Faculty News

Professor of piano Beverly Smoker, presented a lecture, Changing Styles, Changing Roles; Six Centuries of Keyboard Preludes on April 1 in Wilmot Recital Hall. She also gave a lecture An Approach to the Rhythmic, Reading and Interpretive Challenges of 20th Century Innovations, sponsored by RPTG and NYSMTA District 12, in the Rehearsal Hall of Nazareth College on April 4.

Mitzie Collins, lecturer of world music was awarded the 2007 Artist Awards from the Arts and Cultural Council of Greater Rochester.  Mitzie is known as a recording artist, a performer of Celtic and traditional American folk music, a historian of the American hammered dulcimer, and an Arts- in- Education specialist in the public schools.  With her husband, she founded Sampler Records Ltd., a recording company specializing in the production of traditional music.

Liisa Ambegaokar Grigorov, lecturer of flute will perform Concerto for Flute & Wind Orchestra, by Michael Mower, on Saturday, April 26th, at 8:00 pm, with the Cornell University Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Cindy Johnston Turner. The concert will be held at Bailey Hall, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Guitar faculty member, Petar Kodzas, will be performing recitals and offering masterclasses in the Los Angeles area later this month. He will be appearing at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, Whittier College in Whittier, and Servite High School in Anaheim. Upon his return from Southern California, Petar will present a solo recital at the Downtown Presbyterian Chuch here in Rochester. The church is located at 121 North Fizthugh Street; he will be playing on Tuesday, May 6 at 12:15 PM.

Betsey King, Assistant Professor of Music Therapy and her student Bree Gordon (senior, music therapy) were both featured in the latest issue of Connections Magazine, in an article about the Nazareth Interdisciplinary clinics.

Kristen Shiner McGuire, Coordinator of Percussion Studies is the featured percussionist on two recent cd's: Chasing Rainbows in The Dark by The Blue Avengers (KSM on back up vocals as well); and Treasure Island - A New Musical, book by Brett Smock and music and lyrics by Corinne Aquilina. The latter was performed at Nazareth last spring. Kristen is currently coaching the Bloomfield High School rhythm section in preparation for an upcoming jazz ensemble competition in Boston. This week, Kristen performed with and all female jazz quartet, Janet Beaman plus Elle, for a lecture/demonstration at the University of Buffalo African American Studies/Music and Film class. She also performed at SUNY Brockport with the RPO Marimba Band on March 28th.

Kevin Nitsch, lecturer of piano, will give a workshop on April 8 at Nazareth College of Rochester on Breathing in 4 Dimensions: A workshop on breathing and application. He will share his studies and experiences of using the breath beyond the necessary act of sustaining life to actively empowering intention, intuition, learning and doing. On April 20, at 3:00 PM, Kevin will be performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, with the Greece Symphony Orchestra, with David Fetler conducting. It will be in Baptist Temple, 1101 Clover Street. The concert is free and open to the public.

Nancy Strelau, conductor of the Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra and Department of Music Instrumental Activities Coordinator, was presented in March with the Monroe County School Music Association 2008 Richard H. Snook Memorial Award for her work with the student musicians in Monroe County. She received her honor at the High School Area All-County concert, held in the Eastman Theatre. Recent Rochester-area conducting appearances for Nancy included one as guest conductor for the Greece Athena High School Orchestra in March, in their preparation for their upcoming music competition in Boston, Massachusetts in April. Nancy also conducted the Oswego County High School Area All-County Orchestra on March 28 & 29th. Nancy will conduct the Greater Rochester Women's Philharmonic Concert on April 27th, 7:00 pm in the Hochstein School of Music Performance Hall. The concert will feature the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Linda Boianova, Nazareth faculty pianist, along with the final two movements of the Symphony No. 1 of Gustav Mahler.