music | North Central College

Alumnus lectures, performs in Beijing and is guest on WONC

Musician, world traveler Mike Krieglstein ’10 is lecturer at university in Beijing and guest artist with WONC’s music night series Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Musician, world traveler and 2010 alumnus Mike Krieglstein will be the featured guest artist Feb. 7 as part of WONC’s Tuesday music night series. Listen to WONC-FM 89.1 from 6 to 8 p.m. to hear a live interview with Krieglstein about his recent adventures in China where he gave a lecture and performed. After the radio interview, Krieglstein will give a free live concert at 8 p.m. in the basement of the Rolland Center Boilerhouse Café.

Blanchet plays percussion in local musical

George Blanchet, North Central College percussionist and lecturer in music, plays percussion in Paramount Theater’s show “A Chorus Line” through Feb. 5.

George Blanchet, percussionist and lecturer in music, is playing percussion in the Paramount Theater production of “A Chorus Line” with performances through Feb. 5. The smash hit features music written by famed composer Marvin Hamlisch and boasts nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Blanchet has been teaching percussion at North Central since 1998 and directs the Percussion Ensemble at North Central.

Music major in online audition for Queen Extravaganza

Music major Mac Willaert ’13 is finalist in talent search

Mac Willaert ’13, North Central College pianist, is finalist in round 2 of nationwide talent search for top musicians. View audition, vote for Mac Nov. 14-28.

Mac (James MacArthur) Willaert ’13, a music major and pianist at North Central College, is one of the finalists to make it to the second round of “Queen Extravaganza,” a nationwide talent search for America’s top young musicians. Legendary rocker Roger Taylor of Queen is assembling a band of rising musicians in honor of Queen’s 40th anniversary tour in 2012.

Wis gives keynote address, leads session at conference of music educators

Ramona Wis, Mimi Rolland Professor in the Fine Arts

Ramona Wis, North Central College’s Mimi Rolland Professor in the Fine Arts and professor of music, was keynote speaker and session presenter at conference.

Ramona M. Wis, North Central College’s Mimi Rolland Professor in the Fine Arts and professor and chair of music, was keynote speaker and a session presenter at the British Columbia Music Educators Association conference, titled “Forte 2011: Growing Strong in Music Education,” in Richmond, British Columbia, Oct. 20-22.

Concert Choir hits high notes on Italian tour

Wilders and Van Oyen publish article on symmetry of math and art

Professors Richard Wilders and Lawrence Van Oyen

North Central College Professor of Mathematics Richard Wilders and Professor of Music Larry Van Oyen publish article on art and transformations in math class.

Lawrence Van Oyen (photo, right), professor of music, and Richard Wilders (left), Marie and Bernice Gantzert Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of mathematics, had their co-authored article, “Turning Students into Symmetry Detectives,” published in the September issue of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, a publication of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The article discusses how the mathematical concept of symmetry can be used to analyze certain kinds of art.

Kirk creates digital soundscape of European landscape

Jonathon Kirk, assistant professor of music at North Central College, was co-commissioned to develop a digital soundscape of a Belgian countryside.

Jonathon Kirk, assistant professor of music, was co-commissioned with Belgian artist and composer Thomas Smetryns to develop a site-specific digital soundscape for the Klankatlas project sponsored in part by the Belgian Flemish government and Musica Impulscentrum voor Muziek. For the larger project, sound artists were asked to focus specifically on the region of Belgian Limburg.

Alumnus named Udall Scholar for study in engineering

North Central alumnus Paul Roots ’07, a civil engineering student at UIC, was named a 2011 Udall Scholar for his commitment to the environment.

North Central College alumnus Paul Roots ’07, a civil engineering student at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), was named a 2011 Udall Scholar for his commitment to the environment, leadership potential and academic achievement. Roots majored in music and jazz studies at North Central.

Blanchet joins Chicago Sinfonietta in special concert

George Blanchet, percussionist and lecturer in music, played with the Chicago Sinfonietta at Symphony Center in a farewell concert for Maestro Freeman.

George Blanchet, percussionist and lecturer in music, played with the Chicago Sinfonietta at Symphony Center in Chicago in the “Maestro Freeman’s Farewell Concert: Women in Classical Music” performance on June 23. This event, which was broadcast live on the classical music station WFMT-FM 98.7, was the final concert for the Chicago Sinfonietta’s founding conductor Paul Freeman. Blanchet teaches percussion and directs the Percussion Ensemble at North Central.

Wis has feature article in “Choral Journal”

“Influence Changes Everything” by Ramona Wis, Mimi Rolland Professor in the Fine Arts, was the lead feature in American Choral Directors Association journal.

Ramona Wis—Mimi Rolland Professor in the Fine Arts and professor and chair of music—was recently published in the “Choral Journal,” the official publication of the American Choral Directors Association. Her article, titled “Influence Changes Everything: How Conductors Can Shape Motivation, Create Momentum, and Reframe the Musical Experience,” is the lead article in the publication’s March 2011 special focus issue. The American Choral Directors Association membership comprises more than 22,000 choral conductors representing some million singers.