Violinist Timothy Kantor, a doctoral student studying with Mark Kaplan, is featured as “Young Artist-in-Residence” this week (May 20-24) by American Public Media’s Performance Today. He is joined by collaborative pianist Clare Longendyke, who recently completed her master’s degree at the Jacobs School, studying with Jean-Louis Haguenauer.

Performance Today is America’s most popular classical music radio program, with more than 1.3 million weekly listeners.

Kantor and Longendyke can be heard throughout the week on WFIU Public Radio from 1pm-3pm and at other times on more than 260 stations around the country. Recordings and video from their residency can be enjoyed on the program website.

Timothy Kantor was recently appointed concertmaster of the Evansville Philharmonic. An avid chamber musician, he is a founding member of the Larchmere String Quartet, the Eykamp String quartet-in-residence at the Evansville Philharmonic and University of Evansville.

He has also performed as a member of the Kuttner String Quartet at the Jacobs School of Music, the chamber music and “Quartet in the Community” residencies at the Banff Centre, the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet Chamber Music Seminar.

He has performed with many of today’s leading musicians, including Joshua Bell, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Atar Arad, Evelyne Brancart, Eric Kim, and Alexander Kerr.

Kantor is devoted to the performance of new music and has participated as soloist, concertmaster, and chamber musician with the new music ensembles at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Indiana University.

He also performs as a soloist and chamber musician with the Percussion Plus Project at DePauw University and with Margaret Brouwer’s Blue Streak Ensemble.

He graduated with honors from Bowdoin College and has a master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. His former teachers include Jaime Laredo, Paul Kantor, Stephen Kecskemethy, and Andrew Jennings.

Additionally, Kantor is a dedicated teacher and is an assistant professor of violin at the Fundacion por la Musica in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

Hailed for her wide range of interpretive abilities and colorful musicality, American pianist Clare Longendyke has given performances around the United States and in Europe. A graduate of the Boston University College of Fine Arts (Bachelor of Music magna cum laude), the École Normale de Musique de Paris/A. Cortot, and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (Master of Music), she has extensive performance experience as soloist, collaborator, and chamber musician.

Laureate of the prestigious Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship (2009-10), Longendyke lived and studied in Paris for three years, where she performed at the Salle Cortot and the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, among other venues. Winner of the 2012 Jacobs School of Music Piano Department Concerto Competition, she performed Béla Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the IU Concert Orchestra conducted by Scott Sandmeier. In 2013, she won second prize in the Schubert Club of Minnesota’s Bruce P. Carlson Scholarship Competition.

Longendyke has performed in master classes for Jeremy Menuhin, Janos Starker, Gabriel Chodos, Martin Canin, Anthony di Bonaventura, Sandra Rivers, and Mark Kaplan, as well as members of the Shanghai String Quartet and the International Contemporary Ensemble. She has studied with professors Maria Clodes-Jaquaribe and Linda Jiorle-Nagy of Boston University, Erik Berchot, Pavlos Yallourakis, and Jean-Louis Haguenauer, and attended the New Music on the Point Festival, the Young Artist Academy of the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades, France, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Aria International Summer Academy.

An advocate for the composition and performance of new music, Longendyke spent two years as pianist of the IU New Music Ensemble, where she frequently worked one-on-one with composers such as Frederic Rzewski, Joseph Schwantner, and Joan Tower. She actively performed and premiered works by student and faculty composers during her tenure at both Boston University and Indiana University, and performed as part of the Bloomington-based ensemble Holographic. In 2007, she was given special recognition for her interpretation of the piano works by celebrated American composer Elliott Carter.

Longendyke completed her graduate studies at the Jacobs School of Music in May 2013 as a student of the French pianist and Debussy expert Jean-Louis Haguenauer. A dedicated teacher, she served as an associate instructor of piano at the Jacobs School from 2011 to 2013 and has taught children and adults in both private piano lessons and group settings since 2005.

