FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuscaloosa, AL – The University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences School of Music presents a faculty recital featuring trombonist Jonathan Whitaker on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Moody Music Building on the campus of The University of Alabama. The program will include “Fantasy, Op. 42” by Paul Creston, “Lieder aus Des Knaben Wunderhorn” by Gustav Mahler, “Nature’s Gift” by Anthony Barfield, and “Atlantic Zephyrs” by Gardell Simons. “Nature’s Gift” is a piece composed by UA alum Anthony Barfield. This will be its world premiere, and it is dedicated to the birth of Whitaker’s daughter, Ainsley. The concert is FREE and open to the public.  For more information visit: www.music.ua.edu/calendar or call 348-7111.

Dr. Jonathan Whitaker joined the faculty of The University of Alabama in the fall of 2009. He  previously taught at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas as Assistant Professor of Trombone and Low Brass.

Whitaker is an active performer as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician.  He is a founding member of the Stentorian Consort along with three other prominent professional trombone players.  Stentorian Consort released their first CD “Myths and Legends” in August of 2007 on Albany Records.  “Myths and Legends” contains all premiere recordings of original compositions for trombone quartet by composers Eric Ewazen, Fisher Tull, Charles Wourinen, Leslie Bassett, John LaMontaine and others.  The consort recently performed and recorded with Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombonist of the New York Philharmonic and Peter Ellefson, Professor of Trombone at Indiana University and Northwestern University and will release our second recording in 2010.  Whitaker can also be heard on Dee Stewart’s CD entitled D+ (Dee Plus) performing with the Indiana University Trombone Faculty.  Whitaker performs regularly with the Alabama, Harrisburg (PA), Mobile (AL) and Meridian (MS) Symphonies and has also held positions and performed with the Arkansas, Pine Bluff (AR), Shreveport (LA), South Arkansas Symphony, Duluth-Superior Symphony (MN), Owensboro Symphony (KY), Evansville Philharmonic (IN), Richmond Symphony (IN), Jackson Symphony (TN) and the Paducah Symphony (KY).  He has appeared as a soloist with all of the wind groups at Indiana University, the Augustana College Symphonic Band, the Purdue University Symphony Orchestra, and the Henderson State University Wind Ensemble and will be performing a new trombone concerto by John Mackey with The University of Alabama Wind Ensemble in the fall of 2010.  He also performed the American premier of Johan de Meij’s T-Bone Concerto with the Murray State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

In addition, Whitaker serves on the faculty of the Alessi Seminar.  In 2005, he was selected as one of 16 participants for the Seminar and was a featured soloist twice that year.  Since 2005, Whitaker has served as the chief administrator for the Seminar.  Whitaker was also the key organizer of the commissioning project for Eric Ewazen’s Visions of Light with the world premier performed at the 2003 Midwest Clinic by the New York Philharmonic’s Principal Trombonist Joseph Alessi and the IU Wind Ensemble.

In 2009-10, Whitaker has been invited for perform and teach at the 2010 Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington, DC and the International Trombone Festival in Austin, TX.  The University of Alabama Trombone Choir will also be giving a feature performance at the Eastern Trombone Workshop in May.

Whitaker holds degrees in trombone performance from Murray State University and the University of Minnesota and the Doctor of Music degree in Brass Pedagogy at Indiana University where he served as Associate Instructor of Trombone from 2001-2004.  Whitaker’s primary teachers include Ray Conklin, Tom Ashworth, M. Dee Stewart, Peter Ellefson and Joseph Alessi with additional studies with Arnold Jacobs, Edward Kleinhammer, Michael Mulcahy, Charlie Vernon and Douglas Wright.

