Virginia McDowell, Chen Cao, Sophia Fiuza Hunt

On Stage At Curtis features a piece from Virginia McDowell, oboist studying with Richard Woodhams, cellist Chen Cao and songs of hope from mezzo-soprano Sophia Fiuza Hunt.

Dutilleux: Sonata for Oboe and Piano
Virginia McDowell, oboe; David Hughes, piano
Henri Dutilleux was a French composer who died in 2013 at the age of 97. Sonata for Oboe and Piano was commissioned for the Paris Conservatory in 1947 to select the student skilled enough to deserve a diploma.

Tcherepnin: Suite for Solo Cello (1946)
Chen Cao, cello
Alexander Tcherepnin a Russian-born composer of Suite for Solo Cello. The movements are marked Quasi Cadenza (Quarter note = 80); Quarter note = 96; Eighth note = 42 and Vivace (Quarter note = 104)

Jean Berger: Selections from Four Songs
Sophia Fiuza Hunt, mezzo-soprano; Grant Loehnig, piano
Berger composed a song cycle in 1951 called Four Songs from Langston Hughes poetry. In Time of Silver Rain is the first poem in the cycle and Lonely People is the last.

John Musto: “Could Be,” from Shadow of the Blues
Sophia Fiuza Hunt, mezzo-soprano; Grant Loehnig, piano
Shadow of the Blues composed by John Musto in 1987 is a song cycle using four of Langston Hughes poems. Could Be is the last of the songs and speaks of different streets in the world.

Florence Price: “Hold Fast to Dreams,” from Five Art Songs
Sophia Fiuza Hunt, mezzo-soprano; Grant Loehnig, piano
Florence Price was the first African-American woman to be recognized as an orchestra composer. Hold Fast to Dreams text was written by Langston Hughes and composed in 1945 by Price as part of a song cycle call Five Art Songs. Hold Fast to Dreams was the first in the cycle.

Frederic Rzewski: “Lullaby: God to a Hungry Child,” from Three Songs
Sophia Fiuza Hunt, mezzo-soprano; Grant Loehnig, piano
This piece could be described as a haunting piece, so intense with a message from God to a hungry child.

John Musto: “Litany,” from Shadow of the Blues
Sophia Fiuza Hunt, mezzo-soprano; Grant Loehnig, piano
Litany is the second song from the song cycle Shadow of the Blues, text written by Langston Hughes.

Jake Heggie: The Breaking Waves
Sophia Fiuza Hunt, mezzo-soprano; Grant Loehnig, piano
Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book Dead Man Walking wrote the text for the song cycle The Breaking Waves by Jake Heggie. The songs are Advent, Darkness, Music and Return. The third song Music talks about a man on death row and how he found joy in music.