All apologies to Forrest Gump, but you really never know what you鈥檙e going to get at the 麻豆影院鈥檚 Ekstrand music competition finals. Might be Bach, Bernstein or Basie, show tunes or a string quartet, a jazz solo or guitar duo.听
鈥淭he competition is open to any graduate student. The only requirement is that they perform a maximum of 15 minutes of music,鈥� says organizer听Margaret McDonald, assistant professor of collaborative piano. 鈥淭here鈥檚 such a wide variety it鈥檚 really fun for the audience 鈥� it鈥檚 freewheeling.鈥澨�
The Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition was started in 1987 by the late CU-麻豆影院 administrator and psychology professor, who died in 1996.
This year鈥檚 free, public finals concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17 at Grusin Music Hall in the听听on the CU-麻豆影院 campus.听
After surviving two rounds of competition among some 40 contestants, four individuals and a string quartet have been named finalists:听听鈥� Andrew Krimm, Andrew Giordiano, Joshua Ulrich and Zachary Reaves; Paul Kroeger, tenor; Daniel Nester, bassoon; Sharon Park, violin; and Rebecca Robinson, mezzo-soprano.听
Each finalist receives a $500 award. There also will be cash awards for first and second place and audience favorite. All awards are given for professional development, to help with costs for such things as performance, outreach or recording.听
鈥淓very audition season, singers spend thousands of their own dollars on expenses, including 鈥� travel, application fees and promotional materials.听It's a wonder we're ever able to afford it,鈥� Robinson says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 truly awards like the Ekstrand grant that enable us to pursue our goals.鈥澨�
鈥淲e鈥檝e really enjoyed participating in the Ekstrand competition at CU,鈥� says Reaves, founding cellist of the Altius Quartet. 鈥淲e look forward to the positive influence this is going to have on our future.鈥�
2014 Ekstrand Competition finalists
Mentored by the world-renowned Tak谩cs Quartet at CU-麻豆影院, the听听has played concerts around the United States and is the resident quartet of the Western Slope Concert Series in Colorado. Among its awards are a silver medal at the 2014 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and a gold medal at the 2013 Plowman Chamber Music Competition.听
Andrew Giordano听grew up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he began playing the violin at age 5 and joined the Williamsport Symphony at 15. He has performed at the Aspen Music Festival and with the National Repertoire Orchestra.
Andrew Krimm听earned a BM in viola performance from CU-麻豆影院. He grew up in Dallas, where Downbeat Magazine recognized his exceptional performances in chamber music. He 听 听 听 听 听 performs on a 1940 Fredrick Haenel viola and studies with Erika Eckert, Geraldine Walther and Ellen Rose.
Zachary Reaves听is the founding cellist of the Altius Quartet. He earned a BM in cello performance from Southern Methodist University鈥檚 Meadows School of the Arts, where he studied 听 听 听 听 听 with Andres Diaz and Christopher Adkins.
Joshua Ulrich听has performed internationally and collaborated with James Tocco, Awadagin Pratt, Sandra Rivers and others. He has been awarded fellowships from the Aspen Music 听 听 听 听 听 听 Festival and Bowdoin International Music Festival and was a Shouse Artist at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. He is a regular substitute with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra 听 听 听 and concertmaster of the Richmond (Indiana) Symphony Orchestra.
Paul Kroeger听graduated summa cum laude from Southern Methodist University in 2013. While at SMU, he performed in听Albert Herring, Le Nozze de Figaro听and听Orpheus in the Underworld. At CU-麻豆影院 he has performed with the CU New Opera Workshop and in听The Pirates of Penzance.听
Daniel Nester听was principal bassoonist for the Israel Chamber Orchestra, performing as a soloist, recording CDs and touring Europe and South America. He received a BM from the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv and an MM from the University of Southern California, where he received first prize in the USC Concerto Competition. He is the recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship.听
Violinist听Sharon Park听has performed extensively throughout the U.S. as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician in such venues as Carnegie Hall and Jordan Hall. She received top prizes at the Stradivarius International Violin Competition, ARTS Award by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and the Bronislaw Kaper Awards. She earned an MM from The Juilliard School and BM from the New England Conservatory and is a founding member of the Azur String Quartet. At CU-麻豆影院 she studies with Lina Bahn, Edward Dusinberre and Charles Wetherbee. 听
Mezzo-soprano听听will appear as Dorabella in CU Opera鈥檚 production of Mozart鈥檚听听and Ottone in Monteverdi鈥檚听. She did her undergraduate study at DePaul University and is a graduate of McGill University, where her roles included Romeo in听I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Hermia in听A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream听and Sesto in听Giulio Cesare. She was a young artist with the Crested Butte Music Festival (2014) and Central City Opera (2102).