Jonathan Whitaker is an artist/clinician for Conn-Selmer, Inc. and plays Greg Black Mouthpieces exclusively.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Tuscaloosa, AL) – The University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences School of Music presents the University Singers in concert on Thursday, February 118, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Moody Music Building on the campus of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. The program will include “Mass in G Major” by Franz Schubert, “Carousel Collection” by Richard Rogers, a traditional Korean folk song “Arirang” by Heejo Kim, “Jamaica Farewell” by A Conso Yauon, “The Turtle Dove” by Ralph Vaughn Williams, and “I’ve Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin. Seung Taeg Jung is the guest conductor. This concert is FREE and open to the public.  For more information call 205-348-7111. For a complete listing of events visit: www.music.ua.edu/calendar.

BIOGRAPHY

A native of South Korea, Seung Taeg Jung received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Hoseo University and the Master of Music degree from Chongju University.  Jung has studied choral conducting at Nino Rota Academia in Italy and Petro Jabotsk National Conservatory in Russia.  He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in church music from Hansei University. In addition to his academic background, he has participated in music and choral symposia such as Westminster Choir College, CSULA summer school, and the World Choral Symposium. In addition, he has participated  in  workshops under the direction of Joseph Flammerfelt, Donald Nuen, William Dehning, and Boris Penenoff.

Jung has taught choirs at Nazerene University, Central University, Praise University, in addition to being an Instructor of Music at KyungBock University.   He has also conducted the Chongju City Choir and the Orchestra and Choir of Patro Jabotsk National Conservatory in Russia. The Korean government awarded JuNg a musical achievement award in 2005.

During his ten-year tenure as conductor of the Chunan City Choir, Jung conducted over 200 concerts at various venues such as the Korean Choral Festival, the Jejoo Tamla Choral Festival, the Glowfly Concert, and combined concerts with Philipine and Russian choruses.  Under the direction of Jung, The Chunan City Choir has become known as a leading choral group in Korea and other Asian countries. Jung is currently the Director of Music at the Dangjin Culture and Art Center where he conducts the Dangjin gun-rip (professional) choir.  In addition, he serves as a fulltime instructor at Baekseok University.

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The University of Alabama School of Music presents the Tuba Euphonium Ensemble in concert on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Moody Music Building on the campus of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. UA Professor of Tuba and Euphonium Demondrae Thurman is the director. The ensemble will perform “Cosmic Voyage” by Mike Forbes, “Contrapunctus VII” by J.S. Bach, “Autumn” by John Stevens, “Scarborough Fair,” a traditional English folk song, “Prelude and Fugue” by Ron Newman, “Bugler’s Holiday” by Leroy Anderson, “Passacaglia” by J.S. Bach, and “Fantasy” by Ralph Martino. This event is FREE and open to the public. For more information call 205-348-7111.

BIOGRAPHY

A native of Tuscaloosa, AL, Demondrae Thurman studied euphonium, trombone and conducting at the University of Alabama and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While studying in Tuscaloosa, Thurman was the first ever undergraduate to perform solo with the Alabama Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Gerald Welker. In 1995, with that ensemble, he premiered “Sinfonia Concertante” by Dr. Frederic Goossen. In Madison, Thurman was a featured soloist with the UW Symphony Orchestra, the UW Wind Ensemble as well as several high school bands in the area. His primary teachers are Daniel Drill, J. Michael Dunn, James Jenkins, and John Stevens.

Thurman has been extremely active as a soloist and clinician. His solo recording entitled Soliloquies was released on the Summit Records label in 2005. In 2004, he performed the solo euphonium part in Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote and Gustav Holst’s The Planets with the Atlanta and Honolulu Symphony Orchestras respectively. In 2003, he was a finalist for the Philip Jones International Solo Competition held in Alsace, France. In 2002, he served as guest artist and adjudicator at the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference held in Greensboro, NC and the prestigious Leonard Falcone Euphonium/Tuba Competition held at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Whitehall, Mich. He was also a guest artist at the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Army Band Tuba/Euphonium Conferences, the 2000 U.S. Army Ground Forces Tuba/Euphonium Conference, and the 2000 International Tuba/Euphonium Conference held in Regina, Canada. As a champion of contemporary music, Thurman has premiered numerous works for solo euphonium including Soliloquies by John Stevens and Fantasy for Euphonium and Orchestra by Doug Bristol.

