Conservatory of Music

Recent News

Keane Southard '09, pianist and composer, has been awarded a Fulbright US Student grant -- Southard will spend nine months next year pursuing research in Brazil.

80th Annual Bach Festival sells out St. Matthew Passion performance and engages over 60 Conservatory graduates in new Alumni Choir event -- Strong reviews of the Festival are shared by the Plain Dealer and ClevelandClassical.com.

PlayhouseSquare and B-W presented midwest premiere of LIZZIE BORDEN the musical -- in the fifth year of collaboration, PlayhouseSquare and B-W's music theatre and arts management programs presented LIZZIE BORDEN at PlayhouseSquare's 14th Street Theater March 30 - April 1; read the Plain Dealer review.

Violinist Amanda Ramey '09 wins top honors in MTNA National Chamber Music Competition -- Ramey's quartet, the Anasazi String Quartet, won first place in the string chamber music division.

Clint Needham '05 appointed B-W Conservatory Composer in Residence -- Needham has received commissions by major artists and arts organizations in addition to winning multiple compositions awards and commissions.

Mezzo Soprano Margaret Mezzacappa '09 named national council winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions -- Mezzacappa will make her Carnegie Hall debut in Britten’s Spring Symphony in May and in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra in June.

Great feature article in the Plain Dealer highlighting the March 14 Symphonic Wind Ensemble concert, retiring faculty member Allen Kofsky and the appointment of Clint Needham as B-W's new Composer in Residence -- the concert honoring Kofsky will include 9 Cleveland Orchestra member soloists and the world premiere of a new piece by Needham.

Cleveland Orchestra trombonist Rick Stout appointed to B-W faculty -- Stout will replace retiring faculty member Allen Kofsky; his appointment will begin for fall semester 2012.

B-W Trombone Faculty Member Allen Kofsky to be honored at the March 14 Symphonic Wind Ensemble Concert -- Kofsky, a retired Cleveland Orchestra member, will retire this spring after a 52-year tenure at B-W; the March 14 concert will include 6 of Kofsky's colleagues, Cleveland Orchestra and B-W Conservatory faculty members, as soloists.

B-W opera production of Don Giovanni received a strong review from the Plain Dealer's Don Rosenberg on Cleveland.com -- Dean Willilamson was guest conductor with stage director Benjamin Wayne Smith.

Inaugural B-W and Beck Center partnership production of Spring Awakening gets rave reviews from Cleveland.com, the Lakewod Observer, Examiner.com, and Cleveland Jewish News -- the regional premiere of this work is directed by B-W Music Theatre Program Director Victoria Bussert and is performed at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, Ohio.

Violinist Mary Beth Ions '79 profiled in the Plain Dealer -- article focuses on how professional musicians make a living in Cleveland.

Trista Moldovan '02 made her Broadway debut as Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Dec. 9 -- she previously played the role on tour.

Bill Tacket '09 was the recipient of the American Austrian Foundation's 2011 Ansbacher Fellowship for Young Conductors -- Tacket spent a summer at the Salzburg Festival with members of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Flute professor George Pope profiled in November issue of Flute Talk magazine -- the five-page feature article is entitled "A Professor's Life."

Voice professor JR Fralick recieves rave review for performance of Nicolas in Britten's cantata Saint Nicolas, op. 42 -- the concert was part of Trinity Cathedral's Britten-Fest.

Clarinet professor Dan McKelway featured in Plain Dealer story on the role of the clarinet in Strauss work -- McKelway is a member of the Cleveland Orchestra.

B-W production of Titanic gets strong review on Cleveland.com -- the production was directed by Professor Scott Plate with Ryan Fielding Garrett '12, senior music theatre major, as music director.

Mezzo Soprano Margaret Mezzacappa '09 was the Grand Prize winner of the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competition -- she was featured in the foundation's annual gala and awarded the $12,500 grand prize; soprano Jennifer Rowley '02 was also a grant recipient in the competition.

OMEA Professional Development Conference in Columbus, Ohio February 16 - 18 -- to included a performance by the B-W Symphony Orchestra and many sessions by B-W faculty and alumni.

B-W Conservatory new and renovated facility Weekend Celebration -- special events were held on Friday & Saturday, October 14 & 15, to celebrate the opening of the Boesel Musical Arts Center and renovation of Kulas and Merner-Pfeiffer Halls.

American Vocal Quartet, including B-W voice professor JR Fralick, recevies rave review for concert at B-W -- ClevelandClassical critic J.D. Goddard concluded "This was an evening of rare artistic repartee among four superbly trained professional singers."

B-W Music Theatre program director Victoria Bussert directed the Danish premiere of Avenue Q -- joining her as choreographer was JR Bruno '09.

Composer Clint Needham '04 has been selected as the winner of the 2011 Barlow Prize -- the award includes a $12,000 commission for the Imani Winds, Fifth House Ensemble and Orpheus Winds.

