students in their professional and artistic endeavors. This year’s adjudicator panel awarded 16 grants—meet some of the amazing student recipients and learn about their projects!

Off

Traditional

White

Gems of the AMRC collections: Sister Mary Dominic Ray

Mariefaith Lane — Tue, 20 May 2025 15:32:17 +0000

Gems of the AMRC collections: Sister Mary Dominic Ray Mariefaith Lane Tue, 05/20/2025 - 09:32

Kathryn Bistodeau

Sister Mary Dominic Ray.

When Taylor Howard, a first-year PhD student in ethnomusicology, dove into the Sister Mary Dominic Ray Collection, she was expecting to find the nun’s biography, books she annotated or articles she wrote. Instead, she unlocked a highly varied collection of documents that left Sister Mary—who founded our American Music Research Center (AMRC)—a mystery.

“She founded the center at Dominican College [now Dominican University of California] in 1967,” Howard says. “She took sole control for the first 20 years and her focus was on California mission music.”

Sister Mary had a connection to music through her background as a trained concert pianist. She studied in Europe, and traveled and competed across America.

“She gradually transitioned to the collecting of sacred music,” adds Howard. “She had about seven years as a concert pianist and then went on to teach at Dominican College—initially only as faculty—and then she joined the order of the Dominican Sisters in 1947.”

A map of the California missions.

Sister Mary’s collection is now housed with the AMRC in Norlin Library. It holds various media detailing facets of American music that Sister Mary found fascinating including California mission music—sacred music from the Spanish colonies in a region known as “upper California,” or the modern-day West Coast of the United States, in the 18th and 19th centuries. MORE

When Taylor Howard dove into the Sister Mary Dominic Ray Collection, she was expecting to find the nun’s biography, books she annotated or articles she wrote. Instead, she unlocked a highly varied collection of documents that left Sister Mary—who founded our American Music Research Center—a mystery.

Off

Traditional

White

Meet 2025 Presser Scholar Samuel Nixon

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:15:11 +0000

Meet 2025 Presser Scholar Samuel Nixon Mariefaith Lane Wed, 04/30/2025 - 13:15

Kathryn Bistodeau

All signs pointed to С�� Boulder in Samuel Nixon’s search for a university. It’s close to his hometown of Littleton, Colorado; his high school teacher is an alum; and in his freshman year, he even got to room with his best friend from home.

“I chose С�� for a number of reasons—the music program is one of the top in the nation and [Professor of Flute] Christina Jennings is an incredible teacher,” he says. “I worked with her before deciding to go to С�� when I participated in her Panoramic Flutist seminar—I really enjoyed that.”

Nixon—who’s set to graduate with a Bachelor of Music in flute performance on May 8—made the most of his time at the College of Music, from playing in our Early Music Ensemble and all of the large band and orchestra ensembles to taking a class in jazz improvisation, completing a business minor and Music Entrepreneurship Certificate and participating in chamber music.

“Chamber music has been the highlight of my time here,” he reflects. “I’ve done chamber music almost every semester.

“In my sophomore year, I helped found a wind quintet and they’re still meeting today. That’s been the biggest highlight.”

With Nixon on flute, Luka Vezmar on oboe, Nikhila Narayana on clarinet, Nate Bonin on horn and David Guy on bassoon, the Ascensore Quintet takes its name from a charmingly odd day when they couldn’t find a room to practice in. Out of options, the musicians set up shop in an elevator and ran their practice there. Ascensore? “Elevator” in Italian.

“We’ve connected really well as people and the quintet members are some of my closest friends at school,” says Nixon. “Our rehearsals are just such a joy—we probably laugh more than we get work done—and I think that’s a good place to start when you’re making music with other people.”

By faculty vote, Nixon is the College of Music’s 2025 Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award recipient based on his high level of musical and academic excellence, demonstrated leadership and community impact. “This recognition affirms that I’m on the right career path,” he says of the $3,000 award. “That doesn’t mean that I haven’t had doubts along the way. But I have really found a deep love for music.”

