Author Archives: mccauleyn

Music of Stravinsky and Lukas Foss at Magnetic South

Magnetic South, a collaborative project between the College of Charleston Department of Music and the Charleston Symphony, will present a contemporary classical music concert featuring two iconic 20th century works: Stravinsky’s masterpiece “A Soldier’s Tale” in its complete staged version, with College of Charleston faculty members Robert Taylor as narrator and Evan Parry as the devil, along with Lukas Foss’ beautiful setting of Wallace Stevens’ “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” featuring soprano Kayleen Sanchez.

The podium will be shared by College of Charleston faculty member and Magnetic South’s Artistic Director Yiorgos Vassilandonakis, and Music Director of the Charleston Symphony Ken Lam.

The concert on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019 will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall at the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door, by calling (843) 723-7528, ext. 110, or online at charlestonsymphony.org.

Magnetic South is an innovative partnership between the College of Charleston Department of Music and the Charleston Symphony. It combines the resources of the two institutions to present contemporary classical music in Charleston in an informative context. The goal of the Magnetic South partnership is to bring to the audiences of the Lowcountry, including students at the College, masterworks of the 20th and 21st centuries along with important new works by living composers. The concerts, performed by Charleston Symphony musicians and conducted by College of Charleston faculty member Yiorgos Vassilandonakis and Charleston Symphony’s Music Director, Ken Lam, feature carefully selected works from a variety of aesthetic directions and styles to represent the panorama of the music of our time. Magnetic South was co-founded in 2012 by Vassilandonakis; fellow faculty member Edward Hart; and Charleston Symphony concertmaster and Principal Pops conductor, Yuriy Bekker. Learn more at go.cofc.edu/mas.

Broadway’s Bret Shuford is Charming, A Tale of an American Prince

Why should the princesses get all the glory? In CHARMING: A TALE OF AN AMERICAN PRINCE, Bret Shuford tells the tale of one prince’s trek from the faraway Kingdom of Texas to a castle in The East Village. Shuford’s quest is highlighted by the music of Sondheim, Lutvak, Prince and more, with a little Disney magic thrown in for good measure. Friendship bracelets, giants and perhaps even a furry woodland creature help guide this prince along the way. Will he get his “Happily Ever After”?

With musical direction by Tracy Stark and direction by Lennie Watts, the solo cabaret show written by Shuford and Watts is hosted by the College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance. Shuford was bitten by the theatre bug at a very young age and has spent the last 20 years working in New York City. In addition to working as a Broadway actor, he found a passion for being a content creator, director, choreographer, producer and collaborator with other artists.

CHARMING: A TALE OF AN AMERICAN PRINCE will take place on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. in the Emmett Robinson Theatre, Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. Admission is $20 general / $10 students. Tickets can be purchased online at theatre.cofc.edu, by calling (843) 953-6306 or at the door.

Funded by the Quattlebaum Artists-in-Residence Endowment, Shuford is spending the 2018-2019 academic year working directly with students in the College’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Last fall, he conducted lectures, workshops and masterclasses on various acting and arts management skills. This semester, in addition to his cabaret show, he will direct the musical URINETOWN, (April 11-16) part of the College’s current theatre and dance season. Also, on April 18, Shuford will give a free presentation titled “Business of Broadway.” With its origin dating back to 1985, the College’s Quattlebaum Artists-in-Residence Endowment has helped connect students and the community to renowned artists, such as visual artist Christo, pianist Leon Fleisher, photographer Duane Michaels, former NEA Chairman and actor Jane Alexander, and visual artist Htein Lin, among many others.