Sang Mi Ahn’s “Convergence” (for alto saxophone and electronics) was accepted for performance at the 2013 International Computer Music Conference in  Perth, Western Australia, August 11-17.

Congratulations to the Kenari Quartet (Robert Eason, soprano saxophone: Durand Jones, alto saxophone; Corey Dundee, tenor saxophone; and Steven Banks, baritone saxophone), who have won the Silver Medal in the Senior Wind Division at the 2013 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

The quartet performed in the final round of the competition on Sunday, May 12, alongside the Wasmuth String Quartet, also Silver Medal winners (of the Senior String Division).

For more information on the Fischoff Competition, click here >

Bob Eason is currently pursuing a master’s degree in saxophone performance and studies with Otis Murphy at Indiana University. Recently, Eason was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2013 Young Texas Artist Competition. He has performed with the Jacobs School of Music Wind Ensemble under the direction of Stephen Pratt, and he is the Soprano Saxophonist of the Kenari Saxophone Quartet. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from The University of Houston and studied with Dan Gelok, Valerie Vidal, and Karen Wylie. While at the University of Houston, eason was a founding member of the Blue Static Saxophone Quartet and performed with the ensemble at the 2011 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition where the group won the Silver Medal in the Senior Winds division. In addition to the teachers mentioned above, Eason feels incredibly fortunate to have been mentored by Eddie Green, John Benzer, David Bertman, Noe Marmolejo, Tom Bennett, Gregory Dick, Robert Munoz, Theron Sharp, Julio Sanchez, Aaron Brown, Martin Langford, and Chris Patterson.

Durand Jones is a master’s student at Indiana University under tutelage of Otis Murphy. He received his Bachelor of Music Education at Southeastern Louisiana University. Other saxophonists that Durand has studied with include Richard Schwartz, Brina Bourliea, and Craig Millet. Durand is the alto saxophonist of the Kenari Quartet. While at Indiana University, Jones has had many performance opportunities such as performing in the Symphonic Band under the baton of Gershman, the IU Latin Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Michael Spiro, the IU Soul Revue under the direction of Tyron Cooper and Charles Sykes, and the IU Saxophone Ensemble. Outside of IU, Jones has had the opportunity to also perform in Carnegie Hall, the International Saxophone Symposium in 2011 and 2012, the North American Saxophone Alliance region 5 Conference, and as a featured artist for the Southeastern Guitar Festival for two consecutive years. Jones has also performed in masterclasses for famous saxophonist such as, Timothy McAllister, Dale Underwood, Griff Campbell, H2 Quartet, Iridium Quartet, Jonathan Helton, and Otis Murphy. He is affiliated with North American Saxophone Alliance, Kappa Kappa Psi, and the National Association for Music Education.

Corey Dundee is a senior at Indiana University, where he is currently studying saxophone performance with Otis Murphy and composition with Claude Baker. He is a recipient of the Jacobs Scholarship, a full-tuition merit award given to a select number of undergraduate students. Dundee has performed as a guest soloist with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the UNC School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra and the Interlochen Philharmonic. As a composer, he has received recognitions from ASCAP and the Tribeca New Music ensemble, and has collaborated with the Barkada saxophone quartet and the Akropolis reed quintet in writing new pieces for chamber winds.

Steven Banks is a sophomore in the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the instruction of Otis Murphy. He is a recipient of the Jacobs Scholarship, one of the most prestigious awards given in the School of Music. Banks regularly performs as both a soloist and an ensemble player with the Kenari Saxophone Quartet and Indiana University Symphonic Band. Since his solo debut at age 17 with the Durham Symphony Orchestra, Steven has performed and competed nationwide. Banks has won top prizes in several competitions, including 1st prizes at the 2011 Joseph M. Bryan Concerto Competition and the Durham Symphony Young Artist Competition. Steven was also chosen to perform on NPR’s From the Top on show 241 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Most recently, Steven won the Indiana University Woodwind Concerto competition and performed Paul Creston’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra on April 10, 2013. Steven is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied with Taimur Sullivan, baritone saxophonist of the renowned Prism Saxophone Quartet. He attended the Interlochen Arts Camp under the tutelage of Timothy McAllister. Steven has participated in master classes with Christopher Creviston, Joe Lulloff, the ZZYZX saxophone quartet and the United States Marine Band saxophone quartet.

