Music welcomes Upshaw and Kalish for busy residency

Dawn Upshaw

Gilbert Kalish

The Fredonia School of Music welcomes renowned soprano, Dawn Upshaw, and pianist, Gilbert Kalish for a four-day residency and recital in April. Their residency includes workshops and master classes with students and a public talk in King Concert Hall, and culminates with a one-night only performance in Rosch Recital Hall on Saturday, April 13, at 8 p.m.

Concert tickets are $50, including reserved seating and a post-concert reception with the artists. Seating in Rosch Recital Hall is limited to 400 seats, so early purchase is encouraged for optimum seating. Tickets are available by calling the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office at 716-673-3501, online at www.fredonia.edu/tickets, and in person at the Williams Center Ticket Office. This residency and performance are made possible thanks to a generous gift from Stanley and Elizabeth Star.

“Dawn Upshaw has captured the world's imagination from early in her career,” commented Karl Boelter, Director of the School of Music, “from being the winner of the Naumburg Competition and from her stunning work on the CD release of Gorecki's Symphony No. 3, one of the best selling classical recording ever. Her voice continues to compel us with its flawless technique and crystal-clear diction, and her commitment to the poetry of music and song has yet to be surpassed. You will hear this magnificent voice in the equally stunning Rosch Recital Hall, a warm and intimate environment in which she is sure to shine.”

Ms. Upshaw is joined by her longtime collaborator and "favorite pianist," Gilbert Kalish. The program they have created for this performance includes an engaging collection of cabaret songs of William Bolcom, American songs from Charles Ives, and favorites by Franz Schubert and Maurice Ravel. Additionally, we are treated with a world premiere by award-winning American composer Sheila Silver, noted as "a creative dynamo. Her music is vital, with a conviction that obliterates fashion and speaks its own language," by The American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

For more information, visit www.fredonia.edu/music or call Jennifer Darrell-Sterbak at 716-673-3686.

Artist Residency Schedule of Events:

• Piano Master Class with Gilbert Kalish: Wednesday, April 10; 1-3 p.m. Rosch Recital Hall. Free.
• Voice Master Class with Dawn Upshaw: Wednesday, April 10; 4-6 p.m. Rosch Recital Hall. Free. Student performers: Danielle Beckvermit, Amanda Bottoms, Cody Ray Caho, Makoto Winkler (subject to change).
   
• Words, Music, Meaning and More: A Conversation with Dawn Upshaw and Gilbert Kalish: Thursday, April 11; 4 p.m. King Concert Hall. Free. Panel: James A. Davis, Professor of Musicology; Julie Newell, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Voice and Opera; Daniel Ihasz, Professor of Voice; Natalie Gerber, poetry scholar and Associate Professor of English. Moderator:  Karl Boelter, Professor of Composition and Director of the School of Music.
   
• Chamber Music Master Class with Dawn Upshaw and Gilbert Kalish: Friday, April 12;  4-6 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall. Free. Student performers: Esther Barnum, Mike Champagne, John Chatterton, Brandon Codrington, Josh Corcoran, Alexa DiRaimo, Stephanie Doche, Margeret Flanigan, Casey Gray, Chelsea Hadden, Michael Hawk, Rebecca Kent, Lauren Kinane, Alex Kosmowski, Faith Leone, Aimee Lindner, Colin Mann, Stephen Minor, Nicole Peets, Sarah Rice, George Ryan (subject to change).
   
• Dawn Upshaw and Gilbert Kalish in Recital: Saturday, April 13; 8 p.m. Rosch Recital Hall; Tickets: $50; Reserved seating and post-concert reception