Adds Jennings, who nominated Nixon for the award: “Sam is a wonderful human, flutist and artist citizen. I’m unbelievably proud of his artistic and academic achievements.”

In turn, Nixon credits Jennings for being a fundamental part of his undergraduate experience. “She has made a huge impact—not just in the way I play the flute, but also in the way I present myself and interact with others. She’s been very kind and I love getting to work with her.”

Looking ahead, Nixon will pursue a master’s degree in flute performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Congratulations to Samuel Nixon and all of our 2025 graduates!

Congratulations to Samuel Nixon (BM ’25), the College of Music’s most recent Presser Scholar! Discover what brought him to С�� Boulder and his experience here.

Off

Traditional

White

Nathan George named 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior

Mariefaith Lane — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 21:27:26 +0000

Nathan George named 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior Mariefaith Lane Fri, 04/18/2025 - 15:27

Adam Goldstein

Singing in a choir requires a delicate balance of skills.

One voice becomes part of a larger ensemble; one artist’s creative spirit thrives only through collaboration, teamwork and humility. It’s an art form that demands a fusion of individual talent and selflessness for the sake of the greater musical good.

For Nathan George (BME, choral)—who will graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Music on May 8 as our Outstanding Graduating Senior—the choir’s blend of creativity and community was always a draw. And the teachers who brought that dynamic were always an inspiration.

“I started choir in middle school. I loved performing with my friends and I think that was the main thing—the community of performance,” recalls George who grew up in the Broomfield/Thornton area, finding direction in the choir and the theatre that would ultimately steer his path to С�� Boulder—thanks in part to influential teachers like Karen Stacks at Legacy High School.

“I felt empowered by a lot of my teachers and I wanted to do the same—provide students something they can enjoy, give them a way to gain confidence, learn intangibles, learn how to be a good person.”

George found a direct route to these aspirations when he was a high school senior looking over the College of Music’s course catalog for music education majors. The catalog described courses with targeted specialties and conveyed a pedagogical approach that fit George’s budding passion for music, theatre and—above all—education.

“Becoming a Music Teacher, Teaching Choral Music, Choral Literature—those classes stood out. I had never seen such specific classes geared toward choral education,” shares George.

While George will receive a music education degree with an emphasis in choral music and a minor in theatre, he’s quick to point out how his journey as a Music Buff opened his eyes to myriad facets of music education. He fully leveraged the College of Music’s wide-ranging programs and opportunities for engagement—from working with the С�� Boulder Middle School Ensembles (MSE) program and Middle School Summer Music Academy (SMA) to his role as president of the С�� Boulder chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), serving as a student ambassador for the College of Music since his sophomore year and participating in our Diverse Musicians’ Alliance (DiMA).

In addition to his time in the classroom with dedicated and invested faculty members like Associate Professor of Voice Andrew Garland and Associate Professor of Music Education Leila Heil, George’s involvement with these programs offered real-world, practical experiences. In the MSE and SMA programs, he conducted an orchestra and focused on violin/cello sectionals. Through NAfME, George served as choral representative; organized gratitude initiatives for faculty, staff and students; and even organized a fundraiser for University Hill Elementary School—an effort that generated $1,100 for new equipment for Kimberly Alspaugh-Humecky’s students. “I think that’s what I’m most proud of, getting to organize that fundraiser and make that difference,” he notes.

George also organized a holiday concert that featured musicians from С�� Boulder and the broader community performing works by the late composer George Lynn which led to the opportunity to organize a performance for the St. Anthony North Holiday Gala.

Four years after first scanning the College of Music’s music education curriculum, George has completed an education that, in some ways, represents the complex, nuanced dynamics of a choir: His journey has been equal parts individual skill and community engagement. He’s shown a commitment to expanding his own artistic abilities, even as he’s worked for the benefit of the broader world around him—an achievement and an approach ideally suited to a teaching career.

Adds George: “I’m very grateful. It’s really an honor to be named Outstanding Senior—there are a lot of incredible, talented people here.”

[Editor's note: Both Nathan George and Leonard Eppich (BM, viola performance) maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout their academic careers at С�� Boulder, earning Chancellor’s Recognition Awards this spring as graduating music students.]

