Shortly before we went to press we were delighted to hear that one of our most distinguished alumni had been recognized as such by the university. The Oakland University Alumni Association announced the recipients of the 18th Annual Alumni Awards and among them was Joel Frederiksen, MM ’90, Operatic Soloist, who received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, which is given for outstanding professional achievement. He is an internationally renowned early music singer and lutenist, with a busy career, especially in Europe. On October 15, Mr. Frederiksen will perform at OU, bringing the mythical figure of Orpheus to vivid life in a critically-acclaimed program, which features repertoire from the late Renaissance and Early Baroque in England, France, and Italy. The 2012 Alumni Awards Banquet will be held on Friday, October 26, 2012 in the Oakland Center banquet rooms. Details of the event are available from Christina Simon at (248)-364-6134 or casmion2@oakland.edu. All are welcome at this event. Tickets are $100. Joel was nominated for the award by Professor John-Paul White with whom he studied while he was at OU.
Professor Emerita Laurie Eisenhower, artistic director of Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, our dance company in residence, also received an important award recently. She was one of 12 metropolitan Detroit area performing artists to receive a 2012 Kresge Artist Fellowship from Kresge Arts in Detroit. She was cited for her “commitment to innovation and artistic achievement.” The $25,000 fellowships are funded by the Kresge Foundation and administered by the College for Creative Studies. Laurie says, “I am thrilled to have received this fellowship.” The fellows are chosen by a panel of national and local artists and arts professionals. Read more about the fellowships here.
Sophomore Lauren Wilson, a student of Bret Hoag, will soon be performing before a panel. Lauren is one of only 11 finalists in the nationwide White Lake Chamber Music Festival and she will play guitar in the final round on Thursday, August 9 at 8 pm. The competition will be held at the United Methodist Church of Montague, located at 8555 Cook Street in Montague, Michigan. Read more information about the competition here.
Finally, we are happy to report that during New Music Week last month, the American Choral Directors Association celebrated by selecting a new piece each day for prominent display on their website. And they began the week with Gloria, Pax, Alleluia, the latest piece by Associate Professor Mike Mitchell, our music program director. Mike says the piece was commissioned for the Central Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association and premiered at that conference in March 2012. It features traditional Latin text from the Mass, as well as quotes from Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. You can see its premiere performance here with the Chippewa Valley High School Varsity Singers and Kent Wattleworth conducting.
Photo: Lauren Wilson
Created by Gillian Ellis (gellis@oakland.edu) on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 Modified by Gillian Ellis (gellis@oakland.edu) on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 Article Start Date: Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Shortly before we went to press we were delighted to hear that one of our most distinguished alumni had been recognized as such by the university. The Oakland University Alumni Association announced the recipients of the 18th Annual Alumni Awards and among them was Joel Frederiksen, MM ’90, Operatic Soloist, who received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, which is given for outstanding professional achievement. He is an internationally renowned early music singer and lutenist, with a busy career, especially in Europe. On October 15, Mr. Frederiksen will perform at OU, bringing the mythical figure of Orpheus to vivid life in a critically-acclaimed program, which features repertoire from the late Renaissance and Early Baroque in England, France, and Italy. The 2012 Alumni Awards Banquet will be held on Friday, October 26, 2012 in the Oakland Center banquet rooms. Details of the event are available from Christina Simon at (248)-364-6134 or casmion2@oakland.edu. All are welcome at this event. Tickets are $100. Joel was nominated for the award by Professor John-Paul White with whom he studied while he was at OU.