Shuford’s Broadway credits include Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour, Amazing Grace, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid. Other N.Y. credits include Actors Fund Benefit performances of A Wonderful Life, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, On the Twentieth Century, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Shuford’s credits outside of New York City include the National Tour of Lincoln Center’s South Pacific and Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden in Next to Normal at the Adirondack Theatre Festival. He originated the role of Vernon Castle in Castlewalk, a new musical presented as part of the New York Music Theatre Festival. He has sung with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and the Fort Worth Symphony. Shuford also has been seen on TV and Web series including Law and Order SVU, Alpha House, Submissions Only, and My Dirty Little Secret. His film credits include Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Bedfellows, and Uncle Melvin’s Apartment.

Arts Abound | Spring 2019 Events Calendar

With events ranging from fully-staged, professional dance and theatre productions to scholarly lectures on art and architectural history, the College of Charleston School of the Arts offers numerous public arts experiences for well-seasoned patrons and curious novices alike.

Throughout the academic year, the school presents a robust season of CofC Concerts, arts management sessions on navigating the music industry, theatre + dance performances, studio art exhibits and lectures, historic preservation/community planning lectures, plus the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art’s unique exhibitions, lectures and films.

View our spring arts calendar for a listing of this semester’s arts opportunities. Events are added as the semester progresses, so be social with the School of the Arts for the latest news.

Arts Management Program to Honor Mark Bryan for a Decade of Teaching and Service to College of Charleston

The College of Charleston Arts Management Program will honor its Artist in Residence Mark Bryan as he concludes his teaching and service to the program at IN THE MIX, the popular music industry series he hosts. The event, “IN THE MIX: Celebrating Mark Bryan” will be held on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sottile Theatre (44 George St.) on the College of Charleston campus. It is free and open to students and the public. For additional information, contact the Arts Management Program at artsmgmt.cofc.edu or call (843) 953-6301.

Mark Bryan, Grammy award-winning lead guitarist of Hootie and the Blowfish, has been teaching in the Arts Management Program since fall 2009 when he was hired by former Program Director Scott Shanklin-Peterson. Under the leadership of Shanklin-Peterson and now current director Dr. Karen Chandler, and with the support of School of the Arts Dean Valerie Morris, former College of Charleston Presidents P. George Benson and Glenn McConnell, and Provost Brian McGee, Bryan has worked with the faculty and staff of the Arts Management Program to develop an exciting and industry-based concentration for students who are Arts Management majors. Today, the Music Industry Concentration is one of the program’s fastest growing interests among its students. The concentration offers a full complement of academic and co-curricular programs including IN THE MIX; a roster of courses including audio production, presenting and festival management, legal issues in music and entertainment, artist and band management, and internships; 1770 Records, a student-run record label; and a Global Music Industry Study Abroad Program in Stockholm and Örebro, Sweden. “Mark’s professional contacts in the music business and use of those contacts over the years to assist students in getting internships, and his overall involvement in the development of the music industry concentration have been immeasurable in advancing the curriculum of the Arts Management Program,” says Chandler.

IN THE MIX, the music industry series hosted by Bryan, is a formal component of Introduction to the Music Industry, the class he co-teaches with Ron Mendola who taught in the music program at Georgia Tech University for 32 years before coming to the College of Charleston. The class and its IN THE MIX counterpart introduces students as well as the public to topics and professionals from all corners of the music business. The inaugural session of IN THE MIX was held in January 2014 with Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and lead vocalist of Hootie and the Blowfish, Darius Rucker, and Cary Ann Hearst, singer-songwriter and vocalist of Shovels and Rope. Through the years, Bryan has successfully developed IN THE MIX and hosted leading professionals in the music business from Nashville, New York City, and Los Angeles covering topics from songwriting, touring, digital streaming, and licensing to music publishing. (A full listing of all guests and topics can be found on the Arts Management Program website.)

In December and after ten years of service to the Arts Management Program as its Artist in Residence, Mark Bryan will be leaving the College to focus on his own musical endeavors. To honor and celebrate his contributions to the program and the Music Industry Concentration, he will be the guest of honor at the November 12th session of IN THE MIX. The event will be hosted by and will include an interview of him by Arts Management alumnus John Shields (‘12) of Charleston’s hip-hop-pop-rock duo, Little Stranger (and Long Miles, the popular reggae-rock band he and his College of Charleston classmates started while in school). The event will also feature student acoustic performances, student and community expressions of gratitude, and a few surprises. The event will conclude as it should — with a few tunes by Mark Bryan himself dedicated to his students, past and present.

