SERIES: STUDENT SMALL ENSEMBLES SHOWCASE
Featuring performances by:
Burgin String Quartet
Close Quarters
Tri-Timbre Triptych
FSU Honors Jazz Combo
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Seven-thirty in the Evening Opperman Music Hall
String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10
PROGRAM
Claude Debussy
I. Animé et très décidé (1862–1918)
Burgin String Quartet
Masayoshi Arakawa, violin; Bárbara Santiago, violin*
Jeremy Hill, viola; Angelese Pepper, cello
Nepomuk’s Dances
Marcelo Zarvos
III. Memory (b. 1969)
Close Quarters
Micah Cheng, soprano saxophone; AJ Nguyen, alto saxophone
Owen Robinson, tenor saxophone; Matthew James, baritone saxophone
Contrasts, Sz. 111, BB 116
Béla Bartók I. Verbunkos (Recruiting Dance) (1881–1945)
II. Pihenő (Relaxation)
Fiesta Español
Tri-Timbre Triptych
Anne Glerum, clarinet; Masayoshi Arakawa, violin
Sihan Wang, piano
Honors Jazz Combo
Tyler Pauletti, alto saxophone; Harrison Rook, tenor saxophone
Chris Goldwire, trumpet; Zach Urbine, trombone
Cedar Walton (b. 1985)
Asher Pereira, piano; Kaleb Tompkins, bass; Nygel Anderson, drums
* Bárbara Santiago appears this evening in place of Burgin Quartet violinist Ioana Popescu
Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting while performers are playing. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Please turn off cell phones and all other electronic devices. Please refrain from putting feet on seats and seat backs. Children who become disruptive should be taken out of the performance hall so they do not disturb the musicians and other audience members.
ABOUT THE SMALL ENSEMBLES
COMPETITION
The College of Music hosted the inaugural Small Ensembles Competition last fall. In total, 73 students in 17 groups competed in 4 divisions — Strings/Piano, Woodwinds/ Brass, Jazz/Commercial, and Eclectic. Many thanks to Greg Jones, our Associate Dean of Engagement, and the 12 faculty who served as jurors. We are thrilled to present the winning ensembles this evening and hope you enjoy the concert!
— Small Ensembles Committee
Corinne Stillwell, chair
Michael Bakan, David Detweiler, Read Gainsford
Matt Hightower, Deloise Lima, Natalie Sherer, Liliya Ugay
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLES
Burgin Quartet
Masayoshi Arakawa is a violinist and doctoral student at Florida State University. He was introduced to the violin at his public school at the age of nine, and quickly grew his musical interest through participation in the Baltimore and Cleveland youth orchestras. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree at University of Michigan under the tutelage of Aaron Berofsky and Kathryn Votapek, and his Master’s at Florida State. He works as a graduate assistant for his professor Dr. Shannon Thomas, and is a member of the Burgin graduate string quartet. In addition, he serves as a violinist in multiple orchestras in the region including the Tallahassee symphony orchestra, and frequently performs chamber music in the area.
Bárbara Santiago is a violinist originally from Gurabo, Puerto Rico. She has participated in various orchestral and chamber music festivals including Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and Emerald Coast Chamber Music Festival, where she had the opportunity to perform for renowned pedagogue Paul Kantor. Santiago was the first prize winner of the XXI Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico Concerto Competition. She holds a Bachelors of Music in violin performance from the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico where she studied under the tutelage of Professor Omar Velázquez—Concertmaster of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra—and a Master of Music in violin performance from Florida State University College of Music. Since 2016, she has performed with different orchestras and is currently a member of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. Santiago is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Music in violin performance under the tutelage of Dr. Shannon Thomas at Florida State University College of Music.
Hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jeremy Hill is a first-year doctoral student in viola performance at Florida State University under the tutelage of Dr. Pamela Ryan. He has performed extensively with orchestras in Puerto Rico and Florida, including
the Symphonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico, Orquesta Camerata Pops, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, and Sinfonia Gulf Coast Orchestra. Hill holds a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in viola performance from Florida State University. He is currently a section violist in the University Symphonic Orchestra and the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.
