Siril Endowment for the Musical Arts

 

At Northern Michigan University, we recognize that artists of all kinds make a unique contribution to our society through cultural enhancement and enrichment. We prepare our students not only as professionals but also as ambassadors for creativity, diversity and new perspectives in the workplace, in the community, in the classroom and in the day-to-day lives of all those who benefit from their skill and are touched by their talent. Future generations will be the ones to develop startling new concepts and voices that will help us better understand ourselves and the world around us. It is our responsibility to expose our students to a wide range of ideas, challenges and expectations from as many perspectives as possible. Music, in particular, through understanding and appreciation, offers unique opportunities to articulate deeper meanings and discoveries beyond the constraints of language and cultural traditions. That is why music as a discipline and expression has a long tradition at NMU.

That is also why it is incumbent upon NMU to sustain and expand its ability to bring new worlds of music to our campus for the edification, enlightenment and enjoyment of our students and the general public.

The Siril Endowment for the Music Arts is designed to do exactly that by providing funds to establish and maintain a visiting artist program directed by the NMU Music Department and the funds to import performances that expose students to a wide variety of music genres. Each of these new endeavors will be integrated into the curriculum for maximum impact.

2023-24 Series Schedule

 

These events are all brought to you by the Siril Endowment for the Musical Arts.

Scroll down to learn more about all of these artists!

North Coast Dance Festival Poster

North Coast Dance Festival 2023

 

Tara Jamshidian and Adam Lowe (Headshots)

Tara Jamshidian & Adam Lowe

"An Evening at the Opera"

  • Friday, September 8 @ 7:30pm
  • Reynolds Recital Hall

Tickets (tickets.nmu.edu)

  • General Admission $12
  • Youth (18 and under) - Free
  • NMU Students - Free

PLUS: Two additional events at NMU (both FREE and open to the public)!

  • Vocal Masterclass on Friday, September 8 @ 1pm in Reynolds Recital Hall
  • Opera Appreciation Lecture/Presentation on Friday, September 8 @ 11am in Reynolds Recital Hall

Tara Jamshidian is an operatic soprano currently living in New York City and originally from Stamford, CT. In October of this year, Tara will perform as Cio-Cio-San in The Metropolitan Opera Guild’s presentation of Madama Butterfly. Recently, Tara was seen as Tosca in a concert version of the opera with Heartbeat Opera in New York City. This past March she took part in a concert with The Boston Wagner Society, performing Die Walküre’s Act 1 final scene as Sieglinde. Tara was also one of the 12 singers in The Boston Wagner Institute’s inaugural year, where she worked with Wagnerian greats Jane Eaglen and Ben Heppner. Along with her Wagnerian roles of Sieglinde, Elisabeth (Tannhäuser) and Ortlinde (Die Walküre), Tara is also well-versed in the Italian spinto and dramatic repertoire. Especially the roles of Madama Butterfly, Giorgetta (IlTabarro), Amelia (Simon Boccanegra) and Tosca, which she has performed at The Natchez Festival of Music in Mississippi. Tara attended The New England Conservatory of Music, where she worked with John Moriarty and Helen Hodam. She was a finalist in NYIOP’s Anonymous Audition Project: German Repertoire, and a semi-finalist in Premiere Opera Foundation's Competition in 2022.

Tenor Adam Lowe was recently seen stepping in for an ailing Don Jose in Mill City Summer Opera’s production of Carmen. After spending the whole day in fittings and combat rehearsals he answered the call and “sang valiantly” (Minneapolis Star Tribune) the last two acts of Bizet’s masterwork with his “…exceptional instrument” (St. Paul Pioneer Press). He was also involved as the Lead Tenor in a revival and North American premiere of a work by Cole Porter where he was billed as “The standout vocalist, easily the best voice of the night…” (The Stages of MN). Lowe has enjoyed a varied career which has seen him perform as a trombonist with orchestras, act in the classic works of Shakespeare, tap dance to Cole Porter tunes, sing in opera houses, and everything in between. This diverse background has allowed him to develop strong theatrical and musical gifts which he combines to give thrilling performances.

The OK Factor+Jaerv Publicity Photo

The OK Factor + Jaerv

"Traditions"

  • Friday, October 20
  • 7:30pm
  • Reynolds Recital Hall

Tickets (tickets.nmu.edu)

  • General Admission $12
  • Youth (18 and under) - Free
  • NMU Students - Free

PLUS: Two additional events (both FREE and open to the public)!