Congratulations and best wishes to ALL our fantastic graduates in the Class of 2025!

For Nathan George—who will graduate from the С�� Boulder College of Music on May 8 as our Outstanding Graduating Senior—“community of performance” drew him to prepare for a career in music education.

Off

Traditional

White

2025 Concerto Competition winners announced

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0000

2025 Concerto Competition winners announced Mariefaith Lane Thu, 04/10/2025 - 08:00

MarieFaith Lane

The College of Music’s annual Concerto Competition is always a highly anticipated event that celebrates the extraordinary skills and hard work of our undergraduate and graduate students. On April 6, this year’s final round of the competition culminated in two exceptional students earning first-place honors in their respective categories: Undergraduate violist Finn Cruit (BM ’25) and graduate pianist Ohad Nativ (PhD ’29). As a result of their achievements, they have the opportunity to perform with the С�� Boulder Symphony Orchestra next season.

Undergraduate competition winner
Senior violist Finn Cruit performed Gyula Dávid’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, accompanied by Associate Teaching Professor Suyeon Kim. Cruit is a student of Associate Professor of Viola Erika Eckert.

“It’s incredibly gratifying to have won this competition,” Cruit says. “I’ve played in the orchestra for many past winners and always looked up to them—they’re all fantastic players. I never saw myself in the same light, so I still can’t believe it. It’s amazing to imagine myself up there, and I can’t wait to play with the orchestra.

“I couldn’t have done this without my wonderful teacher, Erika Eckert. I’ve grown so much musically and personally over these past four years, and that’s largely thanks to her. Also, a huge thank you to Dr. Kim for accompanying me—this wouldn’t have been possible without you, too!”

Graduate competition winner
Pianist Ohad Nativ performed Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in G Major, Op. 55, accompanied by Bobby Pace. Nativ is currently studying with Professor of Piano Andrew Cooperstock.

“I feel very honored to have won the competition and validated in being able to bring attention to repertoire that is less frequently performed,” Nativ says. “I’m extremely grateful to my piano teacher, Professor Andrew Cooperstock, for helping me work through this unusual and difficult piece and allowing me to elevate it to competition standards.

“I’m also grateful to the wider С�� Boulder College of Music community, faculty, and competition judges and organizers for providing me with this opportunity and the ability to explore and promote my repertorial inclinations further than ever before.”

Big thanks to our faculty adjudicators—Gary Lewis, Matt Dockendorf and Julie Simson—and congratulations to all participating student competitors and collaborative pianists, and to those who advanced to the final round:

Undergraduate competition

Finn Cruit, viola
Corvina Graham, flute (honorable mention)
Laura Lambrech, oboe
Zixi Wang, piano
Sam Webster, euphonium

Graduate competition

Ohad Nativ, piano
Sydney Hoehl, trumpet
Katiann Nelson, mezzo-soprano
Miguel Angel Ortega Bañales, tenor
Leah Pernick, violin
Max Randal, piano
Leilani Spurlock, trumpet
Kisa Uradomo, violin (honorable mention)
Natalie Zeles, flute

To enjoy the winners’ performances in the fall, visit cupresents.org for details.

On April 6, undergraduate violist Finn Cruit and graduate pianist Ohad Nativ were awarded first prizes in the College of Music’s annual Concerto Competition. Congratulations to all participating students and collaborative pianists!

Off

Traditional

White

Celebrate + aspire

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:59:06 +0000

Celebrate + aspire Mariefaith Lane Thu, 03/13/2025 - 09:59

John Davis

On March 2, the College of Music’s talented Opera Theater Singers once again delivered outstanding performances at our Eklund Opera Program gala at the Academy University Hill. We were honored to welcome Chancellor Schwartz for the first time at this annual fundraising event that aims to sustain and support the arts in our community. Pictured above (left to right): Andrew Todd, Assistant Dean for Advancement; Justin Schwartz, С�� Boulder Chancellor; Leigh Holman, Eklund Opera Program Director; Paul + Kristina Eklund, naming donors of the Eklund Opera Program; and John Davis, College of Music Dean.

