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SSMF NEWSLETTER735 University Avenue • Sewanee, Tennessee 37375 • 931.598.1225www.sewaneemusicfestival.org

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTORTwo days ago the Minnesota Orchestra, after 14 months of lockout, came to an agreement that will allow them to make music once again. Bravo!! This is wonderful news! We are particularly happy for our own faculty violinist Jonathan Magness (Asst. Princ. Second Violin) and our 2011 / 2012 guest conductor, Courtney Lewis (Asst. Conductor). Minnesota has been, sadly, just one example of the many orchestras which have faced serious budget deficits recently. Like many orchestral musicians, they will be working for lower pay in their new contracts. I remember at the League of American Orchestras Conference in June 2012, it was announced that things were looking up, only 50% of orchestras had operated in debt that year! My heart sank. But not for long. After the conference, I came back to Sewanee.

I know I’m preaching to the choir (or in our case, the orchestra!) when I talk about the value of orchestras and other music organiza-tions to a city. We musicians have always know that a city is only as healthy and rich as its cultural organizations. That we entrust to our orchestras (and galleries, and stages) the very heart of our humanity, and in their work show the world the best of what we are. But we musicians could stand a bit of preaching to when it comes to our role in keeping the arts alive. There is plenty of blame to go around in today’s crises, and we heap it on management, boards, union leaders, even donors. Yes, there are some who should be held accountable as individuals. But for us, it’s time to think beyond the crisis of the moment. Here is where our students come in. The way past anger is action. We can’t sit on stage and expect our community somehow to know how valuable we are and to find their own way through our doors--a dozen marketing people can’t sell seats like a single musician in the right place! If our communities are going to value and sustain us, it will be because our passion has been contagious, we’ve breathed on our community (pardon the flu season metaphor!) and infected them. They want to hear us, they’re proud or us, they believe their city is great because it has our orchestra. Our SSMF students will undertake that challenge. It requires work and creativity, but the reward is great!

We will succeed to the degree we put ourselves in front of our communities, to share our passion in new ways, new places. If there is one thing musicians do, it’s communicate. We are trained to do it on stage, but we must do it at school board meetings, BEFORE the district threatens to cut another strong program. We must do it in the grocery store, when someone sees the case on our backs and asks us what we play--”I play the oboe in YOUR XYZ Symphony. We’re playing this great program next Friday night. You should come hear us!” We must do it in groups, when we play for 10 minutes before a community council meeting, when we have lunch with a member of the board of directors. I call it the “ant trap” method--find where people are, and plant yourself there. Now is the era of BYOA--bring your own audience! No, we aren’t on the clock. No one pays us for that time. But when we share our talent and love, we are repaid in the big picture.

When I watch 200 amazingly talented students at Sewanee each summer, I am far more excited for our future than concerned. They are creative, fearless in tackling huge repertoire, dedicated, collaborative...every sort of alive that you could imagine! Their generation downloads far more “classical” music than 20 years ago, and they mix it with everything in the world. These young musicians know no bounds. It is our invitation, at the SSMF, to them to tear down the walls of their concert halls and bring what they do to every part of their communities. It is our belief they will write music we will love, they will search for new ways to be heard, they will enrich our lives. There is nothing more exciting to me than to watch these students at Sewanee, and when they leave in July, I trust the future is in good hands!

18 JANUARY 2014 | WINTER

KATHERINE LEHMAN, DIRECTOR

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FIND YOUR VOICE.

JANUARY is a busy month. Back to school, back to work. Waving digital hellos to the friends and family that you shared a glass of eggnog with over the holidays. Taxes. (Or maybe that’s an April thing for

you?) Just a little over two weeks into 2014, and we’re already finding our New Year’s resolutions falling through - we’re skirting the gym and discovering our to-do lists have far too many items unchecked. This time of year we’re always reminded to slow and down and enjoy the little things… but the little things keep piling up. And through all the fuss and clamor, here we are – reaching and scrambling, our inner selves talking, trying, straining to be heard above the din.

Breathe. Everything’s going to be okay.

True, time is finite. Most everything is. Winter will come and go, deadlines will approach and then they will fade away, whether or not you managed to meet them. But there is one constant. Like a drumbeat, it’s steady rhythm propels you forward from day to day, month to month. It is your Voice.

It’s the part of you that yearns to create, to build. The part that intently studies your artform until you memorize each singular nuance and phrase, it’s what drives you to aggressively pursue a perfect creation. Your Voice is the thing you hear after a long day of practice, when you sink into the yawning crevices of your music, conceal yourself in its silences and draw the blinds on all the noise.

Here atop the Cumberland Plateau, we are lucky. It’s quiet, and there is opportunity to listen. Looking out from the secluded mountainside at the first rays of light, feeling the weight of your body against the earth, taking time to understand what moves you and why you move. Welcome to Sewanee.