Cellist Angelese Pepper is a doctoral candidate in cello performance at Florida State University, where she serves as a graduate teaching assistant to Professor Gregory Sauer and is a member of the Burgin String Quartet, FSU’s graduate quartet in residence. Originally from Arizona, Pepper performs with several professional groups in the region, including the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, and is principal cello of the Panama City Symphony Orchestra. In addition to cello, she also composes, plays the violin, viola, and organ, and enjoys drawing and illustration.
Close Quarters
Micah Cheng is an educator and musician based in Tallahassee, Florida. He is in his second year of an MM in Saxophone Performance and serves as a graduate teaching assistant. Cheng holds BM and BME degrees from the University of Oklahoma, where he received numerous awards as a solo, chamber, and jazz musician. His accolades include winning the OU UReCA fellowship, OU Concerto Competition, OU Young Artist Competition, Florida State MTNA Competition. Cheng has also been a finalist in the national MTNA and Coltman Chamber Music Competitions. His primary teachers include Geoffrey Deibel, Jonathan Nichol, and Ryan Gartner.
AJ Nguyen is a saxophonist and music educator based in Tallahassee, Florida. Currently a second-year doctoral student in Saxophone Performance at Florida State University, he also serves as a graduate teaching assistant. Nguyen has earned awards from the Music Teachers National Association, New Orleans Chamber Fest, and Coltman Chamber Music Competition. He holds the BA in Music from Oklahoma State University and MM in Saxophone Performance from the University of Oklahoma. His primary teachers include Dr. Jeffrey Loeffert, Dr. Johnny Salinas, Dr. Jonathan Nichol, and Dr. Geoffrey Deibel.
Owen Robinson received the Bachelor of Music from Michigan State University where he studied under renowned saxophonist Joseph Lulloff. Currently, he is pursuing master’s degrees in both jazz and classical saxophone at Florida State University as a Graduate Assistant under David Detweiler and Geoffrey Deibel. Owen is the tenor chair of the award-winning PULSE Saxophone Quartet and plays tenor saxophone in Florida State University’s Jazz Ensemble I under the direction of Leon Anderson and the Close Quarters Quartet under the direction of Geoffrey Deibel.
A Lauderdale Lakes, Florida native, Matthew James is a second-year Doctor of Music student at the Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL, and Adjunct Professor of Woodwinds at Chipola College in Marianna, FL. James can be seen actively performing and competing as a soloist, as a member of the Solstice Reed Quintet, Close Quarters Saxophone Quartet, and Director of the FSU Saxophone Orchestra. His primary teachers include Geoffrey Deibel, Dannel Espinoza, Larry Panella, and Carlos Vega.
Tri-Timbre Triptych
Masayoshi Arakawa is a violinist and doctoral student at Florida State University. He was introduced to the violin at his public school at the age of nine, and quickly grew his musical interest through participation in the Baltimore and Cleveland youth orchestras. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree at University of Michigan under the tutelage of Aaron Berofsky and Kathryn Votapek, and Master’s at Florida State University. He is a graduate assistant for his professor, Dr. Shannon Thomas, and is a member of the Burgin graduate string quartet. In addition, he serves as a violinist in multiple orchestras in the region including the Tallahassee symphony orchestra, and frequently performs chamber music in the area.
Anne Glerum is a clarinetist and educator from Ramsey, New Jersey. She is a second-year doctoral student in Woodwind Performance and holds a graduate teaching assistantship in the clarinet studio. As an active performer and teacher in northern and central Florida, she has performed with organizations such as The Gainesville Orchestra and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. Recently, she performed with her colleagues from FSU at the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest 2024 conference in Dublin, Ireland, where her ensemble commissioned new works from two international composers. Glerum holds a Master of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Delaware.
