Avery Fisher Hall
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Saturday, March 26, 2011
2:00 PM
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center
Carmina Burana Highlights and More
Mills E. Godwin High School Band and Choir (Richmond, VA)
Sherri Matthews, Director
Leon Auman, Director
William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra and the William Paterson University Choir (Wayne, NJ)
Sandra Dackow, Director
Stephen Bryant, Director
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Ensemble bios |
S. Matthews
L. Auman
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Mills E. Godwin High School Band and Choir (VA)
The choirs at Mills E. Godwin High School have performed for gubernatorial events, represented Virginia in International Music Festivals, performed at the VMEA State Convention, the ACDA DC Voices United Convention, the National School Board Association, and many other events around Richmond, Virginia. The choral groups at Godwin have received commendations from Governors Allen and Gilmore, and performed for Governors Allen, Warner, Kaine McDonnell, and the Virginia State Supreme Court. The Chamber Ensembles are undefeated in the Lee-Davis/Hanover Chamber Choir Competition which is a three-day event featuring around 80 choirs from the Mid-Atlantic District. All of the choral ensembles consistently receive Superior Ratings at all festivals.
Sherri A. Matthews has been the Choral Director at Mills E. Godwin High School since 1989. After graduating from VCU with a Bachelor in Music Education, she set to work to build the program at Godwin. In 22 years, the program has grown from 23 students to over 220, and Ms. Matthews oversees 9 performing ensembles which perform over 50 times a year. She has received 11 commendations from the Governors School for the Performing Arts, was awarded commendations from the Mayors of Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Vienna. She has received the Godwin High School PTSA Educator of the Year Award.
Leon Auman is completing his thirty-ninth year as a high school director and fine arts department chair. He is presently in his eighteenth year at Mills E. Godwin High School, after teaching at Henrico High School for fifteen years. He is a graduate of East Carolina University with French horn as his major instrument. During his tenure in Henrico County, his bands have received numerous awards on both the marching field and concert stage. His jazz bands and percussion ensembles have consistently received superior ratings and 1st place awards at numerous jazz festivals. Leon is in demand as both adjudicator and clinician.
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S. Dackow
S. Bryant
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William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra (NJ)
The William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra is comprised primarily of music majors, as well as selected students drawn from other disciplines, music department alumni, and other area musicians. The Symphony recently presented a workshop for the New Jersey Music Educators State Conference and embraces a strong mission of service to the local schools and teaching community. The William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra regularly collaborates with the University Choir on large-scale choral/orchestral literature. Concerto performances feature both student and faculty soloists. The William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra strives to bring great performances to the University community and beyond, reaching listeners of all ages.
Sandra Dackow holds three degrees from the Eastman School of Music and currently serves as Music Director of the Hershey Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania, the Hershey Symphony Festival Strings and of the William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra in New Jersey. An Aspen Conducting fellow, she was awarded the Silver medal in the 2001 Vakhtang Jordania/New Millennium Conducting Competition in Ukraine. Dr. Dackow has published over 90 works for student orchestras and is an author of Alfred's Orchestra Expressions and a co-author of the MENC Complete String Guide. She has appeared as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the US and abroad.
William Paterson University Choir (NJ)
The William Paterson University Choir is an ensemble of approximately 80 voices made up of students as well as singers from the community. The choir has a varied repertoire including Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, Mozart's Requiem and Coronation Mass, Faure's Requiem, Messiah, Beethoven's Mass in C, Vivaldi's Gloria, Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Haydn's Creation, Schubert's Mass in E flat, Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Rutter Gloria, Mendelssohn's Elijah, and Mathias' Rex Gloriae. The William Paterson University Choir is honored to be making its debut at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall.
Stephen Bryant received Master's degrees in voice and choral conducting from the University of Michigan. He was the assistant conductor for the University of Michigan Choral Union from 1986-1988, which performed with Kurt Masur and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra as well as other major orchestras. Prof. Bryant is currently director of Choral Activities at William Paterson University. Prof. Bryant also has an international singing career and was nominated for a Grammy award in 2009 for best opera recording. He has performed with the San Francisco Opera, Netherlands Opera, New York City Opera, Sante Fe Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
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