APSU Concert to Examine Musical Influence of the Holocaust
September 15, 2011
Clarksville, TN – In the early 1940s, during World War II, many of Europe’s most prominent Jewish musicians boarded trains destined for the Terezin concentration camp in Czechoslovakia.
German propaganda described the city’s small fortress as a camp with a “rich cultural life,” but when the new inmates arrived, hope quickly faded. Their beloved instruments were replaced by workers’ tools, and they toiled endlessly each day as slave laborers for Hitler’s Third Reich.
But for a few minutes one morning in 1943, all that changed. Hundreds of Jewish prisoners gathered that day inside the camp and started singing Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem” – a powerful, somber piece of music. They’d rehearsed for weeks before hand, memorizing the complex work without the help of books or sheet music. [Read more]
Veteran education professor to speak about online reading in Provost Lecture Series
September 12, 2011
Clarksville, TN – With the technological advent of e-books, e-readers and other digital innovations, reading material has moved from print media to online. And the process of reading on a computer screen can be different – an aspect that a veteran Austin Peay State University professor will address.
Dr. Donald Luck, a professor of education who has taught at APSU for 18 years, will present the next session in the weekly Provost Lecture Series at 3:00pm, Thursday, September 15th in the Morgan University Center, Room 307. The title of his presentation is “Reading in the Web Environment.”
Dr. Donald Luck
Math professor shares steepest descent method in Provost Lecture Series
September 4, 2011
Clarksville, TN – For many people, understanding complex mathematical equations and concepts is more difficult than walking in the mountains. Somehow, an Austin Peay State University mathematics faculty member makes the ideas relate.
Dr. Ben Ntatin, associate professor of mathematics, will present the next session in the weekly Provost Lecture Series at 3:00pm, Thursday, September 8th in the Morgan University Center, Room 303. The title of his presentation is “Walking in the mountains: The steepest descent method.”
His talk will be about how the notion of linearity is fundamental for numerous considerations in mathematics and engineering science. [Read more]
Creative writing professor kicks off lecture series
August 30, 2011
Clarksville, TN – The written words of Emily Dickinson, Sappho, Dorothy Allison, Abigail Thomas and Jane Tompkins all have something in common – their powerful voices speak for those misrepresented or underrepresented.
This is the basis of a research presentation by Dr. Amy Wright, assistant professor of creative writing at Austin Peay State University. She is one of several faculty members chosen to present their research and creative activity on campus during the 2011-12 academic year as part of the Provost Lecture Series.
Abigail Thomas and Dorothy Allison
Provost Lecture Series at APSU kicks off 2011-12 academic year
August 26, 2011
Clarksville, TN – Several faculty members at Austin Peay State University will present their research and creative activity on campus during the 2011-12 academic year as part of the weekly Provost Lecture Series.
The Provost Lecture Series will kick off with a talk by Dr. Amy Wright, assistant professor of creative writing and the nonfiction editor of APSU’s Zone 3 journal and Zone 3 Press, from 3:00pm-4:30pm, Thursday, September 1st in the Morgan University Center, Room 303. [Read more]
APSU Remembers Legacy and Friendship of Late Composer Lee Hoiby
April 6, 2011
Clarksville, TN – In his later years, the renowned American composer Lee Hoiby was a quiet, slender gentleman with wavy gray hair and intelligent, often amused eyes. His appearance suited his style of music, which was reminiscent of the pleasing tunes of the early Romantic era and of his idol, Franz Schubert.
“His music is beautiful,” Gregory Wolynec, Austin Peay State University associate professor of music, said. “When we think of contemporary music, we frequently think of things that can be difficult for audiences to approach. But Lee Hoiby considered himself the caretaker of an heirloomed garden that started back with Mozart and Haydn, and even earlier than that.”
Lena Orgain, APSU Professor of Music Jeffrey Wood and the late American composer Lee Hoiby.
APSU’s Dimensions Series Explores Composer Enescu and his Chamber Symphony
March 12, 2011
Clarksville, TN – In 1958, the conductor Constantin Silvestri experienced a slight dilemma. He was set to premiere composer George Enescu’s last work, Chamber Symphony for 12 Players, but he worried the Romanian audience wouldn’t appreciate the complexities or the brilliance of the work.
“He was convinced the audience would not be able to grasp it on first hearing it, so he had it played twice,” Dr. Gregory Wolynec, associate professor of music at Austin Peay State University, said. “This last work of his, people who specialize in the music of this composer refer to it as the hardest to understand.”
Gateway Chamber Ensemble
Classical composer Schoenfield visits APSU as Acuff Chair of Excellence
January 12, 2011
Clarksville, TN – The classical composer Paul Schoenfield is known for his daring combinations of musical forms. It isn’t unusual for works to be infused with jazz or ragtime, alongside more cultivated and conventional elements. It’s what causes his compositions to be considered so wildly original and accessible, and has lead Schoenfield to be called one of the finest American composers working today.
On January 18th, Schoenfield will come to Austin Peay State University for a weeklong visit as one of this year’s Acuff Chairs of Excellence for the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts. His visit will culminate in a free concert of his work, “The Music of Paul Schoenfield,” at 7:30pm on January 24th, in the Music/Mass Communication Building’s Concert Hall. The event will be part of APSU’s Dimension’s Concert Series. [Read more]
APSU Holiday Dinner Returns to Clarksville this December
November 12, 2010
Clarksville, TN – A popular Austin Peay State University holiday tradition is returning to campus next month after a more than 10-year hiatus.
“We’re bringing back the holiday musical event centered around a dinner,” Korre Foster, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at APSU, said. “It will be a great opportunity for the Clarksville community to experience a formal sit-down holiday dinner. They will be served a nice meal and all the choral ensembles will perform, as well as soloists.” [Read more]
Misunderstood genius of composer Schumann explored at upcoming APSU concert
October 20, 2010
Clarksville, TN – In the late winter of 1854, German composer Robert Schumann entered an insane asylum, which abruptly ended his creative career. He died two years later, and critics often cited his late works as being erratic and incomprehensible.
“People think he went mad, therefore there’s no value in his later music and that it’s full of mistakes or lack of creative inspiration,” Ming Wang, assistant professor of music at Austin Peay State University, said. “I had the same opinion toward Schumann when I was a student.”
But about five years ago, under the influence of his music professors at Yale, Wang began an intensive study of the composer. Within a few years, his opinion drastically changed. [Read more]
