Shepherd School of Music

Last updated
Shepherd School of Music
Shepherdschoolofmusic.jpg
Type Private
Established1974
Dean Matthew Loden
Academic staff
64
Undergraduates 100
Postgraduates 175
Location
Houston
,
Texas
,
U.S.
Website music.rice.edu

The Shepherd School of Music is a music school located on the campus of Rice University in Houston, Texas. From its inception in 1974 [1] under dean Samuel Jones, the Shepherd School has emphasized orchestral, chamber music, and opera as the central elements of its performing curriculum.

Contents

History

The Shepherd School has existed in name since 1950, with an $8 million endowment by Sallie Shepherd Perkins in honor of her grandfather, Houston banker Benjamin A. Shepherd. [2] It was opened in 1974 under the deanship of conductor and composer Samuel Jones. [3] The school's building, Alice Pratt Brown Hall, was dedicated on October 4, 1991. [2] Prior to its existence, concerts were given in Hamman Hall, Cohen House, Fondren Library’s Kyle Morrow Room, Rice Memorial Chapel, Milford House, and various churches in Houston. [3]

Shepherd School alumni include Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winners and hold positions in prestigious orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. [4]

Academics

Shepherd students participate in a program that allows for individual study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Courses are taught exclusively by faculty, with classes averaging fewer than thirty students. A small number of courses are offered to Rice University students as a whole (without special admission requirements), including Fundamentals of Music, Music Theory for Non-Music Majors I and II, and Music Literature for Non-Music Majors I and II.

The voice and opera program includes about thirty students and presents two operas each year.

Admission to the Shepherd School is competitive. Shepherd accepts about 10-15% of graduate applicants [5] and 15% of all undergraduate applicants. [6]

Concerts

Each year more than 400 free concerts and recitals are given by students, faculty, and visiting artists and attract about 70,000 concert-goers annually. [7] Numerous world-renowned classical musicians have come to the Shepherd School to give concerts and conduct master classes, including Yo-Yo Ma, [8] André Watts, [9] Itzhak Perlman, [10] Cecilia Bartoli, [11] and Renée Fleming. [12]

Facilities

The school's home, Alice Pratt Brown Hall houses the 1,000-seat Stude Concert Hall, the 250-seat Duncan Recital Hall, the Edythe Bates Old Grand Organ and Recital Hall, an opera studio, 65 practice rooms, seven classrooms, rehearsal and small ensemble spaces and 54 teaching studios. [13] Situated on the western side of the Rice campus, it is made up of two long parallel wings joined by gardens and connecting corridors of loggias. [13] The building was designed by the Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill and completed in 1991. [2]

In September 2017, the Shepherd School broke ground on a new opera and music building that will be connected to Alice Pratt Brown Hall by a plaza. [14] The Brockman Music and Performing Arts Center was completed in 2020 and features a newly constructed theater building. [15]

Preparatory program

The Michael P. Hammond Preparatory Program [16] of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University offers non-credit private instruction in piano and selected string (violin and cello) instruments for children ages 6–18. Pre-school classes for very young children begin as early as age two through the Young Children's Division. [17] Chamber music groups, group theory instruction, and classes for the young child are also available.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renée Fleming</span> American soprano

Renée Lynn Fleming is an American soprano, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nominated for 18 Grammy Awards and has won five times. In June 2023, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced that Fleming would be one of the five artists recognized at the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors, which she received in December 2023. Other notable honors won by Fleming have included the Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur from the French government, Germany's Cross of the Order of Merit, Sweden's Polar Music Prize and honorary membership in England's Royal Academy of Music. Unusual among artists whose careers began in opera, Fleming has achieved name recognition beyond the classical music world. In May, 2023, Fleming was appointed by the World Health Organization as a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Battle</span> American operatic soprano (born 1948)

Kathleen Deanna Battle is an American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid-1970s. She made her opera debut in 1975. Battle expanded her repertoire into lyric soprano and coloratura soprano roles during the 1980s and early 1990s, until her eventual dismissal from the Metropolitan Opera in 1994. She later has focused on recording and the concert stage. After a 22-year absence from the Met, Battle performed a concert of spirituals at the Metropolitan Opera House in November 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Hampson</span> American opera singer

Thomas Walter Hampson is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Brown</span> American opera singer

Angela M. Brown is an American dramatic soprano particularly admired for her portrayal of Verdi heroines.