At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy.

More broadly, in the words of Ukrainian-born writer Joseph Conrad, “All creative art is magic, is evocation of the unseen in forms persuasive, enlightening, familiar and surprising, for the edification of mankind.”

As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations.

For example, I encourage you to discover how Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education Margaret Berg is creating sustainability through music education, ensuring the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating human and environmental sustainability into music education, the College of Music is preparing students to make an impact on our interconnected society. Related, two graduate students—Nicholas Felder and Ian Gunnarschja—received grants to support innovative projects that promote equity in music and wellness among neurodiverse musicians.

Creative courage and unique expression at our college are further personified by Enion Pelta-Tiller—a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy—whose ambitious, experimental approach to music brings together a wealth of coexisting influences and helped shape our new cross-genre ensembles and curricula. And, in case you missed it, our Distinguished Professor of Piano David Korevaar recently shared a delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday—a labor of love and creative fortitude in the face of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing five years ago.

Additionally, more than 100 guest artists, ensembles and lecturers have energized our classrooms and graced our stages so far this academic year—most recently including Kennedy Center honoree and five-time Grammy Award-winner Renée Fleming, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné composer, musician and sound installation artist Raven Chacon; as well as visiting scholars in our Musicology + Music Theory Colloquium Series and local luminaries like alumnus Gregory Walker—son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—who presented a master class last week as part of our annual Persevering Legacy events showcasing works by women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Also inspiring to our community this month was a musicians’ workshop led by Blues icon (and Boulder resident) Otis Taylor, a Colorado Music Hall of Famer.

For all these reasons among many more, I remain steadfast in our resolve to inspire artistry and discovery, together.

With gratitude,

John Davis
Dean, College of Music

"At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy. As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations."

Off

Traditional

White

Enion Pelta-Tiller on pushing creative expression

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 16:16:20 +0000

Enion Pelta-Tiller on pushing creative expression Mariefaith Lane Wed, 03/05/2025 - 09:16

Adam Goldstein

Photo credit: Anne Staveley

A wealth of influences coexist in Enion Pelta-Tiller’s approach to music.

Classical components drawn from composers like Berlioz, Mahler, Bartok and Stravinsky; jazz violin echoes that summon the best work of Stephane Grappelli and other giants of the genre; folk and traditional elements that run the geographical gamut from Eastern Europe to Ireland to India—all of these ingredients figure into Pelta-Tiller’s ambitious and unique brand of fusion.

It’s no wonder, considering her consistent dedication to musical exploration which started with childhood and college classical music studies in San Francisco and continued after she moved to New York, connected with her future husband/musical collaborator David Tiller and eventually landed in Colorado.

“The Bay Area was a great place to grow up, musically speaking,” Pelta-Tiller recalls. “I became quite interested in experimenting with improvisation and often spent hours improvising music that sounded like what I was supposed to be practicing, or played along with Coltrane, Miles, TISQ, Jascha Heifetz and Ravi Shankar records. I was in this environment of classical, new acoustic and bluegrass-adjacent music, jazz and Indian music—and soaking it all up.

“When I moved to New York after college, I got involved in playing new music, rock, Irish music and bluegrass.”

Combined, these influences helped carve out Pelta-Tiller’s unique niche in the local music scene, and show up in her work as a performer and an educator, as a composer and as a collaborator with musical luminaries from across the globe. She’s a founding member of the critically acclaimed indie-folk group Taarka and directs our new Cross-Genre American Roots Strings Ensemble, roles that draw directly on her wide-ranging interests and skills. She’s also a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy at the College of Music, set to graduate in May.

Pelta-Tiller’s no-holds-barred musical approach is sure to figure in her upcoming show at Dazzle Denver on March 11 with her group EnQuintet—a jazz ensemble that also features С�� Boulder faculty members John Gunther on winds/reeds and Victor Mestas on piano as well as Eric Thorin on bass and Kevin Mathews on drums.