ADMISSIONS INFORMATIONJ a n u a r y 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 • Deadline for early application ($15) – application completed through Musiccas. • Deadline for guaranteed consideration for wind players.

M a r c h 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 • Regular admission deadline ($60) – application completed through Musiccas. • Deadline for guaranteed consideration for non-wind player.

Audition requirements Students should submit a high-quality mp3 recording, audio only, containing a minimum of two contrasting works. One work may be an etude. A movement of a standard concerto or similar work is recommended. Orchestral excerpts are not required but may be submitted in addition to two other works. Percussion applicants should submit a solo for snare drum, timpani and marimba ( four mallets) in addition, you may submit (2-3) of orchestral excerpts on snare drum, xylophone, and timpani. Excerpts are recommended, but not required.

Complete applications: Applications are only considered when all materials, including application fee, are submitted via the Musiccas online application portal.

More information can be found at: www.sewaneemus i c f e s t i va l . o r g

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P I A N I S T S :Sewanee Summer Music Festival is excited

to announce that two distinct programs for

pianists will be offered for Summer 2014:

a two-week intensive program designed

for pre-college students, and an intimate

four-week program designed for developed

piano students at the collegiate level.

While the four-week program will continue

to offer advanced pianists an opportunity

to develop current repertoire through

individual instruction and ample practice

time, the new two-week program is

specifically designed as a highly structured

experience for pre-college students.

These pre-collegiate students will delve into

a multitude of topics, including: efficient

practice techniques, enhanced memory

skills, performance artistry, and improved

audition skills. The Sewanee Summer

Music Festival’s unique structure allows

for a group of highly experienced and

internationally recognized pianists and

teachers to aid young pianists in receiving

the best possible level of instruction. Students

are provided with small- and large-group

masterclasses, ensemble coachings, numerous

performances, and classroom activities

which cultivates artistic growth, preparing

students for future musical endeavors.

Both programs invite students to study solo,

ensemble and chamber music, and all students

will attend faculty chamber music concerts,

orchestral performances, and pre-concert

talks. Additionally, these students will have the

opportunity to speak with guest artists about

the life and work of a professional musician.

Continuing the Festival’s long tradition

of excellence in teaching and performing,

these exceptional programs allow pianists

of all ages and backgrounds to come

together in a beautiful setting and take

part in an unforgettable experience.

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TAK

E N

OTE

. GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING BANJOIST BéLA FLECk will be

returning to the Cumberland Plateau

for the final week of the 2014 Sewanee

Summer Music Festival. The SSMF has

commissioned Béla to write a new work.

Catch the world premiere at the Faculty

Chamber Music concert on Saturday,

July 19, when Bela takes the stage with

faculty and

students of SSMF.

Fleck will perform

his own concerto,

“The Imposter,”

with the Sewanee

Symphony on

Sunday, July 20.

2014 GUEST CONDUCTORS will

be announced throughout the month of

February. keep your eyes on

www.sewaneemusicfestival.org

for updates.

SSMF ALUMNI should be looking

forward to more gatherings, more

networking opportunities, and more ways

to reconnect with the Festival. If you’re an

alum and are interested in helping out (a

lot or a little) or if you have a great idea,

gives us a shout at ssmf@sewanee.edu.

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IN PERFORMANCE: SIDNEY KING Since the conclusion of the 2103 Festival, double bass teacher Sidney king has maintained an active performing and composing schedule.In late July, he traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his wife, SSMF Operations Director Evelyn Loehrlein. Between several successful fly fishing excursions, Sidney performed four exhilarating concerts of the Grand Teton

Music Festival under the baton of Donald Runnicles and others.

Other recent engagements include orchestra performances with the Auckland Philharmonic of New Zealand, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra; solo and chamber music performances in Buffalo, New York, and Athens, Ohio; and guest teaching at Michigan State University.

Sidney was invited by the Louisville Orchestra to perform his composition Entre Dos Luces for solo double bass and orchestra on October 17, 2013. Entre Dos Luces was commissioned by the SSMF to celebrate the first season of Resident Conductor Octavio Más-Arocas who led the Cumberland Orchestra in the ecstatic and unforgettable premiere on July 7, 2013.

Other 2013 commissions include Gabriel’s Message,

commissioned by the Freudig Singers of Western New York; Tangos Ardientes, a flamenco bass duo, commissioned to honor the marriage of mentor Paul Ellison; and Duende al Rojo for solo double bass and string orchestra commissioned by Louisville’s Youth Performing Arts High School and premiered at the Orchestra America National Festival. Duende al Rojo has also been performed by the Greater Chautauqua Youth Orchestra Orchestra and Ohio’s Otterbein University Orchestra.

IN ALUMNI: JILL CHRONISTER

“I’ve spent two summers at Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Every year, I always have the same feeling when the festival ends... I can’t wait to go back.

2013 in particular was transformative for me. It was incredible to work so closely with the conductors,

PEOPLE.