Harold Hall ("Hal") Robinson is an American classical double bass player, formerly the principal bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krannert Center for the Performing Arts</span>

The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is an educational and performing arts complex located at 500 South Goodwin Avenue in Urbana, Illinois and on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Herman C. Krannert, an industrialist who founded Inland Container Corporation and an alumnus of the university, and his wife, Ellnora Krannert, made a gift of $16 million that led to the Krannert Center's construction. Max Abramovitz, the architect who designed the facility, was also an Illinois alumnus.

The Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music is the music and performance arts school of Northwestern University. It is located on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois, United States.

The Celebrity Series of Boston is a non-profit performing arts presenter established in Boston, Massachusetts by Boston impresario Aaron Richmond in 1938 as Aaron Richmond's Celebrity Series. Since its founding the Celebrity Series has evolved into one of New England's major presenting organizations with over 100 performance and outreach activities annually.

Kevin Matthew Puts is an American composer, best known for his opera The Hours and for winning a Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for his first opera Silent Night and a Grammy Award in 2023 for his concerto Contact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moores School of Music</span> Music school of the University of Houston

The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, conducting, theory and composition, music history and literature, pedagogy, and music education and also offers a Certificate of Music Performance. It is a component of the University of Houston's Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. The Moores School is a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). Its namesakes are UH alumni John Moores and his former wife Rebecca. As of 2023–2024, the Director of the Moores School is Brian Kai Chin.

Brian Large is a television director and author. He is among the world's foremost TV directors specializing in opera and classical music.

Viviana Guzmán is a Chilean professional flutist, composer, dancer and poet, who performs over 80 concerts a year, and has played in 122 countries. She has been described by The New York Times as "an imaginative artist". It has also been said of her that "Guzmán may be the first flutist since her teacher Jean-Pierre Rampal, to be able to establish a sustaining solo career." She actively coaches at the Peninsula Youth Orchestra. Official Website

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynn Chang</span> Chinese American violinist

Lynn Chang is a Chinese American violinist known for his work as both a soloist and a chamber musician. Chang is a founding member of the Boston Chamber Music Society and is currently a faculty member at MIT, Boston University, the Boston Conservatory, and the New England Conservatory of Music.

Lydia Caruana is a Maltese operatic soprano who performs in the opera houses and concert halls of Europe and her native Malta. She has sung in two rarely performed operas by Maltese composers, Carmelo Pace's I martiri and Nicolo Isouard's Jeannot et Colin.

Anthony Dean Griffey is an American opera tenor. He is a regular presence on the stages of opera houses and concert halls around the world. Griffey has also been noted for his acting talent in addition to his voice.

Asheville Lyric Opera (ALO) is a professional, non-profit opera company located in Asheville, North Carolina. Its repertoire encompasses styles ranging from the comedies of Mozart and Rossini to the classic Verdi and Puccini dramas as well as classic musical theatre works. Founder David Craig Starkey served as General and Artistic Director until 2016. The 500-seat Diana Wortham Theatre, built in 1991, has been the company's home since 2001. ALO is a member of Opera America. Dean Anthony was announced as the company's new Artistic and Producing Direction beginning with the 2019/2020 Season.

