Eleven students from Greenwood School of Music at Oklahoma State University have been spending their spring break week in a unique residency mentorship program with the New York Philharmonic.
The program is part of the multiyear partnership between OSU’s McKnight Center for the Performing Arts and the renowned orchestra, which has been a part of the center since its opening in 2019.
The students will receive one-on-one coaching from members of the Philharmonic, as well as attend rehearsals and performances by the orchestra. The students will also take in a performance by the Metropolitan Opera, attend some of the city’s world-famous museums and take a comprehensive tour of Lincoln Center.
They are accompanied by Thomas Lanners, Greenwood School of Music professor of piano, and Darin Williams, The McKnight Center’s director of education and community engagement, who is traveling as a program liaison.
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Mark Blakeman, the Marilynn and Carl Thomas Executive Director of The McKnight Center, said: “When we created this multiyear partnership, we knew how special it would be to include an opportunity for students to travel to New York and build upon this relationship to have true mentors in the orchestra field.
“We believe that investing in the next generation of musicians is crucial for the future of the performing arts as a whole,” Blakeman said. “We’re proud to play a part in enhancing and elevating their educational experience at OSU.”
French horn student Hope Talton, a Houston native, said she was looking forward to studying with the musicians, as well as learning more about the operations of a professional orchestra. “Seeing more of how they operate on a day-to-day basis will be so informative for our futures,” she said.
Ethan Do, a trombone player and composer originally from Edmond, said: “It’s rare for the average student to have the opportunity to work so closely with our heroes. I hope to evolve my understanding and love for music during this residency.”
Other students participating in the program are cellists Maria Severese from Arizona and Aurian Kutner from Oklahoma City; pianists Yian Wang from China and Blake Hilligoss of Sapulpa; violinist Rodrigo Quintana; clarinetist Dylan Parks of Broken Arrow; flutist Hannah Hartwig; oboist Jacie Gray of Texas; and Dylan Halliday, bass trombonist from Texas.
The three-year partnership between The McKnight Center and the New York Philharmonic will bring the orchestra to Stillwater on a regular basis, as well as provide educational opportunities for OSU and Stillwater Public School students.
Each year, the New York Philharmonic’s residency includes a gala event, public performances, a youth education concert and masterclasses.
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James D. Watts Jr.
Scene Writer
I write primarily about the visual, performing and literary arts. Phone: 918-581-8478
