Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Meet Andrew Fierova, USC Symphony Principal Horn
Andrew Fierova is a native of Spartanburg, SC, where he began his horn studies in the Spartanburg District 6 public school system. He is currently studying at the University of South Carolina with Robert Pruzin. Other teachers have included Richard Deane and Dr. John Ericson at the Brevard Summer Institute, Eli Epstein at the Boston Conservatory, and Anneka Zuehlke, principal horn of the Greenville Symphony and Spartanburg Philharmonic. At the USC School of Music, he is the current principal horn in the Symphony Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble, a member of the MTNA award winning Syzygy Wind Quintet, and a member of both the Sinfonia and Carolina Horn Quartets. In January of 2010, he was selected as a winner of the USC School of Music Concerto/Aria Competition. Mr. Fierova currently performs with the South Carolina Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra Augusta, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Beaufort Orchestra, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Orchestra. He has performed with the Converse College Wind Ensemble, Symphony, and Opera Company and the Columbia College Wind Ensemble. Throughout his college career he has had the privilege to be a private lesson instructor and marching band technician at Sumter High School and has enjoyed teaching the promising students from across the state of South Carolina.
Andrew is a member of the Carolina Horn Quartet. Check them out at: www.carolinahornquartet.com.
Their helping horns project is designed to raise funds for arts programs in South Carolina. See how you can be invovled: http://www.carolinahornquartet.com/helping_horns.htm.
Friday, October 22, 2010
USC offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in music. Admissions information: http://ping.fm/FbBej
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Marine Toys for Tots will be at our USC Symphony concert on Nov. 16th at the Koger Center in Columbia, SC http://ping.fm/V5QXT
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Meet USC bassoonist Bob Evans
Name: Bob Evans
Hometown: Roanoke, VA
Age: 21
What degree or program are you working on? I'm pursuing a music education degree with a performance certificate.
What year are you in? Senior
Who do you study with? Dr. Peter Kolkay
What are you currently working on? I'm currently working on music for my senior recital, most notably the bassoon sonata by Saint-Saëns, a contrabassoon work by Draganski, and the Poulenc sextet for woodwind quintet and piano.
Where and with whom did you study before attending the University of South Carolina? I took a few bassoon lessons in high school, but I didn't really start working on solo literature until I got to USC.
How did you choose USC? I really like working with my professor, and the family atmosphere within the School of Music was unlike anything I saw at other colleges. I've been afforded so many wonderful opportunities in my time here, and I consider myself lucky to be a part of this awesome machine.
Watch Bob Evans talk about Dr. Portnoy:
What is your most memorable performance? There are really so many from which to choose, but if I have to pick just one, it would be a performance with the SC Philharmonic this past February 13th. I was playing contrabassoon for the performance, and we were playing Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, which opens with a huge contrabassoon solo. I was so nervous in the first rehearsals because of all the musicians who I admire and respect so much were all around me, that by the time I got onstage I was almost relieved! I really nailed the solo in the performance, and it was such an exciting concert for me.
How did you choose to play the bassoon? I originally wanted to play the euphonium, but I had braces in middle school, so my band director put me on the bassoon. I was so confused by it, that for the first week I was learning to play it backwards: as in, holding it from my left side with my right hand on top! It's a pretty comical image, actually. And if you think that the bassoon looks awkward normally, you don't even know how awkward it can be backwards.
Other fun facts: I really enjoy music history, I'm going to be pursuing a master's degree in arts administration next year, my favorite composer is Jean Sibelius, and I love to cook.
Hometown: Roanoke, VA
Age: 21
What degree or program are you working on? I'm pursuing a music education degree with a performance certificate.
What year are you in? Senior
Who do you study with? Dr. Peter Kolkay
What are you currently working on? I'm currently working on music for my senior recital, most notably the bassoon sonata by Saint-Saëns, a contrabassoon work by Draganski, and the Poulenc sextet for woodwind quintet and piano.
Where and with whom did you study before attending the University of South Carolina? I took a few bassoon lessons in high school, but I didn't really start working on solo literature until I got to USC.