Congratulations to the Wasmuth Quartet (Brendan Shea and Jonathan Ong, violin; Abigail Rojansky, viola; and Warren Hagerty, cello) who have won the Silver Medal in the Senior String Division at the 2013 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

The quartet performed in the final round of the competition on Sunday, May 12, alongside the Kenari Quartet, also Silver Medal winners (of the Senior Wind Division).

For more information on the Fischoff Competition, click here >

Performer Biographies

As the son of a diplomat, Brendan Shea began violin at the age of three and studied while abroad in Belgium, China, the United States and Taiwan. At the age of 10, he performed Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasie” in Carnegie Hall, and the following year, he made his debut with orchestra at the age of 11, playing the Paganini Concerto with the Landon Symphonette in Washington, D.C. While in elementary school, he won all available competitions at the Levine School of Music and in the Washington, D.C., area. His early teachers include Zakhar Bron, Vladimir Klotchko and Olga Khroulevitch. Shea studied with Milan Vitek at the Oberlin Conservatory, where he earned a Bachelor of Music and Artist Diploma in violin performance. Since entering the conservatory, he has performed regularly with orchestras and in recitals nationally and internationally, and has been a regular contender and semi-finalist in many major international competitions, including the Carl Nielsen, Sendai, Sibelius, Isang-Yun and Seoul competitions. His collegiate level awards include first place with honors in the Glazunov International Competition in Paris and the Oberlin Concerto Competition. He is currently completing his second year as a Master of Music student of Ik-Hwan Bae at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where he is also an associate instructor.

Jonathan Ong is a Performer Diploma student of Alexander Kerr at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where he is also associate instructor of violin. He is a prizewinner in the Singapore National Violin Competition, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition and the Alexander & Buono International Strings Competition. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has given performances in cities across the United States, Asia and Europe, including a concert tour around the People’s Republic of China as first violinist of the Zhang Piano Quintet. Ong began his musical training in Singapore at the age of 6, and by age 16, he was accepted to the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Lynn Blakeslee. Upon his graduation, he was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate for demonstrating outstanding performing ability, becoming one of the youngest students to receive this award. Following a two-year period in the Singapore Armed Forces, he was accepted to the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Paul Kantor on a full scholarship. His other teachers include Lynette Lim, Zvi Zeitlin and Fredell Lack. Among the many distinctions he has received are the Dorothy R. Starling Scholarship, the Howard Hanson Scholarship, the National Arts Council Overseas Arts Bursary and sponsorships from the Shaw and Lee Foundation in Singapore.

Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, violist Abigail Rojansky is currently completing her Master of Music degree at the IU Jacobs School of Music under the tutelage of Atar Arad. Previous teachers include Karen Ritscher at Oberlin Conservatory, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree, as well as Helen Callus and Madeline Praeger. She has performed across the United States and in the U.K., China, Singapore, Germany and Quebec in venues such as the Walt Disney, Davies Symphony, Beijing and Esplanade concert halls. Rojansky has participated in solo and chamber music master classes for artists including Paul Silverthorne, Yo-Yo Ma, Anner Bylsma and members of the Alexander, Belcea, Brentano, Cleveland, Cypress String, Emerson, Mendelssohn, Miami String, Pacifica and Smith Quartets. Previous festivals include the Mannes Beethoven Institute in New York, California Summer Music, Academie du Domaine Forget and Youth Music International. Her playing has been described by the Oxford Daily as “remarkably mature” and by the Oxford Times as “prov[ing] to be the highlight of the evening.” Continuing her progressive approach to chamber music, Rojansky champions the performance of new works and recently participated in the west-coast premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ quartet “Visions and Miracles.” Most recent performances include a recital with the Wasmuth String Quartet as a part of a residency with the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany, as well as a master class with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble.

