Music Master Class Open to Community
Elmira, NY (02/20/2020) — Elmira College and the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes will offer a master class entitled, "Music to My Ears," with Toshiyuki Shimada, music director and conductor of the OSFL, on Wednesday, March 4 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Peterson Chapel in Cowles Hall, Elmira College. The workshop is free and open to the public.
Maestro Shimada, a highly sought-after guest conductor, will address how to listen to music while equipping listeners with the tools to understand what they are hearing in music. The workshop begins with defining the vocabulary and the seven elements of music, using recorded musical examples. The structure of music will be addressed next and conclude with participants exploring the organization of sound by creating and assembling their own musical compositions, and inventing their own musical structures. Participants do not need to know how to read music or play musical instruments. The workshop will be enriching for both the first-time concertgoer and the audience member who has been attending for years.
Shimada is currently in his 10th year as the music director and conductor of the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes. He is concurrently the music director and conductor of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra in New London and the New Britain Symphony Orchestra, both in Connecticut. He is recently retired as the music director of the Yale University Symphony Orchestra and is also music director laureate of the Portland Symphony Orchestra in Portland, Maine.
Shimada regularly guest conducts the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra in Turkey and the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra in South Korea, among others. Last year he completed a tour promoting world peace through music which included a performance at the DMZ near North/South Korea and included peace talks with Korean officials. With a strong commitment to music education, Shimada has conducted several All State and Regional Honor Orchestras and taught conducting workshops, guiding talented young musicians with his wide experience.
Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes
The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes is the only year-round professional orchestra in Corning, Elmira, and the Southern Finger Lakes. Now in its 25th season, the OSFL offers four main-stage full orchestra concerts, including a side-by-side Youth Orchestra and professional musician collaboration, a Musicians' Choice Chamber Music Series, concerts by the Chorus of the Southern Finger Lakes, several concerts by the Youth Orchestra and Junior String Ensemble, as well as smaller ensemble concerts for children. The OSFL is a strong supporter of highlighting the musical achievements of young musicians with its own Youth Orchestra and Junior String Ensemble programs, as well as the Hertzog Concerto Competition for young artists in grades 9 - 12.
About Elmira College
Founded in 1855, Elmira College is a private, residential, liberal arts college offering 30-plus majors, an honors program, 17 academic honor societies, and 20 Division III varsity teams. Located in the Southern Finger Lakes Region of New York, Elmira's undergraduate and graduate student population hails from more than 20 states and nine countries. Elmira is a Phi Beta Kappa College and has been ranked a top college, nationally, for student internships. The College is also home to the Center for Mark Twain Studies, one of four historically significant Twain heritage sites in the U.S., which attracts Twain scholars and educators from around the world for research on the famous literary icon. Proud of its history and tradition, the College is committed to the ideals of community service, and intellectual and individual growth.
Media Attachments
Elmira College and the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes will offer a master class entitled, “Music to My Ears,” with Toshiyuki Shimada, music director and conductor of the OSFL, on Wednesday, March 4 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Peterson Chapel in Cowles Hall, Elmira College. The workshop is free and open to the public.