Faculty Accomplishments Archives - Page 12 of 22

MSU Chorale producer nominated for Grammy® Award

November 13, 2024 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Dirk Sobotka, producer of the Missouri State University Chorale album, “Radiance Untethered,” has been nominated for a 2025 Grammy® Award.

Sobotka was nominated for Producer of the Year, Classical, for his work on four commercially released albums, including “Radiance Untethered: the Choral Music of John Wykoff.” The other three albums were recorded with the Cincinnati Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

“We are thrilled for Dirk and this esteemed recognition and certainly honored to have the MSU Chorale in the company of such fine professional ensembles,” said Dr. Cameron LaBarr, Clif and Gail Smart Professor of Music and director of the choral studies program..

“Radiance Untethered” marks the fourth MSU Chorale album recorded by Sobotka, LaBarr added. The Chorale will record with him again in March 2025 in Plano, Texas. This collaboration will be with the guest South African choir, The University of Pretoria Camerata.

“This is such a well-deserved honor for Dirk,” said Artist-in-Residence Parker Payne from MSU’s Department of Music. Payne played piano for the “Radiance Untethered” recording. [Read more…] about MSU Chorale producer nominated for Grammy® Award

MSU Theatre and Dance collaborates with Springfield Symphony Orchestra in “Carousel”

October 31, 2024 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance joins the Springfield Symphony Orchestra to present “Carousel” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16, 2024, at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

As part of the Symphony’s “Lullaby of Broadway” program, the performance features a concert version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic and stars Josh Young, associate professor and coordinator of musical theatre at Missouri State.

The production includes a 55-member ensemble backed by a 60-plus piece symphony.

Springfield Symphony Maestro Kyle Pickett will conduct the entire event.

Tickets are available through the Hammons Hall box office and online at www.missouristatetix.com.

Get Tickets

Collaboration leads to “Carousel”

When Young joined MSU’s theatre and dance faculty in 2023, one of his first actions was to have lunch with Pickett to discuss collaboration opportunities.

“Kyle and I discussed several possibilities, including an evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein music,” Young said.

Originally, the plan was to give a performance featuring Young and his wife, Emily Padgett-Young. Both are Broadway veterans, and Young was nominated for a Tony® Award in 2012.

“However, ‘Carousel’ has always been one of my favorite musical scores,” Young said. “With the immense talent we have here at MSU, I thought, ‘Why just do a two-person evening of songs when we could create something even more special?’”

“The idea of bringing the full richness of ‘Carousel’ to life with our students, in collaboration with the Springfield Symphony, felt like the perfect way to elevate the experience for both the performers and the audience,” he added.

Since then, working with Pickett and the technical staff at Hammons Hall has been a delight, Young said. “Their professionalism and flexibility have made the collaboration seamless.”

Man singing in front of Steinway piano — Josh Young performs for the Missouri State Foundation Board of Trustees on Oct. 18, 2024, in the C. Minor Recital Hall. Photo credit: Jesse Scheve/Missouri State University.

CAR research archaeologist Christopher Bodine presents at NASA symposium

October 16, 2024 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University Research Archaeologist Christopher Bodine recently presented his work at the “NASA and Archaeology from Space” symposium, held Sept. 18-19 at NASA’s Space Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Bodine, who works at the Bernice S. Warren Center for Archaeological Research, presented “Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR): SAR Data for Detection and Preservation in North American Archaeological Contexts.”

Symposium attendees came from a diverse range of organizations and institutions, Bodine noted. These included NASA, the National Laboratories system, UNESCO, North American and European universities and private industries.

Many of these individuals have been essential in developing and applying arial remote sensing techniques in archaeology, he added.

Emeritus professor Bob Westenberg lands role in Neil Diamond musical

October 15, 2024 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Retirement has been good for Bob Westenberg, emeritus professor from Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

Not only is he now living near his children and grandchildren in Colorado, he’s also landed the job of a lifetime.

Westenberg is currently on a national tour, playing famed singer Neil Diamond in “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.”

The show launched Sept. 21 and will continue through August 2025.

Scheduled appearances include the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, Oct. 29-Nov. 10.

Get tickets to St. Louis performance

Audition leads to offer

Westenberg said he learned about the role through an old acquaintance from his New York days.

Bob Westenberg.

“Jim Carnahan of Carnahan Casting…reached out about two years ago and asked if I was interested [and] available to audition for the Broadway show,” he explained.

Westenberg then compiled and sent an audition tape with the help of Heather Luellen, Music Director and Accompanist in the theatre and dance department, and MSU theatre and dance alumna Olivia Schmitt, who read the scene with him.

He got a callback to New York, but had to wait to learn more about his future.

“Last November, they called again to have me go to New York for a session with the music director, Sonny Paladino, and also to see the show,” Westenberg said. “This audition was to replace Mark Jacoby in the role on Broadway, as they thought he was leaving when his contract ended at the end of December.”

But Jacoby decided to stay with the show, so Westenberg was offered the national tour.

Biennial Faculty Exhibition at Brick City Gallery Oct. 4-Nov. 1

October 6, 2024 by Reynolds College

The Biennial Faculty Exhibition, sponsored by Missouri State University’s Department of Art and Design, will be on display 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 4-Nov. 1 at the Brick City Gallery. The Exhibition Center will be closed Oct. 10-11 during MSU’s Fall Break.

Held every two years, the exhibition features a wide range of media and techniques. The artwork reflects the perspectives MSU’s art and design faculty bring to their diverse and innovative work. Visitors can view works that engage personal stories, reflections on the past, spirituality, environmental themes and much more.

“Students see their professors as active professionals, and so their points of view in the classroom take on a different significance,” said Vonda Yarberry, art and design department head. “Seeing works by professors in different disciplines [that] address similar topics deepens students’ awareness about multiple approaches to content and inspires students to try new things.”

The department’s gallery programming also strives to show students different approaches to professional art and design practice, which are highlighted in the numerous other exhibits offered throughout the year.

« Previous Page