IN THE MIX events are presented by the Arts Management Program in the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts. For information, visit artsmgmt.cofc.edu or call (843) 953-6301.

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Charleston Latin Jazz Collective to Perform for 2nd Monday Series

The 2^nd Monday Series at the College of Charleston School of the Arts will present the Charleston Latin Jazz Collective, a group of seven musicians comprised of faculty members, alumni and professionals within the community. They have joined together to create a unique high-energy sound that captures the essence of traditional Cuban music, as well as contemporary Latin jazz. Musicians include: Ron Wiltrout, percussion; Charlton Singleton, trumpet; Jake Holwegner, bass; David Heywood, arranger/flute/percussion; Gerald Gregory, piano; Gino Castillo, percussion/vocals and John E. Cobb, baritone sax.

The concert will take place on Monday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Recital Hall in the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for all students with school I.D. Admission is free for CofC Faculty and Staff. The Collective will announce the program from the stage.

Gino Castillo (percussion, vocals) has played professionally in Ecuador, Cuba, New York City, and for the last few years in Charleston, S.C. Sponsored by Pearl Drums, he has appeared in concert and recorded with a long list of international artists, many of which can be heard on his latest CD, Ya Llegue. In Charleston, he performs with his own group, The Gino Castillo Quartet. He also appears with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra and a number of other local groups. More information can be found at www.ginocastillo.com.

John E. Cobb (baritone sax) is a native of Charleston from the small town of Parkers Ferry. For nine years, he lived in New York City where he attended college and performed with several local Latin combos, show bands, and big bands in the tri-state area (N.Y., N.J. and Conn.). His instrument of preference is the baritone saxophone. Currently, he is a school administrator and freelance musician with many of the local jazz and party bands. He is considered to be both an accomplished musician and educator. Cobb’s tone is described by many as smooth and warm, and he performs weekly at High Cotton Restaurant with the James Slater Trio. In addition, Cobb has performed with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra during its last eight seasons.

Gerald Gregory (piano) began playing piano at the age of six with encouragement and support from his mom. He moved from his home of Roanoke, Va. to Charleston, S.C. in 2001 and is a 2005 graduate of the College of Charleston with degrees in jazz piano performance and composition. Gregory traveled to Copenhagen for a six week stint in 2006 and played in the Copenhagen Jazz Festival with Toca Toca, a Brazilian inspired ensemble. He is founding member of the group Morimoto, as well as the group Faces for Radio, in addition to being a members of the house bands at the Charleston Grill and Mercado restaurants. He is featured on many stylistically diverse albums ranging from country and rock to jazz and samba.

David Heywood (arranger, flute, percussion) has been an adjunct professor in the Jazz Department of the College of Charleston since 1999, where he directs the Wind Ensemble and two jazz performing ensembles. As a performer in Charleston, he has appeared with local groups including The New Music Collective, the salsa bands Havanason and Tumbao, The Charleston Jazz Orchestra, and dozens of other local jazz musicians and groups. He is also a published arranger, and has transcribed or arranged commissions for concert band, big band, and small wind groups for the U.S. Air Force groups based in Ga., Va., Neb., Colo., and Germany, as well as professional groups in Las Vegas, and of course The Charleston Jazz Orchestra. Heywood received a Bachelor of Music in Performance from North Texas State University, and an Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of South Carolina.

Jake Holwegner (bass) played electric bass with local R & B and funk bands for years before studying upright bass at the College of Charleston with Lee Burrows and Frank Duvall, as well as Charleston Symphony bassist Tom Breznik. His interest in Latin music led him to travel to Cuba in 2003, where he was able to study authentic performance styles and learn from many local musicians. In Charleston, Holwegner has been one of the house players at the Charleston Grill for the last seven years, as well as a regular member of the Lee Barbour Trio, Caravan, and Havanason, Tumbao, and many other local groups.

