UIndy showcases faculty talent
Several faculty members from the University of Indianapolis music department collaborated with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on Saturday, Oct. 30, to showcase their talents and the musical styles of several contemporary composers.
The concert featured compositions by Vaclav Trojan, Joseph Dangerfield, Gabriela Lena Frank, William Bolcom and UIndy’s own John Berners, associate professor of theory and composition.
The concert opened with the world premier of Berners’ “In Rowan Oak.” The title taken from American author William Faulkner’s home in Oxford, Mississippi, “In Rowan Oak” featured the neo-Romantic and Gothic styles present in Faulkner’s literary works. According to Berners, this style was captured through the use of country fiddles, bells and guitar.
Associate Professor of Theory and Composition John Berners (left) alongside ICO Maestro Kirk Trevor (right)premiered his composition “In Rowan Oak,” performed last month by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. Photo contributed by Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.
“I thought the Berners piece, ‘In Rowan Oak,’ was one of the highlights of the evening,” senior Daniel Rauscher said. “I am always a fan of his compositions, and this particular piece had absolutely stunning imagery.”
The orchestra also played several movements from Trojan’s “Fairy-Tales for Accordion and Orchestra,” including “Let us dance into the fairy-tales,” “The naughty roundabout,” “The sailor and the enchanted accordion,” and “The acrobatic fairy-tale.” His first time collaborating with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Faculty Adjunct Marko Petricic was featured on the bayan, a button accordion, an instrument he has been playing since he was 13-years-old.
Petricic was happy to showcase such an unusual instrument.
“Accordion isn’t exactly the most usual solo instrument, and every musician just loves to play with the orchestra,” Petricic said. “It’s so much more fun to share music-making with a great ensemble.”
The concert also featured the American premier of Joseph Dangerfield’s “Two Vestiges.” Frank’s work was commissioned by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and was inspired by the city’s diverse Latino community.
Lastly, several movements from William Bolcom’s “Concerto in D for Violin and Orchestra” ended the concert, and Associate Professor of Music Ariana Kim was featured on the violin for a 25-minute piece. It was Kim’s first collaboration with the ICO as well.
“It started out as just an idea of collaboration, particularly to showcase 20th and 21st century music,” Kim said. “I think that that music is often less performed because people think it’s less accessible, but particularly because it is such an important part of what we do–being able to play the music of our time–I think we wanted to go down that avenue and present a program of new music.”
For her part in the performance, Kim began preparing in June, but she’s been playing the violin since the age of three. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts at the Juilliard School.
Her months of preparation and classical training resonated with audience members.
“Dr. Kim’s performance of the Bolcom concerto was as much the highlight of the evening as Dr. Berners’ piece,” Rauscher said. “Every note was played with artistic precision, and the composition is phenomenal in its own respect.”
The ICO has collaborated with UIndy faculty before, performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony last year.