“This time, we’re mostly focusing on repertoire from members of the David Grisman Quintet because I’m interested in how that music—so inspired by both jazz and bluegrass—sounds when played by more traditional jazz instruments instead of in a string band setting,” she says. “For a couple tunes, we’ll add extra horns—Wil Swindler, Jonas Peterson and Cian Kruger—and give our pianist a rest.”

The show will also be an occasion to experience Pelta-Tiller playing her six-string violin—also known as a fadolin—made by New York-based luthier Eric Aceto, offering the depth and tone of a baroque instrument. “It’s amazing for accompanying myself on voice and expanding my improvisational palette,” she notes.

Expanding her skill-set and pushing the boundaries of creative expression have long been a hallmark of Pelta-Tiller’s approach and her connections within the College of Music have only deepened that mission, especially as it aligns with the college’s universal musician approach to fulfilling its mission.

She speaks of the work she’s done with students in her cross-genre ensemble, taking part in fiddle flash mobs and collaborating with artists like Klezmer fiddler Alicia Svigals. She speaks of working with jazz faculty members like Gunther, Mestas and composition professor Annika Socolofsky. It’s all been part of a musical evolution that began when Pelta-Tiller played musical call-and-response games with her father as an infant.

С�� Boulder has been integral to that evolution and Pelta-Tiller looks forward to continuing the connection long after the upcoming Dazzle show and her time as a graduate student.

“In directing combos, my arranging and improvisation skills have been challenged,” she notes. “And in playing with my graduate colleagues in the jazz department, some of whom are doing really far out stuff, my concept of form and my musical imagination have been stretched further than I could have conceived.”

A wealth of influences coexist in Pelta-Tiller’s ambitious, experimental approach to music. A master’s candidate in jazz performance + pedagogy at our College of Music, her creative evolution to date will culminate in a show at Dazzle Denver on March 11.

Off

Traditional

White

Persevering Legacy events showcase works by women composers

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 20:40:09 +0000

Persevering Legacy events showcase works by women composers Mariefaith Lane Wed, 02/26/2025 - 13:40

Kathryn Bistodeau

Since 2019, the С�� Boulder College of Music’s annual Persevering Legacy events have showcased works by women composers, including those from historically marginalized groups. This year’s concert and master class are no different.

Student soloists and ensembles are encouraged to select works from the Helen Walker-Hill collection—housed in our American Music Research Center archives—comprising compositions by Black women composers.

This year, the concert will feature 11 different acts—including the С�� Boulder Chamber Singers led by Director of Choral Activities Coreen Duffy—presenting compositions by Connie Converse, Reena Esmail, Florence Price, B.E. Boykin and our previous Genevieve McVey Wisner lecturer Gabriela Lena Frank, among others.

“Persevering Legacy is an opportunity for students to research composers or pieces that may be entirely new to them and then present those works, broadening their scope,” says Alexis McClain, director of community support + programming, who helps facilitate Persevering Legacy. “Our audiences also benefit, experiencing music that’s not often programmed.”

Alumnus Gregory Walker (DMA ’92, composition)—son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—will lead a master class for Persevering Legacy participants, working through the pieces they’ve selected and offering his unique background, knowledge, insight and passion for the collection based on his directly personal connection.

“I’ve watched the collection unfold from close proximity for a number of years and love every aspect of the master class,” he says. “I love the music. I love getting in touch with the students who are discovering this music, often for the first time. And really, this keeps my mom alive for me because it’s not just my mother’s work, but a life’s work.”

Helen Walker-Hill

Walker says playing new and largely unfamiliar pieces is helpful to students in their music careers as it allows them to apply their creativity and artistry in perhaps unexpected ways.

“We spend most of our music education studying the guys that are the Mount Rushmore of classical music. The thing is, there’s a lot of baggage that comes with this default—not only are you trying to nail the notes, but there are all these expectations that have been dictated by performers who preceded you,” says Walker who recently released a satirical new book, “Curse of the Maestro and Other Stories.”

“So, if you’ve got these underrepresented composers, not only have you found them or are championing them, but you have to make these decisions,” he adds. “You have to develop your own internal tradition and use your creativity. It's more than you and impressing your audience that’s at stake, it's making a case for someone who could still be lost to history after you're done performing that night—and that is a really worthy challenge.”

