Shenandoah Conservatory Invited To Perform At 2022 Biennale Musica In Venice

The 127-year-old La Biennale di Venezia has invited Shenandoah Conservatory to perform as part of the 2022 Biennale Musica: Out of Stage in Venice, Italy.

Working carefully with multiple partners, Director of Opera and Associate Professor Ella Marchment, B.M., and Choral Artist-in-Residence and Director of Conservatory Choir Austin Thorpe, Ph.D., will lead a group of approximately 30 choral, opera, dance and theatre students to be part of the 66th International Festival of Contemporary Music (Wednesday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 25) and present "Native American Inspirations" on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. (CEST) at the Ca' Giustinian - Sala delle Colonne. Marchment will stage and direct the new cross-genre, collaborative production and Dr. Thorpe will prepare and conduct the musical elements.

Mary Angela Schroth, a champion of contemporary art and Winchester native, brought Shenandoah University (SU) to the attention of the Biennale's musical director, Lucia Ronchetti, who was excited to feature Native American composers through this project. Shenandoah University is offering the only school-affiliated, student-performed event on the entire festival program.

"Repeatedly, Shenandoah Conservatory has been at the forefront of collaborative and innovative programming," said Dean and Professor of Music Michael Stepniak, Ed.D, "and I couldn't be more excited for our students or prouder of the exceptional and inclusive project that professors Marchment and Thorpe have created."

The "Native American Inspirations" project is a new multidisciplinary music-drama designed to amplify and celebrate the musical world, culture and heritage of Native Americans. Featured project composers include Brent Michael Davids (Mohican/Munsee-Lenape), Dawn Avery (Kanièkéha Mohawk), Russell Wallace (St'at'imc Nation/Salish), Jennifer M. Stevens (Oneida/Lakota) and Louis W. Ballard (Quapaw/Cherokee).

"The Venice Biennale is the epicenter of European arts," said Marchment. "Attending is an unparalleled experience in itself, but contributing to such a prestigious event in this profound way with a cross-disciplinary new work paying homage to the land that the school resides on shows Shenandoah to be a progressive and thoughtful institution committed to advancing the artistic genres. It's an event that makes me really proud to be part of its community."

This project centers around Native American inspiration, drawing together its rich and unique musical and creative history and its intersection with contemporary classical music and opera. Specifically, it will amalgamate the world of Native American composers who have contributed to operatic and choral repertoire and dramas. Davids' "City of Water" was commissioned by Shenandoah Conservatory and the ensemble will present its world premiere during the event.

"I am thrilled to be part of the Venice Biennale with our capable students and renowned opera director Ella Marchment," said Thorpe. "It has been a dream to arrive at Shenandoah Conservatory and immediately begin working on a project with such depth and significance. Professor Marchment has pieced together a stunningly beautiful program of Native American inspirations, working closely with an exceptional team of Native American composers."

With the composers' insight and guidance, the goal is to bring their compositions together into one cohesive whole music-drama, enabling their collected music to give new life to Native American history and storytelling.

The initiative pushes the boundaries of vocal performance, being performed entirely a cappella with handheld percussion. It integrates music, theatre and dance in order to explore the potential of what contemporary American music-drama can be. It pays homage to the history of Shenandoah Conservatory itself (named after the Native American legend of Zynodoa), and has the potential to offer European and American audiences alike a greater awareness of the story of the land on which we reside, learn and educate.

"NATIVE AMERICAN INSPIRATIONS" PROGRAM

Brent Michael Davids "Mohican Soup" (1997)

Brent Michael Davids "Night Chant" (1996)

Brent Michael Davids "City of Water" (2022, world premiere)

Russell Wallace "Journey" (2002, revised 2021)

Louis Ballard "Mohave Bird Dance Songs" (arr. 2003)

Dawn Avery "Teionkhiyàtaton" (2022)

Jennifer Stevens "Beginning of Time" (2022)

Participating Shenandoah Conservatory students returned to campus on Tuesday, Aug. 16, to begin rehearsals. Additional performances in the United States are in the works following the September trip.

The experience was spearheaded by Marchment and former Associate Professor of Voice and Director of Choral Activities Matt Oltman, D.M.A., in spring 2022.

"The project draws from a rich pool of composers who are able to use innovative musical notation to represent the complex rhythmic and melodic traditions of their tribal affiliations," Dr. Oltman said last spring. "This allows all involved to strive for authenticity as we celebrate the beauty, ritual, poetry, language and vocal colors demanded of each piece."

"The Venice Biennale is unlike any other arts festival in the world and, for over 120 years, has been one of the most prestigious institutions in the world," continued Oltman. "It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be invited to be part of the festival and also to be immersed in a wealth of extraordinary artistic expression that pushes the boundaries of visual art, architecture, cinema, dance, music and theatre."

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