How did you choose USC? I really like working with my professor, and the family atmosphere within the School of Music was unlike anything I saw at other colleges. I've been afforded so many wonderful opportunities in my time here, and I consider myself lucky to be a part of this awesome machine.
Watch Bob Evans talk about Dr. Portnoy:
What is your most memorable performance? There are really so many from which to choose, but if I have to pick just one, it would be a performance with the SC Philharmonic this past February 13th. I was playing contrabassoon for the performance, and we were playing Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, which opens with a huge contrabassoon solo. I was so nervous in the first rehearsals because of all the musicians who I admire and respect so much were all around me, that by the time I got onstage I was almost relieved! I really nailed the solo in the performance, and it was such an exciting concert for me.
How did you choose to play the bassoon? I originally wanted to play the euphonium, but I had braces in middle school, so my band director put me on the bassoon. I was so confused by it, that for the first week I was learning to play it backwards: as in, holding it from my left side with my right hand on top! It's a pretty comical image, actually. And if you think that the bassoon looks awkward normally, you don't even know how awkward it can be backwards.
Other fun facts: I really enjoy music history, I'm going to be pursuing a master's degree in arts administration next year, my favorite composer is Jean Sibelius, and I love to cook.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wendy Warner will be joining the USC Symphony on October 19, 2010.
The USC Symphony Orchestra will be celebrating the 200th and 100th anniversaries of Robert Schumann's and William Schuman's births with a program of their works on October 19, 2010 at 7:30pm at the Koger Center for the Arts. We will be joined by cellist, Wendy Warner. Check out her website.We will be playing:
American Festival Overture (1939)- William Schuman
Cello Concerto in A minor, op. 129- Robert Schumann
Wendy Warner, cello
Symphony No. 3, op. 97 “Rhenish”- Robert Schumann
You may be asking yourself, "Who in the world is William Schuman?" There is an excellent website to answer your questions: http://www.williamschuman.org/.
Ticket Information:
| Adults $25; Senior Citizens, USC Faculty and staff $20; Students $8. Season tickets are available. |
Tickets are available at capitoltickets.com, the Carolina Coliseum Box office, or by calling (803) 251-2222. For additional information please contact (803) 777-7500. |
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The results are in! (Donald Portnoy International Violin Competition)
The Donald Portnoy International Violin Competition was held at the USC School of Music Recital Hall and Koger Center for the Arts on September 24-25. Eleven talented violinist were invited to compete in the semi-final round on September 24. The young violinists competed for one of three prizes. The third place winner would receive a prize of $2,000; second place, $4,000; and first place, $6,000.
The eleven semi-finalists were:
Keun Hwa Kim
Stanicnka Dimitrova
Carlota Amargos
Brandon Buckmaster
Seula Lee
Yifan Zhou
Garam Kim
Luke Hsu
Alicia Choi
Fang Rong Wang
Eric Gratz
This group was then narrowed down to five for the final round which took place on Saturday, September 25. The final five were Brandon Buckmaster, Seula Lee, Yifan Zhou, Luke Hsu, and Eric Gratz.
As with most competitions, a winner had to be chosen. The final line up was as follows:
Honorable Mention: Brandon Buckmaster
Second Runner-Up: Eric Gratz
Runner-Up: Seula Lee
Winner: Luke Hsu
Later that day the three winners performed in a winners recital. It was as, you may have assumed, an awesome performance by all three gifted violinists.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants for there excellent performances!
The eleven semi-finalists were:
Keun Hwa Kim
Stanicnka Dimitrova
Carlota Amargos
Brandon Buckmaster
Seula Lee
Yifan Zhou
Garam Kim
Luke Hsu
Alicia Choi
Fang Rong Wang
Eric Gratz
This group was then narrowed down to five for the final round which took place on Saturday, September 25. The final five were Brandon Buckmaster, Seula Lee, Yifan Zhou, Luke Hsu, and Eric Gratz.
As with most competitions, a winner had to be chosen. The final line up was as follows:
Honorable Mention: Brandon Buckmaster
Second Runner-Up: Eric Gratz
Runner-Up: Seula Lee
Winner: Luke Hsu
Later that day the three winners performed in a winners recital. It was as, you may have assumed, an awesome performance by all three gifted violinists.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants for there excellent performances!
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