Three modern composers and those who inspired them:
7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14
TACOMA, Wash. – Mezzo-soprano Dawn Padula has created a concert to give South Sound audiences a taste of the intimate personal influences that inspire music composers.
On Nov. 14 the University of Puget Sound director of vocal studies and national performer will present works by three modern composers, and pair those with pieces written by earlier artists who influenced their work. Listeners will be able to compare the music of the inspirer and that of the inspired—and hear the evolution of creativity from one generation to the next.
The performance, titled Inspiration, will take place at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, in Schneebeck Concert Hall. Padula will be accompanied by Jooeun Pak ’04, piano; Margaret Shelton ’11, harp; and Maria Sampen, professor of music, on viola. Ticket information is below.
Padula says six composers will be featured during the evening. “Robert Hutchinson recently wrote a work for Margaret Shelton and me, and his influence was that of the French impressionists, such as Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, so I will be partnering his songs with a set by Debussy that shares similar textures and harmonic language.”
Robert Hutchinson is professor of music theory and composition at Puget Sound. His works have been performed regionally and nationally, including at the Society of Composers 2004 National Conference.
“Similarly,” Padula went on, “Frank Bridge was Benjamin Britten’s teacher, and so I’ve partnered a set of Bridge songs with a set by Britten.” Bridge was the celebrated English composer’s first composition teacher and a stickler for mastering the technical skills.
“Finally David Ashely White, professor and former director at University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, introduced me to his song cycle for mezzo-soprano, viola, and piano titled Homages, when I was a student. His songs quote the famous Brahms’ songs for viola.” White, known for his secular and sacred compositions, has had music recorded by the St. Paul’s Choir in Houston, and the Houston Chamber Choir, among others.
Dawn Padula received her Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. She has performed many of the major mezzo-soprano operatic roles, including Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and Isabella in L’Italiana Algeri. In addition she has performed extensively as a soloist in oratorios, such as Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, and in several orchestral pieces, including the requiems of Mozart and Duruflé. Padula has sung with the Houston Grand Opera, Tacoma Opera, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Amarillo Opera, Alamo City Men’s Chorale, Opera in the Heights of Houston, and Living Opera Company of Dallas, among others.
’04, a native of Seoul, South Korea, won her first major competition at the age of 10 and has since won prizes in national and international piano competitions. Her successful collaborations with contemporary composers elicited invitations to perform in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Upon winning the grand prize in Indiana University’s 2011 Latin American Music Recording Competition, for a CD created in collaboration with Colin Sorgi, Pak gave her Chicago debut concert in Chicago Cultural Center. Now an affiliate artist faculty member, Pak attended University of Puget Sound to study music. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music degree at Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University.
Maria Sampen, professor of music and director of strings at Puget Sound, has performed as a concerto soloist with orchestras across the United States, and as a chamber musician in Europe, Asia, and North America. She is in demand as a performer of both standard and experimental works, and frequently collaborates with leading composers. Sampen is a member of the Puget Sound Piano Trio, The IRIS Orchestra, and Brave New Works. She also is on the violin faculty at the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina. A two-time recipient of University of Puget Sound’s Thomas A. Davis Teaching Award, Sampen maintains a full studio of students from the university and community.
FOR TICKETS: Tickets are available online at tickets.pugetsound.edu, or at Wheelock Information Center, 253.879.3100. Admission is $15 for the general public; $10 for seniors (55+), students, military, and Puget Sound faculty and staff. Admission is free for Puget Sound students. Remaining tickets will be available at the door.
For directions and a map of the University of Puget Sound campus:pugetsound.edu/directions.
For accessibility information please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3236, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility.
Press photos of Dawn Padula, Jooeun Pak, and Maria Sampen can be downloaded frompugetsound.edu/pressphotos.
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