Join us for the Persevering Legacy concert on Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. and the preceding master class with Gregory Walker on Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m., both in the Chamber Hall (S102), Imig Music Building.

Off

Traditional

White

Creating sustainability through music education

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:29:50 +0000

Creating sustainability through music education Mariefaith Lane Wed, 02/12/2025 - 10:29

MarieFaith Lane

The University of Colorado Boulder is widely recognized for its commitment to sustainability—most often associated with protecting the environment. At the College of Music, that definition extends further.

Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education Margaret Berg highlights the importance of human sustainability—that is, the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating both human and environmental sustainability into music education, our college is helping students develop into responsible, thoughtful professionals who are prepared to make an impact on our interconnected society.

“Human sustainability is about more than just resources,” Berg explains. “It’s about the self—students and teachers—the community around the school or studio, and the larger systems like colleges or universities.” This multifaceted approach emphasizes the significance of emotional resilience, community building and cultural inclusivity in shaping the future of music education.

Berg’s Sociology of Music Education course amplifies the College of Music’s unique focus on preparing students for roles beyond music performance; the college’s universal musician approach to achieving its mission encourages interdisciplinary learning and broadly-based student development. “A teacher taking a more holistic approach will make a difference,” says Berg, emphasizing the value of connecting music education with sustainability in the classroom and beyond.

Aligned with С�� Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz’s priority to accelerate sustainability on our campus, human sustainability in music education complements the College of Music’s progress toward reducing its environmental impact—from “green” digital program books, energy-efficient LED lighting in Grusin Music Hall and music tablets that replace paper scores. Additionally, the use of braille building placards and other accessibility measures reflects the college’s commitment to inclusivity in all forms.

Integrating human and environmental sustainability equips students with the knowledge, skills and awareness to engage with both their immediate communities and the planet. In the classroom, Berg advocates for experiential learning practices that promote ecological literacy and environmental activism. For example, music educators can encourage students to engage with local sounds and landscapes, fostering an awareness of the natural world and its challenges. “We can integrate local ecosystems into the repertoire selection process,” Berg suggests, noting that Colorado’s mountains or water issues might inspire student projects.

Berg further emphasizes the significance of core reflection which encourages educators and students to assess their well-being and resilience. “It has to start with the human,” she says. That is, to sustain both the work and the community, we must take care of individuals first—teachers and students alike. Core reflection allows teachers to identify their strengths and recognize the need to care for their own mental and emotional health to avoid burnout. In this way, self-care becomes foundational to sustaining long-term success in educational settings.

Adds Berg, “Nature is constantly creating and evolving, and engaging with the arts is a creative act that empowers both students and teachers to respond to the challenges of climate change, for example, in productive and meaningful ways. This is invaluable, as it engages their hearts and fosters powerful, thoughtful responses.

“It’s a profoundly healthy way to navigate such challenges.”

Related resources

Berg, M. H. (2023): Fostering care through core reflection.
Shevock, D. J., & Bates, V. C. (2019): A Music Educator’s Guide to Saving the Planet.
Smith, T. D. (2023): Caring with the Earth, community, and co-learners for the health of biological, social, and musical ecosystems.

Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education Margaret Berg highlights the importance of human sustainability—that is, the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating both human and environmental sustainability into music education, the College of Music is preparing students to make an impact on our interconnected society.

Off

Traditional

White

Students

С���� NOW unpacks the story of an opera legend

Off

2025 ECM grants help students shine

Off

Gems of the AMRC collections: Sister Mary Dominic Ray

Off

Meet 2025 Presser Scholar Samuel Nixon

Off

Nathan George named 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior

Congratulations and best wishes to ALL our fantastic graduates in the Class of 2025!

Off

2025 Concerto Competition winners announced

Off

Celebrate + aspire

Off

Enion Pelta-Tiller on pushing creative expression

Off

Persevering Legacy events showcase works by women composers

Off

Creating sustainability through music education

Off

С�� NOW unpacks the story of an opera legend