2015-2016 Faculty Achievements

Faculty within the College of Musical Arts had many notable accomplishments in the 2015-2016 academic year. Congratulations!

• New CDs have been issued by faculty members Susan Nelson (bassoon), Elements on the MSR Classics label; Conor Nelson (flute), Nataraja on New Focus Recordings; trumpet professor Charles Saenz, Eloquentia on the Beauport Classical label (recorded by CMA Recording engineer Chris Aftoora); conducting professor Scott Lavender released his new piano CD, 'Round Midnight; Thomas Rosenkranz's piano CD Toward the Curve was released by Oberlin Records; pianist Robert Satterlee released two CDs, Frederic Rzewski Piano Music on the Naxos label, and Rzewski Four Pieces and Albright Five Chromatic Dances on the Blue Griffin label. Chris Aftoora was also the recording engineer on the recently released CD Road Trip by Tower Brass Quintet.
• Professor Emeritus Vince Corrigan has written a book, Music 100, the definitive history of the first 100 years of the music department/school/college at BGSU. It is available for purchase online.
• Professor Emily Freeman Brown, our director of orchestras, published her well-received book, A Dictionary for the Modern Conductor. Emily has also been honored as a Professor of Creative Arts Excellence on campus.
  
• Professor Mary Natvig's book, Teaching Music History, was named by its publisher, Ashgate, as the most influential book it had ever published in the field of music. In fact, this book is largely responsible for the formation of a new field of study, that of music history pedagogy, and the first conference on the subject, held at Michigan State University and now an annual event, was named after the book.
• Sandra Frey Stegman, Associate Professor of Music Education, and BGSU alumna Tracey Nycz (MM MusEd) presented a session entitled Adolescent Voice Change: Enjoy It While It Lasts! at the ACDA Central Division Conference held in Chicago this past February. The session topic was greatly enhanced by the students that served as the demonstration group from Tracey's Junior High Girl's Chorus and Junior High Boy's Chorus.
• Penny Thompson Kruse, Professor of Violin, was named the 2016 Collegiate Teacher of the Year by the Ohio String Teachers Association.
• Professor Bruce Moss conducted the Tennessee All-State Band, was awarded the Louis Blaha Award by the American School Band Directors Association for dedication and service in mentoring young band directors, and conducted the Ohio Ambassadors of Music Band (with Gene Trantham, choir), giving concerts at BGSU and in seven European countries.
• Conducting faculty member Scott Lavender conducted the LA Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, the Oregon Symphony and the Raleigh (NC) Symphony over the past year.
• Associate Professor of Piano, Thomas Rosenkranz is currently spending his year-long sabbatical living in Chengdu, China where he is learning Mandarin. He recently gave concerts and master classes at the Sichuan, Shenyang, Xinghai, and Xian Conservatories in mainland China, as well as the Taipei School for the Arts and Tunghai University in Taiwan. He served as a jury member for the Shanghai Spring Festival Competition and was a faculty member at the Hong Kong Modern Academy, the MusicARTE Festival in Panama and the soundSCAPE Festival in Italy. Additionally, he recently co-founded a new piano festival in Italy called the Maccagno Piano Days Festival and Competition which enrolls students from around the world.
• Professor and Chair of the Department of Music Education, Kenneth Thompson, conducted the international webcast concert of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Orchestra and the Toyota City (Japan) Orchestra as part of the US Consulate and Japanese Sister City Program. Dr. Thompson also developed and authored the curriculum materials for the DSO Education Concert Series used by thousands of students and teachers throughout the US.
• Assistant Professor of Bassoon, Susan Nelson, performed in Tokyo, Japan at the International Double Reed Society Convention.
• Gene Trantham, Associate Professor of Theory, organized and gave a presentation at the Lightning Forum, entitled "Student & Faculty Perspectives on Technology within Higher Education" at the College Music Society National Conference in Indianapolis, IN.
• Michael Gartz, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Organ and Choral Accompanist, played organ for the Canterbury Singers USA in England at Christ Cathedral, Oxford & St. George's Windsor Castle.