John Neal Axelrod is a Swiss/American conductor. Axelrod was elected Principal Conductor of the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra in a unique open ended contract in 2022. From 2019 to 2023 He was Principal Guest Conductor of the City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. He was also elected Artistic and musical director of the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville in 2014 and is Principal Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, "Giuseppe Verdi", also known as "LaVerdi". Between 2009 and 2013, Axelrod was music director of l'Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, based in Nantes and Angers, France; and from 2009 to 2011, Axelrod served as music director of "Hollywood In Vienna" Gala Concerts with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna. He has also served as music director and Chief Conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2009, and from 2001 to 2009 as Principal Guest Conductor of Sinfonietta Cracovia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Fabiano</span> American operatic tenor

Michael Fabiano is an American operatic tenor. Born in Montclair, New Jersey, he has performed in leading opera houses throughout the world, including the San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Sydney Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Canadian Opera Company, The Royal Opera, and Teatro Real de Madrid among many others. Fabiano is the 2014 Richard Tucker Award winner and the 2014 Beverly Sills Artist Award winner, making him the first singer to win both awards in the same year.

Camille Zamora is an American soprano recognized for her performance of opera, zarzuela, oratorio, art song and American songbook. She performs repertoire ranging from the early Baroque to 21st century premieres by composers including Grammy Award winners Robert Aldridge and Herschel Garfein as well as Prix de Rome winner Christopher Theofanidis.

Leone Buyse is the Joseph and Ida K. Mullen Professor of Flute and Chair of Woodwinds at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. Prior to a full-time career teaching, Buyse spent over 22 years as an orchestral flutist, including a decade from 1983-1993 as Principal Flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra. Other orchestral positions include Rochester Philharmonic as solo piccolo and second flute, and assistant principal of San Francisco Symphony. In addition to the Shepherd School, she has held faculty positions at the New England Conservatory, Boston University, University of Michigan, as visiting professor at the Eastman School of Music and numerous summer festivals including the Tanglewood Institute. Her primary teachers include Marcel Moyse, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Michel Debost and Joseph Mariano.

References

  1. ↑ Ericson, R., "Unafraid, a New Music School Opens; NOT JUST MOSTLY MOZART", The New York Times, March 10, 1974, p.121
  2. 1 2 3 "Guide to the Shepherd School of Music Records, 1950-2001", Texas Archival Resources Online
  3. 1 2 Du Mont Brower, Mary, "Early Shepherd School Recordings Dazzle in Digital Form " Archived 2011-04-08 at the Wayback Machine , News From Fondren, Fall, 2010
  4. ↑ "Shepherd School of Music - Rice University". Archived from the original on 2011-05-29. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  5. ↑ "Graduate Frequently Asked Questions" Archived 2011-09-08 at the Wayback Machine , Shepherd School official Web site
  6. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions" Archived 2011-09-09 at the Wayback Machine , Shepherd School official Web site
  7. ↑ "About the Shepherd School of Music" Archived 2011-05-29 at the Wayback Machine , Shepherd School official Web site
  8. ↑ Kaplan, David, "Yo-Yo Ma To Conduct Master Class at Rice's Shepherd School", Rice News, February 10, 2009
  9. ↑ Kaplan, David, "Pianist André Watts to Highlight Shepherd Gala", Rice News, March 18, 1999
  10. ↑ Wieber, Ted, "Violinist Perlman helps Shepherd School raise $2.2 million at gala" Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine , The Rice Thresher, February 10, 2006
  11. ↑ Unrau, Lia, "Bartoli dazzles crowd at million dollar evening" Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine , Rice News, November 17, 1995
  12. ↑ Evans, Everett, "Renée Fleming to headline at Rice gala", Houston Chronicle, Feb. 16, 2009
  13. 1 2 "Welcome to the Shepherd School of Music" Archived 2011-06-30 at the Wayback Machine , Shepherd School official Web site
  14. ↑ "Shepherd School to break ground on new music and opera building in September 2017". Rice University News & Media. December 19, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Brockman Music and Performing Arts Center". The Shepherd School of Music. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Michael P. Hammond Preparatory Program | The Shepherd School of Music". music.rice.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  17. ↑ "At home with Shepherd School musicians: Instrument demos available online". Rice News | News and Media Relations | Rice University. Retrieved 2022-02-23.

29°42′59″N95°24′18″W / 29.7164°N 95.4049°W / 29.7164; -95.4049

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.