Thurman is also an active chamber musician. He is a founding member of the highly acclaimed Sotto Voce Tuba Quartet, winner of both international tuba quartet competitions in 1998. Since then, Sotto Voce has performed at several major conferences including the 2004 International Tuba/Euphonium Conference held in Budapest, Hungary, two U.S. Army Band Conferences in addition to many colleges and universities around the country. Sotto Voce has released two recordings on Summit Records, Consequences and Viva Voce! Thurman plays first baritone horn with the world renowned Brass Band of Battle Creek and is a member of the trombone quartet Quatuor du Sud.

Equally in demand as a trombonist, Thurman has performed with the Alabama Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Tuscaloosa Symphony, Hot Springs Festival Orchestra and as a member of the Tuscaloosa Horns with such Motown recording artists as The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Supremes.

Currently, Thurman teaches at The University of Alabama where he is Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium. Before accepting this position in 2005, he taught at Alabama State University, the University of Montevallo and Troy State University. Thurman is a Besson performing artist and plays Besson euphoniums and baritone horns and the Demondrae model mouthpiece designed by Warburton exclusively.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUSCALOOSA – The University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences School of Music presents the Huxford Symphony Orchestra in concert for the Concerto & Aria Concert on Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Moody Music Building on the campus of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL.

The Concerto & Aria Concert will feature two winners from the Concerto & Aria Competition held in Fall 2009. The two winners are Clayton Maddox, tuba, who will perform a solo on Concerto for Tuba and Strings by Arild Plau; and In-Sook Park, who will perform a solo on Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major by Franz Liszt. The program will also include “Enigma” Variations for Orchestra, Op. 26 by Edward Elgar. Carlton McCreery, UA Professor of Orchestra Studies is the director of the orchestra.

Biographies

Carlton McCreery maintains an active career as both cellist and conductor.  In addition to performing with the internationally acclaimed Cadek Trio, McCreery serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Alabama. McCreery has studied with such noted cellists as Gregor Piatigorsky, Antonio Janigro and Lynn Harrell. McCreery’s conducting teachers include Elizabeth A. H. Green and Karl Melles at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He has served as a member of the Artist-Faculty of the Brevard Music Center.  He has collaborated with such noted artists as Aaron Copland, Pierre Boulez, Robert Shaw, David Schiffrin, and William Preucil.

Born in South Bay, Florida, Clayton Maddox’s, high school career began at Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida. He has performed with several honor bands throughout high school and college, such as the FBA Palm Beach County District Honor Band, FMEA Florida Intercollegiate Band, the CBDNA Small College Honor Band, and The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. He has been guest soloist at several conferences and with numerous ensembles around the Eastern United States. He was a semi-finalist in the Leonard Falcone International Tuba Solo competition in 2005, as well as a semi-finalist in the International Tuba and Euphonium Association Tuba Solo Artist competition in 2008. Maddox’s teachers have included Paul Ebbers, James Jenkins, Paul Weikle, and Demondrae Thurman.

Since her debut with the Seoul National Symphony at the age of 13, In-Sook Park has concertized around the world and has been praised by critics as a “remarkable pianist with brilliant technique and great sensitivity who creates excitement with her audience.” Her concert appearances have taken her to such venues as the Salle Cortot and the Ecole Normale of Music in Paris, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Hoam Art Hall in Seoul, as well as appearances at the Royal College of Music in London. A prize winner of numerous competitions, Park attended Ecole Normale of Music in Paris, France where she received a Diploma of Execution and a Concert Artist Diploma. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Piano from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Park’s principal teachers include John Perry (USA), Germaine Mounier (France), Jacques Rouvier (France), John Barstow (United Kingdom). Currently, she is completing graduate studies under the direction of Dr. Noel Engebretson at the University of Alabama, where she also serves as teaching assistant.

The concert is FREE and open to the public.  For more information visit: www.music.ua.edu/calendar or call 205-348-7111.