Jill Paice '02 profiled by BroadwayWorld.com -- she is currently performing on Broadway in Death Takes a Holiday.

B-W's new Wagner Intensive profiled in the Plain Dealer, ClevelandClassical.com and CoolCleveland.com -- master classes and performances were held throughout the Intensive, July 23 to 30.

B-W voice faculty member Boyd Mackus profiled in the Akron Beacon Journal -- article highlights Mackus' 26 seasons performing with Ohio Light Opera.

B-W Arts Management Students land highly competitive national internships -- highlighting students completing internships in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Colorado.  Also, view a video profiling arts management senior Cory Isler and his internship with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Music Theatre Alumni Hillary Elk '09, Jill Paice '02 and Derrick Cobey '01 performed on the Tony Awards Sunday, June 12 -- Paice performed as part of the cast of New York Philharmonic's Company; Elk as part of the Broadway cast of Memphis; and Cobey as part of the cast of Broadway's Scottsboro Boys

Trumpet alumus Lyle Steelman '01 made his Cleveland Orchestra debut as a soloist May 4 -- Steelman has served as assistant principal trumpet of The Cleveland Orchestra since 2009

B-W's PASSING STRANGE at PlayhouseSquare gets strong reviews from The Plain Dealer's Tony Brown and local theatre critic Roy Berko -- In our fourth year of partnership, PlayhouseSquare and the B-W Music Theatre and Arts Management programs presented the regional premiere of a musical at the 14th Street theatre

B-W Saxophone Professor Greg Banaszak has been selected by the European Union to present a three-month concert tour in 2012 -- the tour will premiere a new American composer's saxophone concerto

14 Arts Management students from B-W attend Arts Advocacy Day in Washington D.C. -- the trip was sponsored by the Arts Management Association, a B-W student organization.

B-W Men's Chorus performance March 4 at St. John's Cathedral receives strong review in ClevelandClassical.com -- the B-W Men's Chorus, under the direction of Frank Bianchi, is an offering of B-W's Conservatory Outreach Department and is open to the community including B-W faculty, staff and students.

B-W Conservatory bassoon teacher and member of the Cleveland Orchestra Jonathan Sherwin profiled in the Plain Dealer -- read more about the Conservatory's long-time partnership with the Cleveland Orchestra here.

B-W first-year student Justin Caithaml and adjunct faculty member Frank Bianchi receive rave review of performance of Orff's Carmina Burana with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Chorus -- Caithaml is a member of the chorus and was a featured soloist; Bianchi is the director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus.

B-W Conservatory Assistant Director for Student and Academic Affairs Nanette Canfield '82 received the Conservatory Alumni Achievement Award -- in a dinner ceremony held on Saturday, February 26, Canfield was honored for her distinguished performing career and considerable contributions to Baldwin-Wallace College as a voice faculty member and administrator.

La Boheme and Rent in repertory -- First ever, in-repertory productions of La Boheme and Rent took place at B-W in February 2011.  Performances received rave reviews in The Plain Dealer, Sun News and Rave and Pan.  Read preview articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education, PlayBill.com,  ClevelandClassical and Spangle Magazine.  Cast members participated in a flash mob at the Cleveland Clinic in celebration of Heart Month; see the YouTube videos here and here.

The B-W Conservatory celebrates its partnership with the Cleveland Orchestra -- many orchestra musicians are faculty members and alumni.

B-W Alumni perform together in Sioux City, Iowa --  Sioux City Symphony Orchestra Music Director Ryan Haskins '07 conducted Sean Michael Keelan '02, violin, in a concert on February 12.  Keelan is the concertmaster of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra.  

Current B-W Conservatory students Pablo Issa, cello; Amanda Stenroos, violin; and Emily O'Shea, clarinet played a tour of performances in Bolivia in December 2010 -- their tour was covered by spanish-language newspaper Los Tiempos here and here.

Ethan Miller '05 chosen to participate in the International Competition Adolphe Sax in Belgium -- Miller is one of 25 saxphonists chosen from around the world to compete in this prestigious competition.

B-W voice faculty member Jane Eaglen performs with the B-W Symphony Orchestra -- renowned dramatic soprano performs B-W premiere; read the reviews here and here.

Trista Moldavan '02 playing Christine in final tour of Phantom of the Opera -- B-W grad is interviewed about her experience by the Akron Beacon Journal and The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Composer Keane Southard '09 has his 2nd Piano Sonata featured on WRSU

Conservatory building project receives $3.6 million in state tax credits for historic restoration -- the funds will help transform a former church into additional space for the B-W Conservatory of Music

Steel Burkhardt '07 to play Berger in the London West End production of Hair - Burkhardt was an original company member of the Broadway production of Hair.  Read the Playbill announcement here