A native of Awendaw, S.C., Charlton Singleton (trumpet) began his musical studies at the age of three on the piano. He would then go on to study the violin, cello, and the trumpet throughout elementary, middle and high school. In 1994, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from South Carolina State University. Since that time, he has taught music at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as being an adjunct faculty member at the College of Charleston. For the past nine years he has been the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra; a 20 piece jazz ensemble of some of the finest professional musicians in the Southeast and the resident big band in Charleston, S.C. As a performer, Charlton leads his own traditional jazz group (Charlton Singleton Quintet) and a contemporary group (Charlton Singleton Band), as well as the Gullah-inspred group Ranky Tanky. He has performed in France, Great Britain, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, as well as many great cities throughout the United States. He has also shared the stage with and/or worked with some of most talented entertainers in the world.

Ron Wiltrout (drums, vocals) is a percussionist based in Charleston, S.C. He performs regularly throughout the Southeast with ensembles whose styles range from jazz to free improvisation to avant-garde and contemporary classical music. An avid performer of new music, he has premiered pieces by Ted Hearne, Michael Pisaro, Sam Sfirri, Mustafa Walker, Sean Friar, Philip White, and Nathan Koci. Wiltrout is devoted to exploring the use of unconventional percussion and extended techniques. He co-leads multiple jazz groups and is currently co-artistic director for the New Music Collective. Wiltrout has performed with Lewis/Gregory/Wiltrout, The Rudy Waltz, the Garage Cuban Band, Lee Barbour, Tommy Gill, Bert Ligon, Brad Moranz, Tumbao, Duda Lucena, Kopaja, Delusion Story, Katrina Ballads, The Charleston Jazz Orchestra, and the Opposite of a Train. More information can be found at www.RonWiltrout.com.

Housed within the College of Charleston School of the Arts, CofC Concerts includes five extraordinary series: International Piano Series, Magnetic South, Charleston Music Fest, 2nd Monday Series, and CofC Ensembles (CofC Concert Choir, Opera and Orchestra), featuring international, national and regional artists, as well as the award-winning student ensembles in the College of Charleston’s Department of Music. Visit CofC Concerts at music.cofc.edu/concerts.

Charleston Music Fest to Present Chamber Music + Arias

Charleston Music Fest presents intimate chamber music concerts featuring College of Charleston faculty, and local and international artists. Housed in the College of Charleston School of the Arts, Charleston Music Fest will present internationally acclaimed soprano Zoia Rozkok and esteemed faculty duo Natalia Khoma and Volydymyr Vynnytsky for a night of intimate chamber music and operatic arias. An honored artist of the Ukraine, Rozhok has graced the stage of The National Opera House of Ukraine, State Opera Theatre of Ukraine and the Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. She has sung large works with the Chernihiv Philharmonic, Moscow Conservatory and the Lviv Philharmonic. This expansive program will feature works by Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Donizetti, Puccini and Verdi.

The performance on Thursday, November 8 will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Recital Hall in the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. General admission is $25 and $10 for all students. Season subscriptions are available for three concerts. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased online at go.cofc.edu/cmf, by calling (843) 953-6315, or at the door.

Charleston Music Fest Season:
Zoia Rozhok, soprano; Natalia Khoma, cello; Volydymyr Vynnytsky, piano | Nov. 8, 2018
Natalia Khoma, cello; Volydymyr Vynnytsky, piano | Feb. 11, 2019
Janet Orenstein, violin; Brooks Whitehouse, cello; Allison Gagnon, piano | April 12, 2019

Zoia Rozhok is a laureate of several international competitions and a soloist of the Opera Studio of the National Academy of Music in Kyiv. From 2007 to 2010, she held the prestigious Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky assistantship at the National Music Academy of Ukraine where she studied with Diana Petreneko. Rozhok has graced stages in Poland, Germany, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Slovakia, Serbia, France, Kuwait, Malta, Cyprus, Italy, Spain and most recently the United States. In addition to her demanding touring schedule, Rozhok was named Associate Professor of Voice at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in 2014. A recording artist, Rozhok released her solo album “Inspiration” in 2012 featuring works by Strauss, Rossini and Verdi.