Cellist Warren Hagerty was born in Naperville, Ill., and grew up mostly in Orange County, Calif. He is in his fourth year of undergraduate studies at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where he has studied cello performance with Eric Kim and Sharon Robinson. He has performed on the continents of Australia, Europe and North America in venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House. In December 2010, he played two concerts in Carnegie Hall as principal cellist of the New York String Orchestra Seminar under the baton of Jaime Laredo. In March 2013, he participated in a residency with the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany, with the Wasmuth String Quartet, which culminated in the quartet’s European debut, playing works by Haydn, Beethoven, and Ligeti. Hagerty has been a member of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra since 2011, as well as a member of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra since 2010. He has performed in master classes for Yo-Yo Ma, Mark Kosower and Sung-Won Yang.

Ian Berg was the recipient of the inaugural Lawrence P. Hurst Medal in Double Bass May 4, 2013, at the commencement ceremony in the Musical Arts Center.

Former students of Hurst from both the Jacobs School and the University of Michigan created the award to honor the professor emeritus of double bass after his retirement in 2012. They all contributed to the Lawrence Hurst scholarship fund, which now has a medal awarded each year in addition to the monetary award.

Spearheaded by Park Carmon, the medal will be awarded each year at the end of the spring semester, if there is a worthy candidate.

The winning candidate must be currently enrolled, deemed among the top bassists at the Jacobs School based on the outcomes of the orchestral auditions and demonstrated performance level, and show strong evidence of having a professional performing career.

These judgments are made by the String Department (in consultation with the bass studios and the chair), the Financial Aid Committee and Hurst.

If the recipient is not enrolled the following fall, the monetary part of the award is not given.

Originally from the Minneapolis area, Berg played principal and assistant principal bass in several Jacobs orchestras during his tenure at the school, where he received both his B.M and M.M degrees.

This spring, he made the semi-finals in the Grand Rapids, Mich., auditions and the finals in the Winnipeg, Canada, auditions.

He was a master’s student of Hurst during Hurst’s last year before retiring and continued his studies with Craig Brown this year.

Congratulations to student Mengyi Yang, First Prize Winner of the 2013 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition.  A student of Professor Emile Naoumoff, Mengyi will give her debut performance in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on May 19th.

For more on the Gradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition results, visit: http://www.alexanderbuonointl.com/bbpiano/piano_competition_winners_2013.html

Congratulations to this year’s Austin B. Caswell Award winners, Evita Jovic and Charles D. Helge.

The awards, which honor the best papers written during the previous calendar year for a Jacobs undergraduate music history class, were presented by Distinguished Professor J. Peter Burkholder, chair of the Musicology Department, during the May 4 commencement ceremony in the Musical Arts Center.

Two prizes are awarded annually, one for best paper on a topic before 1750 and one for best paper on a topic after 1750. Each prize consists of a certificate and $250.

Evita Jovic won the 2013 prize for best paper on a topic before 1750, with her study of a musical tradition associated with a single city and church.

Set against a rich cultural backdrop, her historical essay explores the repertoire of polychoral music composed for the iconic Venetian church of St. Mark in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

This year’s prize for best paper on a topic after 1750 went to Charles D. Helge for his essay about performers.

The opening sentence sets the stage for the rest of the piece: “The infinitesimal silence between the final notes of a piece and the roaring wave of applause that takes its place, while no more than a millisecond, is the dividing line between a performer’s statement and the persona that is created by the forces surrounding him or her.”

The committee that chose the winners this year was composed of musicology professors Michael Long and Kristina Muxfeldt.

The awards were established in honor of Professor Caswell on the occasion of his retirement from the Jacobs Musicology Department in 1996—after 30 years. He continued to teach in the Honors College until just before his death in 2006.