Sihan Wang, born in China, is a pianist pursuing her doctoral studies in piano performance at Florida State University. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Capital University and her master’s at Indiana University Bloomington. During her year studying abroad, she graced many stages with solo recitals in both China and the United States, and has repeatedly collaborated with the Capital Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio, including performances as a soloist. She has won several competitions, showcasing her proficiency and dedication to her craft. Currently, she studies under the tutelage of Dr. Read Gainsford.
Honors Jazz Combo
Tyler Pauletti is a very passionate and hard-working musician. Starting in his middle school jazz band in 6th grade, he became entranced by the music, practicing it diligently to hone his improvisation and music theory skills. As he graduated to higher programs, he got to go to many places such as Costa Rica, Chicago, and New York to spread jazz music.
He has also had the opportunity to learn from other talented artists like Steve Wilson, Billy Childs, and Rufus Reid. All in all, he is grateful for the experiences he has had due to this music, and he seeks to pursue jazz as a full-time career.
Christopher Goldwire is a trumpeter from Coral Springs, FL. Christopher is currently studying under the current musical director of the Count Basie orchestra Scotty Barnhart at Florida State University in the jazz studies program. While at Florida State Christopher has got the opportunity to meet with world class musicians such as Etienne Charles, Charlton Singleton, and Terence Blanchard.
Harrison Rook is an up-and-coming saxophonist from the Central Florida area. A current student in the acclaimed Florida State University Jazz Studies program, he is also pursuing a commercial music degree in which he frequently produces, mixes, arranges and composes. He has studied with David Detweiler, Chase Baird, Leon Anderson, Rodney Jordan, Kevin Jones, Bill Peterson, Scotty Barnhart, and Marcus Roberts.
Zach Urbine is a second-year undergraduate at FSU. Originally from Gainesville, Florida, he’s now studying Composition under supervision of Dr. Clifton Callendar and Jazz Performance with Dr. Kevin Jones. Along with being in Honors Combo I, he plays in FSU’s Jazz Ensemble I and is part of various other groups around Tallahassee. He’s been playing the trombone for nine years and has written a variety of pieces for jazz combo and other small ensembles.
Asher Pereira is a gifted young pianist with a unique sound and creative approach to music. Growing up in a family of musicians, Asher was introduced to the drums and piano at a young age and quickly developed a passion for performing and composing in the jazz style. Pereira’s music is characterized by an innovative use of harmony, rhythm, and melody. He draws inspiration from a variety of musical genres, including classical, jazz, and contemporary music. His improvisations are often intricate and complex, yet always accessible and engaging for audiences. Pereira is currently studying jazz piano with Bill Peterson at Florida State University.
Bassist Kaleb Tompkins enjoys playing various genres of music including Jazz, R&B/ Funk, Gospel, and Rap, and has been inspired by musicians such as B.B. King, James Brown, Erykah Badu, Miles Davis, and Marvin Gaye. Thompkins, a third year Jazz Performance major at Florida State University, has shared stage with well-known jazz musicians including Grammy-winning artists such as The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Monty Alexander, Scotty Barnhart, Brad Leali, Sherman Irby, Leon Anderson, Vincent Herring, Kent Jones, and a plethora of others.
Nygel Anderson is a drummer, educator, and bandleader from Tallahassee, FL. Surrounded by a family musical background, Anderson was constantly around musical ventures. Anderson is currently studying under Professor Leon Anderson at Florida State University in the Jazz Studies program. As a sideman, Anderson has performed with high class musicians such as Sherman Irby, Helen Sung, and Wycliffe Gordon.
The University Musical Associates is the community support organization for the FSU College of Music. The primary purposes of the group are to develop audiences for College of Music performances, to assist outstanding students in enriching their musical education and careers, and to support quality education and cultural activities for the Tallahassee community. If you would like information about joining the University Musical Associates, please contact Kim Shively, Director of Special Programs, at kshively@fsu.edu or 850-644-4744.
The Florida State University provides accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please notify the College of Music at 850-644-3424 at least five business days prior to a musical event if accommodation for disability or publication in alternative format is needed.