Natalia Khoma – Volodymyr Vynnytsky Duo is the unique team of two virtuoso soloists from the same city and with a similar background. Both were born in Lviv, Ukraine, studied at the prestigious Moscow Conservatory, and won International Competitions. Each has a distinguished career as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, and has appeared individually and as a Duo with major orchestras and premier chamber music series through the United States and Europe. With performances which have been hailed around the world as “most excellent,” “perfectly controlled and beautifully expressive,” “magical…deeply touching,” “with virtuosity and admirable feeling,” “passion, profundity and poignancy,” “cellist pianist solo soulmates,” the Duo is one of the most electrifying musical partnerships.

CofC Orchestra: Works by Mendelssohn, Debussy, Delius

The College of Charleston Orchestra will perform a fall concert featuring Mendelssohn’s Violin concerto, 1st movement (violin soloist: Tianyu Liu); Debussy’s La Mer; and Delius’ The Walk to the Paradise Garden. Yuriy Bekker is the conductor of the orchestra.

DETAILS: Monday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. | Sottile Theatre, 44 George St. | FREE / $20 suggested donation for adults

Revel in Renaissance Music at A Yuletide Madrigal Feast

The Department of Music in the College of Charleston School of the Arts will present A Yuletide Madrigal Feast, on Thursday, Nov. 29, Friday, Nov. 30, and Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m., at Circular Congregational Church.

The award-winning College of Charleston Madrigal Singers, conducted by Dr. Robert Taylor, will perform sacred and secular traditional holiday season carols in dinner theatre format. Each of the three evenings will be filled with Renaissance entertainment and a feast fit for royalty.

TICKETS: CofC Faculty/Staff $45, General $55, Preferred seating $65

Alcohol can be purchased separately at the venue.

Purchase tickets ONLINE. Send your questions and seating requests to
cofcmadrigaldinner@gmail.com
or call
843.953.8231

The College of Charleston Madrigal Singers is an auditioned ensemble made up of students from the College’s Concert Choir that specializes in chamber music ranging from the Renaissance to the present. The Madrigal Singers are perhaps best known for their annual Yuletide Madrigal Feast and are also annually featured on the Early Music Series and the Young Artists Series in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. They also frequently have performed and toured with Steve Rosenberg and Charleston Pro Musica, and they function as the community outreach arm of the choral program, performing for various civic functions and charitable organizations.

Robert Taylor, Director of Choral Activities at the College, is also director of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Singers, and the professional choir-in-residence at the College of Charleston – the Taylor Festival Choir. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University and is an experienced soloist, having sung leading tenor roles in a variety of operas, oratorios and musicals.

Dance Concert to Explore Importance of Standing WITNESS to Life Events

The College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and dance is excited to present Witness, Nov. 16-18, 2018. This fall dance concert features works by distinguished guest choreographers and faculty. Set against themes of social justice and equity, the concert explores the importance of standing witness to life events that shape our world and define our times. Witness is a dynamic exploration of our responsibility to speak out against injustice. Included in the concert is Lynchtown, an iconic piece by the modern dance pioneer Charles Weidman. Created in 1936 as a response to Weidman’s own observations, Lynchtown attacks the complacency of those who observe such horrors. The Dance Notation Bureau, who licenses the use of Labanotated works, granted permission for the Artistic Director Gretchen McLaine to reconstruct the dance. Other works in the concert include choreography by former New York City Ballet dancer and current adjunct faculty member Stephen Hanna, and guest artist Vincent Thomas, who created a dance centered on the music of Marvin Gaye.