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especially Carl St.Clair. Maestro St.Clair not only taught me about the level of detail and musicality that goes into playing music well, but also about the classical music industry and the direction that it’s headed. I will be able to use what I learned from him as I begin to build my own career in graduate school.

I made great friends in my time at the Festival and, because we were all from different places, we were all able to learn from each other’s backgrounds. On

top of all that, Sewanee always programs incredible repertoire. It was a tremendous opportunity to play Shostakovich 5, Rite of Spring, and Symphonie Fantastique with such great musicians and conductors.

The experiences and the people I got to work with at Sewanee will continue to influence and shape me, both in my musical career and my life.”

IN EDUCATION: PATRICIA GEORGE

SSMF flute professor, Patricia George signed a contract with Theodore Presser Company to co-author Flute 201: Advanced Studies. This will be the seventh book in the instructional series that she has written. Publication date will be spring 2014.

***Patricial George will be teaching:

Masterclasses

Jan 17, 18 kentucky Flute FestivalJan 19 U of TN-ChattanoogaJan 20 Ringgold High

School, Ringgold, AL

Feb 17 Austin Public SchoolsFeb 18 University of Texas-Austin

Mar 8 Wisconsin Flute Festival, University of Wisconsin-OshkoshMarch 22 Texas A &M, College Station, TX

Summer Programs:

June 10 - 14 Lake Sylvia Suzuki Flute Institute, MNJune 21 - July 20 SSMF, Sewanee, TNJuly 24 - 27 Portland, ORAugust 02 - 06 Chicago, IL ***

Patricia George continues to serve as Editor of Flute Talk Magazine and writes the monthly column “The Teacher’s Studio.” Flute Talk is published 10 months a year worldwide and has a subscription base of over 10,000 flutists.

PEOPLE.

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OPPORTUNITY.SSMF OFFERS COMPOSITION COMPETITION, SCHOLARSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS

Sewanee Summer Music Festival Announces the 2014

KING BEETLE COMPOSITION

COMPETITION

for composers of all ages

Prize: $300 and Performance at 2014 SSMF

Rules: A 4-minute original composition immortalizing some aspect of king Beetle’s life for

flute, bassoon, and harp.

Entry Deadline: April 15, 2014

Send Score, Parts and High quality Recording to:

Sewanee Summer Music Festival735 University Avenue

Sewanee, TN 37383

The Legend of King Beetle Whatever stories you have heard about the life and demise of king Beetle, whether it is fact or legend, you always go with legend.

So whatever you have heard, consider it to be true.

SSMF Faculty Chamber Concert— Summer 2014 —Patricia George, Flute

Hunter Thomas, BassoonMarian Shaffer, Harp

ADVANCED CHAMBER ENSEMBLE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Students currently in a string quartet, piano quartet, wind or brass quintet are invited to apply

to Sewanee as an ensemble. Ensembles selected for this program will work together for the entire

festival and prepare special recital performances, in addition to participating in regular SSMF activities.

Scholarship award: $2000 per student, with the possibility of additional aid to meet

exceptional need.

Duties: Students should expect 4 - 8 hours weekly of extra duties, including assisting faculty with

sectionals and studio classes, working with students who may need extra help, performing at community

engagement events, etc.

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OPPORTUNITY.SSMF OFFERS COMPOSITION COMPETITION, SCHOLARSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS

SUPPORT SSMFYOUR DONATION COUNTS.

Sewanee Summer Music Festival could not operate without the support

of our friends. Go to www.sewaneemuscifestival.org/support

to learn how YOU can help change the nature of music.

What can you do?

• Make a donation

• Be a volunteer

• Support a Student

• Fulfill an item on

our wish list

• Be a sponsor

SEWANEE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014 INTERN PROGRAM

SSMF interns hold positions of leadership in one of the nation’s premier music festivals. With ample opportunities to mentor with experienced professionals, interns acquire valuable nonprofit arts management

skills. To provide diverse experiences in the artistic, operations and administrative aspects of the Festival, each intern may be assigned projects outside of the position description.

Employment dates for all positions: June 16 - July 21, 2014. Interns work non-traditional hours, including nights and weekends.

THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS ARE AVAILABLE:

Office and Front of House Manager / Assistant Director of Student LifeCompensation: Room, board and stipend of $1,500.

Operations Assistant / Sewanee Symphony Manager Compensation: Room, board and stipend of $1,500.

Assistant Librarian / Cumberland Orchestra ManagerCompensation: Room, board and stipend of $1,500.

Media Director / Production AssistantCompensation: Room, board and stipend of $1,500.

Administrative AssistantCompensation: Room and board ONLY.

Applications are accepted online only. Address cover letter, resume and two letters of recommendation to Evelyn Loehrlein, Director of Operations. To upload files, visit www.sewaneemusicfestival.org/about/internships.

Application deadline is March 01, 2014. Hiring decisions will be announced on or about April 01, 2014.

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