  • Masterclass on Friday, October 20 @ 1pm in Reynolds Recital Hall
  • Music Appreciation Lecture/Presentation on Friday, October 20 @ 11am in Reynolds Recital Hall.

This event is being presented through a collaboration between the Siril Endowment for the Musical Arts and the Beaumier Upper Peninsula Heritage Center.

Minneapolis, MN-based string duo The OK Factor, and award-winning Swedish quintet Jaerv, are excited to embark on their second US Tour, presenting their program, Traditions.

Following their joint Swedish tour in the summer of 2021 and their inaugural US tour in the fall of 2022, the bands are excited to share the music and camaraderie that grew from these cultural exchanges. 

In 2017, the bands’ musical worlds collided after The OK Factor opened for Jaerv at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. There was an immediate connection between them, grounded in a mutual love and respect for one anothers’ talent, rhythmic intricacies, inspiring melodic ornamentation, fascinating instrumentation, and - yes, musical traditions.

After shared performances and the study of traditional Swedish and American music throughout their tour of Sweden, a natural and organic partnership has developed between The OK Factor and Jaerv that is felt, seen, and heard by their audiences, both in Sweden and in the US.

Throughout Traditions, the bands hone the art of collaboration through unique instrumentation and sensitive musical interplay, creating a palpable joy that their audiences will carry home. And for those who can’t make it to the concert, the bands are seasoned educators, and are excited to offer community outreach in a myriad of settings, including schools. Through a respect for musical tradition paired with the desire to expand its boundaries, the bands encourage their audiences to follow it not just back in time, but into the future.

Eisenhower Dance Company Publicity Photo

Eisenhower Dance Detroit

Jeongwon Ham publicity photo

Jeongwon Ham - piano

  • Friday, March 15 @ 7:30pm
  • Reynolds Recital Hall

Tickets (tickets.nmu.edu)

  • General Admission $12
  • Youth (18 and under) - Free
  • NMU Students - Free

PLUS:

  • FREE Piano Technique Workshop on Thursday, March 14 from 3:30-4:30pm in TFA 117 (Piano Lab).  All teachers and pianists in the community are invited to attend! 
  • FREE Piano Masterclass (featuring NMU students) on Friday, March 15 from 1-2pm in Reynolds Recital Hall (open to the public!)
  • FREE Piano Masterclass (featuring community members) on Friday, March 15 from 3-4pm in Reynolds Recital Hall (open to the public!)

Jeongwon Ham has won numerous piano competitions, including the Bartók/Kabalevsky International Piano Competition, the Epinal International Piano Competition, the Paul Hindemith Piano Competition, the Artur Schnabel Piano Competition, and the Simone Belsky Piano Competition. The New York Concert Review referred to her recital in Merkin Hall as “an admirable piano recital, and the German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau has written, "Jeongwon Ham possessed astonishing and effortless technique. She plays not only with incredible warmth, but also with great power.’”

Ham developed her career in Europe while studying in Germany. A longtime resident of U.S., she gave her New York City debut recital at the Merkin Concert Hall and has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and master teacher in several European countries, Asia, and the United States. She has appeared at international and national conferences and festivals including the Festival Internationale Incontri Musicali di Sorrento in Italy, World Piano Conference in Serbia, and the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. Most recently, she has presented recitals and master classes in California, Lindlar, Germany, and Guangzhou, China.

Ham is a recipient of several honors and grants. She has been nominated multiple times for the Oklahoma Regents Award for Research and Creative activities as well as Superior Teaching. Also, she was featured in the “40 faces-40 years” exhibition at the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung’s 40th anniversary convention in Potsdam-Babelsberg in Germany. The Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung selected the 40 most successful people out of 6,800 scholarship recipients worldwide for this special event.

Ham has served as adjudicator at many international and national piano competitions including the Bartók/Kabalevsky/Prokofiev International Piano Competition, World Piano Conference, Classical American International Piano Competition, Asian International Piano Academy and Festival, Sonatina and Sonata International Youth Piano Competition, and Starr Young Artist National Piano Competition. She is frequently invited to judge MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) piano competitions at state, divisional, and national levels. Most recently, she served as one of the judges at the MTNA National Piano Competition in Spokane, Washington.

Ham has held several teaching positions in Asia, Europe and U.S. Currently, she is professor of piano at the University of Oklahoma. Her students frequently distinguish themselves as winners at many regional, national and international competitions, and hold teaching positions at major universities in the U.S. and Korea.