The cast includes 35 dancers, four musicians, and a special guest appearance by Dr. Renard Harris, Associate Vice President of the College’s Office of Institutional Diversity.

The performance will run from November 16-17 at 7:30 p.m. and November 18 at 2:00 p.m. in the Emmett Robinson Theatre, Simons Center for the Arts, 54 St. Philip St. Admission is $20 for general public; $15 for senior citizens, College of Charleston employees and non-College of Charleston students; and $12 for College of Charleston students. Tickets are available ONLINE or by calling (843) 953-6306.

International Piano Series to Present Jeffrey LaDeur

Praised for his “delicate keyboard touch and rich expressivity” (San Francisco Chronicle) and playing that is “deeply moving, probing, entirely felt as in the moment” (Eduard Laurel), Jeffrey LaDeur performs worldwide from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the San Francisco Jazz Center and from the Shanghai Conservatory to the Orlando Festival in the Netherlands. LaDeur will perform the second concert of the International Piano Series at the College of Charleston School of the Arts, with a dynamic program featuring works by Frederic Chopin, Jean-Philippe Rameau and Johannes Brahms.

Watch videos of LaDeur.

The concert will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018 at 7:30 p.m., in the Sottile Theatre, 44 George St. General admission is $20, and free for students and College of Charleston faculty/staff and kids under 18. Tickets may be purchased ONLINE, at the door, by emailing concerts@cofc.edu, or by calling (843) 953-6315. More info about the International Piano Series is online at go.cofc.edu/ips.

LaDeur will also offer a master class, free and open to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 11:00 to 1:00, in the Cato Center for the Arts, room 237. Students from the Music Department at the College of Charleston will perform.

LaDeur Bio:

LaDeur is pianist and founding member of the acclaimed Delphi Trio, founder and artistic director of New Piano Collective and the San Francisco International Piano Festival. In 2015, he began a survey of Debussy’s complete solo piano music in the context of his influences and inspirations, culminating in an acclaimed debut recital at Carnegie Hall on the centennial of Debussy’s death. His debut album, featuring works by Debussy and Rameau, was released on MSR Classics and has been hailed as “a masterpiece of understatement, simplicity, and ‘old school’ chord-playing where every note sings out with meaning” (Gramophone).

As soloist with orchestra, LaDeur maintains a repertoire of over forty concerti. Conductors with whom LaDeur has collaborated include George Cleve, Michael Morgan, Barbara Day Turner, Lawrence Golan, and Ming Luke. Recent and upcoming engagements feature LaDeur as soloist with San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and Benjamin Simon in works by Beethoven and Mozart, the Cambrian symphony in Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto under the direction of Scott Krijnen, and as artist in residence with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra.

A passionate chamber musician, LaDeur concertizes internationally with the Delphi Trio. The Trio received the dedication of William Bolcom’s first Piano Trio, the world premiere recording of which was released on Triptych (MSR Classics) along with trios by Beethoven and Brahms. He has collaborated with artists such as Robert Mann, Bonnie Hampton, Geoff Nuttall, Ian Swensen, Anne Akiko Meyers, Toby Appel, David Requiro, and the Alexander, Telegraph, and Afiara Quartets.

LaDeur holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and San Francisco Conservatory of Music in piano performance and chamber music, respectively. He counts among his teachers Mark Edwards, Douglas Humpherys, Yoshikazu Nagai and Robert McDonald. LaDeur received his formative musical training from pianist Annie Sherter, a student of Vlado Perlemuter and Alfred Cortot.

For the rest of the International Piano Series season, Artistic Director Dr. Paul Sánchez has assembled a stellar roster of performers: Orion Weiss on March 12 and AyşeDeniz Gökçin on April 2. For more information about the 2018-19 season, visit